®




                        ™




                            ®


        CORE RULEBOOK
    ™
                                  ™




   ROLEPLAYING IN THE GRIM
DARKNESS OF THE 41ST MILLENNIUM
                                                                        Credits
                  Deathwatch DesigneD by                                                                          Art Direction
                                Ross Watson                                                                           Zoë Robinson
            with additional concepts by Jay Little and Sam Stewart
                                                                                                            Production Manager
                               Lead Developer                                                                        Gabe Laulunen
                                    Ross Watson
                                                                                                         FFG Lead Game Designer
                     Written and Developed by                                                                       Corey Konieczka
           Owen Barnes, Alan Bligh, John French, Andrea Gausman
                             and Andy Hoare                                                             FFG Lead Game Producer
                                                                                                                     Michael Hurley
Credits




                           Additional Writing
                   Mack Martin and Robin Everett-McGuirl                                                              Publisher
                                                                                                                 Christian T. Petersen
              Based on Dark Heresy, Designed by
                 Owen Barnes, Kate Flack, and Mike Mason                                                    games workshop
                                      Editing                                                                 Licensing Manager
             Dylan Owen, Leigh Anne Reger, and Patrick Rollens                                                         Owen Rees

                               Graphic Design                                                                  Head of Licensing
                                  Kevin Childress                                                                       Paul Lyons

                     Additional Graphic Design                                                     Head of Intellectual Property
                                    Mark Raynor                                                                        Alan Merrett

                                   Cover Art                                                                     Special Thanks
                                  Michael Phillippi                                      FFG wishes to give special thanks to all our playtesters (see page
                                                                                          396 for a complete list), especially Les Hedges of “No Guts, No
                                  Interior Art                                           Glory,” who will be forever remembered as an inspiration and best
          Alex Boyd, Matt Bradbury, Victor Corbella, Paul Dainton,                                           friend to all who met him.
             Dave Gallagher, David Griffith, Des Hanley, Nikolaus
           Ingeneri, Nuala Kennedy, Igor Kieryluk, Anton Kokarev,
          Karl Kopinski, Stefan Kopinski, Clint Langley, Jorge Maese,
           Winona Nelson, Hector Ortíz, Michael Phillippi, Roberto
            Ricci, Karl Richardson, Skysoul Studios, Adrian Smith,
                     Oliver Specht, and Theo Stylianides



                                                                                                Fantasy Flight Games
                                                                FANTASY                      1975 West County Road B2
                                                                FLIGHT                         Roseville, MN 55113
                                                                 GAMES                                  USA

                    Copyright © Game Workshop Limited 2010. Games Workshop, Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer 40,000 Role Play, Deathwatch,
                    the foregoing marks’ respective logos, Deathwatch, and all associated marks, logos, places, names, creatures, races and race insignia/
                  devices/logos/symbols, vehicles, locations, weapons, units and unit insignia, characters, products and illustrations from the Warhammer
                   40,000 universe and the Deathwatch game setting are either ®, ™, and/or © Games Workshop Ltd 2000-2010, variably registered
                     in the UK and other countries around the world. This edition published under license to Fantasy Flight Publishing Inc. All rights
                   reserved to their respective owners. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
                     form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
                                       ISBN: 978-1-58994-778-8 Product Code: DW01 Print ID: 781JUN10
                                                                           Printed in China
                                      For more information about the Deathwatch line, free downloads, answers
                                             to rule queries, or just to pass on greetings, visit us online at
                                                                    .FantasyFlightGames.com


                      2
                 Contents                                                                          Deathwatch Assault Marine ................................................ 72
                                                                                                   Deathwatch Devastator Marine .......................................... 76
                                                                                                   Deathwatch Librarian .......................................................... 80
Foreword                                                                                   6      Deathwatch Tactical Marine .............................................. 84
 You Shall Know No Fear .......................................................8                   Deathwatch Techmarine ..................................................... 88
 What is a Roleplaying Game? ...............................................8
 What’s in this book?...............................................................9             ChapterIII:Skills                                                                     92
 Game Dice ............................................................................ 10         Gaining Skills ....................................................................... 92
 The Space Marines ............................................................... 11               Skill Mastery ...................................................................... 92
  The Origins of The Space Marines ................................. 11                            Basic and Advanced Skills .................................................. 92
  The Codex Astartes ........................................................... 12                Skill Descriptors ................................................................... 94




                                                                                                                                                                                                    Contents
  Conditioning ...................................................................... 16           Skill Groups .......................................................................... 94
  The Path of the Space Marine ......................................... 19                        Special Uses .......................................................................... 94
  Masters of the Chapter ..................................................... 20                  Skill Descriptions ................................................................. 94

ChapterI:CharacterCreation                                                           22       ChapterIV:Talents&Traits                                                         108
 Creating your Deathwatch Space Marine ......................... 22                                Gaining Talents ..................................................................108
  Generating Characteristics................................................ 25                    Talent Groups .....................................................................108
  Nature.................................................................................. 31      Talent Prerequisites ............................................................108
  Demeanours........................................................................ 32            Talent Descriptions ............................................................112
   Using Demeanours .......................................................... 32                  Traits ....................................................................................130
  Name ................................................................................... 34      Trait Descriptions ...............................................................130
  Roleplaying as a Space Marine ........................................ 35
 Space Marine Abilities ......................................................... 36              ChapterV:Armoury                                                                   138
  The Black Templars........................................................... 38                 Requisition ..........................................................................138
   Eternal Crusaders ............................................................ 39               Renown ...............................................................................139
   Righteous Zeal ................................................................ 39              Craftsmanship .....................................................................140
   Combat Doctrine............................................................. 39                 Weapons ..............................................................................140
  The Blood Angels .............................................................. 41                Astartes Weapons .............................................................142
   The World of Blood........................................................ 41                   Weapon Special Qualities..................................................142
   The Sons of Sanguinius .................................................. 42                    Bolt Weapons......................................................................146
   Combat Doctrine............................................................. 43                 Plasma Weapons .................................................................147
  The Dark Angels ................................................................ 44              Melta Weapons ...................................................................148
   Caliban ............................................................................. 44        Flame Weapons...................................................................148
   The Inner Circle .............................................................. 44              Solid Projectile Weapons ..................................................149
   Combat Doctrine............................................................. 45                 Las Weapons .......................................................................149
  The Space Wolves .............................................................. 47               Grenades and Missiles .......................................................150
   Land of Fire and Ice ........................................................ 47                Launchers ............................................................................152
   The Trials ......................................................................... 47         Exotic Weapons ..................................................................152
   Combat Doctrine............................................................. 48                 Melee Weapons ..................................................................153
  Storm Wardens ................................................................... 50             Chain Weapons ..................................................................153
   The World of Storms ...................................................... 50                   Power Weapons ..................................................................154
   The Way of Honour ........................................................ 51                   Force Weapons....................................................................155
   Combat Doctrine............................................................. 51                 Traditional Weapons ..........................................................156
  The Ultramarines ............................................................... 53              Weapon Upgrades ..............................................................156
   The Realm of Ultramar................................................... 53                     Ammunition ........................................................................158
   Duty and Honour ............................................................ 54                 Special Issue Ammunition .................................................159
   Combat Doctrine............................................................. 54                 Armour ................................................................................160
                                                                                                   Astartes Power Armour......................................................160
ChapterII:Specialties                                                                 56        Other Armour .....................................................................164
 Getting Started ..................................................................... 56          Force Fields .........................................................................166
 Speciality Format.................................................................. 56            Relics ...................................................................................167
 Character Advancements ..................................................... 57                   Chapter Relics ....................................................................167
 Ranks ..................................................................................... 57    Deathwatch Relics..............................................................168
  Skill and Talent Advances................................................. 58                    Chapter Trappings .............................................................169
  General Space Marine Advances ...................................... 60                          Wargear ...............................................................................171
  Deathwatch Advances ....................................................... 64                   Drugs and Consumables....................................................172
  Chapter Advances .............................................................. 66               Tools ....................................................................................173
 Deathwatch Apothecary ...................................................... 68                   Cybernetics .........................................................................176


                                                                                                                                                                          3
            Servitors ..............................................................................178       Mission Complications ......................................................231
                                                                                                              Rewards ...............................................................................232
           ChapterVI:PsychicPowers                                                           180          Experience...........................................................................232
            Psykers in the Imperium ...................................................180                    Renown ...............................................................................232
            Space Marine Librarians ....................................................182
            Selection and Training ......................................................182                 ChapterVIII:Combat                                                                234
            Codex Librarians ................................................................184              Narrative Time vs. Structured Time .................................234
            Psychic Powers in Deathwatch .........................................184                         Combat Overview ..............................................................234
            Psy Ratings .........................................................................184          Surprise ................................................................................235
            Perils of the Warp ..............................................................186              Initiative ..............................................................................235
            Psychic Powers ...................................................................189             Actions.................................................................................236
Contents




             Telepathy Powers .............................................................190                 Using Actions ...................................................................236
             Divination Powers ...........................................................192                  Action Descriptions .........................................................237
             Codex Powers ..................................................................194               The Attack ..........................................................................244
             Blood Angel Powers ........................................................196                   Combat Circumstances ......................................................246
             Dark Angel Powers..........................................................197                   Missing ................................................................................248
             Space Wolf Powers ..........................................................198                  Pinning ................................................................................248
             Storm Warden Powers .....................................................199                     Injury ...................................................................................250
             Ultramarine Powers .........................................................200                  Critical Damage..................................................................250
                                                                                                              Fatigue .................................................................................251
           ChapterVII:PlayingtheGame                                                        202          Conditions and Special Damage ......................................260
            Tests .....................................................................................202    Healing ................................................................................261
             Skill Tests ..........................................................................202
             Characteristic Tests ..........................................................203              ChapterIX:TheGameMaster                                                         264
            The Role of Fate.................................................................204              The Role of the Game Master ..........................................264
             Using Fate Points .............................................................204               The Basics ...........................................................................264
            Movement ...........................................................................205           Evoking the Setting ...........................................................265
             Climbing ...........................................................................206          Themes in Deathwatch ......................................................265
             Jumping and Leaping ......................................................207                    How to Run a Deathwatch Adventure ............................267
             Swimming.........................................................................207             Styles of Play ......................................................................267
             Carrying, Lifting, and Pushing Objects........................208                                Non-Player Characters ......................................................268
             Lighting ............................................................................209         The Imperial War Machine ...............................................269
             Flying ................................................................................210       Rewards: The Mark of Duty .............................................269
             The Effects of Gravity .....................................................210                  Experience Points...............................................................269
            Cohesion .............................................................................211         Creating Missions ..............................................................272
             What is Cohesion?...........................................................211                   Setting Objectives............................................................272
            Squad Mode and Solo Mode ............................................213                           Kill Markers......................................................................273
             What is Solo Mode? ........................................................213                    Setting Requisition ..........................................................273
             What is Squad Mode? .....................................................213                      Mission Archetypes .........................................................274
            Solo Mode Abilities ...........................................................215                Interaction ...........................................................................275
             Codex Abilities..................................................................216              Interaction Skills ..............................................................275
             Chapter Abilities ...............................................................217             Fear and Damnation ..........................................................276
            Squad Mode Abilities ........................................................219                   Fear ....................................................................................277
             Gaining Squad Mode Abilities .......................................219                           Insanity .............................................................................278
            Attack Patterns ...................................................................221             Corruption ........................................................................282
             Codex Attack Patterns ....................................................221
             Chapter Attack Patterns ..................................................222                   ChapterX:TheImperiumofMan                                                      284
            Defensive Stances ...............................................................223              The Divine Order of the Imperium .................................284
             Codex Defensive Stances ................................................223                       The Administratum ..........................................................284
             Chapter Defensive Stances .............................................224                        The Adeptus Astra Telepathica ......................................285
            Missions...............................................................................226         The Adeptus Arbites ........................................................286
             Overview ..........................................................................226            The Adeptus Ministorum ................................................286
             Preparation .......................................................................227            The Adeptus Custodes ....................................................286
             Briefing .............................................................................227         The Holy Orders of the Emperor’s Inquisition............286
             Select a Leader .................................................................228              The Adeptus Astartes ......................................................286
             Oath-taking ......................................................................228             The Imperial Navy...........................................................287
             Arming ..............................................................................230          The Imperial Guard .........................................................287
             Execution ..........................................................................230           The Navigator Houses ....................................................287
            Mission Objectives .............................................................230                The Officio Munitorum ..................................................287


                            4
  The Adeptus Mechanicus................................................287                      Hordes Attacking .............................................................360
  Officio Assassinorum .......................................................287                Creating a Horde ............................................................360
  Rogue Traders ..................................................................287           Chaos ...................................................................................361
 Domains of the Emperor...................................................291                    Daemon Prince (Master) .................................................362
  The Warp ..........................................................................291         Chaos Space Marine (Elite) ............................................363
  Planets of the Imperium .................................................292                   Renegade Militia (Troops) ..............................................364
 A Galaxy at War .................................................................294            Chaos Heretic (Troops) ...................................................364
  The Many Faces of the Enemy ......................................295                         The Tau ...............................................................................365
  Wars of the Imperium .....................................................297                  Tau Commander (Master) ...............................................365
  War on All Fronts ............................................................298              Tau Stealth Suit (Elite) ....................................................366
  The Military Machine .....................................................300                  Gun Drones (Troops).......................................................367




                                                                                                                                                                                               Contents
                                                                                                 Tau Fire Warriors (Troops) .............................................368
ChapterXI:TheDeathwatch                                                        304          Tyranids ...............................................................................369
 The Origins of the Deathwatch .......................................305                        Hive Tyrant (Master) .......................................................369
 Organisation of the Deathwatch ......................................306                        Tyranid Warrior (Elite) ....................................................370
 Recruitment.........................................................................309         Hormagaunt (Troops) ......................................................371
 Heraldry of the Deathwatch .............................................311                     Termagant (Troops) .........................................................371
 Wargear of the Deathwatch ..............................................311                     Tyranid Weapons ............................................................372
 The Xenos Threat .............................................................312              Non-player Characters ......................................................374
 Deathwatch Missions .........................................................317
                                                                                               ChapterXIV:Extraction                                                            378
ChapterXII:TheJerichoReach                                                    322          GM’s Briefing .....................................................................378
 The Jericho-Maw Warp Gate ............................................326                      Pyroclast-Gamma-9 ...........................................................380
 The Well of Night..............................................................327             Mission to Tantalus ............................................................382
 The Domains of The Deathwatch....................................327                           Planetfall .............................................................................382
  Watch Fortress Erioch .....................................................328                The Mission Briefing .........................................................382
  Watch Stations..................................................................333           Seek, Locate, Destroy ........................................................383
  Warships............................................................................335       Tyranid Encounters ............................................................383
  Keepers of the Watch ......................................................335                Map Locations ....................................................................385
 The Achilus Crusade..........................................................337               Exit Strategy .......................................................................390
 The Orpheus Salient ..........................................................340              Tantalus Dies ......................................................................390
  Victory and Disaster ........................................................340              Rewards ..............................................................................390
 The Acheros Salient ...........................................................345             Further Adventures ............................................................390
  Karlack ..............................................................................345     NPCs & Antagonists ..........................................................391
  The Cellebos Warzone ....................................................346
  The Hadex Anomaly and the Charon Stars ................349
  Noteworthy Worlds of the Outer Reach ......................350
  Shedu and the Slinnar Drift ...........................................350
  Jove’s Descent ...................................................................350
  Polyphemnos ....................................................................350
 The Canis Salient ...............................................................350
  Fortress Spite ....................................................................351
  Quarantined Worlds ........................................................352
  Velk’Han Sept ..................................................................352
  Tsua’Malor ........................................................................352
  Krrk’tikit ...........................................................................354
  Watch Station Skapula ....................................................354
  The Black Reef.................................................................354
  The Greyhell Front ..........................................................354
  Baraban .............................................................................355
  Bekrin................................................................................355
  Ravacene ...........................................................................356
  Veren .................................................................................356

ChapterXIII:Adversaries                                                         358
 The Tiers of Enemies .........................................................358
 Hordes .................................................................................359
  Using a Horde ..................................................................359
  Attacking a Horde ...........................................................359


                                                                                                                                                                      5
                                                  Foreword
           I
               think it is fairly safe                                       40K roleplaying game with or without Space Marines? The
               to say that the idea of                                       solution we eventually settled upon was to do both!
               exploring the universe of                                         In fact, we went one further and sketched out a plan that
           Warhammer 40,000 (40K)                                            added a third core rulebook to the set. This gave us, on paper
           through the medium of a                                           at least, an interesting progression through the universe of
           roleplaying game has been                                         the 41st Millennium and through the power levels of the
           around for as long as the                                         player characters. We also gave tentative themes and titles to
           tabletop battlegame has been                                      the three core rulebooks. Dark heresy would introduce the
Foreword




           in existence (Games Workshop                                      universe to roleplayers and provide a very strong environment
           published Warhammer 40,000:                                       for developing low level, inexperienced characters under the
           Rogue Trader in 1987). The                                        aegis of the Inquisition (a format very much inspired by the
           rich and varied background of                                     earlier and perfectly successful tabletop game InquIsItor
           the universe and its amazing                                      by Games Workshop). rogue traDer would expand the
           cast of characters appeared to                                    game’s horizons and introduce higher level characters and
           offer an unparalleled opportunity for the creation of a really    adventures and maybe the first look at a playable Space
           enthralling roleplaying experience. As the years passed and       Marine. Finally Deathwatch would present the Space Marines
           GW increasingly focussed its publishing efforts on the tabletop   in all of their glory—the ultimate warriors facing the most
           miniatures game, the prospect of a 40K roleplaying game           dangerous challenges.
           happening became ever more remote, even if it never lost its          As it turned out, the GW team only got to do part one of
           glittering promise. Some may have even referred to the idea       the set and that book along with the plan we had sketched
           as the ‘Holy Grail’ of the roleplaying hobby. Many may have       out was offered to FFG when they acquired the license. To
           doubted that such a venture would ever come to pass. However,     our delight, they liked both Dark heresy and our plan and
           a few years ago, some folks at Games Workshop finally put         immediately set about turning parts two and three into a reality.
           into place some plans to do exactly that. The result of their     In the course of doing this it has been inevitable that Ross
           efforts was the launch in 2008 of the Dark heresy book and        and his teams have had to adapt those initial ideas somewhat.
           the grim darkness of the far future could now be explored by      As well as making some essential changes and developments
           legions of roleplaying enthusiasts. The popularity of Dark        they have added an enormous amount of original material of
           heresy outstripped all expectations, and it was clear that the    their own devising to the final fleshed-out products. This has
           idea of roleplaying in the 41st Millennium was as strong, if      resulted in the most amazing series of roleplaying books, as
           not stronger than it had ever been. The subsequent licensing      you can no doubt ascertain for yourself by examining the book
           of the property to Fantasy Flight Games first consolidated and    in your hands right now. This realisation of those early ideas
           then built on this success, in somewhat spectacular fashion it    in such a high quality fashion and the dedication and ongoing
           has to be said. FFG have already produced a string of high        commitment of FFG to the property is immensely satisfying to
           quality supplements for Dark heresy and in 2009 launched          those of us at GW who were involved in those early planning
           rogue traDer, the second core rulebook in the series,             meetings. It is good to know that the ‘Holy Grail’ has not
           and associated supplements. With this amazing wealth of           only been grasped but that it is in such talented hands. The
           material and the growing popularity of both strands, it is now    41st Millennium may be grim and dark but the future of 40K
           difficult to imagine a roleplaying scene without a Warhammer      roleplaying looks very bright indeed.
           40,000 presence.
               This volume, Deathwatch, completes the triptych of 40K
           Roleplay core rulebooks and introduces the Space Marines.
           That this book is devoted to the Adeptus Astartes explains                                 Alan Merrett,
           to some extent the structure of the whole 40K roleplay line.                       Games Workshop 2010
           As I said earlier, a few years ago a small group of people at
           Games Workshop began to think seriously about how we
           might actually publish a 40K roleplaying game. There was, if
           I recall, much excitement and quite a few proposals as to how
           we might approach such a venture. Broadly speaking these
           proposals fell into one of two camps. On the one side was the
           opinion that because Space Marines were so powerful in the
           setting it made no sense to have them being featured alongside
           other characters at low levels of play and that therefore
           including them at all would simply unbalance the game. On
           the other side was the opinion that a 40K game without
           Space Marines was just unthinkable and that the game would
           have little interest if they were left out. So did we publish a


                       6
           It is the 41st Millennium...
 For more than a hundred centuries the Emperor has sat immobile on
                                                                            the Golden
 Throne of Earth. He is the master of Mankind by the will of the gods,
                                                                           and master
 of a million worlds by the might of his inexhaustible armies. He is a rottin
                                                                              g carcass




                                                                                          Introduction
 writhing invisibly with power from the Dark Age of Technology. He is
                                                                          the Carrion
 Lord of the Imperium for whom a thousand souls are sacrificed every day,
                                                                             so that he
 may never truly die.

 Yet in his deathless state, the Emperor
 continues his eternal vigilance. Mighty
 battlefleets cross the Daemon-infested
 miasma of the warp, the only route
 between distant stars, their way lit
 by the Astronomican, the psychic
 manifestation of the Emperor’s will.
 Vast armies give battle in his name on
uncounted worlds. Greatest amongst his
soldiers are the Adeptus Astartes, the
Space Marines, bio-engineered super-
warriors. Their comrades in arms
are legion: the Imperial Guard and
countless planetary defence forces, the
ever-vigilant Inquisition and the Tech-
Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus,
to name but a few. But for all their
multitudes, they are barely enough to
hold off the ever-present threat from
aliens, heretics, mutants—and worse.

To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billons. It is
                                                                         to live in the
cruellest and most bloody regime imaginable. Forget the power of techn
                                                                            ology and
science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be re-learned. Forget the
                                                                            promise of
progress and understanding, for in the grim darkness of the far future,
                                                                          there is only
war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and
                                                                            slaughter,
and the laughter of thirsting gods.


                                                                       7
                   You Shall                                                     Brothers. You will face difficult challenges, from the ravening
                                                                                 horror of a Tyranid Hive Tyrant to the excruciating decision
                                                                                 of whether an Imperial world’s population can be saved...or

                 Know No Fear                                                    must be abandoned to their fate in the face of an encroaching
                                                                                 alien menace.



               W
                           elcome to the front lines, Battle-Brother!
                           Deathwatch is a roleplaying game in which the         WHAT IS A ROLEPLAYING
                           players take on the roles of the bio-engineered
               super-soldiers known as Space Marines, undertaking the most
                                                                                 GAME?
Introduction




               dangerous special missions in the grim darkness of the far        In a roleplaying game (RPG), you create an alter ego, a fictional
               future. The player characters form a Kill-team of Space Marines   character that is your avatar within the game world. Perhaps you
               in the Deathwatch, an elite warrior brotherhood wherein you       will create a stoic soldier, a wise scholar, or an inspiring leader.
               will face hostile aliens and foul daemons in the Jericho Reach,   Next, you and your friends direct your characters through a
               a region of the Imperium devastated by war and on the brink       series of adventures. Imagine a crime drama, adventure film,
               of annihilation.                                                  or war movie—except that instead of passively watching the
                   The role of the Deathwatch in the Imperium is to              story unfold, you control one of the characters, making his
               safeguard humanity against the predations of the vile alien       decisions, selecting his actions, and even speaking for him.
               and other threats. Deathwatch Space Marines are at the fore       The decisions of you and your fellow players directly affect
               of Mankind’s war for survival against a hostile universe. The     the events of the story.
               Deathwatch recruits Space Marines from across the galaxy-            How can you affect these events? How do you decide
               spanning Imperium of Man, meaning that many Space                 what happens? That is the role of the game itself. Roleplaying
               Marines have wildly different backgrounds, experiences,           games such as Deathwatch provide a framework of rules that
               beliefs, and traditions. Some of the other Space Marines in a     describe how to design your character and operate him within
               player’s Kill-team may be from a Chapter considered a rival to    the game. Rules can cover situations like shootouts, chase
               his own, whilst others may be simply mysterious or difficult      scenes, or investigating the records from a long-abandoned
               to understand.                                                    Watch Station. Often, the rules require you to roll dice when
                   Much like the knights of Camelot’s round table, each          performing an action, with some results indicating success and
               Deathwatch Space Marine is a veteran warrior, a hero with         others indicating failure. While the rules provide structure and
               a legend and story of his own. His great accomplishments          guidelines in the game, dice add an element of chance. After
               and strong personality have distinguished him from the battle-              all, success would not seem so sweet if there were
               brothers of his home Chapter, and he has earned the honour of                                  no risk of failure! Jumping from one
               joining the Deathwatch. Amongst his peers in the Deathwatch                                             cliff face to another becomes
               Kill-team, the Space Marine must learn to put aside his                                                  much more exciting when
               differences and work together as a group—or face                                                         the slightest misstep (or
               annihilation in the face of implacable alien foes.                                                         bad dice roll!) may result
                   Deathwatch centres around elite, special-                                                                 in your character falling
               missions style action involving some of the                                                                         into the abyss
               greatest heroes and deadliest opponents                                                                              below.
               the Warhammer 40,000 universe has to                                                                                    At first, RPGs
               offer. However, it is equally                                                                                like Deathwatch may
               important to consider the                                                                                    appear to have a lot of
               roleplaying opportunities                                                                                   rules. However, you will
               presented by the unique                                                                                     soon see that the rules are
               composition of the                                                                                            actually quite simple,
               Deathwatch         itself;                                                                                      easy to remember, and
               the Space Marines                                                                                                 often very intuitive.
               who make up a Kill-                                                                                                   To     adjudicate
               team are a group of                                                                                                    these      rules,
               powerful and successful                                                                                                each game has
               individuals, and often it is                                                               a Game Master (or GM). The GM is
               the choice to go beyond that                                                                 you, or one of your friends, chosen
               individual nature and sacrifice one’s pride in                                                by the consensus of your group. He
               order to work together that will create the most                                              does not control a lone character
               drama and excitement in a Deathwatch game.                                                     during the game. Instead, the GM
                   During your missions for the Deathwatch, you and your                                      runs the game, presenting the story
               fellow Space Marines will earn renown, advance in experience                                        and the myriad situations that
               and prestige, and garner special wargear only entrusted to the                                      come with it. He controls the
               the most honoured and renowned Battle-                                                            people your character meets in


                           8
the game, controls the encounters and strange occurrences that     chapter VII: playIng the game
shape your decisions as to your actions, and is basically both
the game’s narrator and referee.                                   This chapter explains how to make Skill Tests, spend Fate
   All of the other players control characters within the world    Points, and perform other rules-related actions.
around which the story revolves. These characters are known
as the Player Characters (PCs). During the game, the players
describe the intentions and actions of their characters to the
                                                                   chapter VIII: combat
GM, who then decides (based on the rules) whether those            In Deathwatch, you will often have to face alien enemies
actions succeed or fail, and how the character’s words and         on the field of war. This chapter tells you how to create and
deeds affect the game’s story.                                     oversee such a battle in the game.




                                                                                                                                    Introduction
WHAT’S IN THIS bOOK?                                               chapter IX: the game maSter
Deathwatch is divided into fifteen chapters. They are:             The GM has a special role to play in any roleplaying game,
                                                                   and this chapter explains how best to fulfil that role. In
                                                                   addition to advice on how to run a Deathwatch game, this
IntroductIon                                                       chapter also contains rules for insanity and experience.
The section you are reading right now. It provides an overview
of Deathwatch and roleplaying in general.
                                                                   chapter X: the ImperIum
                                                                   This chapter describes the Imperium of Man in the 41st
chapter I: character creatIon                                      Millennium in all its decaying, war-torn glory.
This chapter takes you step by step through the process of
creating your character for this game.
                                                                   chapter XI: the deathwatch
                                                                   The Deathwatch is an elite organisation of Space Marines drawn
s                                                                  from all over the galaxy. This chapter provides key background
Specialities describe your character’s role within the             details about the Deathwatch itself, from its origins to the
Deathwatch and what you do for your Kill-team. This chapter        mysteries and secrets that surround this enigmatic group.
details all the various Specialities and also explains how you
can improve and develop your character through game play.
                                                                   chapter XII: the JerIcho reach
                                                                   The Jericho Reach is the core setting for Deathwatch. This
s                                                                  chapter provides an overview of the Reach and then provides
From Awareness to Tactics, every character has a variety of        detailed information on certain significant areas, such as
learned skills that they can employ. This chapter describes        Watch Fortress Erioch, the Achilus Crusade, and the three
these skills in detail.                                            Salients. This chapter should give the GM plenty of material
                                                                   to work with when running a Deathwatch campaign.
s
Every character also has certain special abilities that make
                                                                   s
him unique, such as Bolter Drill or Preternatural Speed. This      The galaxy is fraught with all manner of deadly creatures, and
chapter describes all of those Talents and Traits.                 this chapter provides background and game rules for various
                                                                   adversaries that can be found in the Jericho Reach.
chapter V: armoury
This chapter describes some of the tools, trappings, weapons,
                                                                   chapter XIV: eXtractIon
and armour your Space Marine may use or encounter.                 This book includes an adventure that is optimal for starting
                                                                   Deathwatch characters. It involves a race against time to
                                                                   recover precious knowledge in the face of great danger.
s
The unnatural powers of the mind can be both rewarding and
dangerous. The psychic abilities of a Space Marine Librarian are
unlike those of any other psyker, and this chapter explains what
those powers are... and what happens when things go wrong.




                                                                                                                  9
                           Game Dice
               D
                        eathwatch is a roleplaying game that uses ten-sided
                        polyhedral dice for its core game mechanic. These
                        dice can be purchased from any game store, many
               bookstores, and are probably available from the same place
               this book was purchased. Each player and the GM will
               need access to at least two ten-sided dice, preferably of two
               different colours.
Introduction




                  In the game rules, one ten-sided die is referred to as “1d10,”
               while two ten-sided dice are referred to as “2d10,” and so
               forth. Deathwatch also often requires players to generate a
               random number from 1–100. This is known as a percentage
               roll and is often abbreviated as “d%” or “1d100.”
                  To make a percentage roll, use two ten-sided dice and
               assign one of them to the “tens” digit of the result and the
               other to the “ones” digit. Using differently coloured dice
               is helpful for distinguishing between these results. See also
               Table A–1: Percentage Roll Examples, below.
                  It is important to note that when rules say 2d10, this is
               not the same thing as a percentage roll. When rolling 2d10
               (or larger groups, such as 3d10, etc.), simply add the results
               of each die.


               eXample
               Atreus, a Space Marine of the Dark Angels Chapter, is struck by a
               frag grenade which inflicts 2d10 explosive Damage. The GM rolls
               two ten-sided dice, resulting in a 9 on one die and a 7 on the other.
               These results are added together for a total of 16 points of Damage.    what you need to
                                                                                       play Deathwatch
                  Sometimes, the rules require                                         When you’re ready to start playing Deathwatch, you’ll
               a roll of 1d5. To make this kind                                        need the following items:
               of dice roll, simply roll a ten-                                          • This rulebook
               sided die, divide the result by                                           • Three or more people to play the game
               two, and round up.                                                        • A quiet place to play (around a table is ideal)
                                                                                         • Three or four hours of gaming time
                                                                                         • Some ten-sided dice (two or more per player)
               eXample                                                                   • Paper
               The exploding frag grenade was powerful enough to deal one point          • Pencils and an eraser
               of Critical Damage to Atreus’s body. Consulting the appropriate           • Snacks, drinks, etc.
               Critical Damage table, the GM discovers that Atreus is going to         You should be able to find ten-sided dice in the shop
               be knocked backward 1d5 metres. He rolls a ten-sided die and gets       where you bought this book, or failing that, there are
               a result of 5, which is treated as a result of three (5/2 = 2.5,        many internet stores that sell these dice in a variety
               rounded up to 3). Poor Atreus is knocked backwards three metres         of different colours and finishes. If you have access
               by the blast.                                                           to a photocopier, you may like to copy the character
                                                                                       sheet at the back of this book for each member of your
                                                                                       group to use, though this isn’t essential. (You can also
                 Table A–1: Percentage Roll Examples                                   download free printable character sheets from our
                                                                                       website at www.FantasyFlightGames.com.)
                  “Tens” Die           “Ones” Die            Result
                                                                                          To help visualise the action, you may wish to use
                  7                    3                     73                        suitable miniatures to represent your characters and
                  3                    7                     37                        enemies during combat. Games Workshop’s own
                  2                    0                     20                        Citadel range of Warhammer 40,000 miniatures are
                  0                    2                     2                         ideal for this task. See www.games-workshop.com for
                  0                    0                     100                       more details and nearest stockists.



                           10
             The Space                                                   organised into ten companies of a hundred troops in each.
                                                                         Each Chapter is a self-sufficient army, equipped with its own
                                                                         spacecraft and capable of responding at a moment’s notice

              Marines                                                    to any threat to the security of the Imperium. Every Chapter
                                                                         is fiercely proud of its history and achievements, and each
                                                                         one has its own distinctive colours and heraldic markings.
“They shall be pure of heart and strong of body, untainted by doubt      These were established at the Chapter’s founding and are
and unsullied by self-aggrandisement. They will be bright stars          displayed with pride upon all armour and vehicles. All of the
in a firmament of battle, Angels of Death whose shining wings            wargear of the Space Marines is painstakingly maintained,
bring swift annihilation to the enemies of Man. So shall it be for a     and many items are covered in lines of intricately rendered




                                                                                                                                               Introduction
thousand times a thousand years, unto the very end of eternity and the   devotional script, each line detailing a battle honour won in a
extinction of mortal flesh.”                                             glorious campaign.
                                                                             A Space Marine is a towering warrior, his brute strength
           –Roboute Guilliman, Primarch of the Ultramarines              tempered by inhuman skill. He is armed with the fearsome
                                                                         bolter, a blessed weapon that fires devastating, mass-reactive


I
   n the war-ravaged universe of the 41st Millennium, terrible           shells that explode within the flesh of the target. He is protected
   forces threaten the very existence of Humanity. Alien races           by a suit of power armour, shielding him from the fiercest of
   such as Orks and Tyranids ravage entire star systems, and the         enemy fire whilst simultaneously strengthening his blows and
very soul of every human is menaced by the daemonic powers               allowing him to survive in the most hostile of environments. He
of Chaos. Ranged against these inimical enemies are the armies           is the product of intensive training and genetic manipulation,
of the Imperial Guard, the giant war machines of the Titan               which transforms mortal men selected from the deadliest
Legions, and most potent of all, the mighty Space Marines of             warrior races in the known universe into the most lethal of
the Legions Astartes.                                                    superhuman killing machines in the Imperium’s arsenal.
   The Space Marines are the Imperium’s supreme warriors.
Genetically enhanced to be the ultimate fighters, they are
far stronger and tougher than ordinary human beings. Space               arines
Marines are organised into roughly a thousand Chapters, with
each Chapter numbering approximately a thousand warriors
                                                                         Of the one thousand or more Space Marine Chapters thought
                                                                         to be in existence, a blessed few can trace their beginnings back
                                                                         to a time more than ten thousand years ago, when the Emperor
                                                                         of Mankind still walked among men. In those days, the Emperor
                                                                         created the Primarchs, twenty immortal superbeings who were
                                                                         to be his generals and comrades during the Great Crusade to
                                                                         reunite the scattered and long-isolated Human worlds. The
                                                                         Primarchs wielded powers the like of which are not known
                                                                         in the universe today. The first Space Marines of the nascent
                                                                         Imperium were also the creation of that period, each made using
                                                                         the genetic inheritance of one of the Primarchs, albeit diluted a
                                                                         hundred times for no human body could contain such power.
                                                                         Each Primarch led a Legion of Space Marines, each a formation
                                                                         considerably larger than the later Space Marine Chapters.
                                                                             The names of many of the Primarchs echo down the
                                                                         millennia, and the tales of their deeds are legendary. Names
                                                                         such as Lion El’Jonson, Leman Russ, Rogal Dorn, and the angel-
                                                                         winged Sanguinius are spoken of with awe on worlds where
                                                                         Mankind dwells. They command a reverence second only to
                                                                         that afforded the Emperor himself. Other names are cursed
                                                                         wherever men gather, for many Primarchs rebelled against the
                                                                         Emperor and followed Horus, mightiest of their number, when
                                                                         he raised his standard against Mankind.
                                                                             At the very height of the Emperor’s Great Crusade, Horus
                                                                         led his Traitor Legions against those who stood loyal at the
                                                                         Emperor’s side. Worlds burned in the name of the Dark Gods,
                                                                         and a terror unlike any seen before was unleashed. Much of the
                                                                         truth of these times has been lost, obscured by the mists of time
                                                                         or embellished to the point where giants bestrode worlds with
                                                                         thunderous steps and the planets themselves cracked and split
                                                                         at their tread.


                                                                                                                           11
                   The traitorous forces of the rebel Warmaster Horus drove        aftermath of the Horus Heresy, as many of the Imperium’s
               all before them, until those Legions still loyal to the Master of   records are incomplete or lost entirely, and whole Chapters
               Mankind stood at bay upon the fortified walls of the Emperor’s      have been created and destroyed in the millennia that have
               Palace on Terra. The forces of darkness pressed in around           followed. What is known is that there are just over a thousand
               the guttering flame of humanity, but desperate times called         Chapters scattered across the Imperium, each a brotherhood
               for desperate solutions. Sanguinius of the Blood Angels and         of the very finest warriors Humanity can muster.
               Rogal Dorn of the Imperial Fists, together with their bravest
               warriors, would accompany the Emperor and take the fight to
               Horus upon his battle-barge, a mighty warship in orbit above        startes
               Terra. The Emperor and his warriors teleported onto Horus’
Introduction




               battle-barge but found themselves separated and scattered           “They shall be my finest warriors, these men who give themselves to
               throughout the corrupt vessel by means of dark sorcery. The         me. Like clay, I shall mould them, and in the furnace of war forge
               Emperor fought his way to the Warmaster but was too late to         them. They will be of iron will and steely muscle. In great armour
               save Sanguinius, who Horus slew when the angelic Primarch           shall I clad them and with the mightiest guns will they be armed.
               refused to turn to Chaos. Yet, some maintain that Sanguinius        They will be untouched by plague or disease, no sickness will blight
               inflicted a wound, however small, upon his erstwhile brother.       them. They will have tactics, strategies, and machines such that no
               Horus and the Emperor clashed in a battle of both flesh and         foe can best them in battle. They are my bulwark against the Terror.
               spirit. Horus was filled with the power of the Dark Gods and        They are the Defenders of Humanity. They are my Space Marines,
               dealt the Emperor a mortal blow, but in the end, the Emperor’s      and they shall know no fear.”
               will was the greater, and Horus was struck down with the last
               ounce of the Emperor’s strength. The traitor was destroyed                   –Prelude, The Codex Astartes (Apocrypha of Skaros)
               utterly and, with his death, the power of the Traitor Legions
               was broken. When Dorn and his warriors finally fought               In the wake of the calamity that was the Horus Heresy, the
               their way into the rebel warmaster’s sanctum, they found the        foundations of the Imperium were laid down. The first High
               Emperor’s broken and ruined body, and it is said that their         Lords of Terra established the structure by which the Adeptus
               cries of woe were heard far below on Terra itself.                  Terra operated, and described the feudal responsibilities and
                   Rogal Dorn, most determined and unbending of the                duties of the planetary lords. One of the most important
               Primarchs, bore his master’s body back to Terra and, under          accomplishments was the reorganisation of the Imperium’s
               the direction of the crippled Emperor, bound him within the         fighting forces. This was undertaken almost single-handedly by
               Golden Throne to sustain his existence for all eternity with        the Primarch of the Ultramarines Legion, Roboute Guilliman,
               constant sacrifice and baroque machineries. The followers of        who with characteristic speed and efficiency codified the
               the Ruinous Powers were defeated, but it was victory won at a       structure of the Imperial Guard, the Imperial Navy, and
               terrible cost. The brotherhood of the Primarchs was sundered,       the Space Marines. Of all of his works, the most influential
               and the Emperor’s vision for the Imperium and all of Mankind        is the Codex Astartes, the great prescriptive tome that lays
               lay in ruins—the last, best hope of its fulfilment lost forever.    down the basic organisational and tactical rules for the Space
               The galactic empire he had forged was all but destroyed, and        Marine Chapters.
               it was to take many more years of brutal warfare before all the         The Codex Astartes decreed that Space Marines would
               Traitor forces were defeated and driven into the hellish chaos      be created and trained over a controlled period of time.
               of the Eye of Terror. The toll numbered in the billions, and        The genetic banks used to cultivate the implants that turn a
               uncounted worlds had been left as little more than corpse-          normal man into a mighty Space Marine would be carefully
               haunted wastelands as the raging inferno of the Horus Heresy        monitored, and cultivated organs would be subject to the most
               was finally extinguished, though Mankind still teetered on the      stringent tests of purity. Young initiates would undergo rigorous
               very brink of extinction.                                           trials of physical and psychological suitability before they
                   The Horus Heresy had revealed weaknesses in the gene-           were accepted, and only those of the highest calibre would
               seed of several of the early Space Marine Legions, which had        be chosen.
               been exacerbated by the need to keep the huge formations                On Earth, the Adeptus Terra created genetic repositories
               up to strength in the terrible wars being fought at the time.       to produce and store Space Marine gene-seed. These banks
               The insidious powers of Chaos had been able to manipulate           were used to provide all new gene-seed for Space Marines
               this corruption to turn Horus and many of the Space Marines         and, to prevent cross-contamination, the genetic material of
               under his command against the Emperor. Once Horus was               each of the old Legions was isolated. Henceforth, the new
               defeated, it was decided that the forces of the Imperium            Space Marine Chapters would receive gene-seed only from
               would be reorganised so that a similar catastrophe could not        their own genetic stock.
               be repeated.                                                             The gene-seed of the Traitor Legions was placed under a
                   The Space Marine Legions were divided up to create              time-locked stasis seal, although at the time, many believed
               one Chapter of the same name as the founding Legion and             these dangerous stocks should be destroyed. By taking direct
               a number of new Chapters with new names. This event was             control of the genetic stocks, the Adepts of Terra could
               called the Second Founding, and over two dozen further              ultimately control the Space Marines. Now they alone had the
               Foundings have occurred in the ten millennia since. It is           power to destroy or create Space Marine chapters at will.
               not known exactly how many Chapters were created in the


                           12
   The Second Founding of the Space Marines was decreed               The Adeptus Terra has never decreed it necessary to
seven years after the death of Horus. The existing Space           enforce the Codex absolutely. Indeed, it is doubtful whether
Marine Legions were broken down and re-founded as                  it could. However, with subsequent foundings, they have
smaller, more flexible formations. Where the old Legions           always favoured the Ultramarines’ gene-seed and created
were unlimited in size, the new formations were fixed              many new Codex Chapters from their line. With the passage
at approximately one thousand fighting warriors. This              of time, some of these Chapters have subsequently strayed
corresponded to the existing unit called the Chapter,              from the strict letter of the Codex, introducing new variations
and in future the Chapter was recognised as the standard           but remaining broadly faithful to the principles laid down by
autonomous Space Marine formation. No longer would                 Roboute Guilliman many thousands of years before.
one man have power over a force as powerful as a Space




                                                                                                                                     Introduction
Marine Legion.
   The existing Space Marine Legions were divided into
                                                                   SubSequent FoundIngS
new Chapters. One Chapter kept the name and colours of             The history of the Imperium since the Horus Heresy is not
the original Legion, while the remaining Chapters took on          a continuous story. There have been periods of rebellion
new titles and colours. Most of the old Legions were divided       and anarchy, times when the balance of power has suddenly
into fewer than five Chapters, but the Ultramarines, being by      changed and history has quite literally been rewritten. Many
far the largest of the Legions, were divided many times. The       of the subsequent foundings of Space Marine Chapters
exact number of new Chapters created from the Ultramarines         belong to these troubled times, making it almost impossible
is uncertain: the number listed in the oldest known copy of        to ascertain when some Chapters have been created. It is
the Codex Astartes (the so-called Apocrypha of Skaros) gives       believed that of the one thousand or more Chapters thought
the total as 23, but does not name them.                           to be in existence today, more than half are descended from
   As a result of the Second Founding, the Ultramarines’ gene-     the Ultramarines, either directly or through one of the
seed became the favoured genetic stock of most subsequent          Primogenitor Chapters of the Second Founding.
foundings. The new Chapters created from the Ultramarines             It is not known how many new Chapters were created by
are often referred to as the Primogenitors, or ‘first born.’ All   the Second Founding. Many records were lost during the Age
of the Primogenitor Chapters venerate Roboute Guilliman as         of Apostasy, a troubled time that bestrides the history of the
their founding father and patron.                                  Imperium like an impenetrable veil. In all likelihood, some of
   The Codex Astartes further defines the tactical roles,          the Chapters created during the Second Founding have since
equipment specifications, and uniform identification markings
of the Space Marines. These guidelines have evolved over the
centuries, and the Codex Astartes of the 41st Millennium is a
highly developed treatise combining the wisdom of hundreds
of military thinkers throughout history. Some of its contents
seem petty and restrictive, hardly worthy of the great mind
of a Primarch. Others describe actual battles together with
comments on the tactics employed and the decisions of the
commanders of the day. As such, the Codex Astartes is revered
as a holy text, and many Chapters regard its recommendations
as sanctified by the Emperor himself.


codeX chapterS
The Chapters that rigidly follow the word of the Codex
Astartes are sometimes referred to as Codex Chapters. These
Space Marines adhere to the codex as the model for their
organisation, identification markings and tactical doctrine. Of
all of the Codex Chapters, the most famous is the Ultramarines,
the Chapter of Roboute Guilliman himself. Most Chapters,
however, do not adhere so rigidly to the Codex patterns laid
down for organisation, tactical roles, or other processes. Many
Chapters are organised largely according to the Codex, but
are further shaped by their home world and the personality
of their Primarch. The Blood Angels and Dark Angels are
prime examples of this. A small number of Chapters are vastly
different from the Codex, and owe little or nothing to it at
all. The most famous of these ‘wild’ Chapters are the Space
Wolves, whose strong-willed Primarch Leman Russ moulded
his Chapter very much in his own image irrespective of
other influences.


                                                                                                                  13
               been destroyed, leaving no records of the deeds. Others have        most faithful. These worlds are often technologically backward
               been lost in more recent times, and their names are now all that    with strong militaristic societies, where male children who show
               remains of them.                                                    potential are pushed harder and harder, that they may one day
                  Each of the Chapters into which the Legions were subdivided      have a chance to join the ranks of the Space Marines, who are
               consisted of roughly 1,000 warriors. A large section of the         often known to such peoples as ‘star warriors’, ‘sky knights,’ or
               Codex Astartes is dedicated to structuring the organisation         similar names. Because feral worlds are rough, primitive, and
               of these Chapters. A Chapter consists of ten companies each         untamed, their inhabitants invariably provide excellent recruits.
               numbering 100 Space Marines. The warriors of these companies        For true aggression and nigh-psychotic killer-instinct, however,
               are organised into ten squads of ten men led by a Sergeant. In      few recruits can best the murderous city-scum that roam the
               addition to this basic fighting unit, each company has its own      darkest pits of the Hive worlds. Driven to extremes of violence
Introduction




               Captain, Standard Bearer, Chaplain, and Apothecary.                 by the pressures of hive world living, these merciless killers
                  Every company, with the exception of the Scout Company,          are usually ignored by the authorities. They make ideal Space
               maintains a pool of Rhino transports for its squads and officers.   Marine recruits, and whole gangs of city-scum are sometimes
               The First Company is also equipped with Land Raider tanks to        hunted down and made to undergo the trials. Some recruits are
               carry heavily-armoured Terminator squads. It is customary for       drawn from the more civilised worlds of the Imperium, but not
               Dreadnoughts to remain with their company, as their fearsome        very many.
               presence bolsters the company’s fighting strength.                     Those planets used by the Space Marines as recruiting
                                                                                   worlds are observed closely by the Chapter’s Apothecaries and
                                                                                   Chaplains. The population’s genetic purity must be maintained,
               SelectIon and InItIatIon                                            in order to conserve those qualities that serve the Space Marines’
               Each Chapter has its own methods of recruiting young warriors       purposes best. Their spiritual health is also maintained, to ensure
               to fill its ranks. Many are based on a single homeworld and         that no trace of the influence of the Ruinous Powers becomes
               recruit solely from that populace, setting trials and tests for     manifest. Such observations are in general carried out from a
               prospective candidates to weed out all but the strongest and the    distance, and it is rare for the society to have any direct contact




                           14
with, or knowledge of, the Space Marines, or in many cases           genetIc InItIatIon
even of the Imperium. The Chapter’s officers might visit the
culture once a generation and will be the subject of myth and        The trials in which an aspirant must participate before being
legend. These mighty warriors from beyond the stars are figures      accepted as a Neophyte are harsh and arduous, yet the process
of awe, and their word is law.                                       by which he will become a Space Marine is many times more
    The nature of the trials set by the outsiders vary enormously,   gruelling. Over the course of several years, the youth will be
but all are so arduous that only a handful pass them. Those          surgically altered, a number of unique organs implanted into
who fail may be lucky to even survive, for many trials take          his body, turning him slowly into a Space Marine. Although
the form of ritual combat, the hunting of a great beast, or the      much diluted, each of these organs is drawn from the genetic
performance of incredibly dangerous feats of strength and            stock of one of the first Primarchs, and through him, of the




                                                                                                                                         Introduction
bravery. At the conclusion of the trials, those few aspirants that   Emperor himself. Thus, the Space Marines are the descendants
have been deemed worthy are taken away, invariably never to          and inheritors of the Master of Mankind.
see their people again.                                                  The various implants cause vital changes in the recipient’s
    It is always a great honour for a family to have a son chosen    physique and mental state. Many of these changes are controlled
by the Space Marines, even for societies with little conception      by natural hormonal secretions and growth patterns. Implants
of the greater galaxy beyond their world. The Space Wolves are       may not prove effective, or may not become fully-functional,
an example of this. The Wolf Priests of the Space Wolves scour       if they are implanted once the recipient has reached certain
the warring tribes of their home world Fenris for their strongest    stages of natural development. It is therefore inevitable that
and bravest youths, while Ultramarines traditionally draw their      recruits must be reasonably young. Tissue compatibility is also
candidates from the elite training barracks of a whole group of      essential, otherwise organs may fail to develop properly.
planetary systems known collectively as Ultramar, the realm of           The third consideration is mental suitability. Several of the
the Ultramarines.                                                    implants will only develop to a usable condition under the
    Other Chapters have no single home world and travel the          stimulus of hypnotic-suggestion. A recruit must therefore be
galaxy in gigantic fleets of battleships, recruiting either from a   susceptible to this particular treatment.
regular series of worlds or from the war zones to which they are         These conditions mean that only a small proportion of
assigned. The Black Templars are one such example of a fleet-        aspirants prove suitable to become Space Marines, even if
based Chapter, as are the Dark Angels.                               they survive the trials. They must be male, because zygotes
    Once accepted, the young aspirants become Neophytes and          are keyed to male hormones and tissue types, hence the need
begin their regimen of training and biological enhancement.          for tissue compatibility tests and psychological screening. If
Each Chapter has its own traditions regarding the initiation of      these prove successful, a candidate becomes a Neophyte. With
the recruit into its legends and secrets. This process often runs    the completion of organ implantation and attendant chemical
parallel to the bio-genetic treatments the Neophyte must undergo.    and hypnotic training, the subject is ready to take his place in
As the physical transformation proceeds, spiritual change also       the Tenth (Scout) Company. A Space Marine normally joins
occurs. Both are tempered by ongoing experience on the field of      the ranks between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, but such
battle and the rituals in which the Neophyte must participate.       are the hormonal changes induced by the process of creating
    The nature of such rites varies enormously from one Chapter      a Space Marine that recruits are physically fully grown
to the next. Some are solemn affairs recalling the sacrifice the     before then.
Emperor made for humanity. Others are raucous celebrations               Although the Chapters are careful to select only the
drawing on the culture and nature of the Chapter’s home world.       most suitable candidates, not all Neophytes survive the
Still more are bloody and barbaric involving ritual bloodletting,    process to be initiated as full Space Marines. If an implant
scarification, or amputation. All are vital to the arcane workings   fails to develop properly, it is likely that a Space Marine’s
of the Chapter, and his participation is a prerequisite of the       metabolism will become gravely unstable. He may fall into
Neophyte’s acceptance by his would-be brothers-in-arms.              a catatonic state or suffer bouts of hyperactivity. In either
    Such are the rigours of the training that many do not survive.   event, he will probably die. Those unfortunates who do not
Whether he is crippled upon the battlefield, or found spiritually    die almost invariably suffer mental damage, degenerating into
wanting during a particularly exacting ritual, a Neophyte may        homicidal maniacs or gibbering idiots. When a Chapter is
find himself cast out, his future with the Chapter curtailed.        at full strength, these misfits may be put out of their misery.
    In some instances, the Neophyte may transgress one of            However, if the Chapter is short of Space Marines, they may
the many articles of Chapter law, and injury at war may prove        be allowed to live and may be placed within their own special
preferable to the punishment. Many possible fates await those        units. Those who display controllable psychotic tendencies
who fall by the wayside in this manner. Most are mind-scrubbed       can be recruited into suicide assault squads.
and become Chapter serfs—manservants and menials. The less
fortunate are transformed into living servitors—mindless bio-
mechanical automatons who exist only to assist the Chapter’s
Techmarines in the operation of heavy and frequently dangerous
machinery. A very rare few may yet rise to positions of relative
power within the Chapter’s household, yet even the highest-
ranked factotum is but a lowly, nameless servant in the eyes of
the Battle-Brothers.


                                                                                                                      15
               gene-Seed                                                         or inadequate post-operative conditioning has twisted the
                                                                                 functioning of implants.
               There are nineteen varieties of gene-seed corresponding to            In addition to the problem of mutated implants, many
               the nineteen different superhuman organs that are surgically      Chapters have simply lost one or more types of gene-seed
               implanted into a Space Marine. Because most Chapters have         organs due to accident, genetic failure, or some other cause.
               existed for many thousands of years, a number of these            Very few Chapters, therefore, possess all nineteen of the
               Chapters have gene-seed that has mutated over time. This          implants. All possess the carapace implant however, as without
               has resulted in changes in the exact nature of the artificially   it, the Neophyte could never become a Space Marine.
               cultured organs. Such changes may sometimes make an                   Each of the gene-seed organs is extremely complicated.
               implant useless—such is the case with the Imperial Fists, who     Many of the organs only work properly when another organ
Introduction




               are known to lack the organ called the Betcher’s gland, which     is present, the loss or mutation of one organ often affecting
               allows a Space Marine to spit corrosive poison. In other cases,   the exact functioning of the others. For these reasons, implants
               the changes in an organ might reduce its effectiveness or cause   must be constantly monitored, and many Space Marines must
               strange new effects—the Salamanders, for example, share           undergo corrective surgery to re-balance their metabolisms.
               skin as dark as coal, due to the actions of their melanchromic
               organ. Whatever the result, it will affect the entire Chapter,
               as all Space Marines belonging to the Chapter share implants      Conditioning
               cultured from the original gene-seed.                             In addition to the extensive implantation process, the Neophyte
                   Although a Chapter’s Apothecaries and surgeons are able       undergoes chemical treatment, psychological conditioning,
               to perform the necessary implant operations, they do not          and subconscious hypnotherapy, all the while spending
               necessarily understand the exact functioning of each organ.       every waking hour honing his combat skills with ceaseless
               The processes involved are incredibly ancient. Procedures         battle training.
               are handed down from generation to generation, becoming              Until his initiation as a Battle-Brother, a Neophyte must
               increasingly ritualised and misinterpreted. For these reasons,    submit to constant tests and examinations. The newly implanted
               the efficiency of each organ differs from Chapter to Chapter,     organs must be monitored very carefully, imbalances corrected,
               depending on the condition of the Chapter’s gene-seed and         and any sign of corrupt development treated. This chemical
               the degree of debasement of its surgical procedures. In some      treatment is reduced after completion of the initiation process,
               Chapters, mutation of gene-seed, poor surgical procedure,         but it never ends. Space Marines undergo periodic treatment for
                                                                                 the rest of their lives in order to maintain a stable metabolism.
                                                                                 To this end, power armour contains extensive monitoring and
                                                                                 drug dispensation equipment.
                                                                                    As the super-enhanced body grows, the recipient must learn
                                                                                 how to use his new skills. Some of the implants, specifically
                                                                                 the Catalespean Node and Occulobe, can only function once
                                                                                 correct hypnotherapy has been administered. Hypnotherapy
                                                                                 is not always as effective as chemical treatment, but it can
                                                                                 have substantial results. If a Space Marine can be taught how
                                                                                 to control his own metabolism, his dependence on drugs is
                                                                                 lessened. The process is undertaken in a machine called a
                                                                                 hypnomat. Space Marines are placed in a state of hypnosis and
                                                                                 subjected to visual and aural images in order to awaken their
                                                                                 minds to their unconscious metabolic processes.
                                                                                    A Space Marine is more than a human with extraordinary
                                                                                 powers. Just as their bodies receive nineteen separate implants,
                                                                                 so their minds are altered to release the latent powers within.
                                                                                 These mental powers are, if anything, more extraordinary
                                                                                 than even the physical powers endowed by the implants. For
                                                                                 example, a Space Marine can control his senses and nervous
                                                                                 system to a remarkable degree, and can consequently endure
                                                                                 pain that would kill a normal man. A Space Marine can also
                                                                                 think and react at lightning speeds. Memory training is an
                                                                                 important part of the indoctrination as well. Some Space
                                                                                 Marines develop photographic memories. Space Marines vary
                                                                                 in intelligence as do other men, and their individual mental
                                                                                 abilities vary in degree.
                                                                                    The very first stage in the process is the implantation of
                                                                                 the Secondary Heart, normally between the age of ten
                                                                                 and fourteen. This is capable of boosting the blood supply
                                                                                 or sustaining full life functions even after the destruction


                           16
of the recipient’s original heart. This implant enables Space             The next three phases of the process, the implantation
Marines to survive low oxygen concentrations and traumatic            of the Preomnor, Omophagea and Multi-lung are often
injury, and is also necessary in the maintenance of the subject’s     undertaken at the same time, between the ages of fourteen
metabolism, which will be pushed to its limits as his body is         and sixteen. The Preomnor is a large implant which fits into
subject to the many surgical procedures it will endure over the       the chest cavity. It is a pre-digestive stomach which allows
next several years.                                                   the recipient to eat a variety of otherwise poisonous or
    The next stage in the implantation process is the addition        indigestible materials. No actual digestion tales place in the
of the Ossmodula. This is a tube-shaped organ whose small             Preomnor. Instead, individual sensory tubes assess potential
size belies its complex structure. The Ossmodula monitors and         poisons and neutralise them or, where necessary, isolate the
secretes hormones affecting epiphiseal fusion and ossification        Preomnor from the rest of the digestive tract. The Omophagea




                                                                                                                                           Introduction
of the skeleton. At the same time, the specially engineered           is a complicated implant that is placed within the spinal cord
hormones encourage the forming bones to absorb ceramic-               between the cervical and thoracic vertebrae, where it becomes
based chemicals administered in the Neophyte’s diet. Two              in effect part of the brain. Four nerve sheaths called neuroclea
years following implantation, this will have caused considerable      are implanted between the spine and the preomnoral stomach
strengthening of the long bones, extreme ossification of the          wall. The Omophagea is designed to absorb genetic material
chest cavity (caused by growth of the ribs forming a solid mass       generated in animal tissue as a function of memory. This
of inter-laced bone plates), and a general increase in the size of    endows the Space Marine with an unusual survival trait—he
the recipient’s skeleton.                                             can actually learn by eating. If a Space Marine eats part of a
    Normally implanted at the same time as the Ossmodula,             creature, he will absorb some of the memories of that creature.
the Biscopea is emplaced within the chest cavity. It is small,        This can be very useful in an alien environment. Incidentally, it
approximately spherical and, like the Ossmodula, its primary          is the presence of this organ which has created the various flesh
function is hormonal. The presence of the Biscopea stimulates         eating and blood drinking rituals for which many Chapters are
muscle growth throughout the body. These muscles bond to              known, as well as giving the names to Chapters such as the
the rapidly growing skeleton, which is why these two implants         Blood Drinkers and Flesh Tearers. The third organ implanted
are often undergone at the same time.                                 at this time is the Multi-lung. This large, tubular, grey organ
    Phases four and five are often implanted at the same time,        is sometimes called the ‘third lung’. Blood is pumped through
between the ages of twelve and fourteen. The Haemastamen              the organ via connecting vessels grafted onto the recipient’s
is a tiny organ, placed within a main blood vessel and serves         pulmonary system. Atmosphere is taken in by means of a
two main purposes. Firstly, it monitors and to some degree            sphincter located in the trachea. In toxic atmospheres, an
controls the Ossmodula and the Biscopea. It also alters the           associated sphincter muscle closes the trachea and restricts
constituent make-up of the recipient’s blood. As a result, the        normal breathing, thus protecting the lungs. The Multi-lung is
Space Marine’s blood will be considerably more efficient than         able to absorb oxygen from poorly oxygenated or poisonous
ordinary human blood, as it has to be considering the extra           air without suffering damage thanks to its own efficient toxin
biological hardware the Space Marine carries inside him.              dispersal, neutralisation, and regeneration systems.
The second implant emplaced at this time is the Larraman’s               Phase ten of the process is the implantation of the
Organ. This is a liver-shaped, dark, fleshy organ. It is implanted    Occulobe. This small slug-like organ sits at the base of the
into the chest cavity along with a complicated array of blood         brain. It provides the hormonal and genetic stimuli which
vessels. The organ generates and stores special Larraman cells.       enable a Space Marine’s eyes to respond to optic-therapy. The
If the recipient is wounded, these cells are released into the        Occulobe does not in itself improve a Space Marine’s eyesight,
bloodstream, where they latch onto leucocytes in the blood            but it allows technicians to make adjustments to the growth
and are transported to the site of the wound. Once outside            patterns of the eye and the light-receptive retinal cells. A Space
the body, the Larraman cells form a skin substitute of instant        Marine has far better eyesight than a normal human, and can
scar tissue, staunching the flow of blood and protecting any          see in low light conditions almost as well as in daylight.
exposed wound area. This process is almost instantaneous, and             Phase eleven is the addition of the Lyman’s Ear. This
it can appear to the onlooker as if the blood is frozen solid         organ enables a Space Marine to consciously enhance and
even before it hits the ground.                                       even filter certain types of background noise. Not only is
    With the initiation of phase six, the subject is ready to begin   hearing improved, but a Space Marine cannot become dizzy
the extensive hypnotherapy that will continue throughout              or nauseous as a result of extreme disorientation. A Lyman’s
the entire initiation process, and beyond. The Catalepsean           Ear is externally indistinguishable from a normal human ear.
Node is a brain implant usually inserted into the back of the             Between the ages of fifteen and sixteen, phase twelve is
skull via a hole drilled into the occipital bone. The pea-sized       initiated, in which a flat, circular organ called the Sus-an
organ influences the circadian rhythms of sleep and the body’s        Membrane is implanted over the top of the exposed brain.
response to sleep deprivation. Normally, a Space Marine sleeps        It then grows into the brain tissue until completely merged.
like any normal man, but if deprived of it, the Catalepsean           The organ is not effective until subsequent chemical therapy
Node becomes active. The recipient is capable of sleeping             and training is applied. However, a properly tutored Space
and remaining awake at the same time by switching off areas           Marine may then enter into a state of suspended animation.
of the brain sequentially. This process cannot replace normal         This may be a conscious action, or may happen automatically
sleep entirely, but it increases a Space Marine’s survivability by    in the event of extreme physical trauma. In this condition,
allowing awareness of the environment whilst resting.                 a Space Marine may survive for many years, even if bearing


                                                                                                                       17
               otherwise fatal injuries. Only appropriate chemical therapy         of sixteen and eighteen. These glands are vitally important to
               and auto-suggestion can revive a Space Marine from this             the very survival of the Space Marine’s Chapter. Each organ
               state—he cannot revive himself. The longest known period of         grows within the Space Marine, absorbing hormonal stimuli
               deanimation followed by successful reanimation is 567 years,        and genetic material from the other implants. After five years,
               in the case of Brother Silas Err of the Dark Angels Chapter.        the neck gland is mature and ready for removal. After ten
                   The next phase of the process is the implantation of the        years, the chest gland becomes mature and is also ready to
               Melanchromic Organ. This hemispherical, black organ                be removed. A gland may be removed any time after it has
               functions in an indirect and extremely complex manner. It           matured, and it represents the Chapter’s only source of gene-
               monitors radiation levels and types bombarding the skin,            seed. When mature, each organ contains a single gene-seed
               and if necessary, sets off chemical reactions to darken the         corresponding to each zygote implanted into the recipient.
Introduction




               skin and protect it from ultraviolet exposure. It also provides     Once removed by surgery, the Progenoid must be carefully
               limited protection from other forms of radiation. Differing         prepared, its individual gene-seeds checked for mutation, and
               Melanchromic Organ gene-seed from Chapter to Chapter leads          sound gene-seeds stored. Gene-seeds can be stored indefinitely
               to variations in skin and hair colour, and in some Chapters all     under suitable conditions.
               of the Space Marines may have identical colouration, such as is         Space Marine Apothecaries carry a special device known
               found in the albino warriors of the Death Spectres Chapter.         as a reductor, which they can use in battlefield conditions to
                   Phases fourteen and fifteen, the implantation of the Oolitic   remove the Progenoid glands of a fallen Space Marine, so
               Kidney and the Neuroglottis, are often undertaken at the            that, even should he die before his glands are harvested, they
               same time. The Oolitic Kidney is red-brown and heart-shaped         may be recovered. The whole purpose of the Progenoid is to
               and improves and modifies the Space Marine’s circulatory            provide gene-seed to enable the Chapter to continue. It is not
               system, enabling other implants to function effectively. The        possible to create a zygote in any other way. Each Chapter’s
               Oolitic Kidney also filters blood extremely efficiently and         stock of gene-seed is therefore unique to itself. Gene-seed has
               quickly. The Secondary Heart and Oolitic Kidney are able to         a great deal of religious significance to a Chapter, representing
               act together, performing an emergency detoxification function       its identity and future. Without gene-seed, a Chapter has no
               in which the Space Marine is rendered unconscious as his            future. The extinction of a type of gene-seed means that a
               blood is circulated at high speed. This enables a Space Marine      zygote has been lost forever. The extinction of the Progenoid
               to survive poisons and gases which are otherwise too much           gene-seed itself would effectively mean the end to a Chapter.
               for even the multi-lung to cope with. The Neuroglottis enables          As each Space Marine has only two Progenoid glands,
               the Space Marine to assess a potential food by taste. The organ     the rate at which a Chapter can create new Space Marines
               is implanted in the back of the mouth. By chewing, or simply        is restricted. It may take many years for a Chapter to rebuild
               by tasting, a Space Marine can detect a wide variety of natural     itself after heavy losses. Gene-seed is often rendered useless if
               poisons, some chemicals and even the distinctive odours of          a Space Marine is exposed to high radiation levels or other
               some creatures. To some degree, a Space Marine is also able to      forms of genetic disturbance. The efficiency of different
               track a target by taste alone.                                      Chapters’ Progenoid gene-seed also varies, so some Chapters
                   In phase sixteen, normally at age sixteen, a small organ        are able to make up their numbers faster than others.
               called the Mucranoid is implanted in the lower intestine                The final and the most distinctive implant is the Black
               where its hormonal secretions are absorbed by the colon.            Carapace, which cannot be implanted beyond the age of
               These secretions initiate a modification of the sweat glands.       eighteen. This looks like a film of black plastic when growing
               This modification normally makes no difference to the Space         in the tanks. This is removed from its culture-solution and cut
               Marine until activated by appropriate chemical therapy. As          into sheets, which are implanted directly beneath the skin of
               a result of this treatment, the Space Marine sweats an oily,        the recipient’s torso. Within a few hours, the tissue expands,
               naturally cleansing substance which coats the skin. This            hardens on the outside, and sends invasive neural bundles
               protects the Space Marine against extremes of temperature           deep inside the subject. After several months, the recipient is
               and even offers a slight degree of protection against vacuum.       fitted with neural sensors and transfusion points, cut into the
               Mucranoid chemical therapy is standard procedure in long            hardened carapace. These artificial interface points mesh with
               space voyages and when fighting in vacuum or near-vacuum.           features integral to the power armour, such as the monitoring,
                   Phase seventeen is the implantation of two identical organs     medicinal, and maintenance units. Without the benefit of the
               called Betcher’s Glands. These are placed into the lower           Black Carapace, a Space Marine’s power armour would be far
               lip, alongside the salivary glands or into the hard palette. The    less effective.
               Betcher’s Gland works in a similar way to the poison gland of
               venomous reptiles by synthesising and storing deadly poison.
               Space Marines are rendered immune to this poison by virtue
               of the gland’s presence. The gland allows the Space Marine to
               spit a blinding contact poison, which is also highly corrosive.
               A Space Marine imprisoned behind iron bars could easily
               chew his way out given a few hours.
                    In the penultimate phase of the process, a pair of glands
               called Progenoids are implanted, one in the neck and the
               other deep in the chest cavity. This takes place between the age


                           18
        The Path of                                                    experience of fighting in power armour. When first assigned
                                                                       to such a squad, the Space Marine will bear a bolter and
                                                                       grenades and fulfil a support role within the squad, providing

         the Space                                                     close support to those Battle-Brothers armed with heavy
                                                                       weapons, identifying targets and being close at hand to
                                                                       proffer ammunition and to take up the weapons of any who

          Marine                                                       should fall. Only when he has proven himself steady and
                                                                       reliable in battle will the Space Marine be entrusted with one
                                                                       of the Chapter’s mighty heavy weapons, which he will come
“Give me the Scout as a boy, and I’ll give you the Battle-Brother as   to master over the course of several hundred battles.




                                                                                                                                        Introduction
a man.”                                                                    Devastator squads consist of a Sergeant and nine Space
                                                                       Marines. Up to four Space Marines may be armed with heavy
  –Veteran Scout Sergeant Dvan Skor of the Storm Wardens.              weapons, whilst the remainder will carry bolters. This is
                                                                       the most heavily armed type of Space Marine squad of all,


A
          ccording to the Codex Astartes, Space Marines are            and they are deployed wherever overwhelming firepower is
          organised into three main types of squad: Tactical,          needed, especially when the Chapter faces enemy tanks or
          Assault, and Devastator. Each of these squads has a          fortified positions.
unique battlefield role and is designed to operate together to             Having proved himself steadfast and disciplined in the
provide mutual support and maximum flexibility. In addition            Devastator squads, a Space Marine will in time earn himself
to these three squad types, the First (Veteran) Company can be         a place in an Assault squad. Here the Space Marine comes
formed into Terminator or Veteran squads, while the Scouts             to master the application of overwhelming force, taking the
of the Tenth Company are always fielded as Scout squads. All           fight directly to the enemy’s strong points. He embraces the
Space Marine squad types, with the exception of the Scouts,            controlled savagery of close combat and looks his enemy in
nominally consist of ten troopers, but they can be divided             the eye as he deals him death. Assault squads are specialists
into two separate combat squads in battle. This gives each             at fighting in hand-to-hand combat. Each squad consists
unit a further degree of flexibility in action.                        of a Sergeant and nine Space Marines all equipped with
    A warrior accepted into the Chapter’s ranks will serve             jump packs and armed with a close combat weapon in each
in many roles, starting out as a young Scout in the Tenth              hand. Common armament consists of a bolt pistol and a
Company and, if fate favours him, progressing through the
ranks serving as Devastator, Assault Marine, Tactical Marine
and, if he is exceptionally bold, eventually earning the
honour of serving in the First (Veteran) Company. A favoured
few excel even this great honour and join the ranks of the
Chapter’s masters, leading their fellows into the blood and
fury of battle.
    The first step along the path to becoming a mighty hero
of the Chapter is service in one of the Scout squads of the
Tenth Company. Scout squads consist of a Space Marine
Sergeant and four to nine Scouts. The role of the Sergeant
is to train the Scouts and lead them in battle. Only Sergeants
of considerable experience and status are designated for this
role. Scouts attend to every word their Sergeant utters, for it is
said that he has forgotten more of war than many more senior
officers will ever learn.
    Whilst serving as a Scout, a Neophyte learns the most
subtle arts of war. In a range of infiltration and reconnaissance
missions, he learns how to approach and observe the enemy.
Information gathered in such missions is passed back to the
main battle force. The Scouts get their first taste of combat
by way of carefully placed ambushes, the Scout Sergeant
drawing on centuries of experience to deploy his charges in
such a manner as to teach them as valuable a lesson as the
enemy. Unlike that enemy, the Scouts learn valuable skills in
such combats—the enemy earns nothing more than a quick
death, for even a Neophyte Space Marine is a puissant warrior
compared to a mortal man.
    A Space Marine serving in a Devastator squad may only
recently have completed his service in the Tenth Company
and been initiated as a Space Marine. It will be his first


                                                                                                                      19
               chainsword. Optionally, two of the Space Marines may carry          of uniquely masterful craftsmanship. Vanguard Veteran
               plasma pistols. This combination is ideal for fast-attacking,       squads go to battle equipped with the most lethal of close
               close-quarter fighting assault troops.                              combat weapons, and often wear jump packs to bring them
                   Even though Tactical squads are the most common type            to bear before the enemy can even react. Sternguard Veteran
               in any Chapter, to earn a place in one a Space Marine must          squads carry a wide array of ranged weaponry and specialised
               have proven himself both courageous and wise in battle.             ammunition, and are masters in its overwhelming application.
               Throughout his service in the Devastator and Assault squads,        Veteran squads are rarely deployed en masse, but are instead
               he will be proven adaptable in his approach to the arts of war      used to bolster the line, provide an unstoppable speartip or to
               and will have mastered a range of tactics and weaponry.             act as a highly flexible and mobile reserve.
                   Tactical squads are the most commonly fielded squad
Introduction




               types in a Chapter. A Tactical squad is led by a Sergeant and
               includes nine other Space Marines. Of these, seven Battle-          Chapter
               Brothers are armed with bolters, whilst the remaining two           Each of the Chapter’s ten companies is led by a Captain.
               can be armed with bolters or, alternatively, one may carry a        These leaders are second in experience only to the Chapter
               heavy weapon such as a missile launcher or a heavy bolter,          Master himself, and each is a warrior so deadly that he will
               and the other may carry a special weapon such as a flamer or        rarely meet his match. Each Captain is an inspirational and
               meltagun. This combination is the most tactically flexible and      determined leader, able to coordinate the Space Marines under
               offers a good mixture of capabilities within the squad.             his command whatever the opposition. In addition to leading
                   After serving in hundreds of campaigns and thousands of         Space Marines in battle, each Captain holds titles dependent
               battles, and having conquered the very worst the galaxy has         on his other responsibilities with regard to the workings of
               to throw at him, a Space Marine is likely to be considered a        the Chapter or its home world, such as Master of the Fleet or
               Veteran. In most Chapters, such an honour is not measured           Master of the Marches.
               by length of service, but in blood spilled, horrors overcome,           Of the thousand awesome and terrifying warriors that
               and mighty deeds done. As a prelude to service in the First         comprise a Space Marine Chapter, there is but one Chapter
               (Veteran) Company, many Space Marine Veterans fulfill the           Master, a leader with centuries of experience in the very
               role of Sergeant, leading squads of all types in any of the         crucible of battle. His own fighting skills will be unsurpassed,
               other companies. Thus, many of the Space Marines of the             whether in the use of gun, blade, or bare hands. His very
               Veteran company will be battle-proven leaders as well as            rank speaks of a past littered with the bodies of bloodied,
               highly experienced warriors.                                        beaten foes of the most terrifying and inhuman sort. It is not
                   The warriors of the Veteran company are fielded in one of       enough, however, for the Chapter Master to be its foremost
               three squad types:                                                  warrior. He must also be a superb tactician, grounded in the
                   Terminator squads wear the uniquely powerful Terminator         teachings of the Codex Astartes and honed through countless
               armour, sometimes called tactical dreadnought armour. This          decisions made in the maelstrom of close action. His soldiers
               armoured suit is massive in construction, virtually turning a       are also his brothers, and he knows that they will give their
               Space Marine into a one-man tank. Every Chapter has a limited       lives at his command. He must preserve these magnificent
               number of Terminator armour suits, and each is an ancient           fighters, but must also accomplish his mission and uphold the
               artefact crafted many thousands of years ago. Terminators are       honour of his Chapter. He will be steeped in the lore of his
               less mobile than other Space Marines and are primarily used         Chapter and be sworn to keep its secrets and must conduct
               in boarding actions or in extreme close quarters when heavy         his diplomacy accordingly, for Space Marines maintain a web
               fire support cannot be easily brought to bear. So resilient is      of time-proven oaths and honours debts and do not simply
               the armour that it is reputedly able to operate inside plasma       heed the commands of Imperial functionaries. Those who
               reactors, within volcanoes, and inside highly irradiated areas      wish a Chapter Master to send his warriors into battle must
               of deep space. Legend has it that the armour can even survive       give him good reason to do so. In addition to this, a Chapter
               the tread of a Titan. To wear an ancient suit of Terminator         Master will often be the ruler of his Chapter’s home world, a
               armour is one of the greatest honours to which a Space              resource that is too valuable for him to ignore. Amongst the
               Marine can aspire. Each suit bears on its left shoulder the Crux    greatest risks facing a Chapter Master is the very power he
               Terminatus, the unique badge of the Terminator. Each Crux is        wields, for a Chapter of Space Marines is a force capable of
               said to contain at its core a tiny fragment of the armour worn      devastating entire worlds at his order.
               by the Emperor himself when he fought his final battle against          Even a Space Marine can feel pride, ferocity, and desire—
               the traitor Warmaster Horus, providing a direct link between        it is, after all, their hero’s soul that drives them to acts of
               the Space Marine and the Father of Mankind.                         selfless sacrifice. But in these things lie the seeds of hubris
                   Despite its obvious benefits, Terminator armour is not          that can eventually lead to damnation. Any Space Marine, but
               suitable for all missions. Most of the time, Veterans take to the   especially a Chapter Master, must beware the short path to
               field wearing ordinary power armour, albeit a suit inscribed        victory, must consider both the ends and the means, and must
               with many hundreds of battle honours. When wearing power            heed the example of Emperor and Primarch.
               armour, Veterans are formed into vanguard Veteran squads or
               sternguard Veteran squads. By dint of their rank, Veterans have
               access to the most fearsome weaponry in the Chapter’s arsenal,
               including sacred blades and artificer-crafted combi-weapons


                           20
Creating Your
 DeathwatCh
SpaCe Marine
      •
 s
       •
roleplaYing aS a
 SpaCe Marine
       •
 s

       •
 SpaCe Marine
ChapterS of the
 DeathwatCh
                                Chapter I:                                                           Creating your
                                Character                                                             Deathwatch
                                                                                                     Space Marine
                                 Creation
I: Character Creation




                                                                                                 “Space Marines are men in the same way a knife is a piece of metal.
                        “The enemies of the Emperor fear many things. They fear discovery,       Space Marines are forged, not born. They are the finest weapons of
                        defeat, despair, and death. Yet there is one thing they fear above all   the Emperor’s will.”
                        others. They fear the wrath of the Space Marines!”
                                                                                                                                                  –Commissar Holt
                                                                           –Imperial Maxim


                                                                                                 T
                                                                                                         o get started on your elite special missions, you need


                        I
                            n Deathwatch, you take on the role of a Space Marine—a                       to create your alter ego, known as a Player Character
                            genetically-enhanced warrior who has given up his very                       (PC). This is also referred to in this text as your “Space
                            humanity in order to save Mankind. In addition, you are              Marine” or “Battle-Brother” for the sake of convenience.
                        not just any Space Marine. You have been specially chosen                Creating a Player Character for your Deathwatch game is
                        to be inducted into an elite special mission force known as              a simple process that many people find fun in itself. As you
                        the Deathwatch.                                                          move through this chapter, you will find the tools to construct
                             As a Space Marine, you have already faced, and defeated,            an interesting persona with a history, motivations, and a clear
                        countless numbers of the Emperor’s foes. You have taken part             idea about what the future may hold. Be aware, there may be
                        in planet strikes, descending in drop pods upon columns of               unfamiliar terms, places, and concepts within this chapter, but
                        fire, and brought the Emperor’s justice to the unclean. You have         have no fear—all will be explained as you explore the rest of
                        boarded haunted space hulks and purged with bolt and flame               this rulebook and join the ranks of the Deathwatch.
                        the slavering creatures lurking within. You have descended
                        into the very bowels of the mightiest of hive cities, and
                        emerged victorious over the ultra-violent forces of recidivism
                        and heresy.
                            However, all of that was just the beginning. In the
                        Deathwatch, the true horrors that seethe and gibber and
                        hunger to devour the soul of Mankind await you. Only the
                        very strongest are selected. Only those most blessed in the eyes
                        of the Emperor prevail.
                              Serving the Deathwatch, you will face untold enemies.
                        Some you have already met in battle and defeated many times
                        over. The barbarous Ork, the perfidious Eldar, and the ravening
                        Tyranids all await you, in greater numbers than ever before.
                        Other vile xenos must also be faced, creatures not yet named in
                        the annals of the Imperium. You must take the battle for survival
                        into the unknown regions of space and root out the vile taint of
                        the alien, before it can spread and infect the entire galaxy.
                             Other enemies wait too, for truly, the foes of Mankind never
                        tire. The servants of the Ruinous Powers plot the downfall of
                        the Imperium, and you must face perhaps the most terrible
                        of enemies—the Traitor Legions, your own kin who turned
                        against the Emperor at the very dawn of the Age of Imperium.
                              To enter the Deathwatch is to take the most binding of
                        oaths. Of what you see, what you kill, you may never tell,
                        except to those who you fight alongside. Your victories will go
                        unheralded, your deeds unknown, and your name unrecorded
                        save in the sealed archives of the mysterious Ordo Xenos. But
                        the Deathwatch crave not glory; they desire only to serve, and
                        to keep the darkness that hungers for the soul of Man at bay, to
                        cast it into the night, never to return.
                             You are Deathwatch. You are the right hand of the Emperor,
                        and none may stand before you.


                                     22
   At the beginning, you will need to gather some supplies.
You will require two ten-sided dice (or 2d10, as they are              other ChapterS
referred to throughout the rules), a character sheet, a pencil,
                                                                       s
and an eraser. It is best to write everything in pencil to start
with, as you may end up changing or adding to things as                There are a number of very famous and distinguished
you go along. In addition, you might want to have some                 Chapters of Space Marines in the Warhammer 40,000
spare scraps of paper to make notes on. It is also useful to           Universe other than the six presented in this book.
get together with your GM and the group of people you’ll be            Future books for the Deathwatch line will present some




                                                                                                                                       I: Character Creation
playing with when you make your PC. Not only is it more fun            of thee classic Space Marine Chapters and provide
to compare things as you go along, you will also be able to            more details on the six Chapters for this book as well.
make sure that your characters all complement one another.                In addition, a future book in the Deathwatch line
   There are five steps you should follow whenever you                 will provide extensive rules on how to create your own
are creating a new Space Marine. Each step is relatively               custom Space Marine Chapter!
simple, consisting of making a few choices and recording
your selections onto your character sheet. Each stage in the          • When you choose your character’s Chapter, this decision
character creation process is as follows.                               affects his personality, his characteristics, and his combat
                                                                        abilities. The Chapters are listed on pages 38–54.
                                                                      • Each Chapter modifies your character’s Characteristics.
cs                                                                      Add the bonuses from your Chapter to the appropriate
Many of the key aspects of your character are defined                   Characteristics on your character sheet.
in terms of numbers. Some of the most basic of these are              • The culture and gene-seed of a Space Marine’s Chapter
called Characteristics. They represent your Space Marine’s              grants him a Solo Mode Ability. Write down the name
capabilities, ranging from physical Characteristics such as             of this ability on your character sheet. See page 215 for
Strength and Toughness to mental ones like Intelligence and             more on Solo Mode Abilities.
Willpower.                                                            • All Space Marines of a particular Chapter possess a
  • All Space Marine characters begin the game with the                 Demeanour that embodies the beliefs and traditions of
     Skills, Talents, and Traits listed on page 36. These have          that Chapter. Write down the name of this Demeanour
     already been marked for you on the character sheet                 on your character sheet. See page 32 for more
     provided in this book (see page 397).                              on Demeanours.
  • All Space Marines have many special implants that give
     them special bonuses and abilities. These bonuses are
     included on the character sheet provided in this book,
                                                                    y
     and are summarised on page 16. For detailed information        While your Chapter and Characteristics are important for
     on these implants, see page 36.                                understanding your character, it is your Speciality that defines
  • All Space Marines seconded to the Deathwatch begin with         your character’s function within the game. Deathwatch has
     Skills and Talents granted by special hypno-conditioning       six Specialities: Deathwatch Apothecary, Deathwatch Assault
     and training, represented by the Deathwatch Training           Marine, Deathwatch Devastator Marine, Deathwatch Librarian,
     Talent and access to the Forbidden Lore (Xenos) Skill.         Deathwatch Tactical Marine, and Deathwatch Techmarine. As
     These have already been marked for you on the character        you play the game, your Rank within your Speciality will
     sheet provided in this book.                                   increase. This opens doors to a host of new options, giving
                                                                    you the means to customise your Space Marine.
                                                                       • Space Marine characters each have a Speciality that
Stage 2: SeleCt Chapter                                                  represents their role in the Kill-team. Choose one from
The next step in creating your character is to determine your            the options on pages 68-90.
Space Marine’s home Chapter. A Chapter is a self-contained             • Most Specialities include at least one Skill that the Space
Space Marine force that has been your character’s home for               Marine gains during character creation. Note this down
decades (if not centuries!). The Imperium is a vast civilisation,        on your character sheet.
and by the time your character begins his adventures in the            • Each Speciality has a selection of Special Abilities.
Deathwatch, he has been influenced by many factors, chief                Choose one and note it down on your character sheet.
amongst them the beliefs and traditions of his home Chapter.           • Some Specialities (such as Librarian and Techmarine)
In this book, the available Chapters include: Black Templars,            gain further options from their Special Abilities. Read the
Blood Angels, Dark Angels, Space Wolves, Storm Wardens,                  chosen Special Ability carefully to make sure you don’t
and Ultramarines. Many more Chapters exist in the Warhammer              miss any important choices for your character.
40,000 Universe, and future Deathwatch sourcebooks will
expand the available Chapters and provide other options to
enhance this step of character creation.




                                                                                                                    23
                        s


                        This step is where you can further customise your Space
                        Marine. Each character begins play with an amount of
                        Experience Points (xp) that reflects his life prior to joining
                        the Deathwatch. You may spend your starting experience
                        to purchase new Skills and Talents or to improve your
I: Character Creation




                        Characteristics. See Chapter II: Specialities for details. This
                        stage is also the point where you determine how many Fate
                        Points and Wounds your character has.
                           • Determine the Space Marine’s starting wounds by rolling
                             1d5 and adding 18 to the result. For more details, see
                             page 27.
                           • Determine the Space Marine’s starting Fate Points by
                             rolling 1d10 and consulting Table 1–2 on page 27.
                           • Determine the Space Marine’s movement rates by
                             consulting table 1–3 on page 27. The Space Marine’s
                             power armour will increase your Agility Bonus by 1 for
                             this purpose.
                           • You may now further customise your Space Marine by
                             spending 1,000 experience points on certain Advances.
                             See page 57 for more details. You may purchase Advances
                             from any combination of the General Space Marine,
                             Chapter, or Speciality Advance tables, as appropriate for
                             your Rank (you begin as Rank 1).


                        Stage 5: Starting equipMent
                        Space Marines begin the game with a set of equipment worthy
                        of their exceptional talents, gear that makes other warriors
                        weep with envy. See Chapter V: Armoury for details on                • Consider your character’s appearance. What colour is his
                        your character’s starting gear based on your Speciality.               hair? Does he have any distinguishing features?
                          • Every Space Marine has a selection of equipment                  • Before joining the Deathwatch, your Space Marine
                            provided to him. Note the starting equipment for a Space           performed admirably in the service of his Chapter.
                            Marine and the gear for your chosen Speciality on your             These events are what led to his selection to join the
                            character sheet.                                                   Deathwatch. Choose or randomly roll for a past history
                                                                                               event from the tables on pages 29.
                                                                                             • Your Space Marine’s power armour has had many owners,
                        Stage 6: giving CharaCterS life                                        and it may have some particular quirks. Randomly roll
                        Once all the numbers are finished with, it is time to flesh            for your power armour’s history and quirks on Table
                        out your Space Marine. This stage helps you define your                5–12 on page 162.
                        character’s past, temperaments, beliefs, and more. This step         • Answer the questions on page 31 to flesh out the
                        is an important one, as it helps you portray the character             personality of your Space Marine.
                        during game play and makes your Space Marine a unique                • Choose a personal Demeanour that best fits your
                        being, helping to set him apart from others who may fill a             character. This can contrast or compliment your Chapter
                        similar niche. During this step, you also select your character’s      Demeanour. Your personal Demeanour may change over
                        Demeanours—strong elements of his personality that define              time as your character develops during the game.
                        him as an individual.                                                • Give your Space Marine a name, either by thinking one
                                                                                               up on your own or choosing one from Table 1–11 on
                                                                                               page 34.
                           SpenDing experienCe pointS?
                           Several of the options in later chapters allow a character
                                                                                            Stage 7: plaY DeathwatCh
                           to spend an amount of Experience Points, abbreviated             With all of this complete, you are now ready to play
                           as “xp.” Starting characters in Deathwatch begin with            Deathwatch!
                           1,000 xp that they may spend to purchase an available
                           option. See page 57 for more details.



                                    24
cs
                                                                         kill-teaMS?
“Amongst a hundred men, there may be none fit for the Adeptus
                                                                         The term “kill-team” is most often used for small, squad-
Astartes. Amongst a hundred Space Marines, there may be one fit for
                                                                         sized units of Space Marines sworn to the Deathwatch.
the Deathwatch.”
                                                                         For the purposes of the Deathwatch roleplaying game,
                                                                         kill-team refers to the player character group.
                                          –Watch Captain Brand



C
                                                                         ss




                                                                                                                                           I: Character Creation
        haracteristics represent your character’s raw ability, on
        a scale of 0 to 100, in a variety of physical and mental         Space Marines are naturally ambidextrous, so in
        areas. Your character’s Characteristics are important for        Deathwatch, it is not important to note which hand is
a variety of reasons, but principally, they reflect your ability to      dominant. You may, of course, choose that your Space
succeed at certain actions. Since you want to roll under your            Marine prefers to use one hand or the other if you wish.
Characteristic when attempting to accomplish something
that has dramatic consequences in the game, the higher your           willpower (wp)
Characteristic is, the better off you will be.
                                                                      Willpower demonstrates your character’s ability to withstand
                                                                      the horrors of war and the dread opponents he is bound to
weapon Skill (wS)                                                     encounter in his missions with the Deathwatch.
Weapon Skill measures your character’s competence in hand-to-
hand fighting, whether using fists, knives, or lightning claws.
                                                                      fellowShip (fel)
                                                                      Fellowship is your character’s ability to interact with other
balliStiC Skill (bS)                                                  creatures, to deceive, charm, or befriend them.
Ballistic Skill reflects your character’s accuracy with ranged
weapons, such as boltguns, lascannons, and meltaguns.
                                                                      s
                                                                      Each Characteristic has a corresponding bonus. A
Strength (S)                                                          Characteristic Bonus equals the tens digit of the Characteristic
Strength describes how physically strong your character is.           score. For example, a character with a 41 Intelligence has a 4
It is important to note that Space Marines are inherently             Intelligence Bonus. Generally, Characteristic Bonuses are used
possessed of incredible strength: all Space Marines possess           to determine the measure of success or failure in situations or
the Unnatural Strength (x2) Trait. See page 136 for details.          tests that have variable results.


toughneSS (t)                                                         GeneratinG
Toughness defines how easily your character can shrug off
injury as well as how easily he can resist toxins, poisonous
                                                                      CharaCteristiCs
environments, disease, and other physical ailments. It is             Characteristics are generated one at a time. For each, roll 2d10,
important to note that Space Marines are exceptionally tough          add the resulting numbers together, then add 30. Follow this
and difficult to kill: all Space Marines possess the Unnatural        procedure once for each of your Characteristics until you have
Toughness (x2) Trait. See page 136 for details.                       the results for all nine and then fill them in on your character
                                                                      sheet. When recording each Characteristic on your character
                                                                      sheet, remember to write the first digit of the number in the
agilitY (ag)                                                          circle. Writing those digits in the circles allows you to see what
Agility measures your character’s quickness, reflexes,                your Characteristic Bonuses are at a glance. Note that one or
and poise.                                                            more of your Characteristics may be further modified by your
                                                                      choice of Chapter in Stage 2: Select Chapter.
                                                                           ince you are playing a character who represents one of the
intelligenCe (int)                                                    Imperium’s mightiest defenders, you may re-roll any one result
Intelligence is a measurement of your character’s acumen,             of your choosing. Should you choose to do this, you must
reason, and knowledge.                                                keep the new result, even if it is worse than the old one.


perCeption (per)
Perception describes how well your character perceives his
surroundings. It reflects the acuteness of your character’s
senses. Space Marines have two special implants that affect
their Perception. See page 36 for details.


                                                                                                                        25
                        exaMple
                                                                                                     s
                        Sam is creating a new Deathwatch character, so he rolls 2d10 for
                                                                                                     An alternate method for generating Characteristic
                        his Weapon Skill Characteristic and gets 11. Next, he adds 30, for
                                                                                                     scores is to give each player a number of Characteristic
                        a final Weapon Skill of 41. He repeats this process for the rest of his
                                                                                                     points that he may assign as he wishes. In this case, the
                        Characteristics, gaining the following results:
                                                                                                     player begins with a score of 30 in each Characteristic
                                                                                                     and may allocate a total of 100 additional points to his
                         Characteristic 2d10 Roll                Total        Characteristic
I: Character Creation




                                                                                                     Characteristics, adding no more than 20 to any one
                                                                              Bonus
                                                                                                     Characteristic. This method generates characters with
                         Weapon Skill            11 (+30)        41           4
                                                                                                     slightly lower than average scores.
                         Ballistic Skill         7 (+30)         37           3
                         Strength                16 (+30)        46           4
                         Toughness               10 (+30)        40           4                   y
                         Agility                 9 (+30)         39           3
                         Intelligence            12 (+30)        42           4                   “Zeal and fury are rewarded with victory.”
                         Perception              15 (+30)        45           4
                         Willpower               14 (+30)        44           4                                     –Captain Davian Thule of the Blood Ravens
                         Fellowship              8 (+30)         38           3
                                                                                                  Once you have chosen your Space Marine’s home Chapter,
                        Sam gets one re-roll. Looking at his Characteristics, his worst score     the next step is to select his Speciality. In the Deathwatch, a
                        is his Ballistic Skill. Since he intends to gun down plenty of hostile    character’s Speciality defines his role and function within a kill-
                        aliens, he decides to roll for Ballistic Skill again. He rolls 2d10 and   team. In their home Chapters, Space Marines are able to wage
                        gets a 15! He replaces his BS with 45, so his Characteristics now         war in a wide variety of roles on the battlefield. However, the
                        look like this:                                                           elite special missions conducted by the Deathwatch require a
                                                                                                  tighter focus on a Space Marine’s natural talents. A Speciality
                         WS      BS        S       T        Ag   Int     Per      WP Fel          helps guide your character’s development, determining your
                         41      45        46      40       39   42      45       44   38         starting gear, Skills, Talents, and a variety of other factors,
                                                                                                  helping to build a place for yourself within your kill-team.
                                                                                                      To determine your Speciality, you make a selection from
                        Stage 2: SeleCt Chapter                                                   those available (note that some Chapters are restricted and
                                                                                                  may not select certain Specialities). Once you know what
                        “Forget your past life. From this day on, you are simply a Dark           your character’s Speciality is, copy down all of the relevant
                        Angel—nothing else is of consequence. The Chapter is all                  information onto your character sheet—your starting Skills,
                        that matters.”                                                            Talents, and gear. In some cases, you will need to make a
                                                                                                  choice between one thing or another. If in doubt over what
                                               –Commander Azrael addressing new recruits          to choose, ask your GM for advice.
                                                                  to the Scout company                Before play begins, you will get the chance to make
                                                                                                  further improvements to your character (for details, see Stage
                        After generating your Characteristics, your next step is to               4: Spend Experience Points).
                        determine your Space Marine’s home Chapter. There are
                        roughly a thousand Chapters of Space Marines within the
                        Imperium, each one possessing unique beliefs, traditions,
                                                                                                    Table 1–1: Specialities
                        and battle honours from ten millennia of war amongst the
                        stars. The particular principles and rituals of a Space Marine’s             Speciality     Description            Page Restrictions
                        Chapter encompass the majority of his adult life, and the                    Deathwatch     Medical experts and
                                                                                                                                           68      Space Wolves
                        guidance of the other Space Marines of his Chapter shape                     Apothecary     healers
                        him above all other influences. When you select your home                    Deathwatch
                                                                                                                    Fierce hand-to-hand
                        Chapter, you gain certain modifiers to your Characteristics, a               Assault                            72         —
                                                                                                                    combatants
                                                                                                     Marine
                        starting Solo Mode ability, and a special Demeanour. Not to
                                                                                                     Deathwatch
                        worry—all of these terms will be explained later on! Note                                   Masters of heavy               Black
                                                                                                     Devastator                            76
                        all of these things down on your character sheet and move                                   weapons                        Templars
                                                                                                     Marine
                        on to the next stage. You will find a selection of Chapters on               Deathwatch     Powerful battle-               Black
                        pages 38–54.                                                                                                       80
                                                                                                     Librarian      psykers                        Templars
                                                                                                     Deathwatch
                                                                                                                    Well-rounded leaders
                                                                                                     Tactical                            84        —
                                                                                                                    and warriors
                                                                                                     Marine
                                                                                                     Deathwatch     Bionically-enhanced
                                                                                                                                         88        —
                                                                                                     Techmarine     masters of machinery



                                      26
s                                                                           Table 1–3: Movement in Metres Per
                                                                            Round
                                                                             Ag Bonus Half Move Full Move Charge Run
“They shall be pure of heart and strong of body, untainted by doubt          1               1                2               3            6
and unsullied by self-aggrandisement. They will be bright stars              2               2                4               6            12
in the firmament of battle, Angels of Death whose shining wings              3               3                6               9            18
bring swift annihilation to the enemies of man. So it shall be for a         4               4                8               12           24




                                                                                                                                                        I: Character Creation
thousand times a thousand years, unto the very end of eternity and the       5               5                10              15           30
extinction of mortal flesh.”                                                 6               6                12              18           36
                                                                             7               7                14              21           42
                           –Roboute Guilliman, Codex Astartes                8               8                16              24           48
                                                                             9               9                18              27           54
Once you have determined your Speciality, your next step                     10              10               20              30           60
is to note down your character’s Movement, Fate Points,
and Wounds on your character sheet. Finally, you spend
your 1,000 starting Experience Points by referencing the                  Starting experienCe
appropriate Rank Advances in Chapter II: Specialities                     All Deathwatch characters begin play with 12,000 xp. This
before moving on to the next Stage.                                       initial amount of xp is considered to have already been spent
                                                                          in preparing your character’s abilities to the point where he is
                                                                          now. You do not actually spend these xp; that amount represents your
ds                                                                        character’s pre-existing Characteristics, Skills, and other abilities. This
Wounds are a vital part of any character and represent how                initial xp is primarily of concern when bringing Deathwatch
much punishment he can take before suffering serious injury.              characters into other Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay games,
To determine your character’s wounds, roll 1d5 and add 18                 such as Dark heresy and rogue traDer, or vice versa.
to the result. The total number is how many wounds your                       Beginning characters also have an additional 1,000 xp
character begins play with.                                               that they may spend to increase Characteristics, acquire or
                                                                          improve Skills, acquire new Talents, and so on. Chapter
                                                                          II: Specialities describes the cost of these improvements,
exaMple                                                                   referred to as Advances, as well as what Advances are available
Steve’s character is Storn, a Space Wolf. To determine Storn’s starting   based on your Speciality—you may spend your 1,000 xp on
Wounds, Steve rolls 1d5 and gets a result of 3. Adding this number        any advances from your Chapter Advances, the first rank of
to 18, Storn has 21 (3 + 18) starting Wounds.                             the General Space Marine Advances, and the first rank of your
                                                                          Speciality. Because your character has just recently joined the
                                                                          Deathwatch, you may not spend your starting xp on Advances
s                                                                         from the Deathwatch Advances. Be sure to note how much
Space Marines are unique individuals that are destined to do              xp you spend, as spent xp determines your character’s Rank
the Emperor’s work. Fate represents this special destiny that             within his Speciality. When you have finished spending
sets this Space Marine apart from the other Battle-Brothers of            your initial 1,000 xp, your character’s total xp should equal
his Chapter. Roll 1d10 on table 1–2: Fate Points to determine             13,000, less any XP you have left over (if you purchased less
your character’s starting number of Fate Points.                          than 1,000 xp worth of Advances).

  Table 1–2: Fate Points
   Dice Result                      Fate Points
   1-7                              3 Fate Points                            s
   8-9                              4 Fate Points                            The initial 1,000 Experience Points represents the
   10                               5 Fate Points                            fact that your Space Marine has been sent to the
                                                                             Deathwatch as a seasoned Battle-Brother amongst his
                                                                             home Chapter. Surviving the difficult missions of the
                                                                             Deathwatch is not easy, but rising to and overcoming
MoveMent                                                                     that challenge rewards the Space Marine with renown
Characters may move at one of four speeds: Half Move, Full                   and glory. If your Game Master is running a campaign
Move, Charge, and Run. The number of metres a character may                  intended for more experienced characters, he may
move in his turn is determined by his Agility Bonus. Traits and              decide to gift your character with additional starting
Talents can modify some or all Movement Speeds. For more                     Experience Points and gear. If this is the case, simply
information about these modes of Movement, see page 205.                     spend the xp as if you had earned them through play.
Note that the Space Marine’s Power Armour improves his                       Chapter II: Specialities describes this process in detail.
normal Agility Bonus for calculating movement rate by 1.


                                                                                                                                   27
                        Stage 5: Starting equipMent
                                                                                                  height anD weight
                        “This is the holy bolter. It is a Godwyn-pattern model with an ammo
                                                                                                  Whilst wearing their power armour, an unarmed Space
                        counter, sinister/dexter locking mechanism, and a sickle magazine
                                                                                                  Marine typically stands slightly over 2.1 metres tall and
                        containing 30 rounds. Each round is a .75 calibre bolt with a
                                                                                                  weighs between 500–1,000 kg. When you visualise
                        diamantine tip, depleted deuterium core and mass-reactive detonator.
                                                                                                  your Space Marine character, you should decide if he is
                        It fires in four-round bursts.”
                                                                                                  taller or shorter, lighter or heavier. Generally speaking,
I: Character Creation




                                                                                                  Space Marines rarely vary to a large degree in height or
                                 –Sergeant Kell of the Dark Angels to his Scout Squad
                                                                                                  weight—your character, however, may have been one
                                                                                                  of those unusual few who is the exception to the rule!
                        No Adeptus Astartes would claim he truly needs energised
                        blades or acid-filled rounds to best the Emperor’s enemies.
                        However, certain basic equipment is virtually synonymous with          genDer & appearanCe
                        the responsibilities of the Deathwatch. In addition to his power       Due to the special nature of the zygotes that make up a Space
                        armour, a Battle-Brother always has access to the essentials of        Marine’s geneseed, all Space Marines are male. Appearance
                        his Speciality without the need to Requisition them. His power         encompasses all of your character’s physical traits. Note down
                        armour and many of his weapons may have been brought with              any special features of your Space Marine’s appearance on
                        him from his Chapter, and the Deathwatch ensures he stays              your character sheet. Many Space Marines have scars from
                        supplied with standard grenades and bolt shells. See Chapter           past battles against the Imperium’s numerous foes. Some bear
                        V: Armoury for more details on each of these items.                    special service studs implanted into their forehead to mark a
                          • All Specialities Standard Issue: Astartes power armour,            century of service with his Chapter. Space Marines may have
                             Astartes bolt pistol, 3 Astartes frag grenades, 3 Astartes        short hair, long hair, or can be completely bald; many have a
                             krak grenades, Astartes combat knife, repair cement, one          piercing gaze or a deep, commanding voice. You should select
                             Chapter Trapping.                                                 some of these details or create your own to personalise your
                          • Deathwatch Apothecary Standard Issue: Astartes                     character’s appearance.
                             bolter with fire selector, reductor and narthecium.
                          • Deathwatch Assault Marine Standard Issue: Astartes
                             chainsword, Astartes jump pack.
                                                                                               s
                          • Deathwatch Devastator Marine Standard Issue:                       Your past has had a strong influence on your character (unless,
                             Astartes heavy bolter with backpack ammo supply.                  of course, your Space Marine has been mind-cleansed!). You
                          • Deathwatch Librarian Standard Issue: Astartes bolter               may already have a great idea about what has happened to
                             with fire selector, force weapon.                                 your character before he joined the Deathwatch. If this is the
                          • Deathwatch Tactical Marine Standard Issue:                         case, go ahead and write it all down. If you would like a little
                             Astartes bolter with fire selector, one clip of Special Issue     inspiration, use the tables below to figure out what happened
                             ammunition (not exceeding 25 Requisition per clip)                before your Space Marine was chosen to attend Watch Fortress
                             per mission. Note that you must still meet the Renown             Erioch. To use these tables, find the corresponding one to
                             requirement for this ammunition.                                  your Space Marine’s chosen Chapter. Either select one of the
                          • Deathwatch Techmarine Standard Issue: Astartes bolter              choices or roll 1d5 and find the entry that matches the result.
                             with fire selector, Astartes servo-arm (as a part of his power    Note that these entries can be used to help flesh out your
                             armour), and one other Common craftsmanship cybernetic            character’s background and personality. In addition, the GM
                             (chosen at character creation). See the Cybernetics section       can use these entries to craft additional encounters involving
                             for rules on installing further bionics.                          your character during the Deathwatch campaign.


                        Stage 6: giving CharaCterS life                                        y
                                                                                               Once you have determined an event in your past, you can move
                        “Salute the great Primarch, salute the Emperor, onward to victory!”    on to the next step: determining any particular quirks of your
                                                                                               Space Marine’s power armour—a suit of ancient armour that
                                                                          –Lord Macragge       enhances the Space Marine’s already impressive musculature
                                                                                               and senses. To a Space Marine, his power armour is a sacred
                        The numbers and words you have written down so far are the             piece of gear with its own history and legend. Most power
                        nuts and bolts that define your character’s capabilities. They         armour is quite old and has had numerous wearers before its
                        say little about the character’s past, personality, and other          current owner, and the war spirit of such armour tends to
                        details that help you and others visualise your Space Marine.          acquire certain unique characteristics that set it aside from
                                                                                               the rest.
                                                                                                  To determine your power armour’s history or quirks,
                                                                                               roll on Table 5–12: Power Armour Histories and Quirks on
                                                                                               page 162.



                                     28
Table 1–4: Black Templars Pasts
1d5 Result Past Experiences
             Received a Vision: On the eve of a great battle, you prayed for guidance from the Emperor and received it. This
1            guidance took the form of a vision, the details of which are known only to you. Afterwards, you helped defeat a
             powerful enemy and proved the worth of your faith in the Emperor.
             Established a Keep: You lent your assistance to establishing a Chapter keep upon an isolated frontier world as part
2            of the Black Templars’ eternal crusade. This grim fortress stands as a monument to your deeds and those of your




                                                                                                                                     I: Character Creation
             fighting company.
             The Geonide Crusade: Alongside your fellow Black Templars, you recovered invaluable artefacts from the Adeptus
3            Mechanicus laboratories under siege by rebellious forces on the planet of Geonide. You personally slew a handful of
             rogue psykers and resisted their unnatural powers.
             Trained a Neophyte: You upheld the traditions of the Black Templars by training and mentoring a young Neophyte
4
             through dozens of battles. Some Neophytes do not survive to become full Initiates in the Chapter.
             Boarding Action: The Black Templars are a fleet-based Chapter, and during a tense battle in space, you and a group
5            of your fellow Space Marines launched a boarding action against an enemy ship (perhaps via a boarding torpedo or a
             Thunderhawk) destroying it from inside and turning the tide of the battle and preserving the fleet for later crusade.


Table 1–5: Blood Angels Pasts
1d5 Result    Past Experiences
              Scouring of Ultramar: Commander Dante dispatched several squads of Blood Angels, including your own, to
              assist the Ultramarines in cleansing several worlds of the Tyranid presence of Hive Fleet Behemoth. After three
1
              years, you and the other survivors of this mission returned with invaluable experience in fighting this particular
              xenos threat.
              Assault on Baal: You held the line with the rest of your Battle-Brothers against an Ork invasion of your
2             homeworld, Baal. You were among the reinforcements who successfully defended the Blood Angel fortress-
              monastery against the greenskin tides.
              A New Beginning: The Blood Angels have had rocky alliances with their successor Chapters. However, you were
3             there to witness a historic event when the Flesh Tearers (a successor Chapter of the Blood Angels) sealed a pact of
              brotherhood and ended centuries of strife and discord.
              Golgotha Strike Force: You were part of Strike Force Bloodhawk, deployed to the insurrectionist world of
4             Golgotha. Perhaps you were in the armoured columns or amongst the Stormraven gunships that smashed through
              the outer fortress walls.
              Purged a Space Hulk: In support of Blood Angel Terminators from the First Company, you assisted in the
5
              cleansing of a massive space hulk, infested with dangerous xenos lifeforms, Chaos renegades, or worse.


Table 1-6: Dark Angels Pasts
1d5 Result Past Experiences
             Encountered the Fallen: You have come face-to-face with (or have had a rare glimpse of ) the black-armoured
1            Space Marines who were once your brothers, the Fallen Dark Angels. These renegades are relentlessly hunted by your
             Chapter, and you have been sworn to secrecy regarding their existence.
             Served in the Ravenwing: You have joined your brothers on many lightning attacks as part of the Ravenwing.
2            Either as gunner on a Land Speeder or an attack bike, your speed and precision against countless enemies of the
             Imperium is rivalled by few. You may have even been privy to secrets that few even in the chapter know.
             Preserved the Secrets of the Chapter: Your unquestioning loyalty has been proven in the trials of combat when
3            you were part of a mission of utmost importance, purging heretical records forged by those who would spread vicious
             lies about the Dark Angels. What secrets you destroyed are a mystery even to you and will remain so for all time.
             Thunderhawk Gunner: You have served your Chapter as the gunner for one of the powerful Thunderhawk
4
             gunships. You have a unique perspective on the battlefield, having fought in the air, on the ground, and in space.
             The Lion and the Wolf: While serving alongside the Space Wolves chapter, you were chosen to fight a ritual duel
5            against one of their members. You claimed distinction with your victory and at least one Space Wolf curses your name
             under his breath.




                                                                                                                      29
                        Table 1-7: Space Wolves Pasts
                        1d5 Result Past Experiences
                                     Bitter Vengeance: You have fought face-to-face with Chaos Space Marines from the Thousand Sons Legion. These
                        1            renegades are considered arch-enemies of the Space Wolves, and furious, no-quarter battles erupt whenever they
                                     meet.
                                     Fenris Hunter: You have hunted and slain one of the extremely dangerous creatures native to Fenris. Among these
                        2
                                     creatures are the mighty kraken, huge ice bears, and the ferocious Fenrisian wolf.
I: Character Creation




                                     Service in the Fleet: Most Space Marine Chapters maintain a number of strike cruisers, battle-barges, and smaller
                        3            craft to support their operations on a planet’s surface. Having fought many battles amongst the stars, you may have
                                     commanded a rapid strike vessel, or perhaps served as an officer aboard a larger ship.
                                     Wolf-Tamer: Fenrisian Wolves have a unique bond with the Space Wolves Chapter, and often fought beside them.
                        4            At one time, you had tamed such a powerful beast as a trusted battle companion. He may survive still back on Fenris,
                                     or he may have fallen to the weapons of the enemy in some previous combat.
                                     The Great Hunt: Many times, Space Wolves have left Fenris to sail upon the sea of stars, seeking out any sign of
                                     their long-vanished Primarch Leman Russ. These Great Hunts have not yet succeeded in locating the primarch, but
                        5
                                     often carve new legends of heroism from across the galaxy. You have been fortunate enough to have taken part in a
                                     Great Hunt, and there is no doubt you have dozens of stories about the wonders and terrors you have witnessed.



                        Table 1-8: Storm Wardens Pasts
                        1d5 Result    Past Experiences
                                      Sole Survivor: The Space Marines are mighty warriors, but they are not invincible. You learned this bitter lesson
                        1             first-hand, as you are the only survivor of your squad, having encountered a particularly dangerous enemy; perhaps a
                                      Tyranid Hive Tyrant or Chaos daemon prince.
                                      Tank Gunner: You have served your Chapter as the gunner in one of the Chapter’s armoured vehicles, perhaps a
                        2             Predator or Land Raider. You have fought in the vanguard of several armoured assaults, and the machine-spirits of
                                      such vehicles are well-known to you.
                                      Service in the Fleet: Most Space Marine Chapters maintain a number of strike cruisers, battle-barges, and smaller
                        3             craft to support their operations on a planet’s surface. Having fought many battles amongst the stars, you may have
                                      commanded a rapid strike vessel, or perhaps served as an officer aboard a larger ship.
                                      The Scouring of Vigil: You bear the deep scars of the campaign upon Vigil against the foul alien Slaugth. These
                        4             xenos maggot-men and their slave-constructs were defeated in a long series of savage close-quarter battles in the
                                      tunnels beneath Vigil.
                                      Honour Preserved: You have aided a fellow brother of your chapter in preserving his honour. Be it a promise he
                        5             made that became complicated by fortune or simply a sequence of events that could have gone awry, you are well
                                      known within your chapter as a brother who respects his own honour as well as that of others.



                        Table 1-9: Ultramarines Pasts
                        1d5 Result Past Experiences
                                     Tyrannic War Veteran: You fought in the Battle for Macragge, struggling against horrid Tyranid beasts from Hive
                        1
                                     Fleet Behemoth. Thanks in part to your efforts, the Ultramarines prevailed at great cost.
                                     Cleansed Thrax: You helped defeat countless daemons on the Chaos-corrupted Forge World of Thrax. Chapter
                        2
                                     Master Marneus Calgar issued the order for Exterminatus upon the mission’s completion.
                                     Endured the Waaagh!: You stood with your fellow Ultramarines against Waaagh! Gutshredda in the Forgoil system.
                        3
                                     Dozens of greenskin invaders died at your hands.
                                     Banner Bearer: You were once chosen to carry a standard, possibly a back banner for your squad or even the
                        4            prestigious company banner. This selection was a great honour, and one not easily relinquished until you joined the
                                     Deathwatch.
                                     Scout Sergeant: For a time, you led a Scout squad in the Ultramarines Tenth Company. During this time, you
                        5
                                     mentored many young Scouts on their way to becoming full Battle-Brothers.




                               30
nature                                                             defending an important objective...perhaps even a luminary of
                                                                   the Imperium, such as an Inquisitor or Imperial Commander. It
The character creation process provides you with the skeleton      is also possible that you have been sent to the Deathwatch as a
of your Space Marine. However, these numbers and notes are         form of exile, perhaps to teach you humility or atone for some
not the sum total of your character—a vital element remains        failure, real or perceived. Whatever the case, the circumstances
to be added: You! The background details of your character’s       of your selection to join the Deathwatch will likely colour
life are largely up to you—as is, of course, his personality.      your opinions and beliefs for some time to come...
     ome people like to develop their characters during play,




                                                                                                                                         I: Character Creation
and that is a perfectly reasonable approach. When you start
to play, it may be enough to know that your character is
                                                                   what DoeS the DeathwatCh
a Space Wolf Assault Marine who has been chosen to join            Mean to You?
the Deathwatch. Many players, however, prefer to work out
background and personality notes before the game begins. If        The Deathwatch is an elite force gathered from Space Marine
you need some help fleshing out your character, try answering      Chapters across the galaxy. Its purpose is to hunt the alien
the following six questions. These answers should help you         forces that threaten the Imperium of man, operate in small Kill-
focus your thoughts on the emerging personality and history        teams in special missions that often taken them behind enemy
of your Space Marine character.                                    lines, and venture into dark, secret places at the bequest of the
                                                                   Inquisition. Were it not for the Deathwatch, the Imperium
                                                                   would have long since crumbled into oblivion at the hands of
what iS Your hoMeworlD like?                                       heretics, Chaos renegades, and foul xenos.
You should consider giving some thought to your character’s            However, the performance of these duties is often done in
homeworld, and the culture he grew up in as well. There are        contravention of the Codex Astartes, and involves Chapters
many different types of worlds settled by humanity (see page       who may be rivals (or even enemies) of one another. How does
292 for some examples), and each can have an impact on how         your Space Marine reconcile the differences between how the
a character native to that world thinks and acts. What was         Deathwatch operates and the values of his home Chapter?
your home culture like? Were you born into a feral tribe or        Does he believe in the purpose of the Deathwatch, or does he
hive gang? Perhaps you were part of a knightly order, or had       consider his assignment a dangerous distraction from the efforts
been born into your world’s aristocracy?                           of his Chapter? Is his role in the Deathwatch a step down from
    However, for a Space Marine, the culture of his home           the authority and rank he enjoyed in his home Chapter, or is
world is not as significant as the beliefs and traditions that     it a humble reminder of his place in the Emperor’s plan for the
surround him after he is recruited into his Chapter. After all,    universe? Is service in the Deathwatch an opportunity to gain
little more than a decade of his life is spent as a human before   great glory, or is it a chance to atone for past sins?
he begins to be shaped by the Space Marine Chapter that has
recruited him.
                                                                   what Do You DeSire?
                                                                   Some Space Marines hunger for glory, others for honour.
what iS Your perSonalitY like?                                     What are the things that warm your heart through the long
The first thing you should consider is your character’s            dark night of the soul? Perhaps a person, or a place, or a
disposition. What is he like? Fiery and passionate, or earthy      world that has been overrun by Tyranids or consigned to
and practical? Is he pessimistic and cynical or does he            destruction? Perhaps you love thrill of taking extreme risks,
always have faith that the best will happen? Answering these       or perhaps you dream of facing a truly worthy opponent in
questions will help to round out your Space Marine beyond          either guile or strength. Maybe you prefer the quiet depths
the extremes of his Demeanours. What is your instinctive           of your own faith in the God-Emperor, or maybe you enjoy
response to threats, surprises, or pressure to perform?            nothing more than telling a grand tale of your own exploits.


whY were You SeleCteD for the                                      what Do You hate?
DeathwatCh?                                                        Hatred’s flame burns long and cold, even when all hope is
                                                                   extinguished. What will sustain you through violence, horror,
For many Chapters, the selection of a Space Marine to join the     and death? Do you seek to destroy as many Tyranids as you
Deathwatch is an honour. Some Chapters consider it to be a         can find? Do you wish to lay low the renegade Chaos Space
very high honour, whilst others believe that service with the      Marines who slaughtered your closest friends—your Battle-
Deathwatch is little more than a diversion of his true duties      Brothers? Perhaps you detest the cowardice you discern in
amongst his Battle-Brothers. Your Space Marine was specially       normal humans, or perhaps you simply cannot endure heresy
chosen, and you should give some thought as to what factors        against the Emperor. Hate is a powerful weapon in the hands
were involved with that choice.                                    of the Adeptus Astartes, but it can spread like rot in the heart of
   Perhaps you accomplished some particularly difficult            the greatest hero, a flaw that may one day act as his doom.
task, or defeated an especially dangerous enemy. Perhaps
you survived a nigh-unstoppable assault, or were wounded


                                                                                                                     31
                               Demeanours                                                    Demeanours can be triggered by the player to gain a
                                                                                          bonus in much the same manner as a Fate Point (see page
                                                                                          204). Unlike spending a Fate Point, however, triggering a
                        “Your honour is your life. Let none dispute it.”                  Demeanour provides a bonus that can then be boosted
                                                                                          by roleplaying.
                                                –Captain Navarre of the Black Templars
                                                                                          triggering a DeMeanour
                        D
                                 emeanours are specific traits associated with a
I: Character Creation




                                 Space Marine. Some Demeanours are linked                 When a Space Marine focuses on the core elements of his
                                 to the Space Marine’s home Chapter—the                   personality, calls upon the legacy of his geneseed, or honours
                        Chapter’s beliefs, traditions, or even specific flaws in their    the important beliefs and traditions of his Chapter, he becomes
                        geneseed—whilst others are unique to that individual Space        more than just another Battle-Brother. He has triggered his
                        Marine’s personality.                                             Demeanour, and thus he becomes a paragon of his own traits
                            The purpose of Demeanours is to highlight what makes          and those of his Chapter.
                        each Chapter—and each Space Marine—different. They                   In order to trigger a Demeanour, the Space Marine player
                        exist in Deathwatch as a narrative prompt, meaning that           need only announce that he is doing so and apply the
                        they present options and reasons for a Space Marine player        benefits. When a Space Marine’s Demeanour is triggered, the
                        character to act a certain way or respond in a particular         Space Marine gains any applicable benefit he would normally
                        manner to any given circumstance. Demeanours are not a            get from spending a Fate Point (see page 204). Triggering a
                        straightjacket; they do not force a character to take action.     Demeanour should be done in a manner that is relevant to
                        Rather, Demeanours present the player with ideas and              the Demeanour, although it is up to the player’s discretion
                        opportunities for his roleplaying to have an impact on the        as to how he chooses to interpret his Demeanour for
                        mechanics of the game.                                            the situation.
                            Demeanours that are linked to the Chapter apply to all
                        Space Marines from that Chapter, whilst Demeanours from
                        the general list can be selected by any Space Marine from
                                                                                            Table 1–10: Example Demeanours
                        any Chapter. Deathwatch Space Marines always possess
                        their Chapter’s Demeanour and must choose one additional             D10 Roll
                        Demeanour from Table 1–10.                                           (Optional) Name            Description
                                                                                                                      The Space Marine’s mind is
                                                                                                                      highly analytical, constantly
                        usinG Demeanours                                                     1            Calculating
                                                                                                                      aware of the pros and cons of
                                                                                                                      any decisions he faces.
                        Part of the fun of a roleplaying game involves selecting unique
                                                                                                                      The Space Marine is a
                        choices personal to one’s own character, and then gaining
                                                                                                                      charismatic and talkative
                        the benefits of that choice during the game. In this way, a
                                                                                             2            Gregarious  sort, one who puts his Battle-
                        Demeanour can be both a particular advantage for the Space                                    Brothers and even normal
                        Marine or portray a challenge he must overcome—and in                                         humans at ease.
                        enduring, grow stronger.                                                                      The Space Marine is quick to
                           The Chapter Demeanour represents the beliefs and                  3            Hot-Blooded temper and aggressive in all
                        traditions of your home Chapter. It may also represent                                        things.
                        particular quirks or mutations of their gene-seed. Your Chapter                               The Space Marine values
                        Demeanour is part of the bedrock of your character, and as                                    lore and learning, preferring
                                                                                             4            Studious
                        such, the Chapter Demeanour does not change. Your Personal                                    to think his way through a
                        Demeanour represents a strongly-held set of values or facet                                   problem.
                        of your personality. It may be an ideal you strive to live up                                 The Space Marine is a
                        to or a code of honour. However you choose to describe it,           5            Taciturn    brooding individual, little
                                                                                                                      given to conversation.
                        your Personal Demeanour is a powerful part of who you are
                        and helps set you apart from the other Space Marines of your                                  The Space Marine cherishes
                                                                                             6            Pious       faith in his Primarch and the
                        Chapter. During the course of the campaign, part of the GM’s
                                                                                                                      Emperor above all.
                        role to challenge your personal Demeanour and test your
                                                                                                                      No test of endurance is too
                        values. Will you hold true to your beliefs in the face of utter      7            Stoic
                                                                                                                      much for this Space Marine.
                        evil or seductive temptation? It is natural that your character                               Pity has no place in this Space
                        should grow and change over time, and that should be reflected       8            Scornful
                                                                                                                      Marine’s heart.
                        in your Personal Demeanour. You may choose to change your                                     This Space Marine’s gaze is
                        Personal Demeanour at any time you feel it is appropriate...no       9            Ambitious
                                                                                                                      ever-lifted towards his goal.
                        one knows your character better than you!                                                     Dignity and honour are
                             o, in short: Your Chapter Demeanour never changes. Your         10           Proud       important to this Space
                        Personal Demeanour changes with the character’s growth and                                    Marine.
                        development as a character during the campaign.


                                      32
   A Demeanour may be triggered a maximum of once (and              roleplaying the Demeanour. Alternatively, the other players may
only once, no matter how many demeanours he may have!)              offer a thumbs-up or thumbs-down verdict—if the majority
per game session. Triggering a Space Marine’s Demeanours            agree, the character gains the benefits of the Improvement.
once per game keeps those elements that make him and his
Chapter special front and centre in the game experience.


exaMple




                                                                                                                                      I: Character Creation
Ross is playing a Dark Angel Space Marine with the Gregarious
Demeanour. Ross invokes his Gregarious Demeanour to give him a
+20 bonus to a Charm Skill Test when discussing tactics with the
Lord Governor of Platea, and convinces the Lord Governor not to
commit his forces foolishly.


s
In addition, the benefits of triggering or overcoming the
Demeanour may be enhanced if the Space Marine player puts
effort into roleplaying the Demeanour. The player can portray
his character either gaining strength from the ideals of his
Demeanour or (alternately) considering the demeanour as a
particular challenge to be overcome. If the Space Marine player
roleplays his Demeanour well, he can gain an Improvement. An
Improvement is a doubling of any applicable bonus (gaining a
+20 bonus to a Test instead of +10, removing 2d5 Damage
instead of 1d5, and so forth). For removing Fatigue, an
Improvement removes all current levels of Fatigue.
   A Space Marine Triggering his Demeanour can add an
Improvement if the other Space Marine players agree that the
Demeanour has been roleplayed well. This bonus is meant to
reward additional effort on the Space Marine player’s part and
the appreciation of his efforts by the other Battle-Brothers in
his kill-team. A simple method to judge this is to simply ask for
the opinion of the other Space Marine players at the table after


   DeSigner’S note: triggering a DeMeanour
   The intention behind a Space Marine’s Demeanour is to provide an opportunity for the Space Marine to gain a dramatic
   and highly memorable moment (a “divine moment of blessed fury”) once per game. The opportunity provided by the
   Demeanour is inextricably linked to the Space Marine’s Chapter and his own unique strength of personality—it is his
   chance to put the spotlight on just how his Chapter is different from those of his Kill-team Battle-Brothers, or (just as
   significant) how that particular Space Marine’s personality is expressed. It is recommended to the GM that triggering a
   Demeanour should always have something extremely impressive occur in-game, even if the Space Marine player’s dice
   utterly desert him. A Triggered Demeanour that results in an attack that hits and fails to do damage, for example, could
   still knock down the enemy—or (should the enemy escape) leave him with a distinctive scar that he will bear forevermore.
   It is left to the GM’s discretion for the exact effects of this, but it should be suitably epic and reward the Space Marine for
   roleplaying his Demeanour.
   ds

   Some players may be used to having the Game Master keep track of a character’s particular strengths and weaknesses.
   However, Game Masters have lots to do during a game. The GM manages the story, the pacing, the NPC’s, the challenges,
   and describes the action. It is very easy for a GM to forget an additional detail for each character whilst handling all the
   other myriad aspects of his job. In addition, the player has his Demeanours listed prominently on his own character sheet
   and is far more aware of the effects that the events in the game are having on his character than anyone else. Therefore,
   if Demeanours are meant to come into play regularly during the game, it would be good to place them into the player’s
   hands. Lastly, Deathwatch is at its best when the players themselves shape the course of the experience, from Cohesion
   to the Mission structure to the choice of Kill-team Leader. The reasons listed above are why the decision was made to
   make Triggering Demeanours a choice that is firmly under the player’s control.



                                                                                                                     33
                        name                                                                Names within the 41st Millennium are as varied as the
                                                                                         many thousands of worlds that make up the Imperium. As
                        “Honour your Chapter and your name shall be remembered. Honour   mankind is an inventive and contrary creature, there are no
                        your Primarch, and your name shall be respected. Honour the      standard or universal conventions that govern the names
                        Emperor, and your name will be legend.”                          people give themselves. In some places, a single simple name
                                                                                         might indicate low birth and ignominy, whilst in others,
                                            –Chaplain Argrim of the Black Templars       it might act as a mark of extreme wealth, fame, and good
                                                                                         breeding. When deciding upon a name, feel free to mix and
I: Character Creation




                        Choosing a name for your character can be very difficult.        match any of the suggestions made by the naming tables. The
                        If you are lucky enough to have a name in mind, go ahead         idea, of course, is to create a name that suits your character—
                        and write it down on your character sheet. However, if you       and no one knows more about your character than you do!
                        have difficulty coming up with a name on the spot (like many
                        other gamers!), this section will help guide you in creating a
                        great name for your Space Marine.




                          Table 1–11: Space Marine Names
                           1d10 Roll      Black Templar Blood Angel           Dark Angel      Space Wolf        Storm Warden Ultramarine
                           1              Wilhelm           Zorael            Naaman          Logan             Lorgath           Marcus
                           2              Sigismund         Cloten            Zahariel        Magni             Alistayr          Claudius
                           3              Alyxander         Astramael         Astelan         Ivar              Bennit            Gannys
                           4              Anselm            Bellerophon       Cadmus          Skif              Camerone          Varen
                           5              Navarre           Metraen           Bethor          Skold             Kestyr            Quintus
                           6              Bertram           Sepheran          Magron          Yngvar            Morgan            Scipio
                           7              Gervhart          Donatos           Nemiel          Balmung           Kurro             Invictus
                           8              Konrad            Rafen             Elyas           Hreidar           Angus             Lucian
                           9              Raimer            Arkio             Makradon        Haakon            Kenshen           Pasanius
                           10             Khordel           Leonatos          Calibos         Erik              Ramsay            Uriel



                           other warhaMMer 40,000 roleplaY CharaCterS anD DeathwatCh
                           The most important information for players of Dark heresy and rogue traDer is that Deathwatch uses the same
                           core mechanics and takes place in the same universe. There are some theme-related differences in the rules between these
                           games, but Dark heresy and rogue traDer players should feel right at home with the way the game itself works.
                              It is important to note that Deathwatch Space Marines are quite powerful (particularly in combat!) in relation to
                           Dark heresy and rogue traDer characters. A rogue traDer character with 14,000 xp is roughly equivalent to a
                           Rank 1 Deathwatch Space Marine (in that the Rogue Trader has a great deal of power tied up in his wealth and personal
                           starship!), and a Dark heresy character using an Ascended Career from ascension with 14,000 xp is also roughly equal
                           (having his own strengths in regards to Influence, many knowledge and investigative skills, and so forth). It is strongly
                           recommended that the GM consider carefully before mixing Space Marines into Dark heresy and rogue traDer
                           campaigns, because the Space Marine’s combat abilities are significantly higher than any other type of character.
                              Dark heresy characters using ascension are particularly recommended if you wish to combine the two games. An
                           Ordo Xenos Inquisitor and his trusted Throne Agents are quite appropriate to accompany a Deathwatch Space Marine
                           (or even an entire Kill-team) on a mission, or set of missions, of particular import.
                           y

                           It is assumed that, in Deathwatch, characters from other Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay games have some special
                           dispensation to accompany the Space Marines on their missions (for instance, if one of the player characters is an
                           Inquisitor). Throne Gelt and a Rogue Trader’s Profit Factor have no meaning for the Deathwatch. Therefore, the other
                           characters also benefit from the Requisition rules and may acquire Renown at the GM’s discretion (see pages 138–141
                           for more information about Requisition and Renown).
                               If a Deathwatch character joins a Dark heresy or rogue traDer game, the GM is encouraged to determine a
                           fair method of applying Requisition to the Space Marine character rather than participating in Profit Factor, Influence,
                           or Throne Gelt (all of these terms are explained in rogue traDer, ascension, and Dark heresy, respectively). Space
                           Marines themselves generally do not use money!



                                    34
Roleplaying as
a Space Marine
“The warrior who acts out of honour cannot fail. His duty is honour
itself. Even his death—if it is honourable—is a reward, and can




                                                                                                                                           I: Character Creation
be no failure, for it has come through duty. Seek honour as you act,
therefore, and you will know no fear.”

           –Roboute Guilliman, Primarch of the Ultramarines



R
        oleplaying as a Space Marine presents a unique challenge:
        Space Marines are more than human, larger-than-life
        figures more akin to the heroes of the Trojan War and
the Odyssey than to Inquisitional Acolytes or a Rogue Trader and
his companions. Some Space Marines are epic beings who will
duel for days over a matter of honour, others are philosophers
and tragic figures, full of passion and regret. In their heart, many
Space Marines feel that their Chapter is just a little bit better
than the others. However you choose to interpret these ideas,
it is important to note that the Space Marines chosen for the
Deathwatch are nuanced, complex characters.
    This section presents some ideas and thoughts to keep in mind
when roleplaying your Deathwatch Space Marine, a guide that
should give you some great dramatic hooks and opportunities to
develop your character in a unique way.
    At the beginning of a Deathwatch game, the Battle-Brothers
you serve with are simply “fellow Space Marines.” Over time,           complications with their gene-seed. Some individual Space
however, this perception may change: some of these Space Marines       Marines have difficulties adjusting to the particular effects of
may become true friends, others may become bitter rivals.              their Chapter’s gene-seed.
    An example of a good story might challenge a Space Marine             Psykers: How do you (or your Chapter) view psykers? Most
to choose between his loyalty to his Chapter and the bond of           Chapters utilise Librarians and rely on psykers like most other
his oath to the Deathwatch. An unquenchable curiosity or a             facets of the Imperium, whilst some are far more suspicious of
raging thirst for revenge can both lead a Space Marine to dark         their nature or eschew the benefits of Librarians altogether.
places, whilst idealism and pragmatism are themes that even               Mankind: How do you (and your Chapter) view the citizens
Battle-Brothers from the same squad in the same chapter may            of the Imperium and humanity as a whole? How do you react
disagree upon.                                                         upon meeting and interacting with a normal Imperial citizen?
    The backdrop of the ongoing Achilus Crusade within the
Jericho Reach presents an excellent framework for Space Marines        three things to remember:
to interact with all levels of Imperial society, from the rareified
heights of the Lord Militant and his advisors to the lowly Imperial      • Space Marines generally do not use contractions or slang
Guard soldier serving on the front lines, from the byzantine               when they speak—they are angelic warrior knights, and
political maneuvering at the Crusade’s heart to the brutal choices         their manner of speech often reflects this.
a Space Marine must make in the face of an encroaching Tyranid           • The Deathwatch’s partnership with the Ordo Xenos and
hive fleet.                                                                their focus on hunting aliens does not mean that they
    Below are presented five questions that Deathwatch characters          ignore other threats! Heretics, daemons, and Chaos Space
should consider, the answers to which can present some very                Marines alike are all foes of the Imperium and are worthy
interesting roleplaying opportunities, internal conflict, or story         of the Deathwatch’s attention.
factors within the campaign.                                             • The saying “And They Shall Know No Fear,” is famously
    The Emperor: Do you consider the Emperor a legendary                   attributed to Space Marines. It means that they are
father figure (as most Chapters do), or do you consider him a              exceptionally brave and motivated warriors, but it is
divine being?                                                              not literally true: most Space Marines understand and
    The Codex Astartes: How closely do you (or your Chapter)               experience fear, but they control it and channel it to a much
adhere to the Codex Astartes? Are you used to finding innovative           greater degree than any normal man. This means that Space
solutions or do you prefer everything to go “by the book?”                 Marines are wise and tactical forces on the battlefield—if
    Purity: How pure is your gene-seed? Some Chapters (the                 Space Marines retreat, they do so for a reason; they do not
Space Wolves and Blood Angels amongst them) have severe                    flee pell-mell before an enemy advance.


                                                                                                                        35
                             Space Marine                                                       • Secondary Heart: This organ has no in-game effect
                                                                                                  besides contributing to the Space Marine’s Unnatural
                                                                                                  Strength and Toughness Traits.

                               Abilities                                                        • Ossmodula: This implant, in conjunction with several
                                                                                                  others, grants the Space Marine the Unnatural Toughness
                                                                                                  (x2) Trait.
                        “As our bodies are armoured with adamantium, our souls are              • Biscopea: This implant, in conjunction with several
                        protected with loyalty. As our bolters are charged with death for the     others, grants the Space Marine the Unnatural Strength
I: Character Creation




                        Emperor’s enemies, our thoughts are charged with wisdom. As our           (x2) Trait.
                        ranks advance, so does our devotion, for are we not Space Marines?      • Haemastamen: This organ has no in-game effect besides
                        Are we not the chosen of the Emperor, his loyal servants unto death?”     contributing to the Space Marine’s Unnatural Strength
                                                                                                  and Toughness Traits.
                                                                    –Chaplain Fergas Nils       • Larraman’s Organ: Space Marines do not normally
                                                                                                  suffer from Blood Loss (see page 260). In addition,


                        A
                                 ll Space Marines go through a period of hypno-                   the Space Marine gains the True Grit Talent. However,
                                 indoctrination and training that provides them with              attacks with the Warp Weapon Quality (see page 136)
                                 an array of special skills and abilities. To represent this      may still inflict Blood Loss as normal.
                        hypno-indoctrination in the game, Space Marine characters               • Catalepsean Node: A Space Marine suffers no penalties
                        begin play with the following Skills, Talents, and Traits. Note           to Perception-based Tests (such as Awareness) when
                        that many of the starting Traits are provided from the list of            awake for long periods of time.
                        Implant game rules listed below. The Space Marine does not              • Preomnor: The Space Marine gains a +20 bonus to any
                        need to meet the prerequisites (if any) for these starting Skills         Toughness Test against ingested poisons.
                        and Talents. Starting Skills are considered Trained Skills              • Omophagea: By devouring a portion of an enemy, a
                        (either Advanced or Basic depending on the Skill).                        Space Marine can gain access to certain information
                            Starting Skills: Awareness, Ciphers (Chapter Runes),                  (such as the whereabouts of a cult’s hidden lair, access
                        Climb, Dodge, Common Lore (Adeptus Astartes, Imperium,                    codes, and so forth). The information he can access is
                        War), Concealment, Drive (Ground Vehicles), Intimidate,                   at the GM’s discretion, keeping in mind what may
                        Literacy, Navigation (Surface), Scholastic Lore (Codex                    have been known by the enemy in the first place. In
                        Astartes), Silent Move, Speak Language (High Gothic, Low                  addition, a Space Marine can temporarily gain access
                        Gothic), Tactics (Choose one), Tracking.                                  to a Skill or Skill Group (such as Pilot, Lore, Ciphers,
                            Starting Talents: Ambidextrous, Astartes Weapons                      and so forth) that he did not already possess. The Skills
                        Training, Bulging Biceps, Heightened Senses (Hearing,                     he may gain are at the GM’s discretion, depending on
                        Sight), Killing Strike, Nerves of Steel, Quick Draw, Resistance           the Skills originally possessed by the enemy. The Space
                        (Psychic Powers), True Grit, Unarmed Master.                              Marine may access this acquired Skill or Skill Group as
                            Starting Traits: Unnatural Strength (x2), Unnatural                   an untrained Basic Skill for a number of hours equal to
                        Toughness (x2).                                                           his Intelligence Bonus. After this time, the information
                                                                                                  begins to fade and the Skill is no longer useable by the
                        Deathwatch hypno-conditioning                                             Space Marine (until he devours another portion of an
                                                                                                  enemy, of course).
                        All Space Marine characters in Deathwatch begin with                    • Multi-lung: The Space Marine may re-roll any failed
                        Common Lore (Deathwatch) and Forbidden Lore (Xenos) as                    Toughness Tests for drowning or asphyxiation (see page
                        a trained Advanced Skill.                                                 261). In addition, the Space Marine gains a +30 bonus
                                                                                                  to Toughness Tests made to resist the effects of gases,
                        Deathwatch training                                                       and may re-roll failed results. The Space Marine may also
                                                                                                  breathe water through his multi-lung.
                        All Space Marine characters in Deathwatch have received                 • Occulobe: This implants grants the Space Marine the
                        extensive training to battle the alien enemies of Man.                    Heightened Senses (Sight) Talent.
                        Deathwatch Space Marine characters gain the Deathwatch                  • Lyman’s Ear: This implant grants the Space Marine the
                        Training Talent.                                                          Heightened Senses (Hearing) Talent.
                                                                                                • Sus-an Membrane: The Space Marine may voluntarily
                                                                                                  enter a form of suspended animation. To do so, the Space
                        s                                                                         Marine must meditate for 1d5 Rounds. This organ also
                        Space Marines have a series of special organs and modifications           automatically activates if the Space Marine is knocked
                        implanted into their bodies. Page 16 describes each implant               unconscious by Critical Damage. While in suspended
                        and its function, but the following section describes the in-             animation, the Space Marine’s wounds will not deteriorate
                        game effects of each upon the Space Marine character. The                 or heal. It requires chemical therapy, auto-suggestion
                        Traits and Talents provided by these implants have already                techniques, and a successful Hard (–20) Medicae Test
                        been taken into effect and are listed in the Space Marine’s               to revive a Space Marine in suspended animation.
                        starting Talents and Traits above.


                                     36
• Melanchromic Organ: This organ has no in-game                 • Betcher’s Gland: The Space Marine may spit acid at his
  effect besides contributing to the Space Marine’s               foes. This acts as a ranged weapon with the following
  Unnatural Toughness (x2) Trait. At the GM’s discretion,         profile: (Range: 3m; Damage: 1d5; Pen: 4; Toxic). If the
  the Space Marine may ignore or be resistant to exposure         Space Marine gains three or more Degrees of Success on
  to radiation, depending on the severity.                        his Ballistic Skill Test, he may also blind the opponent
• Oolitic Kidney: This implant gives the Space Marine             for 1d5 Rounds. At the GM’s discretion, the Space
  the ability to re-roll any failed Toughness Test to             Marine may also slowly chew his way through nearly
  resist poisons and toxins, including attacks with the           any nonliving substance. The rate at which he does so




                                                                                                                              I: Character Creation
  Toxic Quality.                                                  is at the GM’s discretion (one example includes chewing
• Neuroglottis: The Space Marine may detect any poison            through iron bars—this would be roughly at a rate of 4 kg
  or toxins by taste with a successful Challenging (+0)           per minute).
  Awareness Test. He may also detect poisons or toxins          • Progenoids: See page 271 for more information on
  by smell with a successful Hard (–20) Awareness Test.           the benefits of retrieving a Space Marine’s progenoids.
  The Space Marine gains the Tracking Skill as a basic            Removing a Space Marine’s progenoids requires a
  trained Skill, and may (at the GM’s discretion) gain a          Difficult (–10) Medicae Test. This Test becomes
  +10 bonus to any Tracking Tests against an opponent             Arduous (–40) if performed without the narthecium
  he has tasted.                                                  (see page 173), and adds 2 Rounds to the time required.
• Mucranoid: The Space Marine may re-roll any failed              Taking out the progenoids takes 1 Round, adding 1
  Toughness Tests caused by temperature extremes, such as         Round for every Degree of Failure on the Medicae Test.
  desert heat or the cold of outer space.                         Space Marines go to great lengths to recover a fallen
                                                                  Battle-Brother’s gene-seed, and the GM may require a
                                                                  Willpower Test to leave the progenoids behind.
                                                                • Black Carapace: This implant gives the Space Marine
                                                                  exceptional control over his power armour. Although a
                                                                  Space Marine in power armour has the Size (Hulking)
                                                                  Trait, his enemies gain no bonus to hit him thanks to the
                                                                  Black Carapace.



DeSigner’S note: SquaD MoDe, Solo MoDe, anD CoheSion
You may notice many references to some particular game mechanics for Space Marines named Squad Mode, Solo Mode,
or Cohesion. These rules are discussed in detail in Chapter VIII: Playing the Game, but here’s a brief summary so you
have an idea of what they encompass.
   Because the Space Marines of the Deathwatch are drawn from Chapters across the Galaxy, they are not as comfortable
working together as with the Battle-Brothers of their home Chapters. Some Space Marines may find themselves serving
alongside rivals or even enemies, and overcoming those differences can be quite challenging.
    olo Mode represents a Deathwatch Space Marine in his natural state soon after arriving at Watch Fortress Erioch.
In Solo Mode, the Space Marine’s particular special abilities, beliefs, and traditions that are part of his home Chapter
are emphasised. He is relying on his instincts and the decades or even centuries of experience fighting alongside other
Battle-Brothers of his home Chapter. A Space Marine is never more an exemplar of what it means to be a battle brother
of his Chapter than when he is in Solo Mode.
    quad Mode is a way of representing a Kill-team that has set aside their differences and are focusing on working
together as a team. In Squad Mode, the Space Marines are not as focused on their individual Chapter abilities, instead
gaining the benefits of teamwork and being able to act as a unit. When Space Marines are in Squad Mode, they are a
nearly-unstoppable unit of deadly warriors.
   When a Kill-team is in Squad Mode, they have access to a resource known as Cohesion. Cohesion may be spent to
trigger certain effects and abilities that benefit the group and allow the Kill-team to perform incredible feats.
   You can find more detailed game information about these terms on page 219 (for Squad Mode), page 215 (for Solo
Mode) and page 211 (for Cohesion).
putting the “teaM” into “kill-teaM”
The purpose of Solo Mode and Squad Mode abilities being separate things is to provide an in-game mechanic to
support the overall concept of a group of individuals who slowly become a team. A Deathwatch Kill-team may contain
a Blood Angel, Space Wolf, and an Ultramarine—each of whom has his own special abilities, skills, and benefits from
his Chapter—but the Kill-team itself is greater than the sum of its parts. The Deathwatch RPG is about the process of
disparate individuals becoming a group that works together—in fact, there are some threats are simply so dangerous
that they can only be overcome by an experienced Kill-team combining their efforts.



                                                                                                            37
                                    The Black                                                   which new recruits may prove their mettle. The Chapter must
                                                                                                judge the worthiness of its recruits in other ways. From the
                                                                                                monolithic chapter keeps they establish on every world the

                                    Templars                                                    Black Templars conquer, the Chaplains maintain a strict vigil
                                                                                                over the world and judge the worth of those warriors who
                                                                                                attract their notice. Often, there will be contests of arms or
                        “To the darkness, I bring fire. To the ignorant, I bring faith. Those   other equally lethal trials held for those who aspire to joining
                        who welcome these gifts may live, but I will visit naught but death     the Chapter. Only the bravest warriors can hope to reach the
I: Character Creation




                        and eternal damnation on those who refuse them.”                        final stages of selection and even then only a fraction will meet
                                                                                                the Chaplains’ high standards.
                                                                      –Chaplain Grimaldus           An aspirant is brought to the chapter keep, where the
                                                                                                Apothecaries administer tissue compatibility tests and root out


                        A
                                 fter the Great Heresy, Rogal Dorn, primarch of the             any latent mutation to ensure that he is of sufficient purity and
                                 Imperial Fists, resisted the breaking up of the Legions        strength to become a Neophyte. Not all survive these processes,
                                 into smaller Chapters. It was only when the Imperial           as the Black Templars tolerate no weakness. Should the aspirant
                        Fists were branded heretics that Dorn relented, allowing his            survive, he becomes a Neophyte and so begins the ritual
                        beloved Legion to be subdivided into Chapters. One of the               surgery that will turn him into a superhuman warrior. Here too,
                        new Chapters born of this time was the Black Templars.                  an aspirant may fail. Thanks to the degeneration of knowledge,
                            To prove his loyalty to the Emperor, the first Chapter Master       implant surgery is heavily ritualised. It is often accompanied by
                        of the Black Templars—the High Marshal Sigismund—                       scarring, incantation, prayer, fasting, and arcane practices that
                        assembled a massive war fleet and began the greatest Space              unintentionally compromise medical efficiency.
                        Marine Crusade in the history of the Imperium. It has lasted                Once a Neophyte begins his training, he severs all links
                        for 10,000 years.                                                       with the world of his birth and begins a life dedicated to the
                            Eschewing the establishment of a home world, the Black              Emperor. Once he is deemed ready, he will be taken under
                        Templars took to the stars in a mighty war fleet. Rather than           the wing of an Initiate and complete his training in the fires
                        constructing a single Chapter fortress-monastery as most                of battle, where he will either learn or die. When he finally
                        Space Marine Chapters do, the Black Templars determined                 becomes an Initiate himself, he can no longer be considered
                        to establish a chapter keep upon each world they conquered,                        human. Any chance for a normal life is gone forever,
                        to keep watch for treachery, to stage future Crusades, and to                        but though a great and terrible sacrifice, it is
                        recruit new Battle-Brothers.                                                          made willingly.
                            The ten-millennia-long Crusade of the Black Templars                                   Once accepted within one of a Crusade’s
                        has seen its warriors embroiled in some of the most                                      Fighting Companies, an Initiate fights and
                        momentous conflicts ever to engulf the Imperium.                                           hones his craft of death, building his legend
                        The High Marshals have followed the example of their                                       and forging his hero’s name before one day
                        founder and taken the fight to the realms of                                                  going on to train a Neophyte himself. In
                        the alien, the heretic, and the witch. The                                                      this way, the experience and wisdom of
                        Black Templars are crusaders,                                                                         the Initiates is preserved and passed
                        holy warriors battling to                                                                                on to new recruits.
                        bring the truth and light                                                                                    The greatest warriors in a
                        of the Emperor to the                                                                                     Fighting Company will be
                        unconquered worlds of the                                                                                 organised into the Marshal’s
                        galaxy. With bolt shell and                                                                              household, the equivalent of a
                        chainsword, the Black Templars                                                                        Codex Chapter’s First Company.
                        convert the benighted to the light of the                                                             Known as the Sword Brethren,
                        Master of Mankind and destroy those who refuse                                                        these Space Marines are mighty
                        to welcome his truth. Each Crusade is directed                                                         heroes whose deeds become part
                        by the will of the Marshal in command, and each                                                        of the Chapter’s history. It is
                        is despatched by the decree of the High Marshal                                                        every Black Templar’s ambition
                        of the Black Templars to fulfil their prime                                                            to become one of these elite. Clad
                        mission to cleanse the stars.                                                                           in the finest suits of armour and
                                                                                                                               bedecked with purity seals, the
                                                                                                                              Sword Brethren are the very image
                        initiations                                                                                          of a baroque warrior-knight. When
                        Despite that Rogal Dorn eventually accepted the dictates                                            a Marshal dies, it is from the Sword
                        of the Codex Astartes, the Black Templars are organised                                           Brethren that his replacement will be
                        in a different manner to many Space Marine Chapters and                                        drawn, and only the best and bravest
                        deviate from the strictures of Guilliman’s great tome in several                            are worthy of this great honour. Which
                        notable ways. One deviation is in the recruitment and training                              Black Templar will succeed the Marshal is
                        of its warriors. The Black Templars have no Scout company in                               determined by ritual combat, during which all


                                     38
who would contest the right to lead the Crusade will battle one    thousand years with extra docking facilities for escort ships,
another with various weapons as well as pitting their strategic    additional launch bays for shuttles and Thunderhawk gunships,
and tactical prowess against their opponent. The winner earns      as well as accommodation for twice as many Space Marines
the right to be Marshal, subject to the approval of the High       than a normal battle-barge.
Marshal, and the Sword Brethren swear new oaths of loyalty
to the winner.
   Aside from the Marshal’s household, larger Crusades are
broken down into a number of Fighting Companies, each              All Space Marines are renowned for their fervent dedication,




                                                                                                                                           I: Character Creation
led by a Sword Brethren afforded the honorific of ‘Castellan.’     but the extent of the Black Templars’ faith is often described as
Within the Fighting Company, individual squads are gathered        fanatical. They seek nothing less than to crush every last enemy
and dispersed in a fairly ad-hoc fashion. Initiates fight side     of mankind. They have absolutely no tolerance of heretics,
by side regularly out of familiarity and comradeship rather        mutants, witches, aliens, or any other abomination against the
than any imposed organisation. Due to the Chapter’s focus on       Emperor. For ten thousand years they have crusaded to prove
engaging the foe in the blood and fury of honourable close         their loyalty, and this creed has become so embedded in their
combat, there is a notable lack of heavy weapons in the Fighting   doctrines that they are utterly ruthless towards anyone or
Companies. Such heavy weapons are mounted on vehicles and          anything perceived as a threat to the Emperor. They have been
Dreadnoughts, leaving the Battle-Brothers to close on their foe    known to mercilessly wipe out entire planetary populations to
unhindered.                                                        expunge the sin of heresy, while the mere presence of a witch
                                                                   on the battlefield drives them into a zealous fury against which
                                                                   few enemies have any hope of standing. The Black Templars’
eternal CrusaDers                                                  professed loathing of the witch even extends to those psykers
The Black Templars have no single home world. Instead, they        in the employ of the Imperium. Although the Chapter must
live in their Crusade fleets, upon many battle-barges, strike      utilise astropaths, Navigators, and others with such talents,
cruisers, training vessels, and gigantic forgeships. The Black     the Black Templars are loath to do so, and eschew the use of
Templars establish chapter keeps on every world they conquer       librarians in the ranks of the Space Marines.
or reclaim for the Emperor. The main purpose of the chapter
keeps is to recruit new Space Marines from the population,
and to act as staging posts for mustering the Crusades. These      Combat DoCtrine
chapter keeps are sizeable, with chambers to accommodate two       In battle, the Black Templars seek to continue to fight in the
to three companies of Space Marines, but are far smaller than      manner of their founder, Sigismund, preferring close combat over
the fortress-monasteries of other Chapters. However, there have    ranged warfare. Face-to-face with his enemy, a Black Templar
been hundreds of chapter keeps established over the millennia,     seeks to earn glory and respect and be sure that his foe is truly
some of which are still standing, others which have fallen into    vanquished, fighting with righteous fury and the noblest ideals
ruin and disrepair and are no longer manned.                       of honour.
    The High Marshal himself has his own battle-barge, the             This is truly emphasised by the fanaticism of Black Templar
Eternal Crusader, and he can travel from Crusade to Crusade        Battle-Brothers, whose righteous anger makes them loathe to
lending his military genius and spiritual guidance to those        retreat before an enemy. They will instead drive towards the foe
under his command. The Eternal Crusader is gigantic, even          relentlessly, their own casualties only serving to spur them on still
for a battle-barge, having been expanded and refitted over ten     further, hungry for vengeance on the slayers of their brethren.




                                       The Emperor’s Champion
      On the eve of battle, all of the Battle-B
                                                  rothers of a Black Templar force pray toge
      wisdom, and the strength to slay the enem                                                   ther, seeking purity,
                                                   ies of the Emperor. Should one be gifted
      Emperor, he will present himself to the Cha                                              with a vision from the
                                                   plains, who will anoint him as the Empero
     be entrusted with the best weapons and                                                     r’s Champion. He will
                                                armour in the force. Although the actual
     change, these vestments are always known                                                weapon and armour may
                                                  as the Black Sword and the Armour of Fai
     duty and honour of the Emperor’s Champi                                                     th. In battle, it is the
                                                 on to seek out the champions of the enem
     single combat, just as Sigismund did at the                                              y and challenge them to
                                                  Battle of the Emperor’s Palace at the heig
    Although few foes have specific champions,                                                ht of the Horus Heresy.
                                                    it is usually sufficient for the Emperor’s
    enemy leader, as well as anyone else who                                                    Champion to kill any
                                               is unlucky enough to cross his path. It is con
    the Emperor’s Champion to fall, and if he                                                  sidered a bad omen for
                                                 does so, it is the duty of his fellow brethren
    the field of battle and reclaim the Armour                                                  to bear his body from
                                                of Faith and the Black Sword.
                                                                                                                       39
                            Central to each Black Templar’s dedication to the Emperor is
                        the swearing of powerful oaths of faith and protection. On the       s
                        eve of battle, it is customary for a Black Templar to renew one of
                                                                                             Black Templars Space Marines perform an eternal
                        these vows to the Emperor. The specific vow undertaken focuses
                                                                                             Crusade across the galaxy, eliminating the enemies of
                        the thoughts of the warrior on a specific aspect of his duties,
                                                                                             man. This Chapter’s warriors possess both great skill
                        encouraging extreme bravery, ruthlessness, and sacred revulsion
                                                                                             at arms and mental fortitude.
                        of the foe.
                                                                                                Black Templars Space Marines gain the following
                            Although utterly loyal to the Emperor, the Black Templars
I: Character Creation




                                                                                             benefits: +5 Weapon Skill,, +5 Willpower, and the
                        are at the extreme end of independence from the Imperium’s
                                                                                             Righteous Zeal Solo Mode ability (see page 217).
                        authorities. Some would say the Chapter verges on a rogue
                                                                                                Restrictions: Black Templars Space Marines may
                        element. The Chapter’s fleet-based nature and the goals of
                                                                                             not select the Deathwatch Devastator Marine or
                        its ten-thousand-year Crusade take the Black Templars
                                                                                             Deathwatch Librarian Specialities.
                        throughout the entire galaxy, and it is primarily the will of
                                                                                                Implants: Although Black Templars Space Marines
                        the Marshals that drives the Crusades ever onwards. Like all
                                                                                             possess both the Betcher’s gland and sus-an membrane
                        Space Marines, the Black Templars do not consider themselves
                                                                                             implants, their zygotes are significantly deficient. Black
                        subject to the rule of the Imperium’s power structures, and
                                                                                             Templar characters do not gain the benefits of either of
                        each Crusade is effectively an autonomous fighting force,
                                                                                             these implants.
                        though they may choose to respond to requests for aid by
                        others in the vicinity.                                              s
                            When the Crusade fleet makes war upon the foes of the
                        Emperor, there are two main tactics the Black Templars use           Zealous is a Demeanour (see page 32) unique to Space
                        to destroy the enemy. The most brutal is the orbital assault,        Marines from the Black Templars Chapter. When not
                        known to the few that have survived it as “death from                engaged in battle, the brethren of the Black Templars
                        above.” The Black Templars drop into action in the wake              are invariably to be found preparing for it. They pass
                        of a devastating orbital bombardment, using drop pods and            their time in prayer and meditation, or engaged in
                        Thunderhawk gunships. With paralysing suddenness, the                exacting training rituals. Those Initiates entrusted
                        Space Marines surgically destroy their targets, leaving the          with the training of a Neophyte spend long hours
                        enemy leaderless and disorganised, incapable of anything             passing on their knowledge to their young pupil and
                        more than surrender or flight.                                       supervising endless drills, practice sessions, and trials.
                            If the Crusade is able to land heavy equipment, an equally       The brethren frequently impose upon themselves many
                        destructive tactic is the armoured spearhead. Indeed, the Land       hardships, foregoing all but the bare necessities in
                        Raider Crusader, a war machine that excels in the role of line-      order to purify themselves in the eyes of the Emperor
                        breaker, first saw service with the Chapter. Manoeuvring at          and their primarch, and to emulate the example of their
                        speed, behind a far-ranging screen of bikes and land speeders,       founder Sigismund.
                        the Black Templars smash their powerful tanks unerringly                When serving alongside the Battle-Brothers of
                        through the weak link in the enemy army, armoured columns            other Space Marine Chapters, many Black Templars
                        slashing left and right before eliminating the remaining             prepare themselves through long fasts and week-long
                        enemy strongpoints.                                                  vigils in order to tolerate the presence of Space Marine
                                                                                             librarians. For those who serve in the Deathwatch,
                                                                                             fighting alongside a brother Space Marine who wields
                                                                                             psychic power is a particular hardship, a trial they
                                                                                             must undergo in order to serve the Emperor more fully
                                                                                             and to strike down the hated alien. For this reason,
                                                                                             great care is undertaken when selecting a Black
                                                                                             Templar for secondment to the Deathwatch, for only
                                                                                             a brother able to contain his deep-seated intolerance
                                                                                             will be able to fight to his full capacity. Despite this,
                                                                                             even these individuals are likely to pass every hour
                                                                                             not spent fighting in deep contemplation and prayer,
                                                                                             often cloistering themselves away from their fellow
                                                                                             Deathwatch Space Marines in a personal shrine to the
                                                                                             Emperor, Dorn, and Sigismund.




                                    40
           The Blood                                                   last moments of their primarch’s life. For some, the thirst is
                                                                       too great and they are entirely overcome by what is called the
                                                                       Black Rage, cursed to end their days reliving their beloved

            Angels                                                     primarch’s death over and over again.


“For he today who sheds his blood with me shall be my Battle-Brother   d
eternal.”                                                              The Blood Angels hail from a trio of worlds—the rust-red




                                                                                                                                               I: Character Creation
                                                                       desert planet of Baal, and its two barren moons, Baal Prime
     –Last Line of the Invocation Initiate of the Flesh Tearers        and Baal Secundus. While Baal itself has always been a world
                                                                       of red rust deserts, it moons were once paradises. Yet, at


T
         he Blood Angels are the noble descendants of that most        some time around the end of the Dark Age of Technology,
         puissant and angelic of the primarchs—Sanguinius.             utter devastation was visited upon Baal and its moons. In a
         They are perhaps one of the most celebrated Chapters          nameless, long-forgotten war, viral and nuclear weapons were
in the entire Imperium, their countless heroic deeds and               unleashed, their effects so potent that many thousands of years
victories known to untold billions of the Emperor’s subjects           later, all three worlds are still subject to deadly radiation storms.
across the length and breadth of the Imperium. The beauteous,          Their surfaces are scarred by vast plains of blackened glass
angelic visages of the Chapter’s heroes adorn gothic facades           and endless tracts of polluted desert. What must once have
and stained glass windows in a million holy basilicas, and             been oceans are now poisoned seas of toxic sludge, covered
their portraits gaze serenely from endlessly copied and much           in layers of pallid dust. The people of the system must have
cherished illuminated tomes.                                           died in their millions. But somehow, humanity prevailed. The
    Yet, hidden from the multitudes, the Blood Angels harbour          populace became scavengers, picking the bones of their once
a terrible curse. When their beloved primarch was slain at the         great civilisation. Many must have perished, growing sickly
hands of the arch-traitor Warmaster Horus at the very height           and feeble as the atmosphere was radically altered. In the dark
of the Horus Heresy, every Blood Angel was doomed to share             time that followed the total collapse of their society, it is likely
a portion of the pain inflicted upon his flawless form. From           that some became worse than scavengers, and turned in their
that day forth, every Blood Angel has been tormented by                desperation to cannibalism.
visions of the last moment of Sanguinius. The older the Space                               Upon the surface of Baal is to be found, half
Marine gets, the more frequent and debilitating such waking                               buried amid oceans of dust, some evidence
nightmares become. Should he not fall in battle, every Blood                                 of a once great civilisation - vast edifices,
Angel will one day become so consumed by these soul-searing                                   incredible monuments that must have been
visions that he will descend into a madness in which he must                                    constructed with masterful skill to have
witness the death of Sanguinius over and over again, ever                                        stood for so long. It is obvious that the
unable to intervene as the warmaster enacts his vile treachery.                                   people of Baal spent their time creating
    The very inevitability of their curse ennobles the Battle-                                     mighty statues of their rulers and their
Brothers of the Blood Angels, driving them ever onwards                                              gods, and it is through this record
to a glorious death in the name of the Emperor and                                                    that those people are known.
their primarch. Where lesser men might have                                                                One side effect from the
surrendered to the dark urgings to shed the                                                              ensuing radioactive atmosphere
blood of the enemies of the Emperor, the                                                                   was inevitable. In time, the
Blood Angels have remained pure and                                                                         accumulated chemical and
noble for ten thousand years. Despite                                                                        radioactive toxins that built
this, the Chapter is dying, for each year                                                                    up in the survivors’ bodies
ever more of its brethren succumb to                                                                         forced them to devolve into
the so-called Red Thirst—the desire to                                                                      mutants, shambling parodies
rend limb from limb those responsible                                                                     of the men their forefathers had
for the death of Sanguinius, and                                                                         once been. But there were some
by extension every enemy of                                                                           who held onto their humanity and
the Emperor.                                                                               preserved some semblance of sanity, forming
    The death of Sanguinius represents                                                     tribes for mutual protection. But these were
one of the most perfidious and tragic                                                        the embattled few, as a new and savage
moments of the Horus Heresy, for he                                                            culture evolved amid the ruins of the old.
died at the hands of his brother-primarch,                                                        The only social unit remaining was the
the arch-traitor Warmaster Horus. Although some say                                                 tribe. For humanity and cannibal alike,
that the sacrifice weakened the Warmaster just enough                                                the only folk they could rely on were
to allow the Emperor to defeat him, the death of Sanguinius                                          their own kin.
is mourned to this day, and felt keenly by the Blood Angels, in                                         The people of the Baal system
whose veins his blood still pumps. When war calls and blood                                       became nomads, shifting from place to
is spilled, the Blood Angels are gripped by a fury born of the                                 place, picking the ruins clean, and warring


                                                                                                                           41
                        to preserve what spoils could be gathered. They constructed          are lined with mighty golden caskets, each twice the size of
                        ramshackle vehicles and learned how to make rad-suits—and            a man. The sleeping aspirants are entombed within, dwarfed
                        more importantly, rad-counters—to protect them from their            by the size of the huge sarcophagi, and attached to an array
                        hellish, blasted environment. The tribes fought constant wars.       of life-sustaining nodes. There they remain for a full year,
                        Where once they had been close to paradise, now they were closer     fed intravenously with nutrients and injected with the Blood
                        to hell.                                                             of Sanguinius.
                            The Blood Angels maintain their fortress-monastery on                As the aspirants slumber, they are engulfed by vivid and
                        Baal, and recruit from amongst the tribes of all three worlds.       strange dreams depicting the memories of Sanguinius himself.
I: Character Creation




                        To be chosen in such a manner is more than the greatest of           Thus the very essence of the primarch permeates the minds of
                        honours—it promises deliverance from the nightmarish realities       his new sons, and ever afterwards these potent emotions and
                        of life on Baal and its moons. Only the toughest ever earn such      memories will be permanently imprinted upon their souls.
                        honour, the vast majority eking out a short, brutal life amongst         When the aspirants are finally removed from their sarcophagi,
                        the warring tribes and the benighted radiation deserts.              they have been changed so thoroughly that few could believe
                                                                                             they were once the twisted creatures rescued from the living
                                                                                             hell of their prior lives. They have become tall, immensely
                        initiations                                                          strong, and superhumanly powerful. Their restructured bodies
                        To ascertain who is worthy to join the ranks of the Blood Angels,    have taken on a haunting beauty reminiscent of their angelic
                        the youths of the pure Baalite tribes must take part in violent      forefather, their senses keener, and their muscles stronger
                        games and magnificent tournaments, battling against both the         than tempered steel. Through this arcane process and lost
                        harsh landscape of their home world and, ultimately, each other.     technology, the scrofulous wastelander is transformed into a
                        The contests are held only once in each generation, at the very      being of radiant purity and noble purpose.
                        place that Sanguinius first came to Baal—Angel’s Fall. Aspirants
                        must reach the so-called Place of Challenge by whatever means
                        they can, a process that weeds out many weaker individuals           the sons of sanGuinius
                        hoping to join the ranks of the Blood Angels. They must race         The Blood Angels are amongst the longest-lived of all of
                        across uncharted miles of hostile, irradiated desert. They must      the Space Marine Chapters, their gene-seed granting a vastly
                        leap from the highest cliffs, praying that the primitive assembly    increased lifespan on all who possess it. It is not uncommon,
                        of wings each bears will save them from sudden death. They           therefore, for a Blood Angel to live for a millennium or more, if
                        must find their way through canyons infested with gigantic,          death in battle or the Red Thirst does not claim him first. These
                        mutated beasts. The desiccated husks of previous hopefuls bear       vastly extended life spans allow the Blood Angels to perfect
                        witness to those who undertook the trials rashly. Once they          their techniques in art as well as in war. They have centuries to
                        reach the Place of Challenge, gladiatorial contests, often to the    perfect the disciplines to which they turn their minds, and this
                        very death, ensure that only the most skilled and determined         accounts for the fact that Blood Angels’ armour and banners
                        fighters survive.                                                    are amongst the most ornate ever produced.
                            Once fifty or so victors have been separated from the               Following the example of their primarch, the Blood Angels
                        unsuccessful aspirants, they will be taken by Thunderhawk            espouse a vision of the galaxy in which the enemies of the
                        gunship to fulfil the next stage of their trials. Those who fail     Emperor can be defeated and mankind can progress to the life
                        are nonetheless granted positions of honour when they return         he was always fated to live. There is a deeply mystical streak in
                        to their tribes, for the mere fact of their having survived the      the Blood Angels’ doctrines, and a strong belief that things can
                        trials, even if not selected, is a great feat in itself.             be made better. After all, the Blood Angels are recruited from the
                            The successful aspirants are taken to the fortress-monastery     scrofulous wastelanders of Baal, and if such can be transformed
                        of the Blood Angels, where they witness sights of such               into a tall, proud, and handsome warrior, then there is hope for
                        magnificent glory that many are struck down with awe. They           mankind yet. This belief can be seen in everything the Blood
                        are taken before the full battle-brethren, and it is here that the   Angels do. They strive for perfection in all of their endeavours.
                        contrast between aspirant and Space Marine is truly evident.         Their works of art are things of beauty and symmetry. Their
                        Despite their youth, very few of the aspirants will be untouched     martial disciplines are practised unceasingly. Their doctrines are
                        by the ravages of the blasted lands in which they have lived.        permeated with a sense of mortality and the fallen greatness
                        Their bodies are riddled with cankers and sores, their faces         of Man.
                        marred by lesions. In contrast, the towering physiques of the           The beatific countenance and noble bearing of the Blood
                        Space Marines around them are the very ideal of perfect beauty,      Angels is in stark contrast to the curse they bear. While lesser
                        their skin smooth, their features noble.                             warriors might become morose or fatalistic, weighed down by
                            Having observed a gruelling vigil of three days and three        the inevitability of their fate, the Blood Angels remain stoic.
                        nights, the aspirants are led away by the Chapter’s Sanguinary       The Blood Angels’ cadre of Sanguinary Priests—the equivalent
                        Priests, who fulfil not only the role of Apothecary, but of the      of Apothecaries in other Chapters—tirelessly pursue a cure
                        bearers of their primarch’s most sacred blood. Each aspirant         to the Red Thirst. But each year, more and more brethren
                        must partake of this blood, which is born in a chalice proffered     succumb to it. Perhaps in an effort to hold the curse at bay,
                        to them by a priest. Soon after sipping the precious liquid, the     many Blood Angels sleep in the same casket where their bodies
                        aspirants fall into a profound sleep and are taken to the Hall       were transformed from the ravaged Baalite wastelanders to the
                        of Sarcophagi. The walls of this vast, cathedral-like chamber        perfect forms they emerged as, the arcane machinery filtering


                                    42
and purifying their blood as they slumber. This is even true of
many Blood Angels seconded to service in the Deathwatch.                    s
Their caskets are stored within a watch station or watch fortress,
                                                                            The Blood Angels’ battle honours encompass millennia
and the Blood Angel sleeps there to heal any wounds suffered
                                                                            of victories, many purchased with ferocity in close-
during a mission, emerging whole and unsullied once more.
                                                                            quarters combat. Blood Angels Space Marines have
    The quest for perfection in all they do makes Battle-
                                                                            developed great manual dexterity and coordination
Brothers from the Blood Angels ideal warriors to serve in the
                                                                            in the pursuit of art, due to their exceptionally long
Deathwatch, yet their curse becomes all the more terrible. A




                                                                                                                                            I: Character Creation
                                                                            life spans.
Blood Angel may find himself isolated from others of his kin
                                                                                Blood Angels Space Marines gain the following
while he serves in the Deathwatch. He appears a paragon of
                                                                            benefits: +5 Weapon Skill, +5 Agility, and the Blood
virtue to his fellow Deathwatch Battle-Brothers, but by night
                                                                            Frenzy Solo Mode ability (see page 217).
he fights damnation alone in his cell, praying fervently that
the curse will not claim him here, so far from his Chapter and
the Sanguinary Priests who may aid him on his final journey.
                                                                            T
When the Red Thirst takes hold, it can only be overcome with                The Red Thirst is a Demeanour (see page 32) unique
extreme difficulty.                                                         to Space Marines from the Blood Angels Chapter.
                                                                            Deep within the psyche of every Blood Angel is a
                                                                            destructive yearning, a battle fury and blood hunger
Combat DoCtrine                                                             that must be held in abeyance in every waking moment.
    The Blood Angels adhere closely to the organisation                     Few Battle-Brothers can hold the Red Thirst in check
laid down in Roboute Guilliman’s Codex Astartes, and the                    unceasingly—it is far from unknown for Blood
Chapter’s Battle-Brothers are equipped in a similar manner to               Angels to temporarily succumb to its lure at the height
most other Space Marines. The Battle-Brothers often display a               of battle.
savage desire to engage their foes in the fury of close combat,                The Red Thirst is the Blood Angels’ darkest
their rage growing all the stronger the closer to succumbing                secret and greatest curse, but it is also their greatest
to the Red Thirst the Blood Angel steps. Most of the time, the              salvation—for it brings with it a humility and
Blood Angels are able to hold their curse in check, but those               understanding of their own failings which make them
they engage in assault soon discover the bloodthirsty savagery              truly the most noble of the Space Marines.
of the sons of Sanguinius.
    Blood Angels are unique amongst the Space Marines in
that their gene-seed contains the encoded experience of their           upon the eve of his destruction, and the bloody battles of the
Primarch, and most deeply imprinted of all is the memory of             Horus Heresy are raging all around him. Such a Battle-Brother
Sanguinius’ final battle with Horus. Sometimes, on the eve of           stands at the end of his travails, for his path leads only to the
battle, an event or circumstance will trigger this embedded             Death Company, where he and the Chapter’s other damned
memory and the Battle-Brother’s mind is suddenly wrenched               souls will fight one final battle in Sanguinius’ name under the
into the distant past. The Black Rage overcomes the Blood               guidance of a Chaplain. These individuals each fight their own
Angel as the memories and consciousness of Sanguinius intrude           battle, perhaps believing themselves to be waging the wars of
upon his mind, and dire events ten thousand years old flood             the Horus Heresy at the side of their beloved primarch. Death
into the present.                                                       for the members of the Death Company is a blessed mercy,
    A warrior overcome with the Black Rage appears half mad             for those not consumed in the cleansing fires of battle must
with fury; he is unable to distinguish past from present and does       be restrained and imprisoned, for their safety and that of their
not recognise his comrades. He may believe he is Sanguinius             brethren, until the next battle.




                                              SANGUINIUS
 The primarch of the Blood Angels Legion, Sanguinius was a radiant warrior said to have been born aloft upon
 angelic pinions. His countenance was noble and pure and he wore perfectly sculpted armour of shining gold.
 Sanguinius was said to have been blessed with the gift, or burden, of prophecy. He was in many ways the
 most beloved of the Emperor’s sons, the uncounted multitudes singing his praises with every victory he laid
 before his father. Sanguinius was possessed of an abiding sense of justice, devoting his life to bringing about
 the utopia the Emperor proclaimed.
                                The Sons of the Red Angel are noble, but I sense something sinist
                                                                                                 er about them.
                                –S.S.

                                                                                                                         43
                                     The Dark                                                different levels within the Chapter which individuals may
                                                                                             gradually rise through. On attaining each new level, they are
                                                                                             granted a little more knowledge of the truth behind the Dark

                                      Angels                                                 Angels’ origins, but only the highest-ranking members of the
                                                                                             Chapter know the terrible, shameful secret of what occurred
                                                                                             ten thousand years ago.
                        “Repent, for tomorrow you die!”

                                                                                             Caliban
I: Character Creation




                                               –Battle cry of the Dark Angels Chapter
                                                                                             Caliban, the home world of the Dark Angels, was once a


                        T
                                he Dark Angels stand first amongst the Space Marine          verdant world of dense forests. Yet, those forests seethed
                                Chapters, as they have done since their very inception.      with mutation and corruption, the baleful influence of the
                                Theirs is a proud Chapter, with traditions and rituals       nearby Eye of Terror cursing Caliban and making it one of
                        that date back to the earliest days of the Imperium. The origins     the deadliest worlds in the galaxy. The original inhabitants
                        of the Dark Angels Chapter are shrouded in mystery, however.         of Caliban are said to have been a proud, martial people,
                        Few records of its beginnings exist, nor are there many              brought up to live and die by the sword. The lush forests
                        mentions of the part it played in the Emperor’s Great Crusade.       were inhabited by all manner of terrifying beasts that had
                        Most references in the histories of the Imperium to its deeds        been warped by Chaos. The ferocity of these creatures forced
                        during the accursed times of the Horus Heresy have been              the inhabitants to build brooding stone fortresses in huge
                        expunged. But yet, a legend persists that at one point the Dark      clearings hacked from the forests, in which the warrior-elite
                        Angels teetered on the very brink of heresy and that an act          dwelled. It was from this ruling class, called the Order, that
                        of the most terrible betrayal dishonoured all of the Chapter’s       the Dark Angels Legion was formed.
                        feats of valour, leaving an enduring stain upon the Chapter’s            During the titanic wars of the Horus Heresy, the entire
                        honour. Such is their shame that from that time onwards, the         planet of Caliban was torn asunder, reduced in a cataclysmic
                        Dark Angels have borne the mark of the Unforgiven and must           battle to scattered debris. All that remained was the rock upon
                        strive for absolution from the sins of millennia past.               which stood the ruins of the Order’s fortress monastery. In the
                            Their terrible secret is that during the Horus Heresy, some of   millennia since the destruction of Caliban, the Dark Angels
                        the brethren were turned to the side of Chaos. The renegades         have drilled deep into the bedrock and rebuilt the fortress
                        were defeated in a battle that destroyed the Dark Angels’ home       ruins. The dead asteroid was transformed into the Dark
                        world, Caliban, but many of the traitor Dark Angels survived         Angels home, called the Rock, while the rebuilt monastery
                        to be cast through space and time by the intervention of the         is referred to as the Tower of Angels. Countless tunnels, halls
                        Chaos Gods. These survivors are known                                 and chambers were constructed and, in time, even warp
                        to those few Dark Angels granted                                          engines were fitted to allow the Rock to move from star
                          nowledge of their existence                                                 to star. As a result, the Rock does not stay in any
                        as The Fallen. In the eyes of                                                    one place for any length of time, and the Chapter
                        the Chapter’s leaders, there is                                                    recruits from a variety of different worlds.
                        only one way that the Chapter                                                                                  Many dark secrets lie
                        can ever atone for its shame,                                                                                deep within the Tower
                        restoring its honour and trust in                                                                            of Angels. Dungeons
                        the eyes of the Emperor: that is,                                                                          that have remained sealed
                        if all of the Fallen are found and                                                                     for centuries and secret
                        either made to repent, or slain.                                                                              caves    shut    behind
                            The story of treachery and                                                                                   adamantium doors
                        betrayal is the Dark Angels’ hidden                                                                               and bound with
                        shame, and their secret mission to                                                                                holy sigils conceal
                        destroy all of the Fallen is                                                                                     vast repositories of
                        now their only hope of                                                                                         ancient     archeotech.
                        salvation. No one knows                                                                         Only the most senior of the Dark
                        of this other than the Dark                                                                     Angels, the Masters and the Inner
                        Angels,      their     successor                                                                Circle, are aware of the chambers
                        Chapters and, perhaps, the                                                                    and may unlock their dread secrets.
                        Emperor himself on his
                        Golden Throne.
                            The Chapter has been                                                              the inner CirCle
                        shaped by its dark past and                                                      After the fall of Caliban, the senior members
                        is secretive and monastic                                                       of the Legion assembled in secret conclave. They
                        in nature, with much time                                             decreed that knowledge of the fall of their brothers must
                        given over to worship and                                            remain undisclosed for all time, that no outsider must ever
                        prayer. There are many                                               learn of the schism that had split the legion or that some


                                     44
Space Marines of the Dark Angels Legion had turned to the             Only on his ascension to the First Company, called the
Ruinous Powers. Should this dreadful truth ever become             Deathwing, does a Battle-Brother begin to learn the truth
known, they feared, the Dark Angels would be reviled as            of the events that transpired at the very dawn of the Age of
traitors, and all hope of expunging the stain to their honour      the Imperium. Rising through the intricate and convoluted
would be lost forever. An Inner Circle of the Legion’s most        ranks of the Inner Circle, he learns more and more, the secrets
senior officers was formed to forever guard this dangerous         one by one unveiled as his masters’ trust in him increases.
knowledge, and each member swore oaths of unspeakable              Only upon ascension to the rank of Grand Master is the
binding.                                                           truth revealed, and even then, it is likely that there remain




                                                                                                                                      I: Character Creation
    The Grand Masters of the Inner Circle swore that so            revelations known only to the holder of the title of Supreme
long as even one of the traitor Fallen remained alive and          Grand Master, the Chapter Master of the Dark Angels.
unrepentant, the Dark Angels would be Unforgiven, cursed              Only the most trusted of brethren are considered for
by their own brothers to atone for all eternity for the sins of    membership of the Inner Circle. These Space Marines are
the past. Until every last Fallen Dark Angel was captured and      observed from afar, and it may be many decades before
made to repent, there could be no peace for the true sons of       they are finally approached. Only warriors who have fought
the Lion. This would be the true mission of the Inner Circle,      through the ranks for many years and have proved their
and, through its machinations, that of the entire Chapter.         loyalty to the Chapter time and time again are allowed to
    The Inner Circle passed on their terrible knowledge only       progress. Silent and hooded brothers lead them before the
sparingly. The truth of what occurred on Caliban is withheld       Inner Circle for judgement, and soon after they are elevated
from new recruits, and only told to the Battle-Brothers one        to the Deathwing—or else they disappear forever.
passage at a time. Much of the Dark Angels’ teachings to
their brethren are couched in allegory and myth, the same
essential truths told and retold, in one form after another. The   Combat DoCtrine
first such allegory a Dark Angel is told recounts the so-called    With the breakup of the Space Marine Legions after the Horus
Tale of Two-Heads-Talking, in which a band of Deathwing            Heresy, the Dark Angels were split into Chapters according
Terminators returned to the planet of their birth to find          to Roboute Guilliman’s Codex Astartes. With the exception
their people enslaved by hideous xenos overlords. Daubing          of the Deathwing and the Ravenwing, the Dark Angels
their armour white, as was the tradition of their people, the      follow standard Space Marine combat doctrine, and their
Terminators began their death-quest. They defeated their           dogged resistance against overwhelming odds is legendary. In
enemy, but at the cost of the life of their beloved librarian.     situations where even other Space Marines might withdraw
Similar tales are told at every stage in a Dark Angel’s            and redeploy, the Dark Angels will fight to the bitter end
progression through the ranks, the details changing from           rather than give ground to their foes. This is also reflected in
one story to the next, but the essential truth remaining. Each     their stubborn refusal to move in the face of the enemy, even
tells of a group of heroes returning to their home world to        in situations where it would sometimes be tactically beneficial
find their people enthralled by a traitor, and only at the cost    for them to do so.
of eternal shame are the enemies defeated. Even then, some
always escape.




                                                 THE LION
The primarch of the Dark Angels was named Lion El’Jonson, but most call him simply ‘The Lion’. When the
primarchs were scattered across the galaxy, Jonson came to Caliban, growing to maturity amongst the beast-
haunted forests, not laying eyes upon another human until he was a young adult. Having proved himself to the
knightly order that defended the peoples of Caliban from the Chaos beasts of the dark forests, Jonson quickly
rose to power and led a crusade to slay the beasts and deliver the people of Caliban from their evil.

The Lion was said to have been temperamental and taciturn, but a brilliant strategist and unstoppable once decided
upon a course of action. These qualities served him well when he reunited with the Emperor and led the Dark
Angels Legion in the Great Crusade. One of the great tragedies of the Horus Heresy is that while Jonson earned
glory amongst the stars, Luther, his closest friend and trusted second in command, turned against him, leading
those Space Marines who remained on Caliban to the service of Chaos. Returning to Caliban, Jonson discovered
his blood-brother’s treachery. So terrible was his vengeance, so bitter his sense of betrayal, that the ensuing battle
saw the destruction of Caliban itself. At the conclusion of the battle, the traitor Luther was captured by the loyal
Dark Angels, but of the Lion, there was no trace.

                                                                                                                   45
                                                                        THE DEATHWING
                           The Deathwing is the First Company, or Terminator Company, of the Dark Angels Chapter. The First Company
                           of most Chapters consists of veterans who may fight in Terminator armour or in power armour, as dictated by
                           battlefield requirements. The Dark Angels, however, are unusual in maintaining an entire company that is only
                           ever fielded as Terminator squads. It is believed that when the Dark Angels Legion was divided into Chapters,
I: Character Creation




                           the Terminator armour-equipped Assault Company was split into a number of 100-strong units and each
                           assigned to a Chapter formed from the Legion. The warriors of the Deat wing perform all of the conventional
                           missions normally assigned to Terminator squads, but in addition, they act as the mailed fist of the Inner Circle.
                           Members of the Deathwing are not fully inducted into the Inner Circle, but they know far more of the Chapter’s
                           secrets than their rethren, and will stop at nothing to enact their masters’ vengeance on those who betrayed
                           the legion ten thousand years ago.
                                                                        THE RAVENWING
                           The Ravenwing is the name of the Second Company of the Dark Angels Chapter. Instead of the usual dark
                           green panoply of the rest of the Chapter, the Ravenwing’s bikes and land speeders, as well as their power
                           armour, are painted jet black, and it is this which gives the company its unique name. Although the Ravenwing
                           is highly specialised formation exceptionally skilled at scouting and assault missions, the company is much
                           more than a reconnaissance force. Its true function is vital to the ten thousand year mission of the Dark Angels.

                           Although only the company’s highest ranked officers know it, the Ravenwing’s primary role is to hunt down
                           and capture the Fallen Dark Angels. Therefore, the members of the Second Company are granted limited
                           knowledge of the secrets of the Dark Angels—much more than the Third to Tenth Companies, but far less than
                           the Deathwing and the Inner Circle.




                        s
                        The Space Marines of the Dark Angels Chapter are cunning warriors who often rely on the precise application of
                        overwhelming firepower to defeat their foes.
                           Dark Angels Space Marines gain the following benefits: +5 Ballistic Skill, +5 Intelligence, and the Stoic Defence
                        Solo Mode ability (see page 217).

                        SonS of the lion
                        Sons of The Lion is a Demeanour (see page 32) unique to Space Marines from the Dark Angels Chapter.
                           Although only the upper echelons of the Chapter are aware of the awful truth of the Dark Angels’ past, even those newly
                        recruited are possessed of a secretive, even introverted nature. The idea that outsiders are not to be trusted is drilled into
                        the recruits from an early stage, and they are tested continuously to ensure their compliance until it becomes second nature.
                        After all, a brother who cannot be entirely trusted to keep the Chapter’s secrets is unlikely to advance through its ranks.
                           Although the Dark Angels have fought beside all of the branches of the Imperium’s vast military machine, they prefer
                        to stand beside other Space Marines. Many, even brother Astartes, find the Dark Angels aloof and uncommunicative. The
                        Dark Angels, for their part are impatient and unforgiving with strangers who pry into their affairs. In truth, those Dark
                        Angels who are aware of the existence of the Fallen are ever watchful for any sign of their activity, and will abandon
                        whatever mission they are about should they gain any clue that one is nearby. In theory, even a Dark Angel seconded to
                        the Deathwatch could go “off mission” in this manner, although the annals of Watch Fortress Erioch do not relate any such
                        incident taking place.
                           The Dark Angels are also notoriously intolerant of non-humans and will often refuse to fight alongside armies that
                        include abhuman warriors or alien races. They are highly suspicious of outsiders and often appear unreasonably aloof and
                        intransigent. Indeed, there have been a number of occasions where Dark Angels have withdrawn suddenly and with no
                        explanation from a warzone when confronted by an Inquisitor or missionary.
                           Despite such incidents, many Dark Angels have served with distinction and honour in the Deathwatch. Their taciturn
                        nature and stubborn refusal to accept anything other than total victory over their foes has served the Deathwatch well, and
                        several noted Watch Commanders are drawn from the Chapter. These keep in close contact with one another, coordinating
                        the efforts of the Deathwatch across entire sectors of the Imperium.




                                 46
             The Space                                                     are dangerous indeed. The predators, however, are among
                                                                           the most ferocious in the galaxy. Ancient drakes and wyrms
                                                                           soar on the thermals above the shifting islands, thriving

              Wolves                                                       in caves heated by geothermal processes. Sea serpents and
                                                                           kraken haunt the deeps, terrifying leviathans that can grow
                                                                           thousands of metres in length. It has even been suggested
“We may be few, and our enemies many. Yet so long as there remains         that these kraken, one of which is said to have been caught
one of us still fighting, one who still rages in the name of justice and   by Leman Russ himself, are the remnants of an unsuccessful




                                                                                                                                            I: Character Creation
truth, then by the Allfather, the galaxy shall yet know hope.”             Tyranid invasion from the distant past.
                                                                              Great white bears, raging beasts that weigh as much as an
                            –Ragnar Blackmane of Space Wolves              ice shark and are almost invisible in a blizzard, can be found
                                                                           prowling the frozen tundra, fully capable of smashing apart


S
       ince the Imperium came into being, the Space Wolves                 the strongest buildings to feed upon the unwary occupants.
       have fought tooth and nail for the cause of the                     But most dangerous of all, a predator so terrible that it is
       Emperor. Amongst the most famous of the Chapters of                 known throughout the galaxy, is the Fenrisian wolf. These
the Adeptus Astartes, their sagas are told from one end of the             iron-furred monsters range from the mass of a small horse to
galaxy to the other. As headstrong as they are fierce, the Space           that of an armoured personnel carrier, and are possessed of
Wolves excel at close-quarters fighting, their warriors vying              a singular cunning. Perhaps the most terrifying thing about
keenly for glory on the field of battle. The Space Wolves live             these beasts is that they live in packs and, when they are
to fight, and death holds no fear for them.                                hunting, their prey has little hope of escape.
                                                                              Given that many Space Wolves wear the pelts of these
                                                                           vicious creatures, having killed the beasts with their bare
lanD of fire anD iCe                                                       hands, the warriors of Fenris can be reckoned mighty indeed.
Fenris, the home world of the Space Wolves Chapter, is a                   Born into a world of such omnipresent danger, only the
world of pain and hardship, swathed forever in freezing ice                toughest can thrive. Few worlds in the breadth of the galaxy
or unforgiving fire. It drifts in the far northwest quadrant               hold any fear for the Space Wolves of Fenris.
of the galaxy, perilously close to the Eye of Terror, and yet                 Many Space Wolves have served in the Deathwatch,
its denizens remain pure. From space, it is apparent that the              and some of the most celebrated Battle-Brothers are drawn
vast majority of Fenris is covered in ice-cold water, and what             from the Chapter. Their propensity to engage the foe head
little land mass there is floats as small islands of frozen rock           on has led to many great victories, even if none outside of
and snow. In the long, dark days of the Fenrisian winter, the              the Deathwatch ever hear of them. Though many Space
oceans freeze over entirely, swathing the planet in a hard,                Wolves have been elevated to the rank of Watch-Captain in
white skin.                                                                                  the Deathwatch, comparatively few have
    One small continent remains stable throughout the                                               served as Watch Commanders. It
years: the land of Asaheim, which sits atop the                                                       is likely that this is due to the
crest of the world. Fenris orbits its sun in a                                                         brothers’ natural gregariousness,
pronounced ellipse; as a direct result,                                                                and their desire to return to the
the climate ranges from ice cold for                                                                  great feasting halls of Fenris once
most of the year to searing heat in the                                                                their duty is done.
summer. Even at the time when Fenris
reaches its perigee, the primary
continent remains intact,                                                                                 the trials
although ravaged by                                                                                        The Space Wolves claim to
blazing lava and                                                                                            be blessed with the most
rivers of magma.                                                                                             potent of all gene-seeds.
Tectonic plates                                                                                              The heritage of Leman
grind, mountains                                                                                              Russ is as unique as it
are thrown up, and                                                                                            is deadly, and the first
chasms rend deep                                                                                              stage of the aspirant’s
gashes in the skin of the planet. Yet somehow,                                                                transformation is often the
amongst the shifting ice floes and fierce tides,                                                              last, for many are killed,
the men of Fenris thrive.                                                                                    or worse, transformed into
    As the constant ravages of the cruel and                                                                slavering beasts. Before
ever-changing climate harden its people, so too                                                          the transformation can begin,
does it harden the native species. The prey, such                                                    the aspirant must first imbibe the
as the herds of giant Fenrisian elk with their                                                  Canis Helix. Unfortunately for many,
majestic and razor-sharp antlers and the hulking                                                the genetic coding of the helix contains
mammoths that can crush                                                                         a number of substances that are not
a man’s body to a pulp,                                                                         synthesised by the human body, and


                                                                                                                          47
                          they have a dramatic effect upon the potential Space Marine.             Wolf progresses through his life, he may rise through the
                          The ravages of this unique gene first take effect during the             ranks until he is old and his fangs are long. If his bravery and
                          aspirant’s indoctrination. Ultimately, he is cast out into the           might are proven beyond question, he may be invited to join
                          wilderness to make his own way back to the Fang—the                      the Wolf Guard, or even become a mighty Wolf Lord and lead
                          Space Wolves’ mighty Fortress-Monastery. The gene works                  one of the Chapter’s Great Companies.
                          its hideous changes upon the warrior’s mind and body; he                     Most Space Wolves begin their careers as Blood Claws, hot-
                          reverts to a primal state where his bones split and buckle, hair         headed young warriors who cannot wait to prove themselves,
                          sprouts across his body, and his only desire is to gorge on              charging in howling packs at the front lines of the enemy
I: Character Creation




                          fresh meat and blood. His body mass grows by almost eighty               in their efforts to garner personal glory. The Blood Claws
                          percent, many of his bones fuse, and vestigial fangs sprout              are the shock troops of the Space Wolves and spearhead the
                          from his gums as he undergoes the transformation. Whilst his             majority of assaults. If they survive to become mature and
                          body is wracked with pain, the warrior must overcome the                 capable warriors, they will be elevated to the ranks of the
                          gene, lest it overcomes him. The nights of Fenris are prowled            Grey Hunters, tempered by battle but nonetheless ready
                          by giant, feral creatures, known as the Wulfen, the vestiges of          to give their lives in the name of honour. When the Space
                          aspirants who have failed to overcome the curse. To become               Wolves are fully mature, their hair grey and their canines
                          one of the Wulfen is to fail and truly become a monster.                 pronounced, they are likely to be inducted into the Long
                              If the aspirant finds his way back to the Fang across the            Fangs, veteran warriors who are disciplined and steady even
                          chasms and glaciers populated by snarling predators and                  in the heat of battle, and hence entrusted with the company’s
                          blasted by freezing winds, he is implanted with the remainder            heavy weapons.
                          of the Space Wolves’ gene-seed, stabilising the Canis Helix                  The bravest and strongest of the Space Wolves, after proving
                          and completing his genetic indoctrination into the ranks of              themselves in a feat of exceptional valour or martial prowess,
                          the Sons of Russ. A minority of these warriors do not entirely           may become Wolf Guards. It is not by age or maturity that
                          conquer the gene-seed’s effects, however, and in times of                one attains such a coveted rank, but by deed, and so a newly
                          great stress will revert to the hulking, bloodthirsty state that         raised Blood Claw has the same chance of joining the ranks
                          haunts their genetic structure. This is the Curse of the Wulfen,         of the Wolf Guard as does a veteran Long Fang. The Wolf
                          and it is rightly feared.                                                Guard may lead less experienced packs into battle, or form
                                                                                                   a retinue for the mightiest warrior of the Great Company—
                                                                                                   the Wolf Lord himself. Few can stand before these heroic
                          Combat DoCtrine                                                          warriors, equipped as they are with the best wargear in the
                          The Space Wolves have a very different approach to martial               company’s armoury, making them virtually unstoppable in
                          strategy from many of their brother Space Marines. There                 close combat.
                          are several distinct types of squad, or pack, unique to the
                          Chapter. Due to the Canix Helix in the Space Wolf gene-seed,
                          Space Wolves experience their canines continuing to grow
                          throughout their life-span. As a Space


                                                                       LEMAN RUSS
                                                                                                                                              ancient heroes of
                                    arch  of   the   Spa  ce Wo    lves    Leg ion,    Lem   an Russ, is one of the most famous of the                        the
                        The prim
                                                           nds    tell  of  his   deed  s  at the   very  daw  n of the Imperium’s bloody history. When
                        the Imperium. Many            lege                                                                                      discovered by a
                                      wer  e  scat  tere d  to  the    war  p,  Rus   s  was    cast to the world of Fenris. There he was
                        primarchs                                                                                                     ng, helpless primarch, she
                                                                                   feed her cubs. But rather than slay the you
                        mighty she-wolf on the hunt for prey to                                          y and conquered the tribes of Fenris, ruling
                                                                                                                                                       over them
                                               own    . Soo n,  the  prim   arch    reac  hed  mat  urit
                        raised him as her                                                                                               arch and his progenitor
                                  . Wh  en   wor  d  of  Kin  g   Rus   s’s exp   loits  reached the ears of the Emperor, the prim
                         as king
                                                                                       very forefront of the Great Crusade.
                         were united, and Russ took his place at the
                                                                                                                                        ce Wolves stood loyally
                                                                                       cent Imperium was rent asunder, the Spa
                         When the Horus Heresy came and the nas                                              ht against their erstwhile brothers, the Tho
                                                                                                                                                            usand
                                                  Em    pero r.  The   ir  grea test   batt  le  was   foug
                         at the side of the                                                                                                Legion decimated the
                                 Leg ion,   at  the   trai tors  ’ hom    e wor   ld  of   Prospero. There, the entire Space Wolves
                         Sons
                                                                                         l works and burning Prospero in a night.
                          Thousands Sons, casting down their heretica
                                                                                                                                       honour of the Emperor’s
                                                                                       Horus Heresy, during the great feast in
                          It was long after the culmination of the                                                                                    r primarch’s
                                                Gol  den   Thr  one  , that   Lem    an  Rus  s  disa ppeared. Though no Space Wolves know thei
                          ascension to the                                                                                               our. One day, the Space
                                 a  plac e  is  set  at  the  long     tabl e each     year, and a horn of ale is filled in his hon                            will
                          fate ,
                                                         need    is grea   test ,  the  prim  arch   shal l return to his sons, and the greatest battle of all
                          Wolves tell, when the
                           be fought. 48
   The Space Wolves’ combat doctrine is not as organised as      thrill of close combat above all else. Nonetheless, their battle
that of their brother Chapters. Given that they live for the     tactics are undeniably effective; the Space Wolves have fought
honour of battle, it is almost certain that the younger Space    in such a manner on a hundred thousand battlefields since
Wolves will abandon a standard tactical structure in favour      their conception, and a hundred thousand battle honours
of simply rushing headlong at the enemy, howling at the          bear witness to their bravery.
tops of their voices. This has been known to aggravate allies
from other units, who must adapt their battle plans in the
face of the Space Wolves’ actions. However, far from being




                                                                                                                                    I: Character Creation
uncontrolled berserkers, the Space Wolves simply relish the



                                          THE LION AND THE WOLF
      Over the course of the many battles of the Great Crusade and the subsequent Horus Heresy, Leman
      Russ became firm friends with Lion El’Jonson, primarch of the Dark Angels Legion. The two were
      at once beloved brothers and bitter rivals, vying all the while for honour and glory. On the world
      of Dulan, the Space Wolves and the Dark Angels were to assault an enemy-held fortress. Russ
      claimed the right to lead the attack, for the Tyrant of Dulan had insulted him publicly. But the Lion
      refused and started the assault early. Russ was furious, and after the battle was won a duel broke out
      between the brother-primarchs, in which Russ was laid low, only to regain consciousness some time
      later, after the Dark Angels had departed. To this day, whenever the Space Wolves and the Dark
      Angels serve alongside one another, a ritual duel is fought between the champions of each. Though
      rarely fatal, the outcome of the fight is regarded as an omen of the battle to come, and much
      honour is earned by those who continue the brotherly feud of their primarchs.




   s
   Space Wolves are renowned for their exceptionally sharp senses and their heroism in defence of all Imperial citizens,
   high or low.
      A Space Wolves Space Marine gains the following benefits: +5 Perception, +5 Fellowship, and the Wolf Senses Solo
   Mode Ability (see page 217).
      Bonus Talent: Space Wolves characters begin with the Heightened Senses (Smell) Talent.
      Restrictions: Space Wolves characters may not select the Deathwatch Apothecary Speciality.

   ss
   The Sons of Russ is a Demeanour (see page 32) unique to Space Marines from the Space Wolves Chapter.
      The Battle-Brothers of the Space Wolves are ferocious and aggressive warriors. Though far from mindless berserkers,
   they are certainly possessed of a feral exuberance for battle. They have an overriding sense of duty and honour, and
   are driven ever onwards by a strong desire to right the many wrongs that have befallen the Imperium of Man since the
   heady days of the Great Crusade. Space Wolves exhibit a fierce sense of loyalty to their comrades in arms and this is on
   occasion extended to their compatriots in other branches of the Imperium’s military.
      Although as devoted to the Emperor as any other Space Marine Chapter, the Space Wolves express their faith not in
   prayer and piety, but in feats of arms. While the Battle-Brothers of other Chapters may spend the night before battle in
   solemn meditation, the Space Wolves are more likely to mark the eve of battle in bawdy celebration, raising overflowing
   jacks of Fenrisian ale to brothers they may be mourning once battle is done. A Space Wolf will drink and make merry,
   for tomorrow, he may die.
      In temperament, most Space Wolves are blunt and plain speaking, even to the point of giving offence to those not
   used to their ways. They abhor pretension and despise politicking. They are honest to a fault, and expect the same
   quality in those they fight alongside. Space Wolves embrace their lot with an uncomplicated enthusiasm, from the
   headstrong, newly recruited Blood Claw to the grey haired and taciturn Long Fang. Each plays the role fate lays before
   him, knowing that a life spent in service to the Emperor is a life well lived.
      In the face of an enemy attack, the warrior bounds forward like a Fenrisian wolf on the hunt, a joyous song of war
   on his lips.




                                                                                                                 49
                        Storm Wardens                                                        After the Nemesis Incident, the Chapter re-built its First
                                                                                         Company. These honoured Battle-Brothers know themselves
                                                                                         as the “The Inheritors”, custodians of the Chapter’s honour
                                                                                         until the day their ancestors rise from their timeless slumber.
                                                                                             Ever since this time, the Storm Wardens have redoubled
                                             –Lorgath Maclir at the Purging of Vigil     their diligence, and their fortress-monastery mounts
                                                                                         sophisticated scanning technology placed reluctantly by


                        T
                               he Storm Wardens are stoic defenders often found upon     the Adeptus Mechanicus as payment for an ancient pact.
I: Character Creation




                               the very borders of the Imperium. Up until recently,      Currently, the Chapter is led by Lorgath Maclir, a cunning
                               these Space Marines focused their attention upon the      strategist who constantly challenges his captains with tactical
                        great warp storms that trouble the Halo Stars region on the      exercises and obsessively studies the Tactica Imperialis. Some
                        galaxy’s western edge. There, they protect frontier worlds       rumours claim that Lorgath has managed to memorise these
                        from the predations of xenos threats, Chaos renegades, and       precepts of war, an impressive feat even for a Space Marine’s
                        heretical recidivists. They are often unknown and unsung         enhanced memory.
                        heroes to those planets they defend, for the Storm Wardens
                        are highly insular, and there are only a relative handful of
                        monuments and records that celebrate their long list of battle   the WorlD of storms
                        honours. A bizarre twist of fate occurred in the depths of the   Located in the Calixis Sector of the Segmentum Obscurus,
                        36th Millennium, during the Age of Apostasy—an event that        the planet known as Sacris is classified as Forbidden by the
                        many hold responsible for the Chapter’s aloof nature.            Adeptus Terra. Sacris is a remote, feudal world of highland
                           The Storm Wardens lost many of the records of their           moors and dark, oppressive swampland. It is inhabited by
                        founding during what later became known as the Nemesis           primitive human tribes of warriors who gather around
                        Incident in roughly 945.M36. This event began during an ill-     charismatic warlords and continually struggle for dominance
                        omened joint operation involving elements of the Inquisition     in the murky swamps. The tribes of Sacris have a fierce code
                        against the Enslaver infestation of the Steropes Cluster.        of honour and hold that a man’s word is his bond. The tribes
                        It is unknown exactly what transpired amongst Steropes’          worship the Emperor as a stern father-figure who judges all
                        cyclopean ruins, but the aftermath of this campaign forever      men’s souls by the strength of their arms and the purity of
                        altered the destiny of the Storm Wardens Chapter.                their honour. The culture of Sacris has a strong impact on
                           Upon the conclusion of the Nemesis Incident, the serving                 the Storm Wardens, and it is not uncommon to
                        Storm Warden’s Chapter Master, Owin Glendwyr, consulted                      see Storm Warden’s Scouts with woad-painted
                        with an Inquisitor Lord of the Ordo Xenos upon a most dire                   faces like those of the native tribes. Humans
                        decision. The Chapter Master sealed many sections                           are not the only inhabitants of Sacris; a sizeable
                        of the Storm Wardens’ fortress-monastery by                                                       colony of abhuman ogryns
                        the authority of the Lords of Terra. All                                                             survive on the rocky
                        traces of their history and even the proud                                                              southern      continent,
                        legacy of their heritage to one of the                                                                    possibly the result of
                        primarchs were destroyed or hidden                                                                        an ancient oath sworn
                        away. The Storm Warden’s home                                                                             by the Storm Wardens
                        world of Sacris was forbidden                                                                            prior to the Nemesis
                        to have greater contact with the                                                                     Incident. Whatever the
                        Imperium at large.                                                                                  truth may be, the Storm
                           The      only      sanctioned                                                                 Wardens have no particular
                        record of that time, the Liber                                                         distaste for abhumans and have fought
                        Tempest, claims that many                                                                 beside Imperial Guard regiments
                        Storm Wardens were placed                                                                   including ogryns and ratlings in
                        in hidden stasis vaults,                                                                    the past. Currently, automated
                        including the Chapter                                                                       beacons surround Sacris’ orbit,
                        Master and the entire veteran                                                               declaring the world forbidden and
                        First Company. The Chapter’s                                                           spreading rumours of virulent plague.
                        Dreadnoughts are the guardians                                                          The reason for this deception is
                        of these hidden chambers, and                                                            unknown, save for the fact that it was
                        each has taken a vow of silence,                                                          Owin Glendwyr’s final command as
                        standing as mute sentinels                                                                 Chapter Master. Chapter Masters
                        over these forbidden places.                                                                 have since dutifully carried on
                                                                                                                      with this oath-bound quarantine,
                                                                                                                        although they know not its
                                                                                                                         purpose.
                                                                                                                               The Storm Wardens
                                                                                                                            maintain their fortress-


                                    50
monastery on Highcastle, the single brilliant ivory moon             The Storm Wardens are highly insular, and rarely visit
that orbits Sacris. Crenelated towers surmounted by watchful      other worlds. In fact, the Calixis Sector is largely unaware
gargoyle-servitors mark the presence of this immense and          of their very presence, with the exception of several high-
ancient keep. Inhabited by the Storm Wardens, it contains         ranking Inquisitors and Lord Sector Hax. Much of the
massive chambers where the Chapter’s vehicles and wargear         Chapter’s aloof nature has to do with the high value that the
are maintained. The fortress-monastery’s grey halls bear          Storm Wardens place on personal honour, and some speculate
many blank banners and deep, irreparable scars left behind        that these Space Marines prefer not to associate with many of
from the effects of the Nemesis Incident. Highcastle’s lower      the disreputable worlds that surround them.




                                                                                                                                     I: Character Creation
halls extend deep below the moon’s surface and contain               Despite their generally remote and detached nature,
ancient automated furnaces to provide the raw materials and       Storm Wardens rarely cause friction with the Imperium’s
conditions necessary to craft new weapons and vehicles for        various organisations, having assisted both the Inquisition
the Chapter’s use, overseen by the Master of the Forge. Deeper    and the Imperial Guard in numerous campaigns and actions
still are the stasis chambers, though none but the Chapter’s      throughout their history. Many Imperial frontier worlds
Dreadnoughts know of their exact location. Highcastle             under dire threat have witnessed the sight of Storm Warden’s
is a nigh-impregnable fortress, although many significant         drop pods entering the atmosphere, each containing a squad
portions remain inaccessible and silent. The age of Highcastle    of Space Marines intent on repelling any attack upon the
is difficult to determine, but the fragmentary records            Imperium’s borders.
remaining to the Storm Wardens indicate that Highcastle was
present in the region before the Angevin Crusade and the
formal foundation of the Calixis Sector.                          Combat DoCtrine
                                                                  The traditions of the Chapter mirror those of the tribes
                                                                  of Sacris, with a strong emphasis on close combat, testing
initiations                                                       themselves against the strongest of foes upon the field of
The Storm Wardens descend from Sacris’ moon to the foggy          battle.
moors and teeming tribes below to hold a series of games and          Like most Codex Chapters, the Storm Wardens perform
ritual combats to select only the fiercest and most cunning       well at all forms of combat, but there is one strategy they have
warriors to join their ranks as aspirants.                        refined with devastating effect. Using heavy armour, their
    Often, aspirants must struggle against the fen-trolls and     assaults feature numerous Predator tanks and Land Raiders.
other highly dangerous native fauna of Sacris during the          The enemy is subjected to a savage but brief bombardment,
trials, battling their way up and down the shifting moors in a    either from a Strike Cruiser in close orbit or a Thunderhawk
combination skirmish and marathon race. The aspirants must        gunship strafe. This pins the enemy in place for an armoured
navigate past pockets of deadly swamp gas, through regions        assault by the Chapter’s Predators and Land Raiders, supported
infested with swarm leeches, across quicksand-laden plains,       by Rhinos and Razorbacks carrying Tactical and Sternguard
and find their way to the Storm Warden’s landing site. Those      squads into the thick of battle.
who survive that far then compete in games that pit aspirants         It is this armoured assault which has its roots in the
against each other in contests of strength and skill at arms.     Chapter’s recruiting world of Sacris. Many Storm Wardens
Simply to compete in these trials elevates a man in the eyes      use their armoured vehicles as a steed to carry them into the
of the tribes of Sacris; succeed or fail, he has tested himself   thick of the battle, where they may launch savage assaults
against the greatest warriors on the planet, and that is worthy   against the enemy and fight by the tenets of the Way of
of great respect. After passing the trials, many Aspirants        Honour. Their preference for fighting in tandem with the
take with them the Sacris claymore, an heirloom weapon            heavy firepower and mobility of their armoured units has led
cherished by the tribesmen. It is also common that, when a        to many stunning tactical feats, and also evens the balance
Storm Warden dies, his claymore is ritually returned to his       so they may fight their enemy face-to-face on even and
homeworld, and many blades have earned great honour for           honourable terms.
their tribe in this manner.                                           It is no surprise, therefore, that the Chapter currently
                                                                  counts a high number of Techmarines amongst its number,
                                                                  and there has been some speculation that the Storm Wardens
the Way of honour                                                 have a closer relationship with the Adeptus Mechanicus than
The Storm Wardens, like the feral tribesman they recruit from,    other Space Marine Chapters.
value personal honour and strength at arms. It is said that
many Storm Wardens prefer to challenge enemy commanders
to personal combat in order to test themselves against the
best that the foe has to offer. Many Storm Wardens have
a predilection for single combat with a foe they consider
worthy of such a distinction, although more than a few
veteran sergeants and captains have fallen in battle against
particularly dangerous opponents in this way.




                                                                                                                  51
                        s
                        Storm Wardens value strength at arms and have battled for centuries against some of the most dangerous denizens beyond
                        the Imperium’s borders.
                           A Storm Wardens Space Marine gains the following benefits: +5 Strength, +2 Wounds, and the Thunder’s Call Solo
                        Mode Ability (see page 218).
                           Starting Gear: A Storm Wardens Space Marine may replace his combat knife with a Sacris claymore (see page 170).
I: Character Creation




                        y
                        Aspire to Glory is a Demeanour (see page 32) that is part of the beliefs and traditions of the Storm Wardens Chapter.
                           While fierce upon the field of battle, Storm Wardens are no less committed to the tenets of personal honour and
                        obligation. Generally considered clannish and aloof even by other Space Marines, Storm Wardens prefer to remain distant
                        from the Imperium at large. A Storm Warden is slow to make friends, but esteems and protects those who persevere to
                        become companions.
                           Amongst the Storm Wardens, one’s word is his bond, and honour is paramount. The night before battle is often spent
                        in meticulous planning of tactics and strategy, sharing quiet camaraderie amongst their fellow warriors. Many of the most
                        senior Battle-Brothers engage in ritualised duals, the victors gaining a coveted place in the vanguard.
                           Most Storm Wardens enjoy debate and crafting points to support their arguments, although some outsiders see these
                        tendencies as quarrelsome or insubordinate. However, once a course of action has been agreed upon, a Storm Warden will
                        set aside any dispute and carry it out. Perhaps because of their fondness for debate or their own turbulent history, Storm
                        Wardens have an interest in mysteries and engimas. This curiosity has led more than a few Battle-Brothers to volunteer for
                        the Deathwatch.
                           When battle begins, Storm Wardens fight with keen fervour, often seeking out an enemy champion or commander to
                        test his skills against.




                                                                       Kraazgrug’s Folly
                          One of the most famous of the Storm Wardens’ battles took place on the verdant plains of Keffik’s
                          World in the Scarus Sector. An Ork warband led by Warboss Kraazgrug had been ravaging a number
                          of settlements and threatened the food supply for an entire sub-sector. Just before the Orks overran
                          the last of the system’s defences, an astropathic distress signal was relayed to Sacris. In response,
                          the Storm Wardens deployed several companies of Space Marines, supported by many armoured
                          vehicles. These forces were under the command of Captain Lorgath Maclir (prior to his ascension to
                          the rank of Chapter Master) and included a handful of Space Marines from the elite First Company.
                          Maclir’s plan was to face the Warboss’ trukks and warbuggies on the open plains of the northern
                          continent. However, the Ork vehicles manoeuvred through the depths of a massive dust storm, and
                          Maclir was forced to revise his strategy. Dispatching Scout Bikers, Stormravens, and Land Speeder
                          Typhoons, he used his swiftly-moving skirmishing force to lure the main body of the greenskin’s
                          army into a box canyon. The Orks and the warboss were eliminated with an unrelenting salvo of
                          heavy weapons fire from the rim of the canyon, and no greenskin left that battlefield alive.

                                                                   The Cleansing of Vigil
                          A singularly savage conflict was fought entirely underground in the tunnels beneath the dead world
                          of Vigil. In those lightless passages, the Storm Wardens battled metre by bloody metre in a series
                          of close-range firefights against the foul Slaugth and their warrior constructs. The cleansing of Vigil
                          proved to be a crucial test of the Chapter’s resolve, as the tight quarters of the tunnels precluded
                          the use of heavy armour and the alien forces seemed particularly adept at provoking the Storm
                          Wardens into abandoning a cautious, methodical approach. The planet was cleansed at last, but at
                          the cost of many veteran Battle-Brothers. The survivors, however, had learned to pay closer heed to
                          the wisdom of the Codex Astartes, and Chapter Master Maclir promoted many of these veterans to
                          his honour guard.




                                52
         The                                                        often via service in the Deathwatch, to many other Chapters.
                                                                        When the Horus Heresy struck, Guilliman was leading his
                                                                    mighty Legion in a massive campaign in the galactic south. So

     Ultramarines                                                   successful was the campaign that the Legion had been carried
                                                                    far from the Imperium’s heart, so that by the time Guilliman
                                                                    received word of the Warmaster’s treachery, the siege of Terra
“We follow in the footsteps of Guilliman. As it is written in the   was underway. The Ultramarines fought their way towards
Codex, so shall it be.”                                             Terra, and although they defeated a massive Traitor space




                                                                                                                                          I: Character Creation
                                                                    fleet, were unable to intervene in the final battle.
        –Marneus Calgar, Chapter Master of the Ultramarines             It is Guilliman’s actions subsequent to the Horus Heresy
                                                                    that made him the figure of adoration that he would become.


O
          f all the thousand and more Space Marine Chapters,        With the traitors scattered and the Emperor to all intents
          it is the blue-clad Ultramarines that, in the mind        and purposes lost to Humanity, the Imperium stood at the
          of the countless billions of the Emperor’s subjects,      precipice. It was the genius and leadership of Roboute
personify everything that the Adeptus Astartes stands for. The      Guilliman that saw the Imperium through its first century, as
Ultramarines and their many successor Chapters have stood at        he kept invaders at bay and saved the scattered worlds from
the very forefront of the war against the traitor, the alien, and   collapsing into anarchy.
the fiend since the very foundation of the Imperium. Across             Roboute Guilliman fell at the hands of his erstwhile
the domains of the Emperor, the Ultramarines are celebrated         brother, Primarch Fulgrim of the Emperor’s Children Traitor
as heroic, virtuous, and noble defenders of Humanity, their         Legion. Poisoned unto death, Guilliman’s barely living
deeds celebrated in devotional works the length and breadth         body was placed in a stasis field, and later enthroned in the
of the galaxy.                                                      Ultramarine’s fortress-monastery. There it remains to this day,
    Even amongst the Space Marine Chapters themselves,              and some say that within the timeless aura of the stasis field,
the Ultramarines occupy a position of special honour. The           his body heals, and he may one day be returned to defend the
gene-seed from which the original Ultramarines Legion was           Imperium he strove so hard to build.
founded is considered the purest, and it is estimated that some
two-thirds of Chapters share their inheritance, being either
direct successors or created from tithed Ultramarines genetic       the realm of ultramar
material. This shared inheritance often ensures that when the       Situated deep in the galactic southeast in Ultima Segmentum,
Ultramarines go to war, they are supported by many other            Ultramar is unique amongst all of the Chapter headquarters
Chapters, and that when Space Marine commanders gather to           of Space Marines, in that while most Chapters operate
consider common strategy, the counsel of the Ultramarines               from asteroid bases, lonely fortress-monasteries, and
is greatly valued. Often, the presence of even                                                    isolated worlds, the Ultramarines
a small number of Ultramarines units in                                                            control no fewer than eight
a larger military undertaking will                                                                    star systems near their home
ensure the participation of many                                                                         world of Macragge. Each of
more Chapters, so highly are the                                                                           these worlds has its own
sons of Roboute                                                                                             government, armed forces,
Guilliman held                                                                                              and individual cultures,
in their brothers’                                                                                       but all are utterly loyal to
esteem.                                                                                                the Ultramarines Chapter. The
    When         Hive                                                                                 worlds surrounding Macragge
Fleet Behemoth struck                                                                                 are     largely   industrialised,
the Eastern Fringe, it was                                                                           though due to the organisational
the Ultramarines Chapter                                               skills and far-sightedness of the Chapter’s primarch, they
that turned the tide, even at the cost                                are not the polluted wastelands of similar worlds across the
of the entire First Company. At                                      Imperium. The worlds of Ultramar do not pay a tithe to
the Chapter’s home world of                                          the Imperium or provide regiments to the Imperial Guard.
Macragge, one of the largest                                          Instead, their every effort is devoted to the service of the
battles seen in centuries was                                            Ultramarines, the ultimate reward for which is selection
fought, with the Ultramarines,                                            of a scion for service in the Chapter. Those families with
led by their Master Marneus                                                an ancestor who joined the ranks of the Ultramarines
Calgar, at the very forefront. In                                           are greatly honoured, and revere his name for all time.
addition to the great honour won                                                Macragge itself is mostly bleak and rocky, with
by the Chapter in that titanic                                                more than three-quarters of its land mass formed from
struggle, the Ultramarines                                                     mountainous terrain nearly entirely devoid of life..
gained invaluable experience                                                    The planet is encircled by vast, nigh impregnable
in fighting these vile xenos,                                                    orbital defences, as well as mighty fortresses at
which they have passed on,                                                       either pole. The polar fortresses bore the brunt of


                                                                                                                      53
                        the Tyranids’ attacks during the Battle for Macragge, where,
                        thanks to the sacrifices of the First Company, the back of the      s
                        galactic invasion was broken and Hive Fleet Behemoth defeated.
                                                                                            The Ultramarines often serve as the standard against
                                                                                            which all Space Marines are measured, and these
                        Duty anD honour                                                     qualities encompass a variety of strengths, from tactical
                                                                                            skill to strategic genius.
                        The Ultramarines are rightly held as exemplars of all that a
                                                                                               Ultramarines Space Marines gain the following
                        Space Marine can and should be. They are noble and virtuous,
I: Character Creation




                                                                                            benefits: +5 to two Characteristics of the players’s
                        self-sacrificing and stoic, and truthful and just in thought and
                                                                                            choice, and the Favoured Son Solo Mode ability (see
                        deed. Unlike the Battle-Brothers of some other Chapters,
                                                                                            page 218).
                        they are not arrogant in their dealings with the common man,
                        and have served and died alongside warriors of every other
                        military force in the Imperium.
                                                                                            EX
                            This attitude is instilled in the Ultramarines from a very      Honour the Codex is a Demeanour (see
                        young age, long before consideration is given to recruitment        page 32) unique to Space Marines from the
                        into the Chapter. The people of Macragge in particular, and of      Ultramarines Chapter.
                        Ultramar as a whole, are raised in a culture of discipline and         In all of their duties, from battle to study, the
                        service. On Macragge, it is common for a young man to leave         Ultramarines are thorough, analytical, and attentive to
                        his family whilst still a child to learn the ways of the warrior    every detail. They are slow to anger and rarely make
                        in one of the many martial communities of the world. In these       a rash decision. By constant recourse to the articles
                        schools, the youngster learns of honour and duty, practising        of faith enshrined within the Codex Astartes, the
                        and studying so that his arm is strong and his mind keen.           Ultramarines are able to face any eventuality with well-
                        It is from these communities that many of the Ultramarine           practised battle drills and established doctrine.
                        aspirants are drawn, for they are well versed in the arts of war       In their dealings with Battle-Brothers from
                        and ideal candidates for recruitment into the Chapter.              other Chapters, Ultramarines often fulfil the role of
                                                                                            facilitator and peacemaker. While the Battle-Brothers
                                                                                            of some Chapters display extremes of character,
                        Combat DoCtrine                                                     from hotheaded to taciturn, the Ultramarines are
                        As befits the Chapter of Roboute Guilliman, the Ultramarines        balanced in their approach, and often able to broker
                        adhere rigidly to the tenets laid down in the Codex Astartes.       agreements between wildly differing points of view.
                        For ten thousand years they have fought in the manner               This is evidenced in the fact that a high proportion of
                        described in its holy pages. Other Chapters may freely              Deathwatch leaders are drawn from the Ultramarines
                        interpret the words of Guilliman, but to the Ultramarines           and their successors, a fact that has more to do with
                        such deviation is unthinkable. The Codex Astartes is a work         their outlook and character than it does with their
                        of divine wisdom, sanctified by the Emperor himself, and            numerical superiority.
                        the Ultramarines see no reason to deviate from it. The life-           An Ultramarine is likely to turn to the vast tracts
                        long lessons of discipline and self-reliance that are instilled     of the Codex Astartes that he has memorised for the
                        in the people of Ultramar from birth give them the strength         solution to a problem.
                        of character to hold true to teachings over ten thousand
                        years old.
                            For any given tactical situation, the Codex offers hundreds
                        of pages devoted to how it may be met and overcome. Each

                                                                                                            Roboute Guilliman
                        warrior of the Chapter is required to memorise whole sections
                        of the Codex so that within a company there exists an entire
                        record of the Codex’s tenets. The wisdom of thousands of
                        the Imperium’s warriors has contributed to the Codex, and
                                                                                                e pri march of  the Ul tramarines was the great hero
                                                                                             Th
                        details on everything from unit markings to launching a full-                                       Guilliman. Of all of the
                                                                                             of the Imperium Roboute
                        scale planetary assault are contained within its pages.
                                                                                                                           man was held as the most
                            This is not to say that the Ultramarines are hidebound or        Emperor’s gene-sons, Guilli
                                                                                                                             . He was a military genius
                        unimaginative in their thinking, for it must not be forgotten        noble of character and spirit
                                                                                                                             were all of the primarchs,
                        that Primarch Roboute Guilliman is regarded as one of the             and a puissant warrior, as
                                                                                                                              illiman rebuilt that which
                                                                                              but alone amongst them Gu
                        most imaginative and innovative military thinkers of all time.
                        It is rather a deep-seated belief that every problem can be                                             t worlds liberated from
                                                                                              he cast down, ensuring tha
                        solved with recourse to the Codex Astartes, that there is no
                                                                                                                              usade were thriving within
                                                                                              tyranny during the Great Cr
                                                                                                                              was a man of refined mind,
                        need to reinvent solutions to dilemmas solved long ago. By
                        their strict adherence to the Codex, the Ultramarines are in           months. Roboute Guilliman
                                                                                                                              mented by an appreciation
                        fact freed by it. The success of this doctrine is self-evident in      his strategic insight comple                             t
                                                                                                                            es as diverse as governmen
                                                                                               for the fineries of disciplin
                        the countless thousands of battle honours the Chapter has
                        earned over ten millennia of loyal service to the Imperium.
                                                                                               and art.
                                    54
  CharaCter
 advanCements
       •
  apotheCary
       •
assault marine
       •
  devastator
    marine
       •
   librarian
       •
taCtiCal marine
       •
  teChmarine
                             Chapter II:
                             Specialities
                   “We are the Emperor’s wrath! Let the blood of the unclean act as an
                   offering to the Lion’s shade!”

                                                  –Battle credo of the Dark Angels
II: Specialities




                   T
                           he Space Marines are the finest warriors of the
                           Imperium of Man, mighty defenders of the Emperor’s
                           domain who routinely face horrific threats to the
                   galaxy. From amongst their august number, you have been
                   chosen for a great honour, and have been seconded to the
                   Deathwatch—an elite force of alien-hunters working hand-
                   in-hand with the Holy Inquisition.
                       Not all Space Marines serve in the Deathwatch in the same
                   way. Sometimes, a Watch Captain has a need for a Battle-
                   Brother skilled in operating heavy weapons—a Deathwatch
                   Devastator Marine—to suppress Tyranid hordes, or he might
                   require a Deathwatch Apothecary to recover precious samples
                   of alien DNA from a long-forgotten stasis tomb. The psychic
                   talents of a Deathwatch Librarian or the special communion
                   with the machine spirits possessed by a Techmarine are also
                   invaluable tools for the difficult and special nature of the
                   Deathwatch’s missions in the Jericho Reach.
                       Your Speciality represents your character’s aptitude and
                   potential—effectively, your role within the Deathwatch
                   Kill-team. It defines your particular gifts and how you will          Speciality Format
                   continue to develop. Your Speciality will define the new              Each Speciality uses the following format:
                   abilities you can learn and the areas of responsibility you
                   have within your Kill-team. Part of the fun of Deathwatch
                   is deciding exactly how your character develops within your
                                                                                         desCription
                   Speciality—there are many choices available, and no one               In each Speciality section, you can find a description and
                   “right” way of progressing.                                           illustration to help give you some ideas about what your
                                                                                         character might be like. This section tells you about the
                                                                                         background for the Speciality and how it fits into the Space
                   GettinG Started                                                       Marine organisation and the Deathwatch as a whole.

                   “You carry the Emperor’s will as your torch. With it, destroy
                   the shadows.”
                                                                                         rank Chart
                                                                                         Each Speciality is divided into a series of Ranks. This chart
                                         –Verses of Sigismund, Book CIV, Verse 1         tells you the progression necessary to reach a certain Rank.

                   Your character’s Speciality is decided during the character
                   creation process. After you select your Space Marine’s home
                                                                                         CharaCteristiC advanCe sCheme
                   Chapter (see page 26), you then choose a Speciality from the          Each Speciality allows you to improve your character’s raw
                   options presented in this section. However, it is important           abilities, or Characteristics. Depending on the nature of the
                   to note that some Space Marine Chapters (notably the Black            Speciality, some Characteristics are more difficult to increase
                   Templars and Space Wolves) are restricted in their selections         than others. This chart lists the cost of each Characteristic
                   and are not able to choose certain Specialities.                      Advance you can take.


                                                                                         rank advanCe sCheme
                                                                                         For each Rank within your Speciality, you will find a table
                                                                                         that shows you what new abilities your character can learn,
                                                                                         and what you must do in order to learn them.


                                56
s                                                                            The costs for Characteristic Advances are cumulative. Thus,
                                                                          you could not just pay 500 xp for a +10 increase. Instead,
                                                                          you would pay 200 xp for the Simple Advance, then pay 500
                                                                          xp for the Intermediate Advance.
“Where there is uncertainty, I shall bring light. Where there is doubt,
I shall sow faith. Where there is shame, I shall point atonement.
Where there is rage, I shall show its course. My word in the soul         example
shall be as my bolter in the field.”                                      John wants to increase the Willpower of his Deathwatch Tactical
                                                                          Marine character. His starting Willpower is 44, and it will cost
                                               –Litany of Devotion        John 200 xp to buy the Simple Willpower Advance. He spends 200




                                                                                                                                                  II: Specialities
                                                                          xp and increases his character’s Willpower to 49. John wants to raise
As you adventure through the 41st Millennium, your                        his character’s Willpower even higher, so he spends another 500 xp
character will have plenty of opportunities to improve. Your              (the cost of the Intermediate Advance) to increase his Deathwatch
Game Master will reward you with Experience Points that                   Tactical Marine’s Willpower by another +5. In the end, John’s
you can spend to further develop your character. Each career              Space Marine has increased his Willpower to 54 (44 + 5 + 5 =
has plenty of room for you to customise your character and                54), and has spent 700 xp to do so (200 + 500 = 700).
make him unique.
   There are three types of improvements that you can select
for your character:                                                       s
  • Characteristic Advance: Increases your raw abilities.                 Your Rank is a general measure of your experience and capabilities.
  • Rank Increase: Opens new training opportunities.                      It represents the progression of your character’s abilities as he
  • Skill or Talent Advance: Learn new Skills or Talents,                 grows in status and prowess. Your Rank is determined by the
     or improve an existing Skill or Talent.                              total amount of Experience Points your character has spent.
   In addition to the advances listed for the Ranks in your               The Advancement Scheme for each Rank has a combination of
Speciality, sometimes your GM will allow you to purchase an               Skills and Talents that you may purchase with xp.
Elite Advance. See page 59 for more on this.                                  You may buy Advances from any Rank Advancement
                                                                          Scheme you currently hold or have previously held.
                                                                              As your Rank rises, you have access to more and more
CharaCteristiC advanCe                                                    Advancement Schemes, and therefore, you have more options
A Characteristic Advance is an increase to your character’s               on how to customise your character.
raw abilities. When you buy a Characteristic Advance, you                     As with Characteristic Advances, it is easy to gain Ranks
add +5 to the Characteristic on your character sheet.                     to start with, but it becomes progressively harder throughout
    Characteristic Advances are divided into four progression             the life of your character.
levels. These are as follows:
   • Simple: A small fulfilment of your potential.
   • Intermediate: A significant improvement to
                                                                          GaininG ranks
     your capabilities.                                                   Characters automatically gain Ranks by spending xp. Once
   • Trained: Active, focused effort upon improving                       a character’s total spent xp reaches the necessary amount,
     your prowess.                                                        the character’s Rank increases. Note that Rank increases
   • Expert: The limit of your natural capabilities.                      always occur after an Advance has been taken. All Specialities
    As you set about increasing a Characteristic, you must                in Deathwatch require the same amount of xp in order to
progress through each of the progression levels in turn, starting         increase in Rank. The xp needed to advance in Rank is listed
at Simple and ending at Expert.                                           on Table 2-2 on page 58.
    The costs for these increases for each Speciality are listed in
the relevant Speciality section in a table, which looks like this:
                                                                             Chapter advanCes and
deathwatch tactical marine advance Scheme                                    deathwatCh advanCes
Characteristic Simple Intermediate Trained Expert                            There are a number of Skills and Talents that are appropriate
Willpower            200 xp     500 xp            1,000 xp 1,500 xp          only for specific Space Marine Chapters or the Deathwatch
                                                                             itself. These special Advance lists are presented on pages
   As you can see, the first +5 increase to a Deathwatch                     60 to 67. Deathwatch-specific Advances can be selected by
Tactical Marine’s Willpower costs 200 xp; the next +5 (the                   any Deathwatch Space Marine of the appropriate Rank,
Intermediate progression level) costs 500 xp; a further +5                   and Chapter-specific Advances can be selected by any
improvement (the Trained progression level) costs 1,000 xp,                  Space Marine from that Chapter of the appropriate Rank.
while the final possible improvement (Expert progression                     The best way to think of these Advances is to consider
level) costs 1,500 xp.                                                       them additional menus that your character may choose
                                                                             from as he grows in Rank in his particular Speciality.



                                                                                                                               57
                                                                                           Buying an advance
                     Table 2–2: Ranks
                                                                                           Buying an Advance is simple. Once you have had a good
                      Rank                            XP Level                             look at your Advancement Schemes and have chosen what
                      1                               13,000–16,999                        you want to buy, follow these steps:
                      2                               17,000–20,999                           • Check with the GM to make sure the Advance you would
                      3                               21,000–24,999                             like is available (the GM may restrict certain Skills and
                      4                               25,000–29,999                             Talents to meet the needs of the campaign, or he might
                      5                               30,000–34,999                             offer a better option).
                      6                               35,000–39,999                           • Deduct the cost of the Advance from your current pool
                      7                               40,000–44,999                             of unspent Experience Points.
II: Specialities




                      8                               45,000–49,999                           • Write down the name of the Advance in the Advances
                                                                                                section of your character sheet.
                                                                                              • Apply any changes to Characteristics, Skills, Talents, or
                   example                                                                      Traits from the Advance.
                   Ross’s Deathwatch Librarian has spent 20,800 xp in total on                • Finally, add the newly spent xp to your spent xp total on
                   various Advances. In the course of the game, Ross earns an additional        your character sheet.
                   1,000 xp, and he decides to spend this amount on a Characteristic           As you undertake missions, you will earn more Experience
                   Advance. Ross receives permission from his GM to take the Advance       Points as a reward for good roleplaying, completing mission
                   then crosses off the 1,000 xp from his unspent xp amount on his         objectives, and for coming up with clever ideas. These rewards
                   character sheet. He notes down the Advance on the character sheet       allow you to buy further Advances for your character.
                   and alters his Characteristic Profile to reflect the Advance he took.       Certain Talent Advances have a multiplier listed after
                   Finally, he adds the 1,000 xp to his current spent xp total. Ross       their name (x2, x3, etc.). Advances with a multiplier may
                   has now spent 21,800 xp (20,800 + 1,000 = 21,800). When he              be purchased multiple times at that Rank, up to a maximum
                   consults the Deathwatch Librarian Ranks, he sees that he has spent      number of times equal to the multiplier. However, this rule
                   enough xp to earn Rank 3. He removes his old Rank (2) and notes         does not apply to Advances that are Traits. Instead, the
                   that his character is now Rank 3 on his character sheet.                multiplier for a Trait that is also an Advance is usually an
                                                                                           indication that the Trait is an Unnatural Characteristic (see
                                                                                           page 136 for details).
                   s
                                                                                           deCidinG how to advanCe your
                   A Skill Advance teaches you a new Skill or improves an                  CharaCter
                   existing Skill to make it more effective. A Talent Advance
                   gives you a knack or aptitude for something.                            Figuring out which Advances you should take can be a little
                      Depending on your Speciality, some Skills and Talents are            daunting at first. Whilst Characteristic Advances are expensive,
                   easier to learn than others. A Scholarly Librarian, for example,        they do have wide-ranging effects on your character’s ability.
                   would have to spend far fewer Experience Points to learn a              Meanwhile, Skills and Talents are relatively cheap and open a
                   Forbidden Lore Skill than a Deathwatch Devastator Marine                lot of new opportunities. You will need to decide if you want
                   would. The wide range of Skills and Talents allows you to               to focus on improving your core abilities, to concentrate on
                   customise your character as you wish.                                   gaining Skills and Talents, or forge a compromise between
                      Note that Deathwatch characters may select from four                 the two tactics.
                   different sources. A Deathwatch Space Marine may choose                    You can expect to gain around 750 xp with each session
                   advances for his appropriate Rank from his home Chapter                 of play, provided you are reasonably successful and roleplay
                   Advances, Deathwatch Advances, General Space Marine                     well. When planning your Advances, you might find it handy
                   Advances, and the advances for his Speciality. There is no              to use that amount as a measure of how long it will take
                   Rank requirement for selecting advances from the Chapter                you to gain a certain improvement. For example, a Trained
                   Advances lists.                                                         +5 Weapon Skill Advancement that costs 1,000 xp will
                                                                                           take roughly two sessions to gain. Meanwhile, a new Talent
                                                                                           costing 500 xp could be gained after only a single session
                   prerequisites                                                           of play. If you get stuck, or simply aren’t sure which choice
                   If you take a look at the listed Advances for each Rank,                would be a better Advance for your character, ask your GM
                   you will notice that some require you to have a Talent or               to help you out.
                   Characteristic at a particular rating. You must meet all the
                   listed prerequisites before purchasing such an Advance. If you
                   are ever in doubt about a prerequisite, ask your GM. He can
                   overrule or change prerequisites at his discretion.




                               58
elite advanCes                                                      CompletinG all the ranks
Your character is broadly described by his Speciality. However,     Through a combination of skill, audacity, daring, and sheer
the Advancements listed are not the sum total of all that your      luck, your character may survive the manifold horrors of the
character could learn. Sometimes, your character will be            41st Millennium long enough to progress to the top Rank
exposed to certain Skills or Talents during play. For example,      within his Speciality. In game terms, the character who has
you might spend an adventure infiltrating the crystal caverns       attained the top Rank of his Speciality is considered to
of Krrk’tikit or restoring the machine spirits of the long-         have completed his initial service in the Deathwatch. The
abandoned Watch Station Scapula. If you think you have a            character has now passed beyond the scope of Deathwatch
good reason for learning a Skill or Talent that is not listed on    and has entered into the realms of other Warhammer 40,000




                                                                                                                                    II: Specialities
your Advancement Scheme, you can request an Elite Advance           roleplaying games.
from your GM. The base cost for an Elite Advance is 750 xp.            At those rarefied heights, little can stand against such
The GM may adjust this base cost at his discretion. To make         powerful characters. Some may lead massive crusades to
a request, you will need the following:                             conquer worlds for the Imperium or may direct the actions
   • Logical justification for the Elite Advance (e.g., “Spending   of hundreds of his Battle-Brothers. Others might become a
     a month battling a mutant uprising on Vespasia means it        legend that is celebrated in his home Chapter for millennia.
     would make sense that I have learned the Lore: Forbidden       There are many options, only limited by your imagination.
     (Mutants) Skill.”)
   • In-character explanation for how you gained the Advance
     (e.g., “Our Ordo Xenos guide taught me some secret                dupliCated skills and talents
     knowledge as repayment for saving his life.”)                     It is important to note that many Space Marine starting
   • An offer of how many Experience Points you are willing            Skills and Talents are duplicated on the Rank 1 of the
     to pay to gain the Advance (e.g., “I will happily pay 800         General Space Marine Advances. This is an intentional
     xp to learn the Lore: Forbidden (Mutants) Skill.”)                duplication, and represents the training that is available
    Your GM may decide not to grant you the Elite Advance,             to all Deathwatch Space Marines regardless of their
or may demand a higher Experience Point cost than you have             origins. Future expansions for the Deathwatch line
suggested. In these cases, gracious acceptance of the GM’s             may feature Space Marines with different starting
decree is the best course. Your GM may also rule that you              skills, and therefore, this duplication serves a purpose
need to pass a series of tests in order to successfully learn          for the overall Deathwatch line.
the requested Skill or Talent. This will usually tie into your
explanation for how you gained the Advance (e.g., “Make a
Charm Test to convince the Ordo Xenos agent to teach you
his secret techniques.”). The quest for an Elite Advance can be
an adventure in and of itself.
    Sometimes, your GM will offer you an opportunity to
take an Elite Advance as part of the reward for completing
an adventure. For example, you may have encountered an
influential Inquisitor whilst on a mission. Having protected
the Inquisitor from various threats during the mission, your
GM may offer you the chance to purchase Peer (Inquisition).
Sometimes, these Elite Advances will come with additional
side effects, such as Corruption or Insanity Points. Think
carefully before accepting such an offer!


CreatinG your own speCialities
Whilst the Specialities detailed here are purposely broad in
scope, once you’ve had some experience adventuring within
the 41st Millennium, you might find it fun to develop
something a little more specific. Perhaps you feel like making
up your own Space Marine Chapter, or maybe you have a
special kind of Space Marine you’d like to try out. If this is
the case, work closely with your GM to develop an Advance
Scheme that is balanced and sensible. Remember to make
sure that your new Speciality fits in with the other members
of your group—after all, if the Deathwatch Space Marines
cannot work smoothly together, malignant forces in the
universe will happily exploit their weaknesses.



                                                                                                                    59
                                General Space Marine Advances
                   Rank 1 General Space Marine Advances
                   Advance                           Cost             Type         Prerequisites
                   Awareness                         200              Skill        —
                   Carouse                           200              Skill        —
                   Ciphers (Chapter Runes)           200              Skill        —
                   Climb                             400              Skill        —
                   Concealment                       800              Skill        —
                   Dodge                             300              Skill        —
                   Drive (any)                       600              Skill        —
II: Specialities




                   Intimidate                        400              Skill        —
                   Literacy                          200              Skill        —
                   Lore: Common (Adeptus Astartes)   400              Skill        —
                   Lore: Common (Imperium)           400              Skill        —
                   Lore: Common (War)                400              Skill        —
                   Navigation (Surface)              400              Skill        —
                   Search                            400              Skill        —
                   Silent Move                       300              Skill        —
                   Speak Language (any)              200              Skill        —
                   Survival                          300              Skill        —
                   Swim                              200              Skill        —
                   Tech-Use                          800              Skill        —
                   Trade (any)                       600              Skill        —
                   Astartes Weapon Specialisation    1,500            Talent       Astartes Weapon Training
                   Signature Wargear                 500              Talent       —
                   Sound Constitution (x2)           500              Talent       —



                   Rank 2 General Space Marine Advances
                   Advance                           Cost    Type              Prerequisites
                   Awareness +10                     300     Skill             Awareness
                   Carouse +10                       200     Skill             Carouse
                   Charm                             800     Skill             —
                   Climb +10                         400     Skill             Climb
                   Command                           300     Skill             —
                   Deceive                           400     Skill             —
                   Demolition                        400     Skill             —
                   Gamble                            200     Skill             —
                   Inquiry                           800     Skill             —
                   Literacy +10                      200     Skill             Literacy
                   Logic                             400     Skill             —
                   Lore: Common (Imperial Guard)     200     Skill             —
                   Lore: Common (Imperial Navy)      200     Skill             —
                   Scrutiny                          400     Skill             —
                   Speak Language (any) +10          200     Skill             Speak Language (same Skill group)
                   Survival +10                      400     Skill             Survival
                   Swim +10                          200     Skill             Swim
                   Tracking                          400     Skill             —
                   Trade (any) +10                   400     Skill             Trade (same Skill group)
                   Wrangling                         200     Skill             —
                   Air of Authority                  1,000   Talent            Fel 30
                   Polyglot                          500     Talent            Int 40, Fel 30
                   Resistance (Poisons)              500     Talent            —
                   Signature Wargear (Master)        1,000   Talent            Signature Wargear (same item)
                   Sound Constitution (x2)           1,000   Talent            —
                   Total Recall                      500     Talent            Int 30



                           60
Rank 3 General Space Marine Advances
Advance                                 Cost   Type     Prerequisites
Awareness +20                           800    Skill    Awareness +10
Carouse +20                             200    Skill    Carouse +10
Ciphers (Chapter Runes) +10             200    Skill    Ciphers (Chapter Runes)
Climb +20                               400    Skill    Climb +10
Concealment +10                         800    Skill    Concealment
Contortionist                           800    Skill    —
Drive (any) +10                         800    Skill    Drive (same Skill group)




                                                                                                II: Specialities
Evaluate                                400    Skill    —
Interrogation                           400    Skill    —
Intimidate +10                          400    Skill    Intimidate
Literacy +20                            200    Skill    Literacy +10
Lore: Common (Adeptus Astartes) +10     400    Skill    Lore: Common (Adeptus Astartes)
Lore: Common (Ecclesiarchy)             200    Skill    —
Lore: Common (Imperial Guard) +10       200    Skill    Lore Common (Imperial Guard)
Lore: Common (Imperial Navy) +10        200    Skill    Lore: Common (Imperial Navy)
Lore: Common (Imperium) +10             400    Skill    Lore: Common (Imperium)
Lore: Common (Tech)                     200    Skill    —
Lore: Common (War) +10                  400    Skill    Lore: Common (War)
Lore: Forbidden (Adeptus Astartes)      400    Skill    —
Performer (any)                         400    Skill    —
Pilot (any)                             800    Skill    —
Search +10                              400    Skill    Search
Security                                800    Skill    —
Silent Move +10                         800    Skill    Silent Move
Speak Language (any) +20                200    Skill    Speak Language (same Skill group) +10
Swim +20                                200    Skill    Swim +10
Tactics (any)                           400    Skill    —
Trade (any) +20                         400    Skill    Trade (same type) +10
Orthoproxy                              500    Talent   —
Rapid Reaction                          500    Talent   Ag 40
Rapid Reload                            300    Talent   —



Rank 4 General Space Marine Advances
Advance                               Cost     Type      Prerequisites
Charm +10                             800      Skill     Charm
Command +10                           500      Skill     Command
Deceive +10                           400      Skill     Deceive
Demolition +10                        400      Skill     Demolition
Gamble +10                            200      Skill     Gamble
Inquiry +10                           800      Skill     Inquiry
Logic +10                             400      Skill     Logic
Lore: Common (Ecclesiarchy) +10       200      Skill     Lore: Common (Ecclesiarchy)
Lore: Common (Imperial Guard) +20     200      Skill     Lore Common (Imperial Guard) +10
Lore: Common (Imperial Navy) +20      200      Skill     Lore: Common (Imperial Navy) +10
Lore: Common (Tech) +10               200      Skill     Lore: Common (Tech)
Performer (any) +10                   400      Skill     Performer (same Skill group)
Scrutiny +10                          400      Skill     Scrutiny
Shadowing                             400      Skill     —
Survival +20                          800      Skill     Survival +10
Iron Discipline                       1,000    Talent    WP 30, Command
Iron Jaw                              500      Talent    T 40
Sprint                                600      Talent    —



                                                                                 61
                   Rank 5 General Space Marine Advances
                   Advance                               Cost             Type     Prerequisites
                   Concealment +20                       800              Skill    Concealment +10
                   Ciphers (Chapter Runes) +20           200              Skill    Ciphers (Chapter Runes) +10
                   Dodge +10                             500              Skill    Dodge
                   Drive (any) +20                       800              Skill    Drive (same Skill group) +10
                   Evaluate +10                          400              Skill    Evaluate
                   Intimidate +20                        400              Skill    Intimidate +10
                   Navigation (Stellar)                  400              Skill    —
II: Specialities




                   Lore: Common (Adeptus Astartes) +20   400              Skill    Lore: Common (Adeptus Astartes) +10
                   Lore: Common (Ecclesiarchy) +20       200              Skill    Lore: Common (Ecclesiarchy) +10
                   Lore: Common (Imperium) +20           400              Skill    Lore: Common (Imperium) +10
                   Lore: Common (Tech) +20               200              Skill    Lore: Common (Tech) +10
                   Lore: Common (War) +20                400              Skill    Lore: Common (War) +10
                   Lore: Scholastic (any)                800              Skill    —
                   Performer (any) +20                   400              Skill    Performer (same Skill group) +10
                   Pilot (any) +10                       800              Skill    Pilot (same Skill group)
                   Search +20                            400              Skill    Search +10
                   Security +10                          800              Skill    Security
                   Silent Move +20                       800              Skill    Silent Move +10
                   Tracking +10                          400              Skill    Tracking
                   Wrangling +10                         200              Skill    Wrangling
                   Call to Vengeance                     1,000            Talent   Fel 40
                   Double Team                           500              Talent   —
                   Hardy                                 1,000            Talent   T 40
                   Mimic                                 500              Talent   —
                   Peer (Adeptus Astartes)               500              Talent   Fel 30
                   Signature Wargear                     500              Talent   —
                   Sound Constitution (x2)               1,000            Talent   —


                   Rank 6 General Space Marine Advances
                   Advance                       Cost            Type                    Prerequisites
                   Charm +20                     800             Skill                   Charm +10
                   Command +20                   800             Skill                   Command +10
                   Deceive +20                   400             Skill                   Deceive +10
                   Demolition +20                400             Skill                   Demolition +10
                   Gamble +20                    200             Skill                   Gamble +10
                   Inquiry +20                   800             Skill                   Inquiry +10
                   Logic +20                     400             Skill                   Logic +10
                   Navigation (Surface) +10      400             Skill                   Navigation (Surface)
                   Scrutiny +20                  400             Skill                   Scrutiny +10
                   Good Reputation (Adeptus                                              Fel 50, Peer (same Talent
                                                 500             Talent
                   Astartes)                                                             group)
                   Hammer Blow                   1,000           Talent                  —
                   Last Man Standing             500             Talent                  Nerves of Steel
                   Paranoia                      500             Talent                  —
                   Sound Constitution            1,000           Talent                  —
                   Unbowed and Unbroken          1,500           Talent                  Fel 30
                   Wisdom of the Ancients        1,000           Talent                  Int 40




                           62
Rank 7 General Space Marine Advances
Advance                          Cost    Type     Prerequisites
Chem-Use                         800     Skill    —
Evaluate +20                     400     Skill    Evaluate +10
Interrogation +10                400     Skill    Interrogation
Lore: Forbidden (Adeptus                          Lore: Forbidden (Adeptus
                                 400     Skill
Astartes) +10                                     Astartes)
Navigation (Surface) +20         400     Skill    Navigation (Surface) +10
Pilot (any) +20                  800     Skill    Pilot (same Skill group) +10




                                                                                   II: Specialities
Security +20                     800     Skill    Security +10
Tactics (any) +10                400     Skill    Tactics (same skill group)
Tech-Use +10                     800     Skill    Tech-Use
Tracking +20                     400     Skill    Tracking +10
Wrangling +20                    200     Skill    Wrangling +10
Blind Fighting                   800     Talent   Per 30
Bolter Drill                     1,500   Talent   Astartes Weapon Training
Fearless                         1,000   Talent   —
Signature Wargear (Hero) (any)   1,500   Talent   —
Sound Constitution               1,000   Talent   —


Rank 8 General Space Marine Advances
Advance                          Cost    Type     Prerequisites
Dodge +20                        600     Skill    Dodge +10
Interrogation +20                400     Skill    Interrogation +10
Lore: Forbidden (Adeptus                          Lore: Forbidden (Adeptus
                                 400     Skill
Astartes) +20                                     Astartes) +10
Medicae                          800     Skill    —
Tactics (any) +20                800     Skill    Tactics (same skill group) +10
Into the Jaws of Hell            1,500   Talent   Iron Discipline
Master Orator                    1,000   Talent   Fel 30
Sound Constitution               1,000   Talent   —




                                                                     63
                                                 Deathwatch Advances
                   Rank 1 Deathwatch Advances
                   Advance                             Cost       Type     Prerequisites
                   Ciphers (Xenos Markings)            200        Skill    —
                   Ciphers (Deathwatch)                200        Skill    —
                   Ciphers (Inquisition)               200        Skill    —
                   Lore: Common (Deathwatch)           200        Skill    —
                   Lore: Common (Jericho Reach)        400        Skill    —
                   Lore: Forbidden (Xenos)             400        Skill    —
                   Interrogation                       400        Skill    —
II: Specialities




                   Sleight of Hand                     400        Skill    —
                   Hunter of Aliens                    1,000      Talent   —
                   Resistance (Cold)                   300        Talent   —
                   Resistance (Heat)                   300        Talent   —


                   Rank 2 Deathwatch Advances
                   Advance                             Cost       Type     Prerequisites
                   Ciphers (Xenos Markings) +10        400        Skill    Ciphers (Xenos Markings)
                   Ciphers (Deathwatch) +10            200        Skill    Ciphers (Deathwatch)
                   Lore: Common (Deathwatch) +10       200        Skill    Lore: Common (Deathwatch)
                   Lore: Common (Jericho Reach) +10    400        Skill    Lore: Common (Jericho Reach)
                   Interrogation +10                   400        Skill    Interrogation
                   Sleight of Hand +10                 400        Skill    Sleight of Hand
                   Hatred (Orks)                       500        Talent   —
                   Hatred (Tyranids)                   500        Talent   —


                   Rank 3 Deathwatch Advances
                   Advance                              Cost      Type     Prerequisites
                   Ciphers (Xenos Markings) +20         400       Skill    Ciphers (Xenos Markings) +10
                   Ciphers (Deathwatch) +20             200       Skill    Ciphers (Deathwatch) +10
                   Lore: Common (Deathwatch) +20        200       Skill    Lore: Common (Deathwatch) +10
                   Lore: Common (Jericho Reach) +20     400       Skill    Lore: Common (Jericho Reach) +10
                   Interrogation +20                    400       Skill    Interrogation +10
                   Sleight of Hand +20                  400       Skill    Sleight of Hand +10
                   Exotic Weapon Training (any)         500       Talent   —
                   Hatred (Eldar)                       500       Talent   —
                   Hatred (Tau)                         500       Talent   —


                   Rank 4 Deathwatch Advances
                   Advance                               Cost     Type     Prerequisites
                   Lore: Forbidden (Black Library)       400      Skill    —
                   Lore: Forbidden (Inquisition)         800      Skill    —
                   Lore: Forbidden (Traitor Legions)     800      Skill    —
                   Lore: Forbidden (Warp)                400      Skill    —
                   Scourge of Heretics                   1,000    Talent   —


                   Rank 5 Deathwatch Advances
                   Advance                                Cost    Type     Prerequisites
                   Lore: Forbidden (Inquisition) +10      800     Skill    Lore: Forbidden (Inquisition)
                   Lore: Forbidden (Warp) +10             400     Skill    Lore: Forbidden (Warp)
                   Lore: Forbidden (Xenos) +10            400     Skill    Lore: Forbidden (Xenos)
                   Peer (Inquisition)                     1,000   Talent   Fel 30
                   Slayer of Daemons                      1,000   Talent   —



                            64
Rank 6 Deathwatch Advances
Advance                           Cost    Type     Prerequisites
Lore: Forbidden (Black Library)
                                  400     Skill    Lore: Forbidden (Black Library)
+10
Lore: Forbidden (Inquisition)                      Lore: Forbidden (Inquisition)
                                  800     Skill
+20                                                +10
Lore: Forbidden (Traitor                           Lore: Forbidden (Traitor
                                  800     Skill
Legions) +10                                       Legions)
Lore: Forbidden (Warp) +20        400     Skill    Lore: Forbidden (Warp) +10




                                                                                     II: Specialities
Lore: Forbidden (Xenos) +20       400     Skill    Lore: Forbidden (Xenos) +10


Rank 7 Deathwatch Advances
Advance                           Cost    Type     Prerequisites
Lore: Forbidden (Traitor                           Lore: Forbidden (Traitor
                                  800     Skill
Legions) +20                                       Legions) +10
Sound Constitution                1,000   Talent   —
                                                   WP 30, Resistance (Psychic
Strong Minded                     1,500   Talent
                                                   Powers)


Rank 8 Deathwatch Advances
Advance                           Cost    Type     Prerequisites
Lore: Forbidden (Black Library)                    Lore: Forbidden (Black Library)
                                  400     Skill
+20                                                +10
Good Reputation (Inquisition)     1,500   Talent   Fel 50, Peer (Inquisition)
Sound Constitution (x2)           1,000   Talent   —




                                                                      65
                                                      Chapter Advances
                   Black Templars Chapter Advances
                   Advance                         Cost            Type                    Prerequisites
                   Interrogation                   200             Skill                   —
                   Interrogation +10               200             Skill                   Interrogation
                   Interrogation +20               200             Skill                   Interrogation +10
                   Abhor the Witch                 800             Talent                  Adeptus Astartes
                   Fearless                        800             Talent                  —
                   Hatred (Heretics)               500             Talent                  —
                   Hatred (Mutants)                500             Talent                  —
II: Specialities




                   Hatred (Psykers)                500             Talent                  —
                   Inspire Wrath                   1,000           Talent                  Fel 30
                   Litany of Hate                  1,000           Talent                  Hatred (any)
                   Orthoproxy                      500             Talent                  —
                   Scourge of Heretics             500             Talent                  —




                   Blood Angels Chapter Advances
                   Advance                         Cost            Type                    Prerequisites
                   Acrobatics                      200             Skill                   —
                   Acrobatics +10                  600             Skill                   Acrobatics
                   Acrobatics +20                  600             Skill                   Acrobatics +10
                   Assassin Strike                 500             Talent                  Ag 40, Acrobatics
                   Battle Rage                     400             Talent                  Frenzy
                   Berserk Charge                  600             Talent                  —
                   Flesh Render                    500             Talent                  —
                   Furious Assault                 600             Talent                  WS 35
                   Frenzy                          400             Talent                  —
                   Hatred (Orks)                   500             Talent                  —
                   Mental Rage                     800             Talent                  Frenzy
                   Slayer of Daemons               1,000           Talent                  —
                   Talented (Trade [Artisan])      500             Talent                  —
                   Talented (Pilot [Personal])     500             Talent                  —



                   Dark Angels Chapter Advances
                   Advance                                  Cost            Type     Prerequisites
                   Interrogation                            200             Skill    —
                   Interrogation +10                        200             Skill    Interrogation
                   Interrogation +20                        200             Skill    Interrogation +10
                   Lore: Forbidden (Adeptus Astartes)       200             Skill    —
                   Lore: Forbidden (Adeptus Astartes) +10   200             Skill    Lore: Forbidden (Adeptus Astartes)
                                                                                     Lore: Forbidden (Adeptus Astartes)
                   Lore: Forbidden (Adeptus Astartes) +20   200             Skill
                                                                                     +10
                   Lore: Forbidden (Inquisition)            400             Skill    —
                   Lore: Forbidden (Inquisition) +10        400             Skill    Lore: Forbidden (Inquisition)
                   Lore: Forbidden (Inquisition) +20        400             Skill    Lore: Forbidden (Inquisition) +10
                   Lore: Forbidden (Traitor Legions)        400             Skill    —
                   Lore: Forbidden (Traitor Legions) +10    400             Skill    Lore: Forbidden (Traitor Legions)
                   Lore: Forbidden (Traitor Legions) +20    400             Skill    Lore: Forbidden (Traitor Legions) +10
                   Hatred (Chaos Space Marines)             500             Talent   —
                   Hatred (Mutants)                         500             Talent   —
                   Paranoia                                 500             Talent   —
                   Talented (Pilot)                         500             Talent   —
                   Talented (Drive [Ground Vehicles])       500             Talent   —



                             66
Space Wolves Chapter Advances
Advance                         Cost        Type           Prerequisites
Carouse                         200         Skill          —
Carouse +10                     200         Skill          Carouse
Carouse +20                     200         Skill          Carouse +10
Performer (any)                 200         Skill          —
Performer (any) +10             200         Skill          Performer (same skill group)
Performer (any) +20             200         Skill          Performer (same skill group) +10
Tracking                        200         Skill          —




                                                                                                 II: Specialities
Tracking +10                    200         Skill          Tracking
Tracking +20                    200         Skill          Tracking +10
Wrangling                       100         Skill          —
Wrangling +10                   100         Skill          Wrangling
Wrangling +20                   100         Skill          Wrangling +10
Hardy                           400         Talent         Toughness 40
Hatred (Chaos Space Marines)    500         Talent         —
Heightened Senses (Taste)       500         Talent         —
Talented (Carouse)              500         Talent         —
Talented (Tracking)             500         Talent         —
Wisdom of the Ancients          1,500       Talent         Int 40


Storm Wardens Chapter Advances
Advance                             Cost       Type               Prerequisites
Gamble                              200        Skill              —
Gamble +10                          200        Skill              Gamble
Gamble +20                          200        Skill              Gamble +10
Tracking                            400        Skill              —
Tracking +10                        400        Skill              Tracking
Tracking +20                        400        Skill              Tracking +10
Duty Unto Death                     800        Talent             WP 45
Hammer Blow                         500        Talent             —
Stalwart Defence                    800        Talent             —
Talented (Drive [Ground Vehicle])   500        Talent             —
Thunder Charge                      1,000      Talent             —


Ultramarines Chapter Advances
Advance                         Cost        Type        Prerequisites
Charm                           400         Skill       —
Charm +10                       400         Skill       Charm
Charm +20                       400         Skill       Charm +10
Command                         400         Skill       —
Command +10                     400         Skill       Command
Command +20                     400         Skill       Command +10
Performer (any)                 200         Skill       —
Performer (any) +10             200         Skill       Performer (same skill group)
Tactics (any)                   400         Skill       —
Tactics (any) +10               400         Skill       Tactics (same Skill group)
Tactics (any) +20               400         Skill       Tactics (same Skill group) +10
Duty Unto Death                 800         Talent      WP 45
Exemplar of Honour              800         Talent      —
Good Reputation (any)           800         Talent      Fellowship 50, Peer (same Skill group)
Hatred (Tyranids)               500         Talent      —
Peer (any)                      500         Talent      Fel 30
Talented (Command)              500         Talent      —



                                                                                  67
                            Deathwatch                                                        accompanies them. While the Space Marines are blessed with
                                                                                              the very strongest of immune systems, it is known that the spores
                                                                                              of some alien life forms can cause mutation or death even in the

                            Apothecary                                                        Adeptus Astartes. There are some xenos that actually reproduce
                                                                                              in this vile manner, their seed infecting the victim and slowly
                                                                                              mutating him into the original life form. Such blasphemy must
                   “Yours is to serve, unto the last drop of your blood, that your brothers   be guarded against, and the Apothecaries administer an entire
                   might live to fight on. Watch over them, heal them, offer up your          bank of tests on every member of a Kill-team before and after
                   very life should it extend theirs but a moment, and by your sacrifice      every mission.
                   the enemy be slain. And when the time comes that you must fulfil              Another area in which the Deathwatch Apothecaries are
II: Specialities




                   your most solemn oath, speak clearly, speak proudly, speed the bolt        highly involved is that of training. Deathwatch Kill-teams
                   that brings his end and send him joyous to the Emperor’s side. Then        push their bodies to, and beyond, the limits even of their
                   do your duty, take that which is due, and know your mission is done.”      unique physiology, and the Apothecaries must monitor this
                                                                                              process closely. But they are a part of the training too, for the
                       –Extract from the Apocrypha of Eons, Verse V, Chapter L                Apothecaries often aid the Watch Captains in formulating the
                                                             (M40 Redaction)                  most arduous of training regimens. Using his unique knowledge
                                                                                              of his charges, the Apothecary can induce various states in his


                   S
                           pace Marine Apothecaries are charged with maintaining              Battle-Brothers, under which their skills and strengths will
                           the bodily health of their Battle-Brothers, whether this           be tested all the further. Interfacing remotely with a Battle-
                           is monitoring their genetically engineered implants or             Brother’s armour systems, the Apothecary might disable a limb,
                   administering emergency medical attention on the field of                  limit blood oxygen levels or simulate the effects of any number
                   battle. Only the bravest of warriors are chosen for this honoured          of poisons, all in the cause of maintaining combat readiness.
                   duty, for each must look first and foremost to the health of                  In battle, an Apothecary carries a number of specialised
                   his companions, and consider his own life as secondary.                    items of equipment, integrating a variety of tools into a single,
                   Apothecaries are at once mighty warriors and selfless servants,                                   wrist-mounted unit. The Apothecary may
                   and each would fight their way through                                                              have crafted many of these himself
                   hordes of vile enemies to reach a fallen                                                             according to his own needs. He uses
                   Battle-Brother and then transfuse the                                                                 a high-powered laser scalpel or an
                   very last drop of his own blood to save                                                                adamantine-toothed chainsaw to cut
                   the life of the wounded.                                                                                away ruined armour so that he can
                      Deathwatch Apothecaries take on a                                                                     treat a Battle-Brother’s wounds,
                   number of additional duties over                                                                          and he administers the panacea of
                   those performed in their parent                                                                            drugs stored within the unit using
                   Chapter. For a start, they must                                                                             long syringes.
                   master the genetic inheritance                                                                                    Apothecaries        invariably
                   not only of their own helix,                                                                                   carry a bolt pistol, intended
                   but of a myriad of other Chapters                                                                                not only for self-defence. One
                   too, so that they might monitor                                                                                   of the most arduous duties
                   and maintain the implants of all                                                                                  they must perform is to end
                   their fellow Space Marines, each of                                                                            the life and the suffering of a
                   which may be drawn from a different                                                                          battle brother wounded unto
                   Chapter. In this matter, Deathwatch                                                                          death. Space Marines’ bodies are
                   Apothecaries occupy a uniquely trusted                                                        such a feat of genetic engineering that they
                   position. Space Marine Chapters                                                              are able to sustain horrific injuries and live
                   do not lightly share the details of                                                             on. However, there are some wounds that
                   their gene-seed, with its associated traits,                                                      not even an Adeptus Astartes can survive,
                   variations, and even mutations. Deathwatch                                                            even though he may remain conscious
                   Apothecaries are sworn to maintain the secrets of                                                       for some time. The Apothecary must
                   each of the Chapters from which their fellows                                                            offer the fallen Battle-Brother such
                   are drawn, an oath that carries the harshest of                                                           words as will ease his passage to
                   penalties should it ever be broken.                                                                       the afterlife, where it is believed
                      Aside from monitoring the state of the                                                                 he will sit at the right hand of his
                   Space Marines’ implants, the Apothecaries                                                                 Primarch, or even the Emperor
                   must also be ever alert to the risk of alien                                                               himself. Once the Apothecary
                   contamination. Whilst undertaking their                                                                     has spoken such words that the
                   missions, the Deathwatch Kill-teams                                                                           dying Space Marine needs to
                   are likely to come into contact not only                                                                       hear, a single bolt pistol round
                   with creatures of utterly alien biology,                                                                        is the final mercy that he can
                   but with all the bacterial life that                                                                             administer.


                                68
    The greatest duty that a Deathwatch Apothecary must                 create toxins
perform is to recover the gene-seed of a fallen Battle-Brother, so      Once per day, the Apothecary can create a virulent poison
that it may be returned to his parent Chapter, and he may live on       that he can hand out to the members of his Kill-team to help
through future generations of Space Marines. This is a solemn           destroy a particular enemy. The Apothecary needs a tissue
enough task in a normal Chapter, but takes on an additional             sample of a particular enemy, his narthecium, and one hour
weight in the Deathwatch. No Chapter would agree to dispatch            to create the toxins. Once the toxin is applied, the Kill-team’s
its sons across the galaxy to fight at the behest of the Inquisition    attacks in the next combat all have the Toxic quality against
and other Chapters (some of whom may be rivals), were it not            the enemy type (Tyranid, Tau, etc.) for a number of rounds
for the certain knowledge that their gene-seed will be returned         equal to the Apothecary’s Intelligence Bonus. Creatures with
should they fall. It has been known for a Chapter to temporarily        the Daemonic Trait are not affected by this ability. In order to




                                                                                                                                           II: Specialities
withhold its honour service to the Deathwatch if too many of            benefit from this ability, the Space Marines in the Kill-team
its Space Marines serving with the Ordo have been killed and            must be in Squad Mode.
their precious gene-seed irretrievably lost. Thus, the survival
of a Space Marine’s parent Chapter and the reputation of the            enhance healing
Deathwatch itself relies on the action of the Apothecaries.
                                                                        The Apothecary may restore 1d5 additional Wounds with
                                                                        any successful Medicae Test for First Aid (see page 102).
startinG skills
The Deathwatch Apothecary begins with Medicae as a
Trained Advanced Skill.


speCial ability
Choose one of the following:

Guardian of purity
The Apothecary’s careful monitoring of his Battle-Brothers’
gene-seed means that any Space Marine in a Kill-team that
includes the Apothecary reduces all Corruption Points he
suffers by 2 (to a minimum of 1), as long as the Apothecary
has access to his narthecium—a special tool that assists with
battlefield surgery (see page 173).

  Deathwatch Apothecary Characteristic Advances
   Level                      Simple                     Intermediate              Trained                   Expert
   Weapon Skill               200                        500                       1,000                     1,500
   Ballistic Skill            500                        1,000                     1,500                     2,000
   Strength                   500                        1,000                     1,500                     2,000
   Toughness                  500                        1,000                     1,500                     2,000
   Agility                    500                        1,000                     1,500                     2,000
   Intelligence               200                        500                       1,000                     1,500
   Perception                 200                        500                       1,000                     1,500
   Willpower                  500                        1,000                     1,500                     2,000
   Fellowship                 500                        1,000                     1,500                     2,000


  Rank 1 Deathwatch Apothecary Advances
   Advance                           Cost                              Type                           Prerequisites
   Chem-Use                          400                               Skill                          —
   Interrogation                     200                               Skill                          —
   Medicae                           400                               Skill                          —
   Autosanguine                      500                               Talent                         —
   Hardy                             500                               Talent                         T 40
   Resistance (Cold)                 500                               Talent                         —
   Resistance (Heat)                 500                               Talent                         —
   Resistance (Poisons)              500                               Talent                         —



                                                                                                                        69
                   Rank 2 Deathwatch Apothecary Advances
                   Advance                            Cost     Type          Prerequisites
                   Chem-Use +10                       400      Skill         Chem-Use
                   Interrogation +10                  200      Skill         Interrogation
                   Lore: Scholastic (Beasts)          200      Skill         —
                   Lore: Scholastic (Chymistry)       200      Skill         —
                   Medicae +10                        400      Skill         Medicae
II: Specialities




                   Rank 3 Deathwatch Apothecary Advances
                   Advance                              Cost      Type       Prerequisites
                   Chem-Use +20                         400       Skill      Chem-Use +10
                   Interrogation +20                    200       Skill      Interrogation +10
                   Lore: Scholastic (Beasts) +10        200       Skill      Lore: Scholastic (Beasts)
                   Lore: Scholastic (Chymistry) +10     200       Skill      Lore: Scholastic (Chymistry)
                   Medicae +20                          600       Skill      Medicae +10
                   Tech-Use                             500       Skill      —


                   Rank 4 Deathwatch Apothecary Advances
                   Advance                              Cost     Type     Prerequisites
                   Lore: Scholastic (Beasts) +20        200      Skill    Lore: Scholastic (Beasts) +10
                   Lore: Scholastic (Chymistry) +20     200      Skill    Lore: Scholastic (Chymistry) +10
                   Lore: Forbidden (Mutants)            400      Skill    —
                   Sure Strike                          600      Talent   WS 30


                   Rank 5 Deathwatch Apothecary Advances
                   Advance                            Cost     Type          Prerequisites
                   Lore: Forbidden (Mutants) +10      400      Skill         Lore: Forbidden (Mutants)
                   Disarm                             1,000    Talent        Ag 40
                   Infused Knowledge                  1,000    Talent        Int 40
                   Iron Jaw                           300      Talent        T 40


                   Rank 6 Deathwatch Apothecary Advances
                   Advance                            Cost     Type          Prerequisites
                   Lore: Forbidden (Mutants) +20      400      Skill         Lore: Forbidden (Mutants) +10
                   Crippling Strike                   400      Talent        WS 50
                   Prosanguine                        800      Talent        Autosanguine
                   Sound Constitution                 500      Talent        —
                   Swift Attack                       500      Talent        WS 35


                   Rank 7 Deathwatch Apothecary Advances
                   Advance                            Cost     Type          Prerequisites
                   Master Chirurgeon                  800      Talent        Medicae +10
                   Lightning Attack                   800      Talent        Swift Attack
                   Sound Constitution                 1,000    Talent        —


                   Rank 8 Deathwatch Apothecary Advances
                   Advance                            Cost     Type          Prerequisites
                   Flesh Render                       800      Talent        —
                   Precise Blow                       500      Talent        WS 40, Sure Strike
                   Sound Constitution                 1,000    Talent        —



                            70
                           Gods Among Men
To the average man, Space Marines are the subject of myth and legend, the
descendants of mighty heroes who went to war beside the Emperor himself. Many




                                                                                      II: Specialities
are taught the names of the greatest heroes, and celebrate their greatest deeds, as
proclaimed from countless millions of pulpits across the entire Imperium.

Yet, very few will ever see a Space Marine, for their numbers are so few compared
to the great, seething mass of humanity. Only when war comes to his world, and
with it the hosts of the Imperium’s armies, will a common man have any chance
of setting eyes upon a Space Marine, let alone conversing with him.

Most common men who do have cause to interact with a Space Marine are likely
to hold him such awe that he may lose the power of words. At the very least,
a Space Marine will be regarded and addressed with great deference, even the
highest-ranking officials bowing their head to the Battle-Brother. As well they
should, for the very fact that a Space Marine has come to their world is sure sign
that the enemies of the Emperor are abroad, and only his strength and bravery
will hold them at bay.

The manner in which Space Marines are wont to interact with common Humanity
varies enormously, but most are aloof, so dedicated to their own mission, their
very nature so apart from what they once were, that they have little in common
with ordinary people. Most Space Marines care only for the traditions of their
Chapter and the task of defeating the Emperor’s enemies, and know so little
of the trivial cares of normal life that very little common ground exists. Even
when interacting with a mighty warrior, perhaps a decorated veteran Imperial
Guardsman, so total is the Space Marine’s dedication to his duty that few can live
up to his standards. It is rare indeed for a normal man to be regarded by a Space
Marine as an equal. Only the greatest of the Imperium’s heroes—men such as the
Lord Solar Macharius—have earned such an honour of counting amongst their
friends one or more Space Marines of the Adeptus Astartes.




                                                                               71
                    Deathwatch                                                               reality, all are warriors of the utmost skill, schooled in every
                                                                                             nuance of every possible style of combat, and able to defeat
                                                                                             any foe the galaxy has to offer.

                   Assault Marine                                                                When serving in a Deathwatch Kill-team, it is the task
                                                                                             of the Assault Marine to close with and engage the enemy
                                                                                             in an overwhelming charge. Many of the alien foes the
                    “Look not behind you, brother. Know in your heart that your kin          Deathwatch must face are ravening beasts sporting multiple,
                   are there, offering their fire and their prayers. Look instead to your    diamond-hard claws, whipping tentacles, slavering maws
                   foe as you scream from the skies upon jets of white fire. Take but one    or carrying all manner of deadly close combat weaponry.
                   instant to savour the fear in his eyes as he looks skywards, and there,   In addition, many are protected by such tough armour
II: Specialities




                   in the keen edge of your blade, he sees his doom, delivered by your       (technological or biological) that they can only be defeated
                   hand.”                                                                    in the deadly whirl of close combat. Ranged weapons may be
                                                                                             all but useless against such foes, or the environs in which they
                      –Extract from the Apocrypha of Eons, Verse I, Chapter VI               lurk may preclude the use of ranged weaponry.
                                                                                                 The number of Deathwatch Battle-Brothers that are


                   A
                             ssault Marines are specialists in the brutal art of close       deployed as Assault Marines in any given mission depends
                             quarters combat. They carry a range of weaponry,                largely upon the mission itself, and the nature of the enemy.
                             usually a lethal combination of a pistol and a melee            When fighting in the cramped environment of a boarding
                   weapon, the most common being the iconic bolt pistol and                  action, or undertaking an exploration of an ancient alien
                   chainsword. Many choose to take to the battlefield equipped               tomb complex for example, several may be assigned. Even in
                   with a jump pack, allowing them to close rapidly on their foes,           missions where fewer are likely to be required, it is common
                   often descending from above in a devastating charge.                      for at least one Assault Marine to be deployed, for all too often
                       A Deathwatch Assault Marine is likely to be a warrior                 it is in close combat that the ultimate victory is to be found.
                   who has mastered all of the methods of war, and discovered                    Assault Marines can be equipped with a variety of equipment.
                   that he is most skilled at close combat. To serve as an Assault           Some may carry the weapons in which they most excel, while
                   Marine is to go quite literally face to face with                         others carry specialised wargear unique to the mission at hand.
                   the most terrible of Humanity’s foes,                                               ost carry a pistol, either a bolt pistol or a plasma
                   and to have pitted wits against the                                                          pistol, and complement it with a bladed
                   vilest of beasts countless times,                                                                   weapon such as a chainsword or power
                   and won. An Assault Marine                                                                            sword. However, the armouries of
                   is a master with his chosen                                                                             the Deathwatch
                   weapons combination, and                                                                                contain many
                   he practices endlessly in                                                                                                           m o r e
                   their use. Many Assault                                                                                                             powerful
                   Marines hone their skills in                                                                                                      weapons,
                   long duels with their brethren,                                                                                                      such as
                   perfectly willing to risk injury                                                                                                      p o we r
                    o that their abilities might be                                                                                                     fists,
                   honed to perfection. As a result of                                                                                                lightning
                   their training, many Assault Marines                                                                                            c l a w s ,
                    uffer more scars than a veteran of                                                                            and all manner of similarly
                   centuries of warfare, and they bear                                                                       devastating arms, and the Assault
                   them proudly as a sign of their                                                                           Marine is adept in the use of them
                   calling.                                                                                                  all. Some choose not to carry a
                       To succeed as an Assault                                                                     pistol and a blade, and instead forego one
                   Marine, the Battle-Brother must                                                                    weapon in favour of a combat shield or
                   display a unique balance of patience                                                                   a storm shield. These are particularly
                   and impetuousness. He must be a master                                                                 useful against foes that are able to
                   at judging the exact moment of his charge,                                                             unleash powerful attacks in close
                   allowing his brothers to cover his advance and                                                         combat, allowing the brother to
                   weaken his target with their fire. Yet, when                                                          deflect a strike with his shield while
                   the moment to charge comes, he must                                                                 delivering a lethal counter-attack with
                   have the courage to commit entirely, to                                                           his other weapon. Some Assault Marines
                    how not a hint of fear or hesitation,                                                        arm themselves instead with a mighty,
                   for once locked in the lethal dance                                                        double handed weapon, allowing them to put all
                   of close combat, only one combatant                                                    of their strength into a single blow, which is capable
                   will walk away. Some might say that                                                 of decapitating even the mightiest of foes.
                   the Assault Marine is hot-headed, and
                   in some instances this may be true. In


                                72
    In addition to their primary weapons, most Deathwatch            speCial ability
Assault Marines carry a variety of other wargear, mostly in the
form of specialised types of grenade. These are unleashed as         angel of death
the Assault Marine charges or descends upon the screaming
jets of his jump pack, disrupting enemy formations and sowing        The Assault Marine gains the Swift Attack Talent.
death and confusion in their ranks, laying them wide open to
the Assault Marine’s charge.                                         In addition, choose one of the following:
    Those Assault Marines who have truly proven themselves
throughout multiple actions may be granted access to some            Wings of angels
of the most devastating and venerated melee weapons in the




                                                                                                                                    II: Specialities
arsenal of a Watch Fortress. Many of these are unique and            The Assault Marine may add 20 metres the movement rate
ancient, often crafted by the hand of the most revered of            of his Jump Pack with a successful Challenging (+0) Pilot
weapons smiths. It is a great honour to be allowed to carry          (Personal) Test. When making a Charge whilst using this
such weapons in combat, and every enemy slain by their               ability, the Space Marine adds an additional 1d5 Damage to
blade is recorded on a roll of honour, along with the name of        any melee attacks. This ability only functions when in Solo
wielder. Thus, the legacy of the Assault Marine’s deeds will live    Mode.
on, long after he himself has returned to his parent Chapter
or fallen in service to the Deathwatch, defending Mankind            Wrathful descent
against the myriad horrors of the galaxy.
                                                                      When making a Charge against a Horde, the Assault Marine
                                                                     may inflict an additional 1d10 damage to the Horde’s
startinG skills                                                      Magnitude after a successful melee attack. This ability only
The Deathwatch Assault Marine gains Pilot (Personal) as a            functions when in Squad Mode.
Trained Advanced Skill.



  Deathwatch Assault Marine Characteristic Advances
   Level                     Simple                    Intermediate            Trained                  Expert
   Weapon Skill              200                       500                     1,000                    1,500
   Ballistic Skill           750                       1,500                   2,000                    5,000
   Strength                  200                       500                     1,000                    1,500
   Toughness                 500                       1,000                   1,500                    2,000
   Agility                   200                       500                     1,000                    1,500
   Intelligence              750                       1,500                   2,000                    5,000
   Perception                200                       500                     1,000                    1,500
   Willpower                 750                       1,500                   2,000                    5,000
   Fellowship                500                       1,000                   1,500                    2,000



  Rank 1 Deathwatch Assault Marine Advances
   Advance                          Cost                            Type                         Prerequisites
   Catfall                          200                             Talent                       Ag 30
   Double Team                      200                             Talent                       —
   Takedown                         500                             Talent                       —
   Two-weapon Wielder (Ballistic)   500                             Talent                       BS 35, Ag 35
   Two-weapon Wielder (Melee)       500                             Talent                       WS 35, Ag 35



  Rank 2 Deathwatch Assault Marine Advances
   Advance                          Cost                            Type                         Prerequisites
   Pilot (Personal) +10             500                             Skill                        Pilot (Personal)
   Crushing Blow                    600                             Talent                       S 40
   Lightning Reflexes               500                             Talent                       —
   Sure Strike                      500                             Talent                       WS 30
   Lightning Attack                 600                             Talent                       Swift Attack



                                                                                                                    73
                   Rank 3 Deathwatch Assault Marine Advances
                   Advance                 Cost          Type     Prerequisites
                   Acrobatics              400           Skill    —
                   Pilot (Personal) +20    500           Skill    Pilot (Personal)
                   Berserk Charge          700           Talent   —
                   Leap Up                 500           Talent   Ag 30
                   Precise Blow            700           Talent   WS 40, Sure Strike
                   Sound Constitution      1,000         Talent   —
                   Wall of Steel           700           Talent   Ag 35
II: Specialities




                   Rank 4 Deathwatch Assault Marine Advances
                   Advance                 Cost          Type     Prerequisites
                   Counter-Attack          600           Talent   WS 40
                                                                  Ag 40, Two-weapon Wielder
                   Dual Strike             500           Talent
                                                                  (Melee)
                   Hammer Blow             800           Talent   —


                   Rank 5 Deathwatch Assault Marine Advances
                   Advance                 Cost          Type     Prerequisites
                   Acrobatics +10          400           Skill    Acrobatics
                   Assassin Strike         500           Talent   Ag 40, Acrobatics
                   Death From Above        900           Talent   Fly (Jump Pack)
                   Disarm                  500           Talent   Ag 30
                   Furious Assault         500           Talent   WS 35


                   Rank 6 Deathwatch Assault Marine Advances
                   Advance                 Cost          Type     Prerequisites
                   Blademaster             800           Talent   WS 30
                   Hard Target             600           Talent   Ag 40
                   Step Aside              800           Talent   Ag 40, Dodge


                   Rank 7 Deathwatch Assault Marine Advances
                   Advance                 Cost          Type     Prerequisites
                   Acrobatics +20          400           Skill    Acrobatics +10
                   Crippling Strike        400           Talent   WS 50
                                                                  Ag 40, Two-weapon Wielder
                   Dual Shot               600           Talent
                                                                  (Ballistic)
                   Independent Targeting   800           Talent   BS 40


                   Rank 8 Deathwatch Assault Marine Advances
                   Advance                 Cost          Type     Prerequisites
                   Combat Master           500           Talent   WS 30
                                                                  BS 40, Two-weapon Wielder
                   Gunslinger              700           Talent
                                                                  (Ballistic)
                   Preternatural Speed     1,000         Talent   WS 40, Ag 50
                   Whirlwind of Death      1,000         Talent   —




                            74
        Space Marines and the Ecclesiarchy




                                                                              II: Specialities
There has been conflict between the Adeptus Ministorum and the Chapters
of the Adeptus Astartes for millennia. They are rivals in power like
any of the Imperium’s institutions, but more importantly, their beliefs
differ at a very fundamental level. In particular, there is a schism in
the clergy’s thinking concerning the Space Marines. On the one hand,
the Space Marines above all others can truly be called the sons of the
Emperor. They are wholly his creation and are even blessed with elements
of the Emperor’s own genetic structure. They are the founders of the
Imperium and the supreme defenders of Humanity. The Space Marines
are unswervingly loyal to the Emperor and would die in the defence of
his domains.

However, the Space Marine Chapters do not adhere to the teachings of
the Ecclesiarchy. Their beliefs vary wildly from Chapter to Chapter, with
each worshipping the Emperor and their primarchs to differing degrees.
They have their own traditions, ceremonies, and beliefs, some of which are
very barbaric compared to the well-ordered rites of the Ecclesiarchy.
The Space Marines worship the Emperor as a great and gifted man, but
they do not consider him a god in the same sense as preached by the
Ecclesiarchy. His blood pumps through their veins, and he is considered
the ultimate example of mankind, but he is a man nonetheless. Also, it is
a matter of debate whether the Space Marines are truly human at all.
Their genetically engineered bodies are far superior to a normal human,
enough to make them a separate race in the eyes of some. Few can relate
to a monstrous giant who can spit acid, crush a man’s skull with one
hand, and practice acts of blood sacrifice.

An uneasy compromise has been reached over the millennia, which can
be summed up as an agreement to differ. The Ecclesiarchy does not send
its Confessors and Missionaries to the Space Marine worlds, and the
Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes do not interfere with the Adeptus
Ministorum. Space Marine Chaplains are given their precious rosarius by
the Ecclesiarchy as a symbolic link between the two institutions, but the
Chaplains still preach their own version of the Imperial Creed to their
brethren.

This uneasy truce has been shattered at times when a particularly zealous
Cardinal or Confessor has roused the ire of the Space Marine Chapters
with his words or deeds. These feuds are usually resolved quickly, though
not always without bloodshed, and the relative peace between the two
organisations returns.




                                                                         75
                            Deathwatch                                                      is capable of wiping out enemy wearing heavy armour that are
                                                                                            caught in its deadly blast effect.
                                                                                                If the Kill-team is likely to face enemies occupying highly

                            Devastator                                                      fortified bunkers or similar structures, the Devastator Marine
                                                                                            may carry a multi-melta to battle. This weapon is an even more
                                                                                            powerful version of the standard meltagun, and is capable of

                              Marine                                                        reducing an entire fortress wall to slag. A Devastator Marine
                                                                                            wielding such a weapon must be a master in its use, for it is
                                                                                            all too possible to bring down an entire structure on to the
                   “Look to your fore—there you shall see your foe. Blast him! With         heads of the Kill-team instead of burning a tunnel through
II: Specialities




                   bolt, flame, and plasma, lay waste to his body and shrive his very       an obstacle.
                   soul. Do this so that your brothers may close upon their target, do it       A commonly wielded heavy weapon is the missile launcher.
                   because their very lives depend upon your deeds, do it because they      The strength of this weapon is its versatility, as it is able to fire
                   are your kin, and you are theirs, and you can never fail.”               a wide range of missile types. Most common are frag and krak
                                                                                            missiles, which are essentially larger versions of the grenades
                   –Extract from the Apocrypha of Eons, Verse I, Chapter V                  of the same name. However, the Deathwatch maintains stocks
                                                                                            of more unusual or specialised warheads, including those


                   D
                             evastator Marines are those Battle-Brothers tasked             capable of delivering devastating toxins, gas, or even defoliants
                             with manning the very heaviest and most powerful of            for destroying vegetation. The Devastator Marine must be
                             portable weapons. In his parent Chapter, the Devastator        adept in the use of all such weapons, and he trains endlessly to
                      arine might recently have ascended from the 10th Scout                master their application.
                   Company, and therefore be undertaking a crucial stage in the                 In addition to his heavy weapon, a Devastator Marine is
                   process of mastering all of the arts of war. In the Deathwatch,          likely to carry a range of specialised equipment. Many carry
                   however, it is more likely that the Devastator Marine has                suspensors, small devices attached to the heavy weapon that
                   already served in his parent Chapter as a Devastator, Assault,           utilise a miniature anti-grav generator to provide sufficient lift
                   and Tactical Marine, and is returning to the role he most excels                                 to offset the weight of the weapon. Other
                   in—the application of overwhelming firepower.                                                           devices include additional targeting
                       In battle, the Deathwatch Devastator Marine                                                            gear built into the Devastator
                   carries one of a wide range of heavy weapons, and                                                              arine’s helmet and integrating
                   his role is to provide fire support for the other                                                            with pick-ups on the weapon
                   members of the Kill-team. It is often the                                                                    itself, allowing him to see his
                   case that a concentrated burst of fire                                                                       target from the point of view
                   from a heavy weapon will force the                                                                           of his weapon’s barrel. Some
                   enemy to seek cover, thus allowing                                                                          Devastator Marines utilise rare
                   the Kill-team to advance across                                                                            or exotic systems, often supplied
                   otherwise perilous ground.                                                                                on a mission-specific basis by a
                   Weapons such as the heavy                                                                              Techmarine. These include motion
                   bolter are ideal for this task, as                                                                 predictors, psych- ocular buffers and
                   they combine a high rate of fire                                                                   wide band electro-magnetic filters.
                   with a powerful ammunition                                                                            The number of Deathwatch Battle-
                   type. For this reason, the heavy                                                                Brothers designated as Devastator Marines
                   bolter is the most common                                                                      for a given mission depends upon the nature
                   type of heavy weapon                                                                         of the objective and the enemy, as does the
                   carried by Deathwatch                                                                     exact weapons each will carry. Deciding such
                   Devastator Marines, but                                                              details is the responsibility of the Watch Captain,
                   there are plenty more,                                                               and a mission’s success or failure might rest upon it.
                   chosen according to the                                                            Assigning two brothers to deployment as Devastator
                   nature of the mission and                                                                       arines allows for more flexibility, perhaps
                   the enemy.                                                                                             with one being equipped with a
                       If it is considered likely                                                                           heavy bolter and the other with a
                   that the Kill-team will                                                                                  lascannon, but doing so reduces
                   encounter especially large and                                                                            the overall flexibility of the team,
                   tough alien beasts, such as a                                                                            for fewer brethren will be serving
                   Tyranid Carnifex, the Devastator                                                                            as Tactical Marines. Sometimes,
                   Marine may take to the field carrying                                                                       two Devastator Marines may
                   a lascannon or a plasma cannon. Both                                                                       both carry the same weapon,
                   are long-ranged weapons with an extremely                                                so that one may cover the entire Kill-team as
                   powerful attack. The former is designed to destroy                                    it advances, before he redeploys covered by his
                   enemy tanks with the single shot, while the latter                                  Battle-Brothers.


                                76
   It is said that the single most important qualification to
serve as a Deathwatch Devastator Marine is not skill at arms or
the ability to maintain the heavy weaponry, but raw courage.                “Many find it utterly preposterous that a realm so vast as the
A Devastator Marine must often stand before gargantuan alien                Imperium should rely so completely upon only a million or
horrors, and it is vital that he remains as cold as steel as he             so Space Marines to defend it against the untold horrors of
draws a bead on his enemy’s weak point. It takes a very special             the galaxy. These fools ask, ‘if the Imperium is made up of
type of warrior to undertake such as task, one who has faced                more than a million worlds, how can but one Space Marine
and prevailed upon a million different xenos abominations                   defend each?’
and emerged victorious.
                                                                            They have no conception of the application of strategic




                                                                                                                                             II: Specialities
                                                                            power. They do not understand how but one battle can turn
speCial ability                                                             the tide of war in the same manner as one sniper’s bullet can
                                                                            end a tyranny. The Space Marines do not fight protracted
Choose one of the following:                                                campaigns or engage in wars of attrition; they launch
                                                                            lightning strikes where their presence will tip the balance.
immovable Warrior
                                                                            While the uncounted masses of the Imperial Guard engage
When the Devastator Marine is wielding a Heavy weapon and                   in century-spanning wars in which millions lay down their
behind cover, he gains the Sturdy Trait and a +10 bonus to all              lives to advance but a mile, the Space Marines carry the fight
                                                                            to the very heart of the enemy. By cutting out that heart, by
Ballistic Skill Tests. This ability only functions in Solo Mode.
                                                                            brandishing it before his eyes even as he dies, by crushing it
                                                                            to a pulp before his cowering followers, the Space Marines
Unrelenting devastation                                                     win the battles that win the wars that win the crusades that
                                                                              ltimately decide the balance of power in the entire galaxy.”
When firing a Heavy weapon, the Devastator Marine inflicts
1 extra point of damage to a Horde’s Magnitude for every hit.               –Discourses on the Seventy-Nine Truths
If using a weapon with the Blast Quality, he instead inflicts               of Statecraft
1d5 extra points of damage to a Horde’s Magnitude (after all
other hits have been applied). This ability only functions in
Squad Mode.

  Deathwatch Devastator Marine Characteristic Advances
   Level                    Simple                    Intermediate               Trained                        Expert
   Weapon Skill             750                       1,500                      2,000                          5,000
   Ballistic Skill          200                       500                        1,000                          1,500
   Strength                 200                       500                        1,000                          1,500
   Toughness                500                       1,000                      1,500                          2,000
   Agility                  750                       1,500                      2,000                          5,000
   Intelligence             750                       1,500                      2,000                          5,000
   Perception               200                       500                        1,000                          1,500
   Willpower                500                       1,000                      1,500                          2,000
   Fellowship               500                       1,000                      1,500                          2,000


  Rank 1 Deathwatch Devastator Marine Advances
   Advance                         Cost                            Type                                 Prerequisites
   Cleanse and Purify              500                             Talent                               —
   Exotic Weapon Training (any)    500                             Talent                               —
   Mighty Shot                     500                             Talent                               BS 40
   Stalwart Defence                500                             Talent                               —


  Rank 2 Deathwatch Devastator Marine Advances
   Advance                         Cost                            Type                                 Prerequisites
   Combat Formation                600                             Talent                               Int 40
   Crack Shot                      500                             Talent                               BS 40
   Deadeye Shot                    500                             Talent                               BS 30
   Die Hard                        500                             Talent                               WP 40
   Iron Jaw                        500                             Talent                               T 40



                                                                                                                              77
                   Rank 3 Deathwatch Devastator Marine Advances
                   Advance                   Cost        Type     Prerequisites
                   Bolter Drill              800         Talent   —
                   Hip Shooting              500         Talent   BS 40, Ag 40
                   Sound Constitution        1,000       Talent   —
                   Target Selection          500         Talent   BS 50


                   Rank 4 Deathwatch Devastator Marine Advances
II: Specialities




                   Advance                   Cost        Type     Prerequisites
                   Marksman                  500         Talent   BS 35
                   Rapid Reload              500         Talent   —
                   Storm of Iron             500         Talent   —


                   Rank 5 Deathwatch Devastator Marine Advances
                   Advance                   Cost        Type     Prerequisites
                   Hardy                     600         Talent   T 40
                   Sharpshooter              600         Talent   BS 40, Deadeye Shot
                   Sound Constitution        1,000       Talent   —


                   Rank 6 Deathwatch Devastator Marine Advances
                   Advance                   Cost        Type     Prerequisites
                   Tech-Use                  500         Skill    —
                   Rapid Reaction            500         Talent   Ag 40
                   Sound Constitution        1,000       Talent   —


                   Rank 7 Deathwatch Devastator Marine Advances
                   Advance                   Cost        Type     Prerequisites
                   Tech-Use +10              700         Skill    Tech-Use
                   Eye of Vengeance          1,000       Talent   BS 50
                   Sound Constitution (x2)   1,000       Talent   —


                   Rank 8 Deathwatch Devastator Marine Advances
                   Advance                   Cost        Type     Prerequisites
                   Tech-Use +20              800         Skill    Tech-Use +10
                   Sound Constitution        800         Talent   —
                   Swift Attack              700         Talent   WS 35




                            78
                                      The Traitor Legions
       With the defeat of the Traitor Legions dur
                                                       ing the Horus Heresy, the vanquished Spa
       into the Eye of Terror. There, close to the inte                                             ce Marines were driven
                                                         nse energies of the warp, they took worlds
      the lords and masters of daemon realms und                                                    for their own, becoming
                                                       er the patronage of their chosen gods. Fro
      the Chaos Space Marines continue to laun                                                     m these infernal regions,




                                                                                                                               II: Specialities
                                                        ch their wars of vengeance against the Imp
      warped realms, time has been abolished,                                                          erium. Within their
                                                     so that the very same Space Marine war
      the Emperor ten thousand years ago still                                                   riors who   fought against
                                                    live and continue to make war against the
     strands of time have become interwoven                                                       Imperium. For them, the
                                                    so that the past, present, and future hav
     eternal battle. Their defeat gnaws at them                                                 e merged into one endless,
                                                      like a cancer, and their hatred of the Imp
     to forge burns undimmed. These deadly war                                                    erium which they helped
                                                      riors who were once noble Space Marines
     reavers determined to destroy that which                                                      have become embittered
                                                    they once strove to uphold.
     Within the ever-changing delirium of the
                                                   daemon worlds, most Chaos Space Marine
     extremes of the warping influence of Cha                                                   s have survived the
                                                os by the strength of their hatred for the
     forgotten, nor forgiven, the mortal universe                                          Emperor. They have not
                                                    which expelled them and still exact a bloo
     the tides of the warp carry them back ther                                                  dy vengeance when
                                                 e. They are carried forth by ancient warship
    from the time of the Heresy, but are now                                                   s that have survived
                                               encrusted with millennia of baroque deco
    battle wounds. The fickle tides of the war                                            ration and scarred by old
                                                p can carry the Chaos Space Marines to
    They descend upon unsuspecting worlds, plun                                            anywhere in the galaxy.
                                                    dering all they can and razing anything they
    retreating once more to the Eye of Terror.                                                    cannot take before
                                               Though local forces may mount a courage
    against the invaders, they are doomed unle                                           ous and desperate defence
                                               ss Space Marines are on hand. Then, brother
    more, with all the bitterness and hatred unle                                            will  fight brother once
                                                  ashed at the height of the Horus Heresy ten
                                                                                               thousand years ago.

                                         Renegade Space           Marines
   Although the Horus Heresy represents by
                                                far the largest and most devastating exam
   casting off their vows of loyalty and turn                                                 ple of Space Marines
                                                ing on those they were created to defend,
   instances of rebellion throughout the millenn                                             there have been other
                                                 ia. Fortunately, the core precautions ensh
   Astartes have ensured that such rebellion                                                rine d within the Codex
                                              s have remained relatively small in scale,
   a tragic and totally unforgivable betraya                                               thou  gh each represents
                                             l. It is thought that several dozen Chapter
  oaths of service, some through seduction by                                             s have reneged on their
                                                Chaos, others through hubris, alien interven
  of heretical elements of their particular Cha                                               tion, or the fostering
                                                 pter dogma. These renegades are pursued
  with the same hatred and ferocity in which                                                by the Space Marines
                                               the Traitor Legions are held. In many case
  are hunted down with even greater zeal,                                                 s, in fact, the renegades
                                              and brought to justice by those who they
  called brother.                                                                          once stood beside and




                 crets of the Deathwatch v
                                         e en I da re not seek out...
There are some se
–Quist


                                                                                                           79
                           Deathwatch                                                      foes might be cut down as wheat before the scythe. Death
                                                                                           can be unleashed from afar as well, for the Librarian is able to
                                                                                           project his powers at distant enemies, launching deadly bolts

                            Librarian                                                      from a staff, an outstretched hand, or through his very gaze.
                                                                                           Unlike conventional weapons, a Librarian’s wrath cannot be
                                                                                           parried and does not run out of ammunition. The only limit
                   “Your fate is to know that which may not be known, to look into         on a Librarian’s powers is his own will, and this is as strong as
                   those places of darkness and desolation and know that horrors look      any of the Imperium’s mightiest heroes.
                   back upon you. Speak not to your brothers of such things, but use the       Librarians are also the guardians of the secrets of the
                   gifts you have been given, by the Emperor himself, to blast and sear    Deathwatch. Within each Watch Fortress is to be found the
II: Specialities




                   and rend and banish all those who would deny us our destiny.”           sealed Vault which stores weapons and relics too dangerous
                                                                                           to be allowed to fall into the hands of Mankind’s enemies.
                     –Extract from the Apocrypha of Eons, Verse XXI, Chapter               Also within the Vault is an archive of forbidden knowledge—
                                                           LXI (Appendix cii)              multiple stasis chambers contain ancient tomes, engraved
                                                                                           tablets, data-crystals, and mnemonic banks. Not even the


                   L
                          ibrarians are those Space Marines born as psykers,               Watch Commander has access to these archives—only the
                          able to wield the powers of the mind against the foes            Librarians are entrusted with their access codes, and only they
                          of Mankind. To be a Space Marine is to be one in a               are judged strong enough to withstand the sanity shattering
                   billion—a man judged strong, tough, and bold enough to                  secrets sealed within. It is only in the direst of circumstances
                   stand against the horrors of the galaxy. To be also a psyker,           that a Librarian will enter the Vault archive, for each time he
                   judged capable of holding back the ravenous beings of the               does so he is exposed to the whispering voices of long-dead
                   warp and to wield his powers in combat, the Librarian is truly          alien beings, tempting him with the power to rule the whole
                   one of Mankind’s most exceptional warriors.                             of Humanity in the name of ancient and blasphemous gods.
                         ost of the Librarians called to serve in the Deathwatch           Nevertheless, so terrible are many of the horrors faced by the
                   hold the rank of Lexicanium, the most junior of the four ranks          Deathwatch that the Librarian may be required to consult
                   of the Space Marines’ battlefield psykers. They are nonetheless         the archives in order to discover some previous record of an
                   warriors of fearsome ability and renown. However, a small               enemy’s weakness. Such knowledge can spell the difference
                   number of higher ranked Librarians do serve—the most                    between a mission’s success and failure.
                             senior become the Watch Commanders’ most                          Another role carried out by a Watch Fortress’s Librarians is
                                  valued counsellors. Within their own Chapters,           that of providing the Watch Commander with counsel. Given
                                     Librarians may have different titles and                       their access to forbidden knowledge and their innate
                                       unique methods of utilising their                                  understanding of arcane matters, the word of a
                                          powers. Amongst the Space                                          Librarian rarely goes unheeded in the Watch
                                            Wolves, for example,                                                Commander’s plans. In addition to this,
                                             Librarians are                                                       many Librarians are gifted with some
                                              known as                                                              degree of prognostication—whether
                   Ru n e                                                                                                              by way of visions,
                   Priests, and                                                                                                            meditation,
                   manifest                                                                                                                    consulting
                   their powers                                                                                                                  t    h     e
                   through         the                                                                                                            Emperor’s
                   casting of stone-                                                                                                              Tarot, or
                   engraved         runes,                                                                                                      seeming
                   manifesting spectral                                                                                                 intuition, Librarians
                   wolves      of     legend,                                                                                       can often discern
                   and summoning violent                                                                 something of what will come to pass. Though
                   thunderstorms.                                                                         such a premonition is rarely clear enough to
                       Librarians fulfil a number of roles within                                          provide complete certainty, it often provides
                   the Deathwatch. Chief among them is                                                       clues that enable an experienced Librarian
                   that of the combat psyker. By focusing                                                      to make a sound judgement concerning
                   his prodigious psychic powers, the                                                            potential dangers that may be faced in
                   Librarian is able to unleash withering                                                          an upcoming mission, and to advise the
                   blasts of searing energy at his foe,                                                              Watch Captains accordingly. Often,
                   reducing them to ashes with but a                                                                     the premonition focuses upon the
                   thought. Often, the energies are                                                                        actions of the Librarian himself,
                   directed and multiplied through the                                                                     telling him that his own
                   blade of a specially crafted weapon                                                                      presence will be required if a
                    uch as a force sword or halberd,                                                                        mission is to succeed. Many
                   with which even the mightiest of                                                                               Deathwatch Librarians


                                80
have foreseen their own death at the hands of some alien            startinG skills
monstrosity, and gone proudly and stoically to their fate, with
certain knowledge that their death will sow the seed of their       The Deathwatch Librarian begins with Psyniscience as a
companions’ victory.                                                Trained Advanced Skill.
    Another task at which many Librarians excel is the sending
of psychic messages. Many Librarians are skilled enough to
send messages from the surface of a planet to a vessel in orbit,
                                                                    speCial ability
and more powerful Librarians might even be able to contact
a fellow Librarian in another sector. Generally, the further        Battle-psyker
the message is projected the less clear it becomes. However,        The Librarian begins the game with a Psy Rating of 3 and access to




                                                                                                                                         II: Specialities
in several cases, a Kill-team that has been considered to be        three Psychic Techniques. Choose three from the following list:
lost has been recovered due to the efforts of a Librarian, who
managed to invoke a simple insight from the mind of a Battle-         Name          Description                                  Page
Brother light years away. Given the nature of some of the                           Bolster your comrades against pinning
                                                                      Inspire                                                    190
places into which the Deathwatch must go, such an ability                           and fear.
is invaluable, and has saved the lives of many of Humanity’s                        Read the Emperor’s Tarot to divine hints
                                                                      Augury                                                     192
mightiest warriors.                                                                 of the future.
    While many Deathwatch Librarians are, in effect, part of                        Sense a creature’s aura to gain insight
                                                                      Reading                                                    193
the Watch Commander’s officer cadre and not permanently                             into their nature.
assigned to a single Kill-team, in reality most come to associate                   Summon a flaming avatar of death to
                                                                      Avenger                                                    194
                                                                                    incinerate an area.
themselves with one single group of warriors. Such is the bond
                                                                                    Your arm is sheathed in a field of psychic
between the Battle-Brothers of a Kill-team that to separate
                                                                      Iron Arm      energy, and you may ward off enemy           194
them is to degrade their considerable combat effectiveness.                         attacks.
Deathwatch Librarians are able to make a significant
                                                                      Short Range
contribution to a Kill-team, lending their singular abilities to                  You can communicate mind-to-mind.              191
                                                                      Telepathy
the eternal war against the alien horrors of the galaxy.                          Conjure lethal bolts of lightning to blast
                                                                      Smite                                                      195
                                                                                  your enemies.




  Deathwatch Librarian Characteristic Advances
   Level                     Simple                    Intermediate              Trained                    Expert
   Weapon Skill              200                       500                       1,000                      1,500
   Ballistic Skill           750                       1,500                     2,000                      5,000
   Strength                  500                       1,000                     1,500                      2,000
   Toughness                 500                       1,000                     1,500                      2,000
   Agility                   750                       1,500                     2,000                      5,000
   Intelligence              200                       500                       1,000                      1,500
   Perception                200                       500                       1,000                      1,500
   Willpower                 200                       500                       1,000                      1,500
   Fellowship                750                       1,500                     2,000                      5,000


  Rank 1 Deathwatch Librarian Advances
   Advance                              Cost                           Type                 Prerequisites
   Invocation                           400                            Skill                —
   Lore: Common (any)                   400                            Skill                —
   Lore: Forbidden (Adeptus Astartes)   200                            Skill                —
   Lore: Forbidden (Psykers)            400                            Skill                —
   Lore: Forbidden (Warp)               400                            Skill                —
   Lore: Scholastic (any)               400                            Skill                —
   Psyniscience                         400                            Skill                —
   Foresight                            600                            Talent               Int 30
   Psychic Power (x2)                   Varies*                        Talent               Varies*
   Rite of Sanctioning                  400                            Talent               Psy Rating
   Warp Sense                           500                            Talent               Psy Rating, Psyniscience, Per 30
   *See Chapter 6: Psychic Powers



                                                                                                                         81
                   Rank 2 Deathwatch Librarian Advances
                   Advance                                  Cost                Type          Prerequisites
                   Invocation +10                         400                   Skill         Invocation
                   Lore: Forbidden (Adeptus Astartes) +10 200                   Skill         Lore: Forbidden (Adeptus Astartes)
                   Lore: Forbidden (Daemonology)          400                   Skill         —
                   Lore: Forbidden (Psykers) +10          400                   Skill         Lore: Forbidden (Psykers)
                   Lore: Forbidden (Traitor Legions)      400                   Skill         —
                   Lore: Forbidden (Warp) +10             400                   Skill         Lore: Forbidden (Warp)
                   Lore: Scholastic (any) +10             400                   Skill         Lore: Scholastic (same skill group)
II: Specialities




                   Psyniscience +10                       400                   Skill         Psyniscience
                   Psy Rating 4                           500                   Talent        Psy Rating 3
                   Psychic Power                          Varies*               Talent        Varies*
                   *See Chapter 6: Psychic Powers



                   Rank 3 Deathwatch Librarian Advances
                   Advance                                  Cost                 Type     Prerequisites
                   Ciphers (any)                            400                  Skill    —
                   Invocation +20                           400                  Skill    Invocation +10
                   Lore: Common (any) +10                   400                  Skill    Lore: Common (same skill group)
                   Lore: Forbidden (Adeptus Astartes) +20   200                  Skill    Lore: Forbidden (Adeptus Astartes) +10
                   Lore: Forbidden (Daemonology) +10        800                  Skill    Lore: Forbidden (Daemonology)
                   Lore: Forbidden (Heresy)                 800                  Skill    —
                   Lore: Forbidden (Psykers) +20            400                  Skill    Lore: Forbidden (Psykers) +10
                   Lore: Forbidden (Traitor Legions) +10    400                  Skill    Lore: Forbidden (Traitor Legions)
                   Lore: Forbidden (Warp) +20               400                  Skill    Lore: Forbidden (Warp) +10
                   Lore: Scholastic (any) +20               400                  Skill    Lore: Scholastic (same skill group) +10
                   Psyniscience +20                         400                  Skill    Psyniscience +10
                   Meditation                               500                  Talent   —
                   Psy Rating 5                             500                  Talent   Psy Rating 4
                   Swift Attack                             700                  Talent   WS 35
                   Warp Conduit                             800                  Talent   —


                   Rank 4 Deathwatch Librarian Advances
                   Advance                                   Cost                Type      Prerequisites
                   Lore: Forbidden (Daemonology) +20         800                 Skill     Lore: Forbidden (Daemonology) +10
                   Lore: Forbidden (Heresy) +10              800                 Skill     Lore: Forbidden (Heresy)
                   Lore: Forbidden (Traitor Legions) +20     400                 Skill     Lore: Forbidden (Traitor Legions) +10
                   Combat Sense                              1,000               Talent    Per 40
                   Improved Warp Sense                       1,500               Talent    Warp Sense
                   Infused Knowledge                         1,000               Talent    Int 40
                   Lightning Reflexes                        1,000               Talent    —
                   Psy Rating 6                              1,000               Talent    Psy Rating 5
                   Psychic Power                             Varies*             Talent    Varies*
                   Strong Minded                             1,000               Talent    WP 30, Resistance (Psychic Powers)
                   *See Chapter 6: Psychic Powers


                   Rank 5 Deathwatch Librarian Advances
                   Advance                         Cost                Type               Prerequisites
                   Ciphers (any) +10               400                 Skill              Ciphers (same skill group)
                   Lore: Common (any) +20          400                 Skill              Lore: Common +10 (same skill group)
                   Lore: Forbidden (Heresy) +20    800                 Skill              Lore: Forbidden (Heresy) +10
                   Psy Rating 7                    1200                Talent             Psy Rating 6



                            82
Rank 6 Deathwatch Librarian Advances
Advance                          Cost                     Type                 Prerequisites
Bastion of Iron Will             1,000                    Talent               Psy Rating, Strong Minded, WP 40
Disturbing Voice                 500                      Talent               —
Psy Rating 8                     1,500                    Talent               Psy Rating 7
Psychic Power                    Varies*                  Talent               Varies*
Step Aside                       500                      Talent               Ag 40, Dodge
*See Chapter 6: Psychic Powers




                                                                                                                           II: Specialities
Rank 7 Deathwatch Librarian Advances
Advance                          Cost                     Type                         Prerequisites
Ciphers (any) +20                400                      Skill                        Ciphers (same skill group) +10
Crushing Blow                    800                      Talent                       S 40
Favoured by the Warp             800                      Talent                       WP 35
Lightning Attack                 800                      Talent                       Swift Attack
Psy Rating 9                     2,000                    Talent                       Psy Rating 8


Rank 8 Deathwatch Librarian Advances
Advance                          Cost                     Type                         Prerequisites
Furious Assault                  800                      Talent                       WS 35
Preternatural Speed              2,000                    Talent                       WS 40, Ag 50
Psy Rating 10                    2500                     Talent                       Psy Rating 9
Psychic Power                    Varies*                  Talent                       Varies*
*See Chapter 6: Psychic Powers




                                 Specialist Space Marine Ranks
    Aside from the Battle-Brothers and their superiors, a Chapter contains many more Space Marines who serve
    as specialists. Some of these, such as the Chaplains, are part of the establishment of a specific company, while
    others, such as the Techmarines, are part of a separate body within the Chapter, and attached to a battle force
    as required.

    Chaplains are mighty warriors and truly inspirational leaders. Their duty is to tend to the spiritual welfare of
    the brethren, on and off of the battlefield. Many of the sights a Space Marine must witness and many of the fell
    beings he must face are so infernal that the soul of an ordinary man would be seared to ashes. The ministrations
    of the Chaplains ensure that Space Marines remain pure of heart, armouring their souls with unshakable faith.
    Just as the Chaplains see to the spiritual well being of the Battle-Brothers, so the Apothecaries look to their
    bodily health. These warriors would give their last drop of blood that a Space Marine might continue to fight,
    and they are able to heal the most grievous of battlefield injuries. The Apothecaries are assigned the most sacred
    of duties, that of recovering the gene-seed of a fallen Battle-Brother, so that the Chapter’s genetic future might
    be ensured and his memory lives on in the inheritance of future generations of Space Marines.

    For the mightiest heroes of a Chapter, even death does not spell the end of service. Even if a Space Marine’s body
    is crippled so utterly that no hope of healing exists, his broken form may be interred into the ceramite sarcophagus
    of a Dreadnought, where his will drives a towering engine of destruction. Such heroes are mightily revered by the
    Space Marines, and the Battle-Brother’s words and deeds are the very stuff of Chapter legend.

    Those Neophytes who show an affinity for the workings of the machine are assigned to the Forge, where
    they undergo extensive training in the mastery of all of the Chapter’s weaponry and vehicles. These so-called
    Techmarines are dispatched to Mars, where they are inducted into the secrets of the Cult Mechanicus by the tech-
    priests of the Omnissiah. In battle, the Techmarines operate, maintain, and repair the Chapter’s many fearsome
    engines of war.

                                                                                                         83
                           Deathwatch                                                       regimes. They are invariably fitted with a device called a
                                                                                            shot selector, which allows the brother to quickly chamber
                                                                                            one of the many specialised types of bolter ammunition

                            Tactical                                                        that the Deathwatch utilises, and engage any foe that may
                                                                                            present itself.
                                                                                                It is the use of this specialised ammunition that makes the

                             Marine                                                         Deathwatch Tactical Marine such a fearsome and highly flexible
                                                                                            warrior. Hellfire rounds for example, have been introduced
                                                                                            following the lessons learned in costly battles against Hive
                   “No place shall be denied to them, no enemy shall bar their way.         Fleet Behemoth, each containing a small payload of mutogenic
II: Specialities




                   They shall be proud of heart and stoic of spirit. They shall be          acid that is devastating to organic matter. Dragonfire rounds
                   measured and wise, yet their hatred shall burn with such heat that       explode on contact with their foe, erupting in a burst of
                   their enemies wither and die before them. They shall be masters of       incandescent chemical fire that soon engulfs the target.
                   every weapon, every ploy, and every strategy, fierce in the attack and   Kraken rounds contain a super-dense core that affords them
                   solid in the defence. They shall go where others fear to tread, and      improved range and penetration compared to a conventional
                   return victorious, that we all might live but one more day.”             round, making them ideal against heavily armoured targets.
                                                                                            Metal Storm rounds are examples of highly sophisticated and
                      –Extract from the Apocrypha of Eons, Verse I, Chapter III             barely understood technology, a miniscule proximity detector
                                                                                            triggering the round’s detonation microseconds before impact,


                   T
                           actical Marines are the most numerous of Space Marine            and lacerating the foe with thousands of razor-sharp fragments,
                           warriors, and as their name suggests they are equipped           causing him to bleed out in seconds. Stalker shells are optimised
                           and trained to fulfil the widest range of battlefield roles.     for range and stealth, allowing a Tactical Marine to use his
                   Armed with the iconic boltgun, Tactical Marines provide the              bolter as a makeshift sniper rifle, increasing his flexibility and
                   bulk of the Kill-team’s firepower, which they are able to lay            lethality still further.
                   down in a devastating fusillade even as they advance implacably              This huge range of ammunition types means that the
                   towards their objective. Most Battle-Brothers taking up service          Deathwatch Tactical Marine can face a wide range of foes,
                   in the Deathwatch have advanced to the position of                       and the shot selector allows him to switch, even in the heat of
                   Tactical Marine in their parent Chapters, and so are                                 battle, from one to the next. Some Tactical Marines,
                   veteran warriors well versed in the many disciplines                                           however, choose to specialise instead of
                   of war. Truly, there are very few enemies that                                                      taking this all-round approach. It is
                   the Tactical Marine has not encountered and                                                            not uncommon for one of a Kill-
                   defeated, and no battlefield holds any                                                                    team’s Tactical Marines to carry a
                   terror for him.                                                                                                    special weapon, such as
                       The primary task of a Kill-                                                                                       a flamer or meltagun
                   team’s Tactical Marines is to                                                                                          into combat. Such
                   engage the bulk of the foe,                                                                                             weapons do not have
                   and to bring about the                                                                                                   the broad utility
                   achievement of its                                                                                                        of a boltgun fitted
                   objectives. Any                                                                                                           with a shot selector
                    pecialists in                                                                                                            and        utilising
                   the      team,                                                                                                            the      specialised
                   such       as                                                                                                             ammunition        of
                   Devastator                                                                                                                the    Deathwatch.
                   Marines                                                                                                                  Instead they excel in
                   and Assault                                                                                                              one particular field,
                   Marines, are                                                                                                             such as engaging
                   present mainly to support                                                                                          multiple foes in the case
                   the Tactical Marines in their task. To this end, the                                 of the flamer, or attacking heavily armoured enemies
                   Tactical Marines are masters of a wide range of                                     or positions in the case of the meltagun.
                   combat tactics, and they are adept in the use of a                                    Because he has already served as Scout, Devastator,
                   variety of weapons and other equipment.                                            and Assault Marine in his parent Chapter, a Tactical
                       The most commonly fielded weapon                                               Marine is able to take over the duties of a fallen brother
                   amongst the Deathwatch Tactical Marines                                           should the mission demand. Even if he is not as well
                   is the bolter, but this is not the standard                                       practised in a specialist weapon, such as a multi-melta,
                   issue weapon carried by other Chapters.                                            a Tactical Marine can take over the operation of such a
                   Almost every boltgun in the arsenal of                                             weapon should the Devastator carrying it fall in action.
                   the Deathwatch has been crafted to                                                 Such flexibility and range of skills and experience makes
                   the very highest possible standard, and                                   the Deathwatch Tactical Marine the core of the Kill-team, and
                   maintained according to the strictest                                                      the equal of almost any foe he may encounter.


                                84
startinG skills
The Deathwatch Tactical Marine begins with Command as a
Trained Advanced Skill.


speCial ability
Choose one of the following:

Bolter mastery




                                                                                                             II: Specialities
The Tactical Marine gains a +10 bonus to all Ballistic Skill
Tests and +2 to Damage when firing a Bolt weapon. This
ability only functions in Solo Mode.

tactical expertise
When initiating a Squad Mode ability, the Tactical Marine
may share the benefits of his Chapter’s Squad Mode
abilities with the members of his Kill-team as if they were
part of his Chapter. This requires a successful Hard (-20)
Command Test. At Rank 3, the Command Test becomes
Challenging (+0). At Rank 7, the Command Test becomes
Routine (+20).




  Deathwatch Tactical Marine Characteristic Advances
  Level                     Simple                Intermediate          Trained         Expert
  Weapon Skill              500                   1,000                 1,500           2,000
  Ballistic Skill           500                   1,000                 1,500           2,000
  Strength                  500                   1,000                 1,500           2,000
  Toughness                 500                   1,000                 1,500           2,000
  Agility                   500                   1,000                 1,500           2,000
  Intelligence              500                   1,000                 1,500           2,000
  Perception                500                   1,000                 1,500           2,000
  Willpower                 200                   500                   1,000           1,500
  Fellowship                200                   500                   1,000           1,500


  Rank 1 Deathwatch Tactical Marine Advances
  Advance                          Cost                        Type               Prerequisites
  Air of Authority                 500                         Talent             Fel 30
  Astartes Weapon Specialisation   1,000                       Talent             Astartes Weapon Training
  Double Team                      200                         Talent             —
  Rapid Reload                     200                         Talent             —


  Rank 2 Deathwatch Tactical Marine Advances
  Advance                          Cost                        Type               Prerequisites
  Combat Sense                     500                         Talent             Per 40
  Hip Shooting                     500                         Talent             BS 40, Ag 40
  Mighty Shot                      500                         Talent             BS 40



                                                                                                   85
                   Rank 3 Deathwatch Tactical Marine Advances
                   Advance                          Cost    Type     Prerequisites
                   Cleanse and Purify               400     Talent   —
                   Combat Formation                 600     Talent   Int 40
                   Iron Discipline                  600     Talent   WP 30, Command
                   Marksman                         600     Talent   BS 35


                   Rank 4 Deathwatch Tactical Marine Advances
II: Specialities




                   Advance                          Cost    Type     Prerequisites
                   Call to Vengeance                1,000   Talent   Fel 40
                   Deadeye Shot                     500     Talent   BS 30
                   Storm of Iron                    800     Talent   —
                   Target Selection                 800     Talent   BS 50


                   Rank 5 Deathwatch Tactical Marine Advances
                   Advance                          Cost    Type     Prerequisites
                   Bolter Drill                     1,000   Talent   —
                   Sound Constitution               1,000   Talent   —
                   Two-weapon Wielder (Ballistic)   800     Talent   BS 35, Ag 35
                   Unbowed and Unbroken             800     Talent   Fel 40


                   Rank 6 Deathwatch Tactical Marine Advances
                   Advance                          Cost    Type     Prerequisites
                   Into the Jaws of Hell            600     Talent   Iron Discipline
                   Master Orator                    700     Talent   Fel 30
                   Sharpshooter                     600     Talent   BS 40, Deadeye Shot
                   Swift Attack                     500     Talent   WS 35


                   Rank 7 Deathwatch Tactical Marine Advances
                   Advance                          Cost    Type     Prerequisites
                   Foresight                        800     Talent   Int 40
                   Hard Target                      800     Talent   Ag 40
                   Independent Targeting            800     Talent   BS 40


                   Rank 8 Deathwatch Tactical Marine Advances
                   Advance                          Cost    Type     Prerequisites
                   Eye of Vengeance                 1,000   Talent   BS 50
                                                                     BS 40, Two-weapon Wielder
                   Gunslinger                       1,000   Talent
                                                                     (Ballistic)
                   Stalwart Defence                 800     Talent   —




                            86
                      si o n o f th e Adeptus Astartes
               The Mis                              its forms. These                             ination in all
                                                ers   of worlds, bringers of ru                                                  h.”
“We are the slayers of  kin gs , th e de stroy
                                                              th   e  de  fen   ce  of  M   an  kin d. Let none stay our wrat
                           of the Emperor and            in
things we do in the name                                                                                                    mpany
                                                                                                 e Ultramarines 2nd Co




                                                                                                                                         II: Specialities
                                                        Si  ca   riu   s,  Ca   pt ai  n  of  th
                                             –Cato
                                                                                                                              arine
                                                         ity   ,  th  e   nu   mb    ers  of   wa  rriors that the Space M
                              masses of Human                                        perium’s population has
                                                                                                                    ever, or indeed
 Compared to the teeming                   le.  N   o cen   su   s  of  th  e   Im                                       n scarcely
                             ly miniscu                                                      also vague. Yet, there ca
 Chapters can field is utter                            of  Sp    ac  e  M   ar  in   es is
                             the true numbers                                                                       mber of worlds
 could ever, be taken, and                   rte  s in   ser  vic   e,  wh   ich    ro ughly equates to the nu
                               eptus Asta
 be more than a million Ad
                             natorum Imperialis.
 held to be ruled by the Se                                                                                                   ssed of
                                                          an     eli te   for  ce.  W   hi le  th e Imperial Navy is posse
                            the very epitome of                                                                    arines represent
  The Space Marines are                        l  Gu   ar  d  th   e  gr  ea  tes  t  manpower, the Space M                       s of
  the greatest firepower an
                            d the Imperia
                                                              Im    pe  ria   l  Gu   ar d  ar  my   group of many thousand
                            ical strike. Where an                                   equal numbers, the Spac
                                                                                                                  e Marines would
  the pinnacle of the surg                   ag   ai ns  t an     en   em  y    of                                              sault.
  warriors might batter its
                              elf to pieces
                                                            le   po  we   r  am    as  sed  at   th e very forefront of the as
                             y’s heart, unstoppab                                ad bypass or smash str
                                                                                                                 aight through its
   cut straight to the enem                 ma   in   lin  e,   bu   t  in  ste                                               nce. By
   They do not engage th
                             e enemy’s
                                                           co mm      an   d    or  oth  er   ta rgets of strategic importa
                               rectly at the high                                                                     emy forces are
   weakest point, striking di                  s,   ov erw   he   lm   in  g  po  we   r, the remainder of the en            otracted
                                            les
   eliminating such targets
                               with ruth
                                                             ve    th  eir   fin  al   de str  uc tion, which may be a pr
                              e Space Marines lea
    wont to crumble, and th
                                ard.
    affair to the Imperial Gu
                               of a Space Marine’s
    It is the combination
                               genetically-engineered
    indomitable courage, his
                                weaponry and, most
    body, his devastating
                                doctrine under which
    importantly of all, the
                                 a peerless instrument
     he serves that makes him
                                No foe in the entire
     of the Emperor’s will.
                                    apter Master turns
     galaxy is safe when a Ch
                                 his hiding place, for
     his attentions towards
                                 e Marine battle force
     time after time, a Spac
                                  warriors has defeated
      of a mere hundred or so
                                    own number by the
      a foe countless times its
                                   le of bringing to bear
      timeless military princip
                                  e most enemy’s most
      the utmost force at th
       vulnerable point.
                                  s of the Deathwatch,
       In serving in the rank
                                   inuing this principle,
       a Space Marine is cont
                                     it to bear at the very
       refining it, and bringing
                                    plunged directly into
        tip of the spear which is
                                    s of Mankind.
        the heart of the vilest foe




                                                                                                            87
                           Deathwatch                                                            On the battlefield, a Techmarine’s primary role is to effect
                                                                                             repairs of damaged equipment, so that it may return to the fight.
                                                                                             Each Techmarine carries a huge range of highly specialised

                           Techmarine                                                        and often arcane tools, sometimes mounted on a servo-arm or
                                                                                             at the end of a prehensile mechadendrite. With these tools, the
                                                                                             Techmarine can repair virtually any item of equipment, from
                   “Yours is to heed the machine as others heed their kin. Tend to the       an overheated plasma pistol to an immobilised Land Raider,
                   war spirits all about, but do so in the knowledge that you do the         provided that some spark of the machine spirit’s essence remains.
                   Emperor’s duty. Without your ministrations, no bolt may be fired,         Many battles have been won thanks to a Techmarine recovering
                   and no enemy slain.”                                                      a damaged weapon in this manner, and in their own way they are
II: Specialities




                                                                                             often vital to a mission’s success.
                    –Extract from the Apocrypha of Eons, Verse III, Chapter CIV                  Although many of the weapons carried by Space Marines are
                                                                                             wonders of technology beyond the dreams of normal men, there


                   T
                           echmarines are those brethren schooled in the forbidden           are some machines that are so exceptional that only a Techmarine
                           knowledge of the Omnissiah—the Machine God. Those                 may attend them. One of the most unusual of these is the conversion
                           aspirants who display an affinity for the operation of            beamer, a rare weapon that works by converting matter to energy
                   machines undergo special trials and tests, to discern their suitability   in a beam that becomes stronger the further it extends and the
                   to receive additional training under the Adeptus Mechanicus.              more matter is converted. It is only by the constant ministrations of
                   Upon their ascension to the status of Battle-Brother, those               a Techmarine that such a weapon can be utilised—should anyone
                   judged worthy are dispatched to a Forge world of the Adeptus              else attempt to use the weapon, its war spirit might become greatly
                   Mechanicus—perhaps even Mars itself, where they are inducted              angered and turn its ire upon the wielder instead.
                   into the secrets of the Machine Cult. Upon his eventual return                There are yet more weapons and items of equipment even
                   to his Chapter, the Space Marine has learned                              more exotic than the conversion beamer. Many are unique,
                   not only the operation of all manner of                                                 and all are sealed within the Vault at the heart of
                   machinery, but also how to convene                                                            each Watch Fortress. Just as the Librarian has
                   with the machine spirits themselves,                                                              exclusive access to the reams of forbidden
                   how to undertake repairs of aggrieved                                                                knowledge in each of these archives,
                   or wounded machines, and even how to                                                                   so the Deathwatch Techmarine keeps
                   build new ones. This terrible knowledge                                                                his portion of the Vault sealed to all
                   weighs heavily upon the newly created                                                             but his fellow Techmarines. There are
                   Techmarine, and in many ways sets him                                                             weapons kept within the Vault the likes
                   apart from the ranks of his brothers.                                                                                  of which are thought
                   Yet, despite his induction into the                                                                                        to be unique in the
                   most secret of arts, he is, and shall                                                                                        galaxy, their secrets
                   ever remain, a Space Marine.                                                                                                  impenetrable even
                       The most critical of their                                                                                                to the highest of
                   tasks is to operate, maintain,                                                                                               the Tech-Priests of
                   and, if necessary, repair the                                                                                               Mars. In many cases,
                   myriad of war machines used                                                                                               the       Techmarines
                   by the Space Marines. Every                                                                                             have only incomplete
                   item of technology, from a                                                                                           knowledge        of     their
                    imple round of ammunition                                                                          operation, and no understanding of their
                   to a battle barge, is revered                                                                     maintenance. Such weapons might be lost
                   as an instrument of the                                                                          relics from the Dark Age of Technology, or
                   Emperor’s divine will, and                                                                      the product of alien technologies long since
                   the Techmarine knows that                                                                      vanished from the galaxy. Some are known
                   to neglect such equipment                                                                    to be capable of unleashing unprecedented
                   is akin to dereliction of duty                                                              levels of destruction, perhaps laying waste to
                   and blasphemy. After all, a                                                                entire cities in a single blast. Others are so poorly
                   bolter not cleaned, oiled, blessed,                                                        understood that their use would only be risked in
                   and beseeched can scarcely be                                                                              the direst of circumstances, and it is
                   expected to be reliable in battle,                                                                                   the responsibility of the
                   and so a Space Marine’s life may                                                                                     Deathwatch Techmarine
                   depend upon how well such weapons                                                                                   to do so when called upon
                   are maintained. Techmarines oversee this                                                                      by his Watch Commander.
                   process, guiding the battle brothers in the                                                                     A final, and often critical
                   correct and proper rituals by which the                                                                    role performed by Deathwatch
                   war spirit of each and every weapon is                                                                  Techmarines is the evaluation and, if
                   appeased.                                                                                           deemed necessary, the retrieval of alien


                                88
  Deathwatch Techmarine Characteristic Advances
   Level                      Simple                    Intermediate             Trained                Expert
   Weapon Skill               500                       1,000                    1,500                  2,000
   Ballistic Skill            500                       1,000                    1,500                  2,000
   Strength                   200                       500                      1,000                  1,500
   Toughness                  200                       500                      1,000                  1,500
   Agility                    750                       1,500                    2,000                  5,000
   Intelligence               200                       500                      1,000                  1,500
   Perception                 500                       1,000                    1,500                  2,000




                                                                                                                                     II: Specialities
   Willpower                  750                       1,500                    2,000                  5,000
   Fellowship                 750                       1,500                    2,000                  5,000


  Rank 1 Deathwatch Techmarine Advances
   Advance                             Cost                            Type                         Prerequisites
   Lore: Forbidden (Adeptus
                                       400                             Skill                        —
   Mechanicus)
   Security                            400                             Skill                        —
   Speak Language (Techna-Lingua)      200                             Skill                        —
   Tech-Use                            400                             Skill                        —
   Autosanguine                        500                             Talent                       —
   Electro-Graft Use                   600                             Talent                       —
   Feedback Screech                    500                             Talent                       Techmarine
   Mechadendrite Use (any)             500                             Talent                       Techmarine
   Technical Knock                     500                             Talent                       Int 30
   The Flesh is Weak 1                 800                             Talent                       —


  Rank 2 Deathwatch Techmarine Advances
   Advance                                      Cost          Type                         Prerequisites
   Lore: Forbidden (Adeptus Mechanicus) +10     400           Skill                        Lore: Forbidden (Adeptus Mechanicus)
   Lore: Forbidden (Archeotech)                 400           Skill                        —
   Speak Language (Techna-Lingua) +10           200           Skill                        Speak Language (Techna-Lingua)
   Ferric Lure                                  500           Talent                       Techmarine
   Logis Implant                                500           Talent                       —
   Luminen Charge                               500           Talent                       Techmarine
   Mimic                                        500           Talent                       —
   Rite of Awe                                  1,000         Talent                       Techmarine


technology encountered in the field. In the first instance, a          speCial ability
Techmarine must be able to ascertain whether alien machinery
presents an immediate danger to the Kill-team, and if it does he       improve cover
must conceive a plan of action to neutralise or circumvent the
threat. This is especially true when boarding alien spacecraft, for    The Techmarine can add a number of Armour Points equal
the team might be faced with a wholly alien environment, in            to his unmodified Intelligence Bonus to any cover (see page
which even the most innocuous looking item might prove to be a         246). Improving cover requires one Full Action.
deadly weapon system. In the second instance, it is long-standing
doctrine that, if possible, examples of alien technology should        Blessed by the omnissiah
be recovered so they may be studied by the Xenos-Savants of
the Inquisition. Such a task is dangerous in the extreme, but vital    The Techmarine begins the game with the Mechanicus Implants
to the continued mission of the Deathwatch, and potentially the        Trait and the Electro-Graft Use and Mechadendrite Use
very survival of Mankind.                                              (Servo-Arm) Talents.


startinG skills
The Deathwatch Techmarine begins with Speak Language
(Techna-Lingua) and Tech-Use as Trained Advanced Skills.


                                                                                                                    89
                   Rank 3 Deathwatch Techmarine Advances
                   Advance                                       Cost     Type              Prerequisites
                   Lore: Forbidden (Adeptus Mechanicus) +20      400      Skill             Lore: Forbidden (Adeptus Mechanicus) +10
                   Lore: Forbidden (Archeotech) +10              400      Skill             Lore: Forbidden (Archeotech)
                   Security +10                                  400      Skill             Security
                   Speak Language (Techna-Lingua) +20            200      Skill             Speak Language (Techna-Lingua) +10
                   Tech-Use +10                                  400      Skill             Tech-Use
                   Infused Knowledge                             1,000    Talent            Int 40
                   The Flesh is Weak 2                           800      Talent            The Flesh is Weak 1
II: Specialities




                   Weapon-Tech                                   600      Talent            Techmarine


                   Rank 4 Deathwatch Techmarine Advances
                   Advance                                        Cost         Type                 Prerequisites
                   Lore: Forbidden (Archeotech) +20               400          Skill                Lore: Forbidden (Archeotech) +10
                   Binary Chatter                                 500          Talent               —
                   Disturbing Voice                               400          Talent               —
                   Luminen Shock                                  800          Talent               Techmarine
                   Rite of Fear                                   1,000        Talent               Techmarine
                   Servo-Harness Integration                      1,000        Talent               Mechadendrite Use (Servo-arm)
                   Signature Wargear (Hero) (Artificer Armour)    1200         Talent               —


                   Rank 5 Deathwatch Techmarine Advances
                   Advance                          Cost                           Type                 Prerequisites
                   Security +20                     400                            Skill                Security +10
                   Tech-Use +20                     400                            Skill                Tech-Use +10
                   Gun Blessing                     800                            Talent               Techmarine
                   Master Enginseer                 1,000                          Talent               Tech-Use +10
                   Prosanguine                      1,000                          Talent               Autosanguine
                   The Flesh is Weak 3              1,000                          Talent               The Flesh is Weak 2


                   Rank 6 Deathwatch Techmarine Advances
                   Advance                          Cost                           Type                 Prerequisites
                   Armour-Monger                    500                            Talent               Techmarine
                   Ferric Summons                   1200                           Talent               Ferric Lure, Techmarine
                   Luminen Blast                    1,000                          Talent               Techmarine
                   Machinator Array                 1200                           Talent               Techmarine
                   Sound Constitution               1,000                          Talent               —


                   Rank 7 Deathwatch Techmarine Advances
                   Advance                          Cost                           Type                 Prerequisites
                   Concealed Cavity                 500                            Talent               —
                   Electrical Succour               1,000                          Talent               Techmarine
                   Energy Cache                     1,500                          Talent               Techmarine
                   Sound Constitution               1,000                          Talent               —
                   The Flesh is Weak 4              1,000                          Talent               The Flesh is Weak 3


                   Rank 8 Deathwatch Techmarine Advances
                   Advance                          Cost                           Type                 Prerequisites
                   Enhanced Bionic Frame            1,000                          Talent               Machinator Array
                   Rite of Pure Thought             1,000                          Talent               Techmarine
                   Sound Constitution               1,000                          Talent               —
                   The Flesh is Weak 5              1,000                          Talent               The Flesh is Weak 4



                            90
s
•
s

•
s
                        Chapter III:                                             s
                                                                                 The player chooses his first set of Skills during character

                          Skills                                                 creation, based upon his background and chosen Speciality.
                                                                                 These Skills were learned some time in the past, before
                                                                                 the character started his current exploits. As the campaign
              “To kill your foe, you must understand your foe.”                  progresses, the player spends experience to gain additional
                                                                                 Skills, furthering his vision for his character and reflecting
                    –Ursus Kane, Captain of the Iron Hands’ 3rd Company          his in-game experiences. The Skills available for the various
                                                                                 Specialities and their costs can be found in Chapter II:


              K
                        nowledge and training are as vital to a soldier’s        Specialities.
                        success in war as his weapons, armour, and comrades.
III: Skills




                        The Adeptus Astartes are no exception to this. Space
              Marines prize knowledge and study all things that will help        Skill MaStery
              them defeat their foes and do their duty to the Emperor.           Many characters have the opportunity to acquire the same
              This can range from obviously belligerent Skills like Tactics,     Skill several times as they advance in their Speciality. Skill
              Demolition and Command; the eminently useful Skills such           Mastery is represented on the Specialities Rank Advance
              as the Medicae, Dodge and Tech-Use, and also the more              Schemes as the base Skill with a +10 or +20 bonus. The
              subtle Skills like Concealment, Ciphers and the various Lores.     base Skill must be acquired first, then the +10 version and
              Skills also form a substantial part of the arsenal of a Battle-    then the +20 version. As it is possible to buy advances from
              Brother’s foes, providing these adversaries with more tools to     previous Ranks, if a character misses a base Skill which is
              confound and confront the players’ Kill-team.                      offered at Skill Mastery level on a later rank, he can still
                 Choosing appropriate Skills is an essential part of fleshing    acquire the base Skill from the lower rank’s advances in order
              out the character concept, as they represent a character’s         to then take the Skill Mastery.
              specialised training. This chapter details how to obtain Skills,
              the specific types of Skills, and all the detailed descriptions
              that combine with the rules presented in Chapter VII:              example
              Playing the Game to use them effectively in adventures.            Helgath already possesses the Intimidate Skill, and his career
                                                                                 progression allows him to take Intimidate +10. He pays the
                                                                                 required experience and checks the +10 box on his character sheet,
                                                                                 representing Intimidate +10. Were this Skill to become available
                                                                                 as Intimidate +20, he could pay for it and check the +20 box on
                                                                                 his sheet.


                                                                                 s

                                                                                 Skills are divided into two categories: basic and advanced.
                                                                                 Basic Skills are ones that virtually anyone may attempt,
                                                                                 regardless of their experience or background. Only
                                                                                 those with specific training, on the other hand, may use
                                                                                 advanced Skills.


                                                                                 s
                                                                                 Characters have intrinsic abilities and Characteristics that
                                                                                 allow for rudimentary attempts at tests with basic Skills.
                                                                                 Thus, even though a character may not possess basic Skills,
                                                                                 he may still make Skill Tests using them. Those who do
                                                                                 not possess a basic Skill may test that Skill at half of the
                                                                                 associated Characteristic, rounding down. The Characteristic
                                                                                 gets halved before any situational modifiers get applied to
                                                                                 the test. For example, an Easy test against an untrained basic
                                                                                 Skill would be (Characteristic/2)+30, and not (Characteristic
                                                                                 +30)/2. Even though the character might be able to muddle
                                                                                 through such attempts, he does not have the same abilities as
                                                                                 one who has received real training or instruction.



                           92
Table 3–1: Basic Skills
Skill Name                   Characteristic   Descriptor
Awareness                    Perception       —
Carouse                      Toughness        —
Charm                        Fellowship       Interaction
Climb                        Strength         Movement
Command                      Fellowship       Interaction
Concealment                  Agility          —
Contortionist                Agility          Movement
Deceive                      Fellowship       Interaction
Dodge                        Agility          —




                                                                             III: Skills
Evaluate                     Intelligence     Investigation
Gamble                       Perception       —
Inquiry                      Fellowship       Investigation
Intimidate                   Strength         Interaction
Logic                        Intelligence     Investigation
Scrutiny                     Perception       —
Search                       Perception       —
Silent Move                  Agility          Movement
Swim                         Strength         Movement




Table 3–2: Advanced Skills
Skill Name                   Characteristic   Descriptor
Acrobatics                   Agility          Movement
Chem-Use                     Intelligence     Crafting, Investigation
Ciphers†                     Intelligence     —
Demolition                   Intelligence     Crafting
Drive†                       Agility          Operator
Interrogation                Willpower        Investigation
Invocation                   Willpower        —
Lip Reading                  Perception       —
Literacy                     Intelligence     —
Lore: Common†                Intelligence     Investigation
Lore: Forbidden†             Intelligence     Investigation
Lore: Scholastic†            Intelligence     Investigation
Medicae                      Intelligence     —
Navigation†                  Intelligence     —
Performer†                   Fellowship       —
Pilot†                       Agility          Operator
Psyniscience                 Perception       —
Security                     Agility          —
Shadowing                    Agility          —
Sleight of Hand              Agility          —
Speak Language†              Intelligence     —
Survival                     Intelligence     —
Tactics†                     Intelligence     —
Tech-Use†                    Intelligence     —
Tracking                     Intelligence     —
Trade†                       Intelligence     Crafting
Wrangling                    Intelligence     —
†
Denotes a Skill group.




                                                                        93
              s                                                                    s
              Advanced Skills require very specific training or education, and     Some Skills encompass groups of related Skills. For brevity’s
              common individuals may not attempt their use. Regardless of          sake, these Skill groups are listed under the same entry, but
              a character’s intrinsic abilities and Characteristics, he would      each must be acquired and used separately. Thus, a pilot with
              never be able to understand the Eldar language without               the Pilot (Personal) Skill would be able to fly using a jump
              previous instruction.                                                pack, but not pilot a Thunderhawk gunship.


              s                                                                    s
              Some Skills fall into broad categories that use common rules.        Several Skill entries have subsections that detail a specific,
              These descriptors allow both players and GMs to instantly            focused use outside its usual employment. These sections
III: Skills




              identify the appropriate rules section from Chapter VII: Playing     spotlight a particularly creative or interesting use of the Skill,
              the Game for their resolution. These categories include: Crafting,   allowing for greater variety of Skill applications.
              Interaction, Investigation, Movement and Operator.


              s                                                                             Skill
              Skills with the Crafting descriptor allow characters to create
              things from parts or raw materials. These creations can vary
              from sculptures to custom gun cutters. In general, a character             Descriptions
              must obtain components or materials equal to half the item’s


                                                                                   T
              value. The GM sets up an appropriate Extended Test for                      he following are descriptions for all Skills. Each
              the task, and its resolution follows the guidelines given on                Skill is listed as either Basic or Advanced, plus the
              page 203.                                                                   Characteristic that is used when making a Test with
                                                                                   that Skill.
              s
              All Skills with the Interaction descriptor involve interplay
                                                                                   acroBaticS (advanced, movement)
              with others. The difficulty of these Skill Tests depends on          Agility
              the individual’s disposition towards the character, as defined       Acrobatics training supplements the character’s natural agility
              by the GM in accordance with the circumstances of the                in attempting types of movement the less athletic would not
              encounter. See page 275 of Chapter IX: The Game Master               even consider. Leaping between the spires of an Imperial
              for more information on NPC disposition.                             cathedral, jumping over the heads of shorter foes and falling
                                                                                   with grace all become possible. The difficulty of the test
                                                                                   depends on the difficulty of the feat involved: dodging around
              s                                                                    the legs of an enraged Ork and leaping from stone to stone
              Most of the Skills with the Investigation descriptor allow the       in a swirling magma flow would both present significant
              character to collect information from various sources. These         challenges. The more degrees of success obtained, the more
              Skills also permit Extended Tests as the character tries to gather   stylish or dramatic the end result.
              detailed intelligence on his foes. The GM sets up the proper         Skill Use: Full Action unless otherwise noted
              time period for the test using his discretion, as it takes far
              longer to uncover a hidden xenos shrine than it does to scout        Special uses
              the location of an armoured column.
                                                                                   Disengage
              s                                                                    When taking the Disengage Action in combat (see page 239),
              Skills with the Movement descriptor all relate to the                the character may make a Challenging (+0) Acrobatics Test
              character’s mobility, anything from daring leaps across chasms       to reduce it to a Half Action.
              to climbing out of the same if he doesn’t quite make it across.
              They involve the ability to move across, through, over, or           Jump And Leap
              between the surrounding environment.
                                                                                   An Acrobatics Test may substitute for an Agility Test when
                                                                                   jumping or a Strength Test when leaping, according to the
              s                                                                    appropriate rules on page 207.
              If a Skill involves transportation, be it a humble ground vehicle
              or an mighty starship, it receives the Operator descriptor.
              These Skills allow the character to drive or pilot a variety of
              vehicles.


                          94
awareneSS (BaSic)
Perception
Awareness encompasses the character’s subconscious ability
to react to things his conscious mind may not perceive.
He can use this Skill to notice threats—such as ambushes,
traps or cleverly hidden objects—or slight changes in the
environment—such as a faint vibration of a far off Ork
Squiggoth or the foul smell of a Daemonhost. When using
Awareness against an opponent, the test is always opposed.
This use includes noticing ambushes, spotting traps, and
other things involving another’s actions. However, noticing




                                                                                                                                        III: Skills
environmental factors is a standard test. This use includes
perceiving trace scents, motion, or similar things.
Skill Use: Free Action made in reaction to something.


carouSe (BaSic)
Toughness
The Carouse Skill is used to resist the effects of alcohol and
narcotics. Frequent imbibers can build up quite a tolerance to
alcohols and other drugs, remaining clear-headed and lucid
while those across the table find their judgement or capabilities
diminished. The character makes a Skill Test whenever he
suffers the effects of alcohol or similar intoxicants (naturally,
for Space Marines, this requires imbibing of truly prodigious
amounts or toxicity!). Each time he would otherwise suffer
from the effects of an intoxicant, make a Carouse Test. Failure
indicates he gains a level of Fatigue or suffers the side effects
of the substance. Should the character lose consciousness, he
remains passed out for a number of hours equal to 1d10 minus
his Toughness Bonus (minimum 1 hour).                               harder, or the Kill-team’s Brother-Chaplain might rouse his
Skill Use: Free Action taken whenever the character imbibes         brothers with an impassioned prayer to the Emperor.


charm (BaSic, interaction)                                          chem-uSe (advanced,
Fellowship                                                          inveStiGation)
The character can use Charm Skill to improve the disposition
of others towards him, making a Charm Test whenever he              Intelligence
wishes to change the minds of an individual or small group.         The Chem-Use Skill allows the character to safely identify,
The character need not make a Charm Test each time he speaks        handle, and prepare a variety of chemicals, toxins, poisons, and
with others in a pleasant manner, but only when he wishes           drugs. While Chem-Use covers the use and basic combination
to change their opinion or disposition, or convince them to         of these substances, the Trade (Chymist) Skill deals with their
do something. All Charm Tests are opposed by Willpower              manufacture from base components.
and can affect a number of targets equal to the character’s             Success in a Chem-Use Test, modified by the appropriate
Fellowship Bonus. The targets must be able to see and hear          difficulty for the chemical or drug in question, indicates it has
the character clearly, and share a common language.                 been administered, combined, or otherwise applied correctly,
Skill Use: 1 minute                                                 providing the desired results. Failure on the test indicates the
                                                                    dose was wasted without effect. See Chapter V: Armoury
Special uses                                                        for more information on drugs, chemicals, and their effects.
                                                                    Skill Use: Full Action; when using a medicae injector or
Inspire                                                             narthecium, the Skill Test to administer a drug or antidote
                                                                    is reduced to a Half Action. Employing Chem-Use to apply
Those in a position of authority can use the Charm Skill to         particularly complex combinations of substances or toxins
inspire a group-related test, either with positive or negative      requires an Extended Test of duration and difficulty set by
reinforcement. Success provides a +10 bonus to the next             the GM for the treatment in question.
Characteristic Test of the motivated group, such as passing a
Willpower Test to resist Fear or recover from Pinning. Thus, a
Battle-Brother might inspire lesser Imperial troopers to fight


                                                                                                                     95
              cipherS (advanced)                                                   and the environmental conditions can impose additional
                                                                                   bonuses or penalties. It is far more difficult to ascend an icy
              Intelligence                                                         rock face in a blizzard than the outer shell of a hive that is
              Skill Groups: Xenos Markings, Deathwatch, Chapter Runes,             crisscrossed with pipes and conduits. A successful test allows
              Imperial Codes, Mercenary Cant, Inquisition, and Underworld          the character to ascend or descend at one-half his half move
              Many groups and organisations employ ciphers as a secret             rate. See Climbing in Chapter VII: Playing the Game for
              shorthand code in communicating basic ideas, warnings, or            more details.
              information rapidly. The character can use and understand the        Skill Use: Half Action
              signals, physical markings, or other subtle signs employed to
              express these concepts. Ciphers tend to express simple concepts
              or messages, such as warning of danger, marking a target, or
                                                                                   command (BaSic)
              indicating ownership. Skill Tests are not required to either         Fellowship
III: Skills




              leave or read basic messages but are necessary to communicate        The character uses the Command Skill to both direct those
              or decipher complicated meanings or signs obscured by the            under his authority and establish actions for groups to execute
              passage of time.                                                     on command, such as launching an assault or ordering a
                  Xenos Markings: Many aliens, such as Orks, make                  regroup. This Skill is only effective upon those under the
              extensive use of symbolism and icons. Understanding these            character’s authority. A successful Command Test indicates
              markings allows a broad understanding of their meaning, such         that those whom he directs follow his instructions in a timely
              as where a tribe has marked its boundaries or areas they have        manner. Failure on the Skill Test when used on an individual
              marked as dangerous.                                                 simply means that he does not follow the character’s directions,
                  Deathwatch: Kill-teams often develop their own shorthand         though additional Degrees of Failure can indicate that the
              communication to allow them to converse quickly and                  underling accepts the task with no intention of actually doing
              secretively in the presence of others. This is especially useful     it, or that he misinterprets the command or takes contradictory
              when dealing with other arms of the Imperial war machine,            actions. For directing groups, Degrees of Success or Failure
              where the goals of the Deathwatch may not coincide with              increase or decrease the time necessary to execute the orders,
              those of the Imperial Guard or Navy.                                 with three or more Degrees of Failure subjecting them to
                  Chapter Runes: Each Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes has          confused inaction. A Command Test can affect a number of
              its own form of ciphers used to communicate between its Battle-      targets equal to the character’s Fellowship Bonus. The targets
              Brothers. These closely guarded secrets are almost never taught
              to those outside the Chapter and constitute a reliable way for
              those within the Chapter to quickly identify each other.
                  Imperial Codes: Both the Imperial Navy and the Imperial
              Guard employ a battle language which comprises mostly of
              numbers and acronyms. Incomprehensible to those who do
              not know its meaning, it allows them to quickly signal for
              reinforcements, identify enemies, and call down fire support.
                  Inquisition: Used to communicate a private and pre-
              arranged code between given agents of the Inquisition. Note
              that these codes are unique to specific Ordos within the
              Inquisition. This Skill Group applies to all ciphers used by
              acolytes and throne agents of the Inquisition.
                  Mercenary Cant: Many mercenary companies operate
              in the Imperium, and each has an abbreviated, clipped battle
              language for orders and commands. Though there are some
              commonalities, each is essentially unique.
                  Underworld: Crime lords have used ciphers since before
              the time of the Emperor, and their sophistication has only
              increased over time. Each organisation uses its own to deter
              competition.
              Skill Use: Full Action


              climB (BaSic, movement)
              Strength
              With the Climb Skill the character can ascend or descend
              ropes, pipes, scaffolding, and both natural and man-made
              walls. This Skill is not used for ladders or other easily ascended
              ways, but for climbs without ready handholds or other poor
              climbing conditions. The condition of the surface or item


                          96
must be able to see and hear the character—though this could       Escape Grapple
be done remotely through a vox or pict-caster—and speak a          After an opponent has grappled the character in combat, he
common language.                                                   may escape using the Contortionist Skill. Make an Opposed
Skill Use: Half Action for simple commands, Full Action for        Test with the character’s Contortionist Skill against the
more involved direction                                            grappler’s Strength Characteristic. Success indicates the
                                                                   character has slipped out of his enemy’s hands and is free.
Special uses                                                       Failure means he remains grappled.

Extend Support Range                                               Squeeze Through

As a Half Action the Battle-Brother nominated as the squad’s       The character can make a Contortionist Test to squeeze
leader (see page 238) may extend his Kill-team’s Support           through a tight space, such as through a maintenance conduit




                                                                                                                                        III: Skills
Range (see page 213) by a number of metres equal to his            aboard a ship or a gap in damaged blast doors. The character
Fellowship Bonus. For this Skill to work the Battle-Brother        can also use this aspect of the Skill to cram himself into a space
must be either within visual or vocal range of his Kill-team.      normally too small to fit his body. The GM sets the difficulty
This extension lasts until the start of the Battle-Brother’s       of the test according to the size of the passage or opening,
next turn.                                                         is well within his rights to rule that some spaces are simply
                                                                   too small to allow use of this Skill. A successful Skill Test
                                                                   indicates that the character has managed to squirm through
concealment (BaSic)                                                the gap or into the crate. Failure means that he cannot pass
Agility                                                            the area or fit into the space. Four or more Degrees of Failure
The Concealment Skill is used to hide things, from small           means the character has become stuck until he can succeed
objects to vehicles to starships, even oneself. Use of the Skill   in another Contortionist Test or someone else pulls him free
requires an appropriate environment to mask the item in            of the embarrassing predicament. Squeeze Through takes 1
question, such as buildings and trees for a small shuttle or an    minute, with each Degree of Success reducing this time by
asteroid field or a space anomaly for a starship. Concealment is   10 seconds.
always an Opposed Test, pitting the character’s Concealment
against his opponent’s Awareness or Scrutiny. Thus, the
character only makes the test when someone looks for him.
                                                                   deceive (BaSic, interaction)
If the character or the object he intends to hide remains          Fellowship
perfectly still, he gains a +10 bonus to the Skill Test.           The Deceive Skill enables the character to mislead others as
Skill Use: Half Action                                             to his true intent. Any time he tells a lie, reveals only part
                                                                   of the truth, or spins information to his advantage with the
                                                                   intent to mislead someone, the character makes a Deceive
contortioniSt (BaSic, comBat)                                      Test. He need not make a Deceive Test every time he tells a
Agility                                                            lie, but only when that deception would change someone’s
Characters with the Contortionist Skill can make use of their      mind, opinion, or actions. Deceive is always an Opposed Test,
innate flexibility, double joints, or even selective dislocation   using the character’s Deceive Skill against his opponent’s
of joints, to allow them to escape bonds, squeeze through          Scrutiny. A Deceive Test affects a number of targets equal to
openings normally too small for passage, or fit into an            the character’s Fellowship Bonus. They must be able to see
area normally too small for their body. It also provides an        and hear the character clearly, either in person or via vox or
alternative to brute strength in grappling.                        pict-caster. They must also speak a common language.
Skill Use: Full Action unless otherwise noted below                Skill Use: 1 minute, or more for complex deceptions

Special uses                                                       demolition (advanced, craftinG)
Escape Bonds                                                       Intelligence
                                                                   The character can use the Demolition Skill to employ
The character can make a Contortionist Test to slip free           explosives in the proper quantity to achieve a desired effect,
of bonds. This is an Opposed Test, using the character’s           from cutting through the hatch of a Land Raider to destroying
Contortionist Skill against his opponent’s Characteristic Test     a plasma conduit without significantly damaging the reactor
using Intelligence.                                                behind it. It can also be used to defuse explosives left by
   The quality of the bonds and the time used to employ            others or to manufacture demolition materials, from slow
them affects the difficulty of the test. It may be impossible to   fuses to blasting caps to the explosives themselves. This Skill
escape adamantine manacles properly employed by a bounty           pertains to set charges rather than grenades and other devices
hunter, but far easier to slip out of the crude ropes hastily      intended for use against the enemy in combat.
applied by a feral tribesman—especially after applying grox        Skill Use: Full Action unless otherwise noted
fat to one’s wrists. Escaping bonds requires 1 minute, with
each Degree of Success reducing this time by 10 seconds.


                                                                                                                     97
              Special uses                                                       drive (advanced, operator)
              Manufacture Explosives                                             Agility
              Much like the Trade Skills, Demolition Skill allows the            Skill Groups: Ground Vehicle, Skimmer/Hover, Walker
              character to make explosive materials from basic components.       The Drive Skill allows the character to control land-based,
              This use of the Demolition Skill is an Extended Test, and          hover, or skimmer-type vehicles. Vehicles include Cargo-8s,
              the GM assigns a difficulty and duration in accordance with        Rhinos, Land Speeders, Sentinels, and other ground-based
              the complexity of the compound and the materials at hand.          transports. Normal driving does not require a test, but a test
              Constructing breaching charges in a well-stocked munitorum         is required for hazardous conditions, excessive speed, or
              warehouse is far easier than making a fuse from dried vines        dangerous manoeuvres.
              and droppings.                                                     Skill Use: Half Action
III: Skills




              Place Explosives
                                                                                 evaluate (BaSic, inveStiGation)
              The effectiveness of explosive devices is greatly dependent        Intelligence
              upon the skill with which they are placed. Success on a            The character uses Evaluate to determine the approximate
              Demolitions Test indicates the character has successfully          value, strength, or manufacture of an object or group of items.
              planted the explosive charge, set with his trigger of choice.      Thus, the Skill can be used on anything from a single power
              Possible triggers are only limited by the imagination, and         sword to a fortified bunker. Before evaluating an object,
              can include trip wires, timers, proximity sensors, or remote       the character must specify what he is trying to determine:
              activators. Failure indicates that the explosives fail to go off   its approximate monetary value, its quality and strength, or
              when triggered, though the character will not know this until      its origin. Success on the Evaluate Test reveals the relevant
              the time of activation. Four or more Degrees of Failure indicate   information in a broad sense, such as its value in Throne Gelt,
              the device explodes as the character is manipulating it, with      its Craftsmanship (see page 140) and structural integrity,
              suitably lethal results. Some tasks, such as rigging a building    or its make or model. Additional Degrees of Success gives
              for demolition or bringing down a massive suspension bridge,       additional information about the object. A failed test results
              require an Extended Test. The GM sets difficulty and duration      in false information about the object, with the degree of error
              depending on the extent of the undertaking. When placing           increasing with each Degree of Failure. The GM should roll
              explosives, make sure to note the total Degrees of Success and     Evaluate Tests and only reveal what the character believes to
              the die roll, as it may be used in an Opposed Test if someone      be true. The difficulty of the test should be adjusted for the
              attempts to defuse the character’s hard work.                      character’s access to the item and any relevant Lore or Trade
                                                                                 Skills related to the item. Using Evaluate on large or numerous
              Defuse Explosives                                                  objects requires an Extended Test, though the character can
                                                                                 appraise a single item in about a minute.
              Defusing charges also falls under the Demolition Skill. Make       Skill Use: 1 minute or more
              an Opposed Test against the Demolition Skill of the individual
              who sets the explosives. Winning the test indicates that the       Special uses
              bomb has been defused. Simple failure means that while the
              charge has not been disarmed, neither has it gone off. Four or     Weak Points
              more Degrees of Failure indicate the character has set off the
              device, suffering the consequences of the explosion. Defusing      When making an attack against a heavily armoured stationary
              multiple charges or complex trigger mechanisms may require         target such as a bunker or pillbox, a character may use
              an Extended Test as determined by the GM.                          Evaluate to determine weak points by making a Challenging
                                                                                 (+0) Evaluate Test. Success adds an additional +4 to the Pen
                                                                                 of the character’s weapon for his next attack if it is made
              dodGe (BaSic, comBat)                                              against the target. Each additional Degree of Success adds a
              Agility                                                            further +4 points of Pen. This is a Full Action.
              Use the Dodge skill as a Reaction to nullify a successful hand-
              to-hand or ranged attack. Success on the Skill Test means the      Solid Cover
              attack has been avoided and deals no damage. See Chapter
              VIII: Combat for more information on Dodge.                        When in cover, a character can make a Challenging (+0)
              Skill Use: Reaction                                                Evaluate Test to find the cover’s strongest point. Success adds
                                                                                 an additional +4 AP to the cover (for the character only) with
                                                                                 each additional Degree of Success adding another +4 AP.
                                                                                 This is a Half Action.




                          98
GamBle (BaSic)                                                     intimidate (BaSic, interaction)
Intelligence                                                       Strength
The character uses the Gamble Skill when participating in          The character uses Intimidate Tests to pressure individuals
games of chance and the countless other games popular              to give in to his demands. The character does not make an
amongst soldiers across the Imperium. Each participant wagers      Intimidate Test every time he makes a threat, but only when
an amount, though these are typically the same, and makes          it involves coercion. Though Intimidate lists Strength as its
an Opposed Test with the Gamble Skill. The player with the         associated Characteristic, the character may substitute either
most Degrees of Success or fewest Degrees of Failure wins          Intelligence or Fellowship if the threat involves more subtle
the pot. The character may choose to lose against any player       methods than brute force, such as blackmail or humiliation. An
with a worse result as part of a Deceive attempt.                  Intimidate Test affects a number of targets equal to the character’s
   Those with both Skills may use Sleight of Hand instead          Strength, Intelligence, or Fellowship Bonus, depending on the




                                                                                                                                          III: Skills
of Gamble to hide cards or alter dice rolls. Success gives this    characteristic used for the test. The targets must be able to see
character a +20 bonus to his tests, but four or more Degrees       and hear the character clearly, either in person or via pict or
of Failure indicates he has been caught in the act.                vox-caster, and speak a common language.
Skill Use: Full Action to an entire day of gaming                  Skill Use: Full Action


inquiry (BaSic, inveStiGation)                                     Special uses
Fellowship                                                         War Cry
The character can use the Inquiry Skill to gain information
by asking questions, making conversation, or simple                As part of a Charge Action a character may use the Intimidate
eavesdropping. Inquiry allows the character to pick up general     skill to make a war cry. This is a Free Action that targets the
information about an area: its news, recent events, and more.      recipient or recipients of the character’s charge—i.e. those he
Additional Degrees of Success reveal more detailed or more         will end up in combat with and make melee attacks against.
secretive tidings. Inquiry can also be used as an Investigation    The character then makes an Intimidate Test, based on
Skill, allowing the character to hunt after a particular item of   Strength, opposed by the target’s Willpower. If the character
information from either individuals or resources, such as the      is successful, the target suffers –10 to all Parry and Dodge
Chapter’s librarium. This use is virtually always an Extended      tests against the charging character.
Test, with difficulty and duration set by the GM.                      Creatures immune to the effects of Fear and other mind-
Skill Use: 1 hour or more                                          effecting psychology are immune to the effects of a war cry.


interroGation (advanced)                                           invocation (advanced)
Willpower                                                          Willpower
The Interrogation skill allows the character to extract            An Invocation test is a Full Action. For the duration of the
information from an unwilling subject. The application differs     Round, the character clears his mind of external influence and
from torture, where a subject will frequently say anything         focuses his will more intently. This may be through recitation
to stop the ordeal. Rather, interrogation represents skilled       of mantras, use of psychic foci, or meditation. A successful
application of psychology, various devices, serums, and other      test indicates that the character’s mind is ready to channel a
techniques. The GM may modify the difficulty of the test           greater amount of the warp than usual, while still limiting his
according to the availability of tools, facilities, and other      exposure. On the next Round, the character adds +1 to the
conditions. Interrogation is always an Opposed Test, pitting       final Psy Rating of any Fettered Power Test.
the character’s Interrogation Skill against an opponent’s             Failure on the Invocation Test indicates that the character’s
Willpower. If the interrogator wins the Opposed Test, he gets      attempts to focus have backfired, and he must take a –1
one answer plus one answer for each Degree of Success. If the      penalty to the final Psy Rating of a Fettered Power Test. If this
victim wins the Opposed Test, the interrogator get nothing         reduces the Psy Rating to zero, the power fails to activate.
of worth. Two or more Degrees of Failure inflict 1d10 plus         Skill Use: Full Action
the interrogator’s Willpower Bonus in damage against the
victim and prevents any further interrogation for 1d5 days.
If the interrogator suffers four or more Degrees of Failure,
                                                                   literacy (advanced)
the victim takes the same damage and gains a +30 bonus to          Intelligence
Willpower Tests made to resist Interrogation at the hands of       The Literacy skill allows the character to read and write
the interrogator or his allies. Each Interrogation Test inflicts   any language he speaks. Everyday activities do not require
one level of Fatigue on the target.                                Literacy Tests, but situations involving regional variations,
Skill Use: 1d5 hours                                               damaged manuscripts, archaic usage, or colloquial phrases
                                                                   necessitate a Skill Test.
                                                                   Skill Use: 1 minute for 1 page of text, roughly 750 words



                                                                                                                      99
              loGic (BaSic)                                                            Imperial Guard: Basic information about the ranking
                                                                                   system, logistics, structure, and basic tactical and strategic
              Intelligence                                                         practices of the Imperial Guard, as well as particularly famed
              The character uses Logic to solve problems, decipher puzzles,        regiments.
              and deal with other situations involving demonstration and               Imperial Navy: Basic information about the ranks, customs,
              inference. A Logic Test might infer the missing symbol in            uniforms, and particular traditions of the Imperial Navy, as well
              a series or solve a particularly troublesome mathematical            as famous admirals and ships.
              equation. The character can also use the Skill to prepare a              Imperium: Knowledge of the segmentums, sectors, and
              reasoned argument for debate or philosophical exchange. The          most well-known worlds of the Imperium.
              preparations of complex reasoning or complicated problems                Jericho Reach: Information concerning the general
              are Extended Tests.                                                  astrography of the Reach, including known worlds, recorded
              Skill Use: 1 minute, or longer for particularly                      inhabitants, and theatres of conflict.
III: Skills




              complex problems                                                         Tech: An understanding of simple litanies and rituals to
                                                                                   soothe and appease machine spirits.
                                                                                       War: Knowledge of great battles, notable and notorious
              lore: common (advanced,                                              commanders, heroes, and famous stratagems employed by the
              inveStiGation)                                                       Imperium in its many campaigns.
                                                                                   Skill Use: Free Action
              Intelligence
              Skill Groups: Adeptus Arbites, Adeptus Astartes, Adeptus
              Mechanicus, Administratum, Deathwatch, Ecclesiarchy,
                                                                                   lore: forBidden (advanced,
              Imperial Creed, Imperial Guard, Imperial Navy, Imperium,             inveStiGation)
              Jericho Reach, Tech, War
              The Common Lore skill allows the character to recall general         Intelligence
              information, procedures, divisions, traditions, famed individuals,   Skill Groups: Adeptus Astartes, Adeptus Mechanicus,
              and superstitions of a particular world, group, organisation, or     Archeotech, the Black Library, Daemonology, Heresy, the
              race. This skill differs from Scholastic Lore, which represents      Inquisition, Mutants, Psykers, the Traitor Legions, the Warp
              scholarly learning, and Forbidden Lore, which involves hidden        and Xenos
              or proscribed knowledge, in that it deals with basic information     Forbidden Lore skills represent knowledge usually hidden,
              learned from prolonged exposure to a culture or area.                veiled, or proscribed by an organisation or society. Mere
                  Success in a Common Lore Test indicates the character recalls    possession of this knowledge may cause difficulties for those
              general information about the subject. The GM determines             not associated with the group in question. Excessive knowledge
              what extra information to provide for additional Degrees             of the hidden truths of the Traitor Legions, for example, can
              of Success.                                                          be decidedly bad for one’s health for those outside (or even
                  Adeptus Arbites: Knowledge of the various arms and               inside) the Adeptus Astartes. A successful Forbidden Lore Test
              sub-sects of the Adeptus Arbites, including such things as           indicates the character recalls basic information about the
              rank structure, common procedures, and the basic tenets of           subject. The GM reveals additional information as appropriate
              Imperial justice.                                                    to the Degree of Success on the roll.
                  Adeptus Astartes: An understanding of the role, function,            Adeptus Astartes: Extensive knowledge of the practices,
              and nature of the famed Imperial Space Marines, as well as           organisation, and homeworlds of the Imperial Space Marines
              a knowledge of the commonly known Chapters and their                 and their Chapters, including hints and rumours of their myriad
              practices and areas of operation.                                    of secret rituals and methods of recruitment and training.
                  Adeptus Mechanicus: A general understanding of the                   Adeptus Mechanicus: An in-depth understanding of
              symbols and practices of the Adeptus Mechanicus as well as           followers of the Machine God, including such things as their
              their hierarchy, identifiable ranks, and the existence of the        rituals, observances, common beliefs, core philosophies, and
              Sixteen Universal Laws.                                              specific knowledge of the Universal Laws.
                  Administratum: Broad knowledge of the labyrinthine                   Archeotech: Knowledge of the great, lost tech devices
              workings, rules, traditions, and dictates of the Adeptus             of past times and clues to their mysterious functions
              Administratum.                                                       and purposes.
                  Deathwatch: Knowledge of the function and organisation               The Black Library: Secret knowledge concerning the
              of the Deathwatch, including its primary mandates and                Black Library, its forbidden contents, horrific guardians, and
              favoured practices.                                                  the unspeakable xenos that toil within its confines.
                  Ecclesiarchy: Understanding of the structure of the Adeptus          Daemonology: The crawling information about some of
              Ministorum and its role in the worship of the God-Emperor as         the most infamous warp entities and their twisted physical
              divine, its organisation, greetings, and general practices.          manifestations.
                  Imperial Creed: Knowledge of the rites and practices of              Heresy: Wisdom concerning acts and practices deemed
              the Imperial Cult, the most common observances, festivals,           heretical by the Imperium, the most contemptible heretics of
              and holidays in honour of the Emperor, and the most                  history, and their acts.
              well-known saints.


                          100
                                                                   Scholastic Lore grants the character knowledge of a
                                                                   particularly complex or esoteric subject. A successful Skill
                                                                   Test allows the character to recall necessary information or
                                                                   research a particular subject if appropriate reference material is
                                                                   readily available. Scholastic Lore grants a depth of knowledge
                                                                   far beyond that of Common Lore, requiring both experience
                                                                   and study to obtain. Scholastic Lore Tests can identify things
                                                                   that fall within the character’s area of expertise, such as a
                                                                   person, book, starship, or machine spirit. A successful Skill
                                                                   Test within the realm of the character’s speciality reveals basic
                                                                   information about the object in question in accordance with
                                                                   Table 3–3: Scholastic Lore.




                                                                                                                                        III: Skills
                                                                     Table 3–3: Scholastic Lore
                                                                      Degrees of Success Result
                                                                                              Reveals basic information known
                                                                      Standard Success
                                                                                              to scholars on the topic.
                                                                                              Reveals uncommon information,
                                                                      One
                                                                                              known to few dedicated academics.
                                                                                              Reveals obscure information,
                                                                      Two
                                                                                              known to only serious scholars.
                                                                                              Reveals extremely obscure
                                                                      Three or more           information, known only to true
                                                                                              experts in the field.



                                                                       Scholastic Lore can overlap with Common Lore and
                                                                   Forbidden Lore in some areas, but it represents more in-
                                                                   depth—and academic—information. A character with
   The Inquisition: An understanding of the secretive              Common Lore (Imperial Creed) might know conventional
organisation of the Imperium, its common tenets, and               information about the Cult of the Emperor and its various
famous Inquisitors.                                                organisations and their practices within the Imperium, but
   Mutants: The study of stable and unstable mutations             one with Scholastic Lore (Imperial Creed) would be able to
within humanity, their cancerous development over time, and        name the various cults within a subsector and their varying
some of the studies and books on the topic.                        levels of divergence from the Ministorum. Scholastic Lore
   Psykers: Skill in identifying psykers, the physical effects     Tests require no time, as the character either knows the fact
of their powers, the danger they cause, and the general extent     or not. Researching, however, requires an Extended Test of a
of their capabilities.                                             duration and difficulty appropriate to the task at hand.
   The Traitor Legions: The secrets of the lost Space Marine           Archaic: An understanding of the Imperium’s dark past,
Legions, their names, and the sad tale of their fall from grace.   its proscribed eras, and how the long millennia have changed
   The Warp: An understanding of the energy of the warp, its       the face of mankind.
interaction and interrelation with realspace, and how its tides        Astromancy: A knowledge of stars, singularities, and the
and eddies affect travel between the stars.                        worlds around them, as well as theoretical understanding of
   Xenos: Knowledge of the minor and major alien species           how to use telescopes, astrolithic charts, and the like.
known to the Imperium, the threat they pose, and their                 Beasts: An understanding of the genus and families of
general appearance.                                                animals and familiarity with the characteristics and appearance
Skill Use: Free Action…although the consequences of                of many semi-sentient creatures.
knowing such things can last a lifetime                                Bureaucracy: A familiarity with the rules and regulations
                                                                   involved with governments, particularly the Adeptus
                                                                   Administratum, and their many and varied departments,
lore: ScholaStic (advanced,                                        bureaus, and policies.
inveStiGation)                                                         Chymistry: A knowledge of chemicals, their alchemical
                                                                   applications in a number of uses, and their prevalence or
Intelligence                                                       scarcity throughout the Imperium.
Skill Groups: Archaic, Astromancy, Beasts, Bureaucracy,                Codex Astartes: Understanding and interpreting the
Chymistry, Codex Astartes, Cryptology, Heraldry, Imperial          sacred Codex Astartes and how it relates to the organisation,
Creed, Judgement, Legend, Numerology, Occult, Philosophy,          deployment, and tactics of the Space Marine Chapters.
Tactica Imperialis


                                                                                                                    101
                  Cryptology: An understanding of codes, ciphers,                 Extended Care
              cryptographs, secret languages, and numerical keys. This may        Using the Medicae Skill for extended care speeds the
              be used to either create or decipher encryptions.                   healing process. The character can properly treat a number
                  Heraldry: A grasp of the principles and devices of              of patients equal to his Intelligence Bonus. Each additional
              heraldry, as well as a knowledge of the most common seals           patient imposes a cumulative –10 penalty to Medicae Tests
              and heraldic devices used by the Imperium’s most noble houses       to provide extended care. For lightly damaged patients,
              and families.                                                       make one test at the end of each day. For heavily or critically
                  Imperial Creed: An understanding of the specific                damaged patients, test once at the end of each week. Success
              rituals and practices of the Ecclesiarchy, from the traditional     allows each patient to remove twice the normal Damage—
              construction of their temples to specific points from its           removing Critical Damage first—plus 1 additional Damage
              texts. This information may be used to conduct the rituals          for each Degree of Success. Failure does not adversely affect
              for others.                                                         the character’s patients, who heal at the normal rate. Two or
III: Skills




                  Judgement: Knowledge of the proper punishments for the          three Degrees of Failure indicates that all lightly and heavily
              myriad of crimes and heresies punishable by Imperial law.           damaged patients take 1 Damage each, using sudden death
                  Legend: Going beyond archaic knowledge, this                    to resolve any Critical Damage (see page 250). Four or more
              encompasses the most secretive portions of Imperial history,        Degrees of Failure indicates all patients take 1d10 Damage,
              such as the Dark Age of Technology, the Age of Strife, the          using sudden death to resolve Critical Damage.
              Great Crusade, and the Horus Heresy.                                   For additional information on Healing, see Chapter VIII:
                  Numerology: An understanding of the mysterious link             Combat.
              between numbers and the physical universe, from Catastrophe
              theory to the Sadleirian litany.                                    Diagnose
                  Occult: An understanding of occult rituals, theories, and
              superstitions, as well as the better-known mystical uses of         The Medicae Skill can also be used to diagnose disease and
              occult items.                                                       other ailments, both on one’s fellow characters and also
                  Philosophy: Knowledge concerning the theories of                on the crew at large. On individuals, a successful Skill Test
              thought, belief, existence, and other intangibles. As it also       yields the name of the ailment and basic treatments. When
              includes logic and debate, it may be used for argument or           used on groups, a successful Skill Test prevents casualties to
              creating philosophical works.                                       the Crew Population due to disease or malnutrition due to
                  Tactica Imperialis: The theories of the Tactica Imperialis,     extended voyages.
              as well as other systems of war, troop deployment, and battle
              techniques used by the Imperium.                                    Harvest Gene-Seed
              Skill Use: Free Action
                                                                                  As part of an Apothecary’s battlefield duties, he trains in the
                                                                                  use of harvesting the gene-seeds of his fallen brothers. An
              medicae (advanced)                                                  Apothecary may use this Skill to extract the gene-seed from
              Intelligence                                                        a fallen Space Marine with the use of a narthecium (See page
              The Medicae Skill helps diagnose and treat injuries by suturing     271 for details).
              wounds, applying counterseptic, and use of medical devices such
              as the narthecium. On individual patients, Medicae provides first
              aid and extended care, for short and long-term treatment. On
              larger groups of wounded, Medicae can help save the lives of
              those that can be saved and apply the Emperor’s grace to those
              who cannot, resulting in fewer overall deaths. It can also help
              diagnose widespread medical problems and apply the ounce of
              prevention before the pound of cure becomes necessary.
              Skill Use: Full Action

              Special uses

              First Aid
              The Medicae Skill performs first aid for the injured, removing
              a small amount of damage by suturing lacerations, bandaging
              abrasions, and plugging punctures. A successful Medicae Test
              removes Damage equal to the character’s Intelligence Bonus
              on lightly damaged characters, or 1 Damage from heavily or
              critically damaged characters. Performing First Aid is a full
              round action. First Aid may only be applied to each wound
              once and is a full round action by you and your patient.


                          102
naviGation (advanced)                                              pilot (advanced, operator)
Intelligence                                                       Agility
Skill Groups: Surface, Stellar                                     Skill Groups: Personal, Flyers, Space Craft
The character uses the Navigation Skill to plot a course           Characters utilise the Pilot Skill to fly anything from personal
between two points. The course might be across a continent or      jump packs, to small atmospheric craft such as landers or gun-
across a star system. A successful Navigation Test also provides   cutters, to void-capable fighters, bombers, and capital vessels.
an estimated travel time based on geography, cosmography,          Under normal conditions, piloting does not require a test,
prevailing conditions, weather, and solar winds. Surface           but unusual or difficult conditions such as storms, obstacles
navigation is used to navigate across a planet’s surface, using    or dangerous manoeuvres do require a Skill Test. When
logi-compasses, map readouts, and geographical knowledge.          chasing another vehicle or ship or contesting for position, the
Stellar navigation is used to navigate in space between planets,   character makes an opposed Pilot Test against his opponent.




                                                                                                                                         III: Skills
using star-charts, and carto-mantic rituals. A Navigation Test     Skill Use: Half Action
represents several hours of charting courses, consulting maps,
and making necessary trajectory corrections. However, 1
minute is adequate for the purpose of finding the character’s
                                                                   pSyniScience (advanced)
current location.                                                  Perception
Skill Use: 1 minute for simple location; 1d5 hours for             Those with the Psyniscience Skill sense the currents and eddies
plotting courses or routes                                         of the warp. The character can use the Skill to detect the presence
                                                                   or absence of daemons, and the use of psychic powers. The
                                                                   Skill also allows detection of psychic phenomena, disturbances,
performer (advanced)                                               voids, or other areas where the flow of the immaterium has
Fellowship                                                         been unsettled or disrupted. The general results of Psyniscience
Skill Groups: Dancer, Musician, Singer, Storyteller                Tests are summarised on Table 3–4: Psyniscience.
The character can use the Performer Skill to entertain and         Skill Use: Full Action
enthral groups of spectators. The Performer Skill may also be
used to earn money and wealth, much like the Trade Skills.           Table 3–4: Psyniscience
Performer Tests take an amount of time dependent on the art
form involved.                                                        Degrees of Success Result
Skill Use: Variable                                                                            Awareness of warp disruption or
                                                                      Standard Success
                                                                                               number of entities present
                                                                                               Approximate direction of the
Special uses                                                          One
                                                                                               phenomena or creatures
                                                                                               Rough location of the warp
Charming Performance                                                  Two                      creatures or beings affecting the
                                                                                               Immaterium.
A character may make a Difficult (–10) Performer (Storyteller)                                 Exact position of the creatures or
or Performer (Singer) Test instead of a Charm test, to win            Three or more
                                                                                               psykers present
round an audience, causing their disposition to improve by
one level (see page 276).

Enthralling Performance
                                                                   Scrutiny (BaSic)
A character may make a Difficult (–10) Performer (Musician)        Perception
or Performer (Singer) Test instead of a Blather Test, utterly      The Scrutiny Skill helps assess the people or objects
enthralling and distracting an audience for a moment. When         encountered in the game. The character uses it to determine
used in place of the Blather Skill, it is subject to the same      an individual’s truthfulness, his motives, personality, and
rules and conditions.                                              temperament. It can also be used to examine an object in
                                                                   detail, noticing small details and characteristics that might
Rousing Tale                                                       pass unseen in a casual inspection. Scrutiny is an Opposed
                                                                   Test against the target’s Deceive when trying to perceive
A character may make a Challenging (+0) Performer                  falsehoods, or some other deceptions. However, Scrutiny
(Storyteller) or Performer (Singer) Test instead of a Command      does not reveal hidden secrets or a target’s carefully concealed
test to raise the moral of troops under his command or get them    intent, and should never replace good roleplaying in an
to undertake a difficult duty, such as making a last stand.        interactive situation. This skill counters the Opposed Tests of
                                                                   many manipulative Interaction skills, such as Charm, Deceive,
                                                                   and Intimidate.
                                                                   Skill Use: Full Action though special uses may require
                                                                   more time



                                                                                                                     103
              Search (BaSic)                                                      Tests against the opponent’s Awareness or Scrutiny Skill. A
                                                                                  single Shadowing Test is sufficient to follow the opponent
              Perception                                                          unseen for 1 minute.
              The character uses the Search Skill to attempt to discover things   Skill Use: 1 minute
              that are physically hidden, from a secreted holdout pistol to a
              bunker keyplate. Search involves active investigation, whereas
              Awareness deals with passive or subconscious detection. Each
                                                                                  Silent move (BaSic, movement)
              Search Test covers a small room or area. When an object or          Agility
              individual has been deliberately hidden, the Search Test is an      Use the Silent Move Skill any time silence and secrecy
              Opposed Test against your target’s Concealment.                     are essential in the character’s activities. The GM sets the
              Skill Use: 1 minute                                                 difficulty of the test depending on the environment: the
                                                                                  echoing steel halls of a space hulk yield a greater difficulty
III: Skills




                                                                                  than the carpeted throne room of a planetary governor. Silent
              Security (advanced)                                                 Move Tests are always Opposed Tests against the opponent’s
              Agility                                                             Awareness or Scrutiny Skill.
              The Security Skill is used to bypass mechanical locks and other     Skill Use: Free Action as part of Movement
              physical security systems. This differs from many systems that
              employ codes or cogitators that are more suited to the Tech-
              Use Skill. The GM sets the difficulty of the test according to
                                                                                  SleiGht of hand (advanced)
              the complexity of the mechanism. In most cases one test is          Agility
              sufficient, but large, intricate systems may require Extended       Characters use Sleight of Hand for any task requiring a
              Tests. See the Tech-Use Skill for systems that combine both         combination of deception and dexterity. Examples include
              mechanical and technical challenges. Using this Skill without       palming small objects, picking pockets, or performing tricks.
              proper tools or equipment is extremely challenging, and any         The GM sets the difficulty for the test according to the size of
              attempt to bypass a lock or other security system without           the object and the intensity of observation. Sleight of Hand
              using a multikey or other set of appropriate tools suffers a        is always an Opposed Test against the opponent’s Awareness
              –20 penalty.                                                        or Scrutiny.
              Skill Use: 1 minute, reduced by 10 seconds for each Degree              The character can use Sleight of Hand instead of Gamble
              of Success                                                          to employ deception and alter the odds in games of chance.
                                                                                  See the Gamble Skill for more information. Though Sleight
              Special uses                                                        of Hand usually requires a Half Action, the character may
                                                                                  make a test as a Free Action with a –10 penalty.
              Strategic Entry                                                     Skill Use: Half Action

              Although the Security Skill generally focuses on the tactical
              aspects of defeating a system, it also has its uses in finding
                                                                                  Speak lanGuaGe (advanced)
              weak points in the defensive system involved. Careful study of      Intelligence
              a building might reveal that one of the locks is of substandard     Skill Groups: Eldar, High Gothic, Kroot, Low Gothic, Ork,
              quality or that sensors fail to cover the weed-choked culvert       Techna-Lingua, Tau
              behind the facility. The skill can help determine where to          The Speak Language Skill is used to communicate with others
              strike instead of just how. This can also be used to find the       using the same language. The Imperium has nearly as many
              weak spot in one’s own defences.                                    languages as it has star systems, but for all this variety, most
                  Security Tests made in this manner should test against          can speak or understand a variation of Low Gothic. In most
              Awareness rather than Agility, and requires 1d5 hours. The          situations, Skill Tests are unnecessary so long as those involved
              GM can adjust the time necessary upward in increments of 1d5        all speak a common tongue. However, communication with
              additional hours for particularly large or complex systems.         those using obscure dialects or cryptic, complex concepts
                                                                                  requires a test at an appropriate difficulty.
                                                                                      Eldar: Though no human can hope to capture the subtle
              ShadowinG (advanced)                                                nuances and sub-tones of this extremely complex and ancient
              Agility                                                             language, it is enough to make one’s meaning clear.
              Shadowing allows the character to follow others, either on              High Gothic: The official language of the Imperium, used
              foot, in vehicles, and even aboard shuttles and starships. It       by Imperial officials, nobility, members of the Ecclesiarchy,
              contrasts with Concealment because it involves movement             and those involved in high-level negotiations.
              and blending into one’s surroundings. On foot, it might                 Kroot: The native chirping language of the Kroot is
              involve using physical cover or the press of bodies in a crowd;     almost impossible for a human to emulate, however, with
              in a vehicle, techniques might include false turns or using a       training and a good ear, it can be understood.
              nearby cargo hauler as cover; aboard ships, it can entail the           Low Gothic: The common tongue of the Imperium, used
              use of asteroids or other stellar objects or busy space lanes       by the countless millions of ordinary citizens.
              around major systems. Shadowing Tests are always Opposed


                         104
    Ork: More grunts and physical violence than an actual          Command allows the direction of troops but does not grant
language, it is possible for humans to speak and understand        any special knowledge in how best to use them. A character
it, though it is doubtful they would be able to survive a          can use Tactics at any time when he wants to determine the
conversation.                                                      best military course of action in a combat. This could be
    Techna-Lingua: The official language of the Adeptus            anything from the best position to suppress an entrenched
Mechanicus, this binary language has been optimised for rapid      enemy before an assault to picking a good landing zone
communication of technical data and servitor commands.             when coming in under fire. Failing a Tactics (Assault) Test, for
    Tau: The language of the Tau Empire, spoken by the Tau         example, might mean facing a concentration of a defending
themselves and shared by their multitude of alien subjects.        force or hitting a stronger line of fortifications.
Skill Use: Free Action                                                Air Combat: Covers atmosphere and near-orbit
                                                                   engagements with air superiority fighters as well as close
                                                                   support and bombing with ground attack aircraft.
Survival (advanced)




                                                                                                                                        III: Skills
                                                                      Armoured Tactics: An understanding of armoured
Intelligence                                                       warfare, how best to use armour, as well as how best to
The Survival Skill allows the character to endure prolonged        exploit the weaknesses of such vehicles.
periods in unusual or alien environments. Space Marines               Assault Doctrine: Covers all kinds of assaults, from
do not die of exposure to the elements, and their implants         charging a bunker to opposed amphibious landings.
allow them to survive on even the most inedible of flora and          Defensive Doctrine: How to set up a good defensive
fauna. Thus, the Survival Skill most often applies to normal       line, including layering units, creating areas of enfilading fire,
humans or those Space Marines who learned this skill before        and good clear kill zones.
becoming an Initiate in their Chapter. A skilled outdoorsman,         Orbital Drop Procedures: A knowledge of orbital drop
the character can find edible plants, hunt for game, and           doctrine and how to use it to maximise troop concentration
determine if food is safe for consumption. He can also             and ensure shock and awe in the enemy.
construct viable shelters from native materials or improvised         Recon and Stealth: An understanding of the best methods
substances and ensure they’re located away from flood chutes       of recon and stealth, such as how to approach a defensive
or the territory of predators. The difficulty of these tests       position unseen or quietly destroy sentry positions.
depends on the location: barren deserts provide much greater          Void Combat: Covers starship combat between anything
challenge than the verdant tropical forests. This skill can also   from lightly armoured escorts up to battle barges and space
apply to man-made environments, such as artificial worlds,         hulks. It is also includes knowledge of high orbit fire support
the depths of the underhive, or the belly of massive starships.    doctrines and the best way to use ships in orbit to aid
In this case, the Skill can provide safe resting areas away from   ground troops.
plasma venting and knowledge about which sacred unguents
also provide minimal nutrition.                                    Special uses
Skill Use: Various
                                                                   Ambush
Swim (BaSic, movement)                                             A character in the role of Kill-team leader may use Tactics
Strength                                                           (Recon and Stealth) in the place of an opposed Concealment
Though something of a lost skill to much of the Imperium,          for himself or any member of his squad provided they are in
the uncharted fringes require its use far more frequently. The     Support Range (see page 213).
Swim Skill allows the character to swim through various
liquid mediums. Under normal conditions swimming does
not require a test. More difficult waters, unusual circumstances
                                                                   tech-uSe (advanced)
or long distances call for a Skill Test. For more information      Intelligence
on the Swim Skill, see the Swimming section on page 207 of         Tech-Use allows the character to use or repair complex
Chapter VII: Playing the Game.                                     mechanical items or fathom the workings of unknown
Skill Use: Full Action                                             technical artefacts. Using a basic piece of equipment under
                                                                   typical circumstances requires no test, such as using a vox-
                                                                   caster or opening a shuttle hatch. Tech-Use Tests are necessary
tacticS (advanced)                                                 for unusual or unfamiliar gear, malfunctioning or broken
Intelligence                                                       items, and any situation where conditions are less than ideal,
Skill Groups: Air Combat, Armoured Tactics, Assault                such as attempting to use the same vox-caster near a plasma
Doctrine, Defensive Doctrine, Orbital Drop Procedures,             core or coaxing the machine spirit of a strange vessel’s warp
Recon and Stealth                                                  drive to reignite its fires. The character can also use Tech-
Tactics is the practical application of military knowledge in      Use to repair damaged or defective items, using an Extended
the field of battle. It differs from the various Lore Skills in    Test of duration and difficulty set by the GM depending on
that it relates directly to on the ground combat manoeuvres        the item’s complexity and the extent of the damage. Tech-
and actions rather than a broad theoretical or strategic view      Use does not include building an item from scratch, which
of warfare. It also differs from the Command Skill in that         requires the relevant Trade Skill.


                                                                                                                    105
                 A Tech-Use Test to determine the function of a complex             Astrographer: Used to create two and three-dimensional
              system takes 1 minute, but the GM may adjust this                  representations of stellar locations and warp routes.
              depending on the complexity. Tests made to repair items are           Chymist: Used to create poisons, drugs, and a wide variety
              Extended Tests, the duration of which depends upon its size        of other compounds.
              and complexity.                                                       Cryptographer: Used to create or decode ciphers, codes,
              Skill Use: 1 minute, or more for more complex systems              and other puzzles.
                                                                                    Explorator: Used in the exploration of unknown stellar
              Special uses                                                       regions.
                                                                                    Linguist: Used to learn or decipher new languages, both
              Security Systems                                                   spoken and written.
                                                                                    Remembrancer: Used to recount events in a variety of art
              The Security Skill covers mechanical security systems,             forms, from sculpture to poetry.
III: Skills




              but many systems may have both physical and electronic                Shipwright: Used to design, upgrade, and create void-
              components, and certain examples may be entirely controlled        capable vessels.
              by cogitators and machine spirits. The GM determines the              Soothsayer: Used to foretell the future by a number of
              necessary Skill Tests required for a particular system, which      interpretive arts, though its effectiveness is suspect.
              may include a combination of both Skills, or may involve a            Technomat: Used to maintain and repair technological
              single roll with an appropriate modifier for possessing both       devices, but through rote memorisation rather than true
              Skills, or lacking one or the other.                               understanding.
                                                                                 Skill Use: Variable depending on task and complexity
              trackinG (advanced)
              Intelligence
                                                                                 wranGlinG (advanced)
              With the Tracking Skill, the character can follow the              Intelligence
              signs left by his quarry, allowing him to hunt them down.          The character can tame, train, and potentially ride animals he
              Following obvious tracks does not require a Skill Test, and is     encounters in his travels, from spine-hounds to the noble warhorse
              considered part of a character’s movement. In instances where      breeds. Both taming and training beasts are Extended Tests, the
              the time or elements have eroded the signs or where the very       duration of which is determined by the nature and temper of the
              environment makes seeing them difficult, such as darkness          creature involved. Once an animal has been broken to its master’s
              or fog, Tracking Tests are required. The difficulty depends        will—or at least formed a partnership for particularly strong-
              on the condition of the traces and the tracker’s surroundings.     willed beasts—directing it or issuing commands is a Half Action.
              When following any tracks where the difficulty of the test         Wild animals, or those trained for hostility and aggression,
              is more than Challenging (+0), the tracker’s Movement rate         can have their Disposition changed by one level for every two
              drops to half. Cunning or devious quarry may attempt to            Degrees of Success, up to a maximum of three levels by a Full
              conceal or erase their tracks. In any case where an opponent       Action use of this Skill. GMs may impose penalties for animals
              has attempted to do this, make an Opposed Test made against        that have been particularly well trained or those with uncommon
              the prey’s Concealment.                                            Willpower and Intelligence. Wrangling is of no use against cyber
              Skill Use: Free Action made as part of Movement                    or psy-bonded animals, nor against any xenos with true sentience.
                                                                                 Skill Use: Variable depending on task and complexity
              trade (advanced, craftinG)
              Various
              Skill Groups: Archaeologist (Int), Armourer (Ag), Astrographer
              (Ag), Chymist (Int), Cryptographer (Int), Explorator (Int),
              Linguist (Int), Remembrancer (Ag or Int), Shipwright (Int),
              Soothsayer (Fel), Technomat (Int), Trader (Fel)
              Trade Skills allow the character to create things, from guns
              to starships. Characters with this Skill can earn money or
              reputation plying a trade. They can identify the works of
              particularly famous or infamous craftsmen, or recall information
              concerning items of their trade.
                 Trade Tests can represent the work of an hour, week, or
              month depending on the complexity of the task at hand.
              However, tests that involve the examination of an item to recall
              information require a Full Action.
                 Archaeologist: Used to locate, examine and analyse ancient
              ruins and artefacts.
                 Armourer: Used to design, upgrade and forge weaponry,
              from personal to starship sized.


                         106
GaininG TalenTs
       •
TalenT Groups
       •
    TalenT
 DescripTions
                           Chapter IV:
                            Talents &
                              Traits
IV: Talents & Traits




                       “Ability is not enough. Dedication is not enough. Even victory is
                       not enough. To become one of our number, you must embody all of
                       these, and yet be more still. What that more is I cannot tell you. Find
                       the answer in your bones, in your heart and soul, and you will be a
                       warrior.”

                                 –from an address to the 10th Company by Cadmus
                                                  Gracchus, Imperial Fists Chaplain

                       Talents are special abilities and proficiencies that a character
                       possesses either through his intrinsic nature or through the
                       application of well-practised experience. This is in contrast to
                       Skills, which represent abilities gained by learning or training.
                       A Talent is an ability that a character is either capable of or
                       is not, whereas a Skill is something that he can be better at
                       by degrees. When a Battle-Brother smites an enemy with a
                       devastating blow with his thunder hammer heedless of the
                       danger to himself, smashes aside dozens of lesser foes, and
                       calls for vengeance for his fallen brother, he is using Talents.
                       The battlefields of the 41st Millennium are unforgiving. From
                       breaking a horde of Tyranids to sabotaging a Tau shield
                       generator; a Battle-Brother will need every edge that his                 TalenT Groups
                       Talents provide him with.                                                 Several Talents represent a general ability that can be applied
                          Talents differ from Skills in that a player need not use an            to a specific category within that group. As some of these
                       Action or Test to utilise the ability. They are always in effect,         groups have many sub-categories, they have been collected
                       and many Talents give bonuses to Tests or allow Actions not               into related groups. When selecting one of these Talents,
                       available to the common man.                                              the player chooses one of the entries from the group. Thus,
                          Planning out effective and flavourful combinations of                  when selecting the Peer Talent, the player would also choose
                       Talents and Skills that match the character’s background                  a specific group or organisation from the talent group, such
                       can be an enjoyable process for the entire game group, and                as Peer (Inquisition). Each time the character gains the talent,
                       can provide interesting ideas for the GM or other players to              he may choose a different specialisation, so the next time he
                       further cement their relationships and adversaries.                       selects it, he might opt for Peer (Adeptus Mechanicus). In
                                                                                                 many cases, group listings are representative as opposed to
                                                                                                 all-inclusive. Consequently, even though “Storm Wardens and

                       Gaining Talents                                                           the Iron Lords” are not specifically listed in the Peer Talent
                                                                                                 group, it can still be chosen with GM approval.

                       “Experience is the only true teacher, and experience without pain is
                       meaningless.”                                                             TalenT prerequisiTes
                                                                                                 Several Talents require a character to possess a prerequisite
                                        –XIXth training maxim of the Storm Wardens               before their selection. This represents a certain innate ability
                                                                                                 level required to employ specific Talents, or a Skill or other
                       Players receive, or choose between, a number of Talents during            Talent necessary to access more advanced capabilities. These
                       the creation of their characters in Chapter I: Character                  prerequisites may take the form of Characteristic scores, Skills,
                       Creation. They also gain more by spending Experience                      Talents, or even special abilities.
                       Points as they advance through their Career Path, as outlined
                       in Chapter II: Specialities.




                                    108
Table 4–1: Talents
Talent Name                      Prerequisite                                Benefit
                                                                             Spend Fate Point before a mission to gain resistance
Abhor the Witch                  Adeptus Astartes
                                                                             to Psychic Powers.
Air of Authority                 Fel 30                                      Affect more targets with Test.
Ambidextrous                     Ag 30                                       Use either hand equally well.




                                                                                                                                    IV: Talents & Traits
Armour-Monger                    Techmarine                                  Increase the efficacy of physical armour.
                                                                             On a successful Acrobatics Test after making a
Assassin Strike                  Ag 40, Acrobatic
                                                                             melee attack, character may move as a Free Action.
Astartes Weapon Training
Astartes Weapon Specialisation
Autosanguine                     —                                          Heal 2 damage/day, always Lightly Damaged.
Basic Weapon Training†           —                                          Use weapon group without penalty.
Bastion of Iron Will             Psy Rating, Strong-Minded, WP 40           Double Defensive Psy Rating for Opposed Tests.
Battle Rage                      Frenzy                                     Parry while frenzied.
Berserk Charge                   —                                          Gain +20 bonus when charging.
Binary Chatter                   —                                          +10 bonus to control servitors.
Blademaster                      WS 30, Melee Weapon Training (any)         Re-roll missed attack, once per Round.
                                                                            Suffer half the usual penalties when vision is
Blind Fighting                   Per 30
                                                                            obscured.
                                                                            Get an extra shot when firing a bolt weapon on full
Bolter Drill                     Adeptus Astartes Weapon Training
                                                                            or semi-auto.
Bulging Biceps                   S 45                                       Remove bracing requirement for certain weapons.
                                                                            Spend Full Action when a Battle-Brother is taken
Call to Vengeance                Adeptus Astartes, Fel 40
                                                                            out of action to regain full Cohesion.
Catfall                          Ag 30                                      Reduce falling damage.
Chem Geld                        —                                          Immune to seduction, resistant to charm.
Cleanse and Purify               Basic Weapons (Flame)                      Increases the effect of your flamer attacks.
Combat Formation                 Int 40                                     Use Int Bonus for Initiative.
                                                                            Opponents get no bonus for outnumbering the
Combat Master                    WS 30
                                                                            character.
Combat Sense                     Per 40                                     Use Per Bonus instead of Ag Bonus for Initiative.
Concealed Cavity                 —                                          Character has a secret compartment on his person.
Counter Attack                   WS 40                                      Gain free attack with successful Parry.
Crack Shot                       BS 40                                      Deal +2 Critical Damage with ranged weapon.
Crippling Strike                 WS 50                                      Deal +4 Critical Damage with melee weapon.
Crushing Blow                    S 40                                       Deal +2 Damage with melee weapons.
Deadeye Shot                     BS 30                                      Called Shots are at –10 penalty.
                                                                            Cause greater damage when charging or dropping
Death From Above                 Adeptus Astartes, Pilot (Personal)
                                                                            into combat using a jump pack.
                                                                            The Space Marine gains bonuses when fighting
Deathwatch Training              Adeptus Astartes, member of the Deathwatch
                                                                            aliens.
Deflect Shot                     Ag 50                                      Character can parry primitive ranged attacks.
Die Hard                         WP 40                                      Re-roll death chance incurred by blood loss.
Disarm                           Ag 30                                      Force opponent to drop weapon.
                                                                            +10 bonus to Intimidate and Interrogation, –10
Disturbing Voice                 —
                                                                            penalty to Fel.
Double Team                      —                                          Gain additional +10 bonus for ganging up.
Dual Shot                        Ag 40, Two-Weapon Wielder                  One Ballistic Skill Test hits target twice.
Dual Strike                      Ag 40, Two-Weapon Wielder                  One Weapon Skill Test hits target twice.
Duty Unto Death                  WP 45
Electrical Succour               Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants          +10 bonus to T Tests to remove Fatigue
                                                                            +10 bonus to Inquiry, Tech Use, Common
Electro Graft Use                —
                                                                            Knowledge.
                                                                            An organisation or group particularly despises the
Enemy†                           —
                                                                            character.
†
    Denotes talent group.




                                                                                                                   109
                       Table 4–1: Talents, Continued
                       Talent Name               Prerequisite                                    Benefit
                       Energy Cache              Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants               Luminen Blast, Charge and Shock don’t cause Fatigue.
                       Enhanced Bionic Frame     Machinator Array
                                                                                                 Fire a single shot to penetrate armour and increase the
                       Eye of Vengeance          Astartes Weapons Training, BS 50
                                                                                                 chance of Righteous Fury.
IV: Talents & Traits




                       Exemplar of Honour      Adeptus Astartes                                  Exchange a Fate Point for a point of Cohesion.
                       Exotic Weapon Training† —                                                 Gain proficiency with an exotic weapon type.
                       Eye of Vengeance
                                                                                                Roll twice for Psychic Phenomena (see page 187) and
                       Favoured by the Warp      WP 35
                                                                                                take better result.
                       Fearless                  —                                              Immune to Fear and Pinning.
                       Feedback Screech          Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants              30m radius, Test WP or lose Half Action.
                       Ferric Lure               Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants              WP Test to call 1kg/WP Bonus of metal objects.
                       Ferric Summons            Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants, Ferric Lure WP Test to call 2kg/WP Bonus of metal objects.
                       Flame Weapon Training†    —                                              Gain proficiency with a group of flame weapons.
                       Flesh Render              Adeptus Astartes                               Cause additional damage with chain weapons.
                       Foresight                 Int 30                                         Contemplate to gain +10 bonus on next Test.
                       Frenzy                    —                                              Enter psychotic rage to gain combat bonuses.
                       Furious Assault           WS 35                                          On a successful WS Test, gain a free second attack.
                                                                                                The character has a good reputation amongst a certain
                       Good Reputation†          Fel 50, Peer
                                                                                                group.
                       Gun Blessing              Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants              Un-jam Int Bonus guns in 10m radius.
                       Gunslinger                BS 40, Two-Weapon Wielder                      Fighting with two pistols incurs only –10 penalty.
                       Hammer Blow               Adeptus Astartes                               Make a thunderous single strike with a melee weapon.
                                                                                                Opponents take –20 to BS Tests when character
                       Hard Target               Ag 40
                                                                                                charges or runs.
                       Hardy                     T 40                                           You always heal as if Lightly Damaged.
                       Hatred†                   —                                              Gain +10 bonus to attack hated creatures.
                       Heavy Weapon Training†    —                                              Gain proficiency with a heavy weapon group.
                       Heightened Senses†        —                                              Gain +10 bonus to particular sense.
                       Hip Shooting              BS 40, Ag 40                                   Gain a free attack while moving.
                       Hot Shot Pilot
                       Hunter of Aliens          —                                               Gain an advantage in combating aliens.
                       Improved Warp Sense       Warp Sense                                      Allows Psyniscience Test as Free Action.
                       Independent Targeting     BS 40                                           Fire at two or more targets further than 10m apart.
                       Infused Knowledge         Int 40                                          Treat Common and Scholastic Lore as Basic Skills.
                       Inspire Wrath             Fel 30                                          Inspire crowds to anger.
                                                                                                 Minions gain immunity to Pinning and Fear whilst in
                       Into the Jaws of Hell     Iron Discipline
                                                                                                 character’s presence.
                       Iron Discipline           WP 30, Command                                  Minions can re-roll Fear and Pinning Tests.
                       Iron Jaw                  T 40                                            Test Toughness to overcome Stunning.
                       Jaded                     WP 30                                           Never gain IP from ordinary horrors.
                                                                                                 Spend a Fate Point to make your melee attack
                       Killing Strike            Adeptus Astartes
                                                                                                 impossible to parry or dodge.
                                                                                                 Immune to Pinning by Pistols and Basic Weapons.
                       Last Man Standing         Nerves of Steel
                                                                                                 Improves Cover.
                       Leap Up                   Ag 30                                           Stand up as a Free Action.
                       Light Sleeper             Per 30                                          Count as awake, even when asleep.
                       Lightning Attack          Swift Attack                                    Attack three times with a Full Action.
                       Lightning Reflexes        —                                               Add twice Ag Bonus to Initiative rolls.
                       Litany of Hate            Hatred                                          Extend benefits of Hatred to allies.
                       Logis Implant             —                                               +10 bonus on WS and BS on successful Tech-Use Test.
                       Luminen Blast             Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants               1d10+WP Bonus Energy Damage bolt. Causes Fatigue.
                       Luminen Charge            Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants               T Test to power/charge tech. Causes Fatigue.
                       †
                         Denotes talent group.




                                  110
Table 4–1: Talents, Continued
Talent Name                 Prerequisite                                      Benefit
Luminen Shock               Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants                 1d10+3 Energy Damage shock. Causes Fatigue.
                                                                              The character has advanced Mechanicus
Machinator Array            Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants
                                                                              augmetics.
Maglev Grace                Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants                 Hover 1d10+TB minutes once per day.




                                                                                                                                    IV: Talents & Traits
Maglev Transcendence        Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants, Maglev Grace   Hover 2d10+TB minutes twice per day.
Marksman                    BS 35                                             No penalties for firing at long or extreme range.
Master Chirurgeon           Medicae +10                                       Perform advanced medical procedures.
                            Tech Use +10, Mechanicus or Techmarine or
Master Enginseer                                                              Use a Fate Point for automatic success.
                            Mechanicus Implants
                                                                              Affect 10 times the normal numbers with a
Master Orator               Fel 30
                                                                              Fellowship Test.
Mechadendrite Use†          Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants                 The character can use a type of Mechadendrite.
                                                                              The character may enter a trance to remove
Meditation                  —
                                                                              Fatigue.
Melee Weapon Training†      —                                                 Gain proficiency with a group of melee weapons.
                                                                              The character may use Psychic Powers while in
Mental Rage                 Frenzy
                                                                              the throes of frenzy.
Mighty Shot                 BS 40                                             Deal +2 Damage with ranged attacks.
Mimic                       —                                                 The character can copy voices.
Nerves of Steel             —                                                 Re-roll failed tests to avoid pinning.
Orthoproxy                  —                                                 +20 bonus to resist mind control or interrogation.
Paranoia                    —                                                 The character is alert for danger.
                                                                              Gain +10 bonus on Fel Tests to interact with
Peer†                       Fel 30
                                                                              organisation.
Pistol Weapon Training†     —                                                 Gain proficiency with a group of pistol weapons.
Polyglot                    Int 30, Fel 30                                    The character has an innate ability with languages.
Precise Blow                WS 40, Sure Strike                                No penalty for attacks against specific locations.
                                                                              Use Swift and Lightning Attack as a Half Action
Preternatural Speed         WS 40, Ag 50
                                                                              and when charging.
Prosanguine                 —                                                 Heal 1d5 Damage once per day.
Psy Rating                  —                                                 Become a more powerful Psyker, rated 1 –10.
Psychic Technique†          —                                                 Gain an extra Psychic Technique.
Quick Draw                  —                                                 Ready as a Free Action.
Rapid Reaction              Ag 40                                             Test Ag to negate surprise.
Rapid Reload                —                                                 Reduce reload time.
Resistance†                 —                                                 Gain +10 bonus to Resistance Tests.
Rite of Awe                 Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants                 50m radius, –10 to all Tests due to Fear.
Rite of Fear                Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants                 Fear Rating 1 for two minutes in a 50m radius.
Rite of Pure Thought        Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants                 The character is immune to emotion.
Rite of Sanctioning         Psy Rating, Special                               Reduces Psychic Phenomenon.
                                                                              A group or organisation bears the character
Rival†                      —
                                                                              animosity.
                                                                              Gain an advantage when battling traitors and
Scourge of Heretics         —
                                                                              heretics.
                            Techmarine Implants, Mechadendrite Use
Servo-harness Integration                                                     Gain the ability to use a Servo-harness.
                            (Servo-arm)
Sharpshooter                BS 40, Deadeye Shot                               No penalties for called shots.
Sound Constitution          —                                                 Gain an additional Wound.
                                                                              One item up to 20 Requisition becomes standard
Signature Wargear
                                                                              issue.
Signature Wargear                                                             One item up to 40 Requisition becomes standard
                            Signature Wargear
(Master)                                                                      issue and gain an additional benefit.
                                                                              One item up to 70 Requisition becomes standard
Signature Wargear (Hero)†
                                                                              issue.
†
    Denotes talent group.




                                                                                                                   111
                                Talent                                                          TalenTs for space Marines anD
                                                                                                Their eneMies
                              Descriptions                                                      This chapter details many Talents; some of these are
                                                                                                for the exclusive use of Battle-Brothers of the Adeptus
                       “The Imperium is a realm defended by sword strokes and the roar of       Astartes and are not found by those outside their ranks or
IV: Talents & Traits




                       guns: a million sword strokes and a roar like the thunder of angry       the ranks of the vile Chaos Space Marines. Others detailed
                       gods pass every day, and yet it may prove not enough.”                   here are not applicable to Space Marine characters, either
                                                                                                because they are rendered redundant by a Battle-Brother’s
                          –from the Ascension Address by Lord Militant Tetrarchus               extraordinary prowess and abilities or because they simply
                                                                                                are not things that a Space Marine would learn or do.
                       Players can find a complete listing of the Talents available in          This second group of Talents has been included in this
                       Deathwatch in Table 4–1: Talents, and the full explanations              chapter not for the use of players in creating Deathwatch
                       of each Talent on the following pages.                                    haracters, but to enable Game Masters to create varied and
                                                                                                interesting NPCs and enemies for the player characters to
                                                                                                encounter during their missions for the Deathwatch.


                         Table 4–1: Talents, Continued
                         Talent Name                    Prerequisite                            Benefit
                         Signature Wargear (Hero)†                                              One item up to 70 Requisition becomes standard issue.
                         Slayer of Daemons              —                                       Gain an advantage when fighting warp entities.
                         Sprint                         —                                       Move more quickly in combat.
                                                                                                Hold a chosen point with indomitable determination and a
                         Stalwart Defence               Adeptus Astartes
                                                                                                storm of fire.
                         Step Aside                     Ag 40, Dodge                            Gain extra Dodge in a Round.
                         Street Fighting                —                                       Deal +2 Critical Damage with knives or unarmed attacks.
                                                                                                Cause additional Damage against Hordes with ranged
                         Storm of Iron                  Adeptus Astartes
                                                                                                weapons.
                         Strong Minded                  WP 30, Resistance (Psychic)             Re-roll failed WP Tests made to resist Psychic Powers.
                         Sure Strike                    WS 30                                   Choose location on a successful attack.
                         Swift Attack                   WS 35                                   Attack twice with a Full Action.
                         Takedown                       —                                       Make a special attack to Stun opponent.
                         Talented†                      —                                       Gain +10 bonus to corresponding Skill Test.
                         Target Selection               BS50                                    Shoot into melee without penalty.
                         Technical Knock                Int 30                                  Un-jam a gun as Half Action.
                         The Flesh is Weak              —                                       Replace parts of the body with iron and machine.
                         Thrown Weapon Training†        —                                       Gain proficiency with a group of thrown weapons.
                         Thunder Charge                 Adeptus Astartes                        Break enemies with the momentum of an armoured charge.
                         Total Recall                   Int 30                                  The character can remember trivial facts and minor details.
                         True Grit                      T 40                                    Reduce Critical Damage the character takes.
                         Two-Weapon Wielder†            WS 35 or BS35, Ag 35                    Attack twice when wielding two weapons.
                         Unarmed Master                 WS 45, Ag 40, Unarmed Warrior           Attacks do 1d10+SB Damage and lack the Primitive trait.
                         Unarmed Warrior                WS 35, Ag 35                            Deal 1d10 –3+SB with unarmed attacks.
                                                                                                Perform an act of defiance to remove Cohesion Damage
                         Unbowed and Unbroken           Adeptus Astartes, Fel 40
                                                                                                suffered in previous turn.
                         Unshakeable Faith              —                                       The character may re-roll failed Fear Tests.
                         Wall of Steel                  Ag 35                                   Gain extra Parry each Round.
                         Warp Affinity                  Psy Rating, Special                     Re-roll Psychic Phenomenon.
                         Warp Conduit                   Psy Rating, Strong Minded, WP 50        +1 to Psy Rating when pushing.
                         Warp Sense                     Psy Rating, Psyniscience Skill, Per 30+ Allows Psyniscience Test as Half Action.
                                                                                                Increase the efficacy of weapons wielded by the Techmarine
                         Weapon-Tech                    Techmarine
                                                                                                or Mechanicus Implants.
                         Wisdom of the Ancients         Adeptus Astartes, Int 40                Spend a Fate Point to get insight on a situation.
                         Whirlwind of Death             Adeptus Astartes                        Cause additional Damage against hordes in melee.
                         †
                           Denotes talent group.



                                   112
abhor The WiTch                                                    asTarTes Weapon specialisaTion
Prerequisites: Adeptus Astartes, may not be taken by               Prerequisites: Adeptus Astartes, Astartes Weapon Training
characters with a Psy Rating                                       A Space Marine is a master of the tools of warfare, but through
The Battle-Brother spends the time before battle armouring         long practice and affinity he may reach a level of mastery
himself against the power of the warp by reciting canticles        with a particular type of weapon so that it becomes a tool of
and litanies of hate and contempt against the unclean powers.      perfect destruction. When this Talent is taken, a type and class




                                                                                                                                       IV: Talents & Traits
This Talent may be used in the Oath Making phase before            of weapons must be specified, such as bolt (pistols) or melee
undertaking a mission. The Battle-Brother spends a Fate            (chain). This Talent may be taken multiple times for different
Point in the Oath Making phase and counts as having spent          types and classes of weapons. When using the specified type of
this Fate Point for the duration of the mission. During the        weapon, the Battle-Brother never suffers a penalty greater than
mission, the Battle-Brother must take a Challenging (+0)           –30 when using the weapon.
Willpower Test whenever he is the subject of the effects of
a Psychic Power, daemonic power other warp-based power.
If the Willpower Test succeeds, then the Battle-Brother is
                                                                   g
unaffected by the power. If the Test fails, then the power         Prerequisites: Adeptus Astartes
affects him as normal. The effects of this Talent also apply to    Battle-Brothers of the Adeptus Astartes spend years becoming
powers that cause Damage indirectly such as blasts, and those      proficient with all manner of weapons. By the time that a
used by friendly psykers which might be beneficial to the          Battle-Brother has entered service in a squad, he will have not
Battle-Brother. A power that is resisted by a Battle-Brother       only trained with both heavy and melee weapons, but used
using this Talent is not nullified if others will be affected by   those weapons on countless battlefields. The Battle-Brother
it as normal.                                                      is proficient with bolt, chain, melta, plasma, power, flame,
                                                                   primitive (ranged and melee), las weapons, launchers, solid
                                                                   projectile, and thrown weapons of all Classes. In essence, the
air of auThoriTy                                                   only weapons that the Battle-Brother is not proficient with
Prerequisites: Fellowship 30                                       are exotic weapons; for these, he must acquire individual
The character was born to command, either motivating or            proficiencies as normal.
terrifying those under his charge. On a successful Command
Test, the character may affect a number of targets equal to
1d10 plus his Fellowship Bonus. Furthermore the character’s
                                                                   assassin sTrike
voice commands such respect that even those not in his retinue     Prerequisites: Agility 40, Acrobatics
pay heed. The character may make a Command Test on those           The character’s natural agility and graceful martial forms turn
not under his authority with a –10 penalty. This Talent has        him into a dervish of death on the battlefield. After making a
no effect on hostile targets, and only affects NPCs.               melee attack, a successful Acrobatics Test allows the character
                                                                   to move at half rate as a Free Action. Opponents do not
                                                                   receive free attacks resulting from this move. The character
aMbiDexTrous                                                       may only make this move once per Round.
Prerequisites: Agility 30
This Talent does not represent true ambidexterity so much as
sufficient training with both hands to make the distinction
                                                                   auTosanGuine
moot. The character may use either hand equally well for any       The ancient and blessed technology of the Mechanicus flows
task, and does not suffer the –20 penalty for actions using        through the character’s blood. These miniscule machines repair
his off hand.                                                      minor injuries and speed healing. When applying healing, the
   Special: When combined with a Two-Weapon Wielder                character is always considered Lightly Damaged, and heals at
Talent, the penalty for making attacks with both weapons in        an increased rate, removing 2 points of Damage per day.
the same turn drops to –10.
                                                                   g
arMour-MonGer                                                      Talent Groups: Bolt, Las, Launcher, Melta, Plasma, Primitive,
Prerequisites: Techmarine                                          SP and Universal
The finest armours and most powerful shields are all products      The character has received Basic Weapon Training in a group
of the followers of the machine god, based on the fabled and       of weapons, and can use them without penalty. The Universal
ancient designs of man’s glorious past. With years of training,    group includes the Bolt, Las, Launcher, Melta, Plasma, and SP
a Techmarine can learn to enhance these protections, or use        groups. Weapon Skill or Ballistic Skill Tests used with a weapon
them in their optimum fashion. The Techmarine increases the        that a character does not have training for suffer a –20 penalty.
Armour Points of any armour he wears by 2 on all locations it
would normally cover as long as he has at least an hour each
day to bless and prepare the armour. This bonus applies only
to armour worn by the Techmarine.


                                                                                                                   113
                       basTion of iron Will                                               bolTer Drill
                       Prerequisites: Psy Rating, Strong Minded, Willpower 40             Prerequisites: Adeptus Astartes Weapon Training
                       The character’s sheer willpower and psychic focus have             The skill of an Adeptus Astartes with bolters of all types can
                       become one and the same over years of practice and training,       be honed by training and combat, allowing Space Marines to
                       such that their combined use is second nature. The character       unleash devastating volleys of disciplined fire that cut down
                       doubles his Psy Rating on any Opposed Test involving the           their enemies like the sweep of a scythe. When firing any
IV: Talents & Traits




                       Psyniscience Skill or Psychic Powers.                              class of Bolt weapon on Full or Semi-Auto, the Battle-Brother
                                                                                          may opt to increase the weapon’s rate of fire by +1 (this
                                                                                          bonus applies to any and all bolt weapons wielded by the
                       baTTle raGe                                                        Space Marine, meaning that if he is firing more than one bolt
                       Prerequisites: Frenzy                                              weapon at a time, the bonus will apply to all such weapons).
                       Long experience and indomitable will have allowed the              This Talent only applies to personal weaponry and does not
                       character to master the beast within him, directing its            impact vehicle-mounted weapons of any kind.
                       rage while keeping a clear head. The character may Parry
                       while Frenzied.
                                                                                          bulGinG biceps
                                                                                          Prerequisites: Strength 45
                       berserk charGe                                                     Whereas a weaker man would be sent flying when using
                       The character has learned to put the whole force of his            heavy weapons, the character’s strong physique allows him to
                       momentum behind his weapon blows. When the character               remain standing . The character can fire heavy weapons using
                       charges into combat, few can stand before him. If the              Semi-Auto Burst or Full Auto Burst without bracing, and he
                       character uses the Charge Action, he gains a +20 bonus to          does not suffer the –30 penalty for failing to brace.
                       Weapon Skill instead of +10.
                                                                                          call To VenGeance
                       binary chaTTer                                                     Prerequisites: Adeptus Astartes, Fellowship 40
                       The character has optimised his use of Techna-Lingua for           When a Space Marine falls in battle, one of his Battle-Brothers
                       controlling servitors. The character receives a +10 bonus to any   may inspire those who remain to great deeds in revenge for
                       attempt to instruct, program, or communicate with servitors.       their fallen comrade. When another member of the unit is
                                                                                          killed or taken out of action, the Battle-Brother may take
                                                                                          a Full Action and spend a Fate Point to call his remaining
                       blaDeMasTer                                                        brothers to revenge the fallen. The character may raise his
                       Prerequisites: Weapon Skill 30, Melee Weapon Training              weapon in defiance and speak an oath of hatred, or recite one
                       The character’s mastery of bladed weapons and martial              of the canticles of vengeance. No matter how it is embodied,
                       disciplines has no peer. When attacking with any bladed            his action restores the Battle-Brother and all those in Support
                       weapon, including chainswords and power swords, the                Range of him to their starting Cohesion.
                       character may re-roll one missed attack per Round.
                                                                                          caTfall
                       g                                                                  Prerequisites: Agility 30
                       Prerequisites: Perception 30                                       Gymnastic ability and natural balance enables the character
                       Years of practice and development of other senses allows the       to fall great distances without harm. Whenever he falls, the
                       character to fight in close combat without the benefit of sight.   character may take an Agility Test as a Free Action. Success,
                       This Talent reduces all penalties for obscured vision by half,     and each additional Degree of Success, reduces the distance
                       permitting the character to fight in fog, smoke, or darkness       fallen by a number of metres equal to the character’s Agility
                       more effectively.                                                  Bonus for the purposes of determining Damage from the fall.


                                                                                          d
                                                                                          Either chemical and surgical treatments or sheer will has
                                                                                          rendered the character immune to most mundane temptations.
                                                                                          Seduction attempts against him automatically fail, and Charm
                                                                                          Tests increase their Difficulty by one level. Taking this Talent
                                                                                          gives the character one Insanity Point.




                                  114
cleanse anD purify                                                  t

Prerequisites: Basic Weapons Training (Flame) Talent or             Prerequisites: Ballistic Skill 40
equivalent                                                          The character can place his shots where they inflict more
The character can control the flowering flow of promethium          harm, at creases, gaps, or joints in armour. When the
like no other, manipulating flame like an old accomplice. The       character’s ranged attack causes Critical Damage, add +2 to
targets of the character’s flamer attacks take a –20 penalty to     the Damage.




                                                                                                                                    IV: Talents & Traits
their Agility tests to escape its effects, and when used against
an enemy with the Horde trait, the number of hits on the
Horde is increased by +1d5.
                                                                    cripplinG sTrike
                                                                    Prerequisites: Weapon Skill 50
                                                                    The character can land his blows precisely where they inflict
coMbaT forMaTion                                                    the most harm, cutting into seams or hammering at weak
Prerequisites: Intelligence 40                                      points. When the character’s melee attack causes Critical
The character has directed his comrades to prepare for danger,      Damage add +4 Damage.
planning out their actions for many contingencies if attacked.
Before rolling Initiative, all other members of the group
may choose to use the character’s Intelligence Bonus for all
                                                                    w
Initiative rolls rather than individual Agility Bonuses.            Prerequisites: Strength 40
                                                                    The character has the ability to focus his entire body into
                                                                    close combat attacks. The character adds +2 to damage
coMbaT MasTer                                                       inflicted in melee.
Prerequisites: Weapon Skill 30
The character’s weapon seems to be everywhere at once,
keeping many more opponents at bay in close combat
                                                                    t
than would seem possible. Opponents fighting the                    Prerequisites: Ballistic Skill 30
character in hand-to-hand combat gain no bonuses for                The character’s rock-steady hand and hawk-like eyesight
outnumbering him.                                                   make him a dreaded marksman. No target, however precise,
                                                                    can escape his crosshairs. When making a called shot, the
                                                                    character suffers a –10 penalty instead of –20.
coMbaT sense
Prerequisites: Perception 40
The character has the ability to consciously recognise the
                                                                    DeaTh froM aboVe
proddings of his subconscious as it reacts to his preternaturally   Prerequisites: Adeptus Astartes, Pilot (Personal)
sharp senses, giving the character an edge that mere speed          A Space Marine descending into battle on trails of fire is a
cannot match. The character may use his Perception Bonus in         true angel of death come to bring ruin and ending on all who
place of his Agility Bonus when rolling Initiative.                 stand in his way. When the Battle-Brother makes a Charge
                                                                    Action using a jump pack, his melee attack deals an extra d10
                                                                    Damage for every two Degrees of Success, to a maximum
concealeD caViTy                                                    bonus of 2d10.
The character’s flesh or augmetics conceals a small
compartment. This might be a pouch hidden under a flap
of flesh or a chamber fitted into a cybernetic enhancement.
                                                                    g
The character may conceal one small item, no larger than a          Prerequisites: Adeptus Astartes, member of the Deathwatch
closed fist, within this cavity. Discovering this compartment       All Deathwatch Space Marines automatically confirm any
requires success on a Difficult (–10) Search Test. If using         Righteous Fury results (see page 245) against alien enemies
a medicae scanner or auspex, the Difficulty is reduced to           without needing to re-roll the Ballistic Skill Test or Weapon
Ordinary (+10).                                                     Skill Test.


counTer aTTack                                                      t
Prerequisites: Weapon Skill 40                                      Prerequisites: Agility 50
The character’s lightning ripostes are things of deadly beauty,     The character’s weapons move with such speed that they
swift and invisible as the wind. After successfully Parrying an     can deflect thrown weapons and shots fired from primitive
opponent’s attack, the character may immediately make an            weapons. The character may spend a Reaction to Parry an
attack against that opponent using the weapon with which he         incoming ranged attack from a primitive or thrown weapon.
Parried as a Free Action. This attack suffers a –20 penalty.




                                                                                                                 115
                       d                                                                   Dual sTrike
                       Prerequisites: Willpower 40                                         Prerequisites: Agility 40, Two-Weapon Wielder
                       Through either willpower or sheer stubbornness, the character       The character’s skill with melee weapons can place two blows
                       refuses to cross into shadow. When the character suffers from       together to maximise Damage. When armed with two melee
                       blood loss, he may roll twice to avoid death.                       weapons, the character may attack with both simultaneously
                                                                                           as a Full Action. Make a single Weapon Skill Test. If the test is
IV: Talents & Traits




                                                                                           successful, the character hits the target with both weapons. As
                       m                                                                   the character is swinging both weapons as a single attack, he
                       Prerequisites: Agility 30                                           may take an Aim Action before attacking to get a +10 or +20
                       The character can wrest weapons from his opponent’s hands           bonus to the WS Test. The character does not suffer from the
                       through practised technique or brute force. If in close combat,     normal –20 WS penalty for wielding two weapons. If the
                       the character may use a Full Action to disarm his foe by            attack hits, the target’s armour gets applied as normal to both
                       making an Opposed Weapon Skill Test. If the character wins          hits individually, but Toughness only counts once against
                       the Test, the enemy drops his weapon at his feet. Should the        the combined Damage rolls of both hits. A single successful
                       character obtain three or more Degrees of Success, he may           Dodge or Parry Test from the target avoids both blows.
                       take the enemy’s weapon from him.
                                                                                           DuTy unTo DeaTh
                       DisTurbinG Voice                                                    Prerequisites: Willpower 45
                       The character’s voice has particularly baleful or menacing          The character’s will or faith can sustain him when his flesh
                       qualities, causing others to quail before it. The character gains   fails. He ignores the effects of injury, Fatigue, and Stunning
                       a +10 bonus to all Intimidate or Interrogation Tests when           during combat. This Talent does not prevent the Damage, but
                       employing this talent, but suffers a –10 penalty to Fellowship      allows the character to temporarily ignore its effects for the
                       Tests when dealing with others in a non-threatening manner,         duration of the combat. Death still affects him normally.
                       such as animals, children, or the easily startled.
                                                                                           elecTrical succour
                                                                                           Prerequisites: Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants
                       The character has experience of fighting in paired teams that       The character can channel the sacred flow of energy from his
                       work together to take down their enemies. When ganging up           Potentia Coil or other energy source to replenish his flesh.
                       on an opponent, the character gains an additional +10 bonus         Whilst in contact with a functioning, powered machine or
                       to Weapon Skill Tests. If both characters who outnumber the         fully charged battery or power cell, the character may make
                       enemy have this Talent, both gain an additional +10 bonus,          an Ordinary (+10) Toughness Test. Success removes
                       for a total of +20. This bonus is in addition to the normal         one level of Fatigue plus one additional level of Fatigue for
                       bonus gained from outnumbering opponents.                           each additional Degree of Success. This takes one minute of
                                                                                           meditation and ritual incantation.
                       t
                       Prerequisites: Agility 40, Two-Weapon Wielder
                                                                                           elecTro GrafT use
                       The character’s skill with guns is such that he can target          Prerequisites: Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants
                       two shots on exactly the same point. When armed with two            The character may use his Electro Graft to access data ports
                       pistols, the character may fire both simultaneously as a Full       and commune with machine spirits. This grants a +10 bonus
                       Action. A single Ballistic Skill Test is made, and if successful,   to Common Lore, Inquiry, or Tech-Use Tests whilst connected
                       the character hits his target with both shots. As the character     to a data port.
                       is firing both guns as a single attack, he may take an Aim
                       Action before firing to get a +10 or +20 bonus to the BS
                       Test, and a red-dot laser sight mounted on any one of the
                                                                                           eneMy
                       weapons provides its +10 bonus. The character does not suffer       Talent Groups: Adeptus Arbites, Adeptus Astra Telepathica,
                       from the normal –20 Ballistic Skill penalty for wielding two        Adeptus Astartes, Adeptus Mechanicus, Adepta Sororitas,
                       weapons. If the attack hits, the target’s armour gets applied as    Adeptus Titanicus, Administratum, Astropaths, Chartist Captains,
                       normal to both hits individually, but Toughness only counts         Ecclesiarchy, Imperial Guard, Imperial Navy, Inquisition,
                       once against the combined damage rolls of both hits. A single       Navigators, Officio Assassinorum, PDF, Planetary Governors,
                       successful Dodge Test from the target avoids both shots.            Rogue Trader, Schola Progenium, Scholastica Psykana
                                                                                           The opposite of Good Reputation, the character is particularly
                                                                                           despised by a specific social group or organisation. The
                                                                                           character suffers an additional –10 penalty to Fellowship
                                                                                           Tests when dealing with this group. This Talent is cumulative
                                                                                           with the Rival talent, for a total –20 penalty.


                                  116
   m
   The Imperium is a complex machine made up of many divisions and sub-divisions of authority, power, and responsibility.
   In addition to the many layers of organisation within the Imperium, there are countless more that exist outside the official
   architecture of power, or exist only within particular locales of the Imperium. Included here is a list of some of the
   organisations that are used in the descriptions of the Enemy, Good Reputation, Rival, and Peer Talents in this Chapter.




                                                                                                                                         IV: Talents & Traits
   Organisation              Description
   Administratum             The vast bureaucracy of the Imperium that administers the domains of the God-Emperor of mankind.
   Adeptus Arbites           The keepers of Imperial law and enforcers of loyalty to the Golden Throne.
   Adeptus Astartes          The genetically enhanced, power armour-clad angels of death.
   Adeptus Astra
                             The organisation that trains and sanctions Imperial Psykers.
   Telepathica
   Adeptus Mechanicus       The Tech-Priests are the preservers of technology and fabricators of machines.
   Adepta Sororitas         The female holy orders which include the Sisters of Battle.
   Adeptus Titanicus        The Titan Legions whose vast war machines shake planets when they walk.
                            The telepaths who are soul-bound to the Emperor and who unite the Imperium through their telepathic
   Astropaths
                            communications.
   Chartist Captains        The masters of spacecraft who voyage within the bounds of the Imperium.
   Ecclesiarchy             The keepers of faith in the Emperor’s divinity.
   Imperial Guard           The Imperium’s vast armies of men and women.
                            The forces of warships that defend the worlds of the Imperium, carry its troops to battlefronts, and
   Imperial Navy
                            persecute its wars in the darkness between stars.
   Inquisition              The secretive protectors of the Emperor’s dominion.
   Navigators               The mutants whose abilities allow starships to pass through the warp and so travel between distant stars.
   Officio Assassinorum     The secret bringers of death.
   Planetary Defense Forces The military forces raised on planets to defend against invaders.
                            A starship captain who possesses a charter granting him the right to voyage beyond the bounds of the
   Rogue Trader
                            Imperium with power unbound.
                            The schools that teach orphans of Imperial officials who have given their lives in the service of the
   Schola Progenium
                            Emperor.
   Scholastica Psykana      The organisation that trains and sanctions Imperial Psykers.


   The GM and player may agree to award This talent when              g
appropriate to the adventure or campaign. This Talent can             Talent Groups: Each exotic weapon
be removed with an Elite Advance, and the approval of the             The character is trained to use a particularly obscure type of
GM, if the character has redeemed himself with the group              weapon, allowing him to use armaments few others have ever
in question.                                                          seen. Weapons requiring this unique Talent are noted in their
                                                                      armoury descriptions. Weapon Skill or Ballistic Skill Tests used
                                                                      with a weapon that a character does not have training for suffer
enerGy cache                                                          a –20 penalty.
Prerequisites: Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants
The character has learned to focus the power stored within
his Potentia Coil with greater efficiency. The character no
                                                                      eye of VenGeance
longer gains Fatigue from using Luminen Charge, Luminen               Prerequisites: Astartes Weapons Training, Ballistic Skill 50
Shock, and Luminen Blast.                                             The Battle-Brother can focus his intent on where it is likely
                                                                      to do most Damage to his enemy and then strike the target
                                                                      down with a single shot. The Battle-Brother may declare
enhanceD bionic fraMe                                                 that he is using this Talent before he makes a single ranged
Prerequisites: Machinator Array                                       attack. If the attack hits, it ignores an additional point of
The character’s already impressive bionic body structure is           armour per Degree of Success. If a 10 is rolled for Damage,
steadied by a gyro-array guided by a targeting system linked          it automatically triggers Righteous Fury without the need for
to the machine-spirit. The character gains the Auto-stabilised        another Ballistic Skill Test (see Righteous Fury on page 245
Trait (see page 130).                                                 in Chapter VIII: Combat). This Talent may not be used in
                                                                      conjunction with Blast weapons, Semi or Full-Auto Bursts, or
                                                                      Flame weapons. It may, however, be used in conjunction with
                                                                      accurate weapons and in conjunction with making Called
                                                                      Shots and taking Aim Actions.


                                                                                                                        117
                                                                                         ferric lure
                                                                                         Prerequisites: Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants
                                                                                         The character can cause an unsecured metal object within his
                                                                                         field of vision to fly into his hand. The object may weigh up
                                                                                         to 1 kilogram per point of the character’s Willpower Bonus,
                                                                                         and must lie within 20 metres. Using this Talent requires a
IV: Talents & Traits




                                                                                         Full Action and a successful a Willpower Test.


                                                                                         ferric suMMons
                                                                                         Prerequisites: Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants,
                                                                                         Ferric Lure
                                                                                         The character can call an unsecured metal object to his hand as
                                                                                         with Ferric Lure. The character may summon objects of up to
                                                                                         2 kilograms per point of Willpower Bonus, and the object may
                                                                                         be up to 40 metres distant. The character must spend a Full
                                                                                         Action and succeed on a Willpower Test to enact this rite.


                                                                                         g
                                                                                         Talent Groups: Universal
                                                                                         The sight of flaming streams of promethium brings joy to the
                                                                                         Explorer’s heart and dread to his foes. He has mastered the
                                                                                         art of a wide variety of flamer weapons. The Universal Talent
                       exeMplar of honour                                                group encompasses all non-Exotic weapons with the Flame
                                                                                         special quality.
                       Prerequisites: Adeptus Astartes
                       The Battle-Brother exemplifies all that is finest in an Adeptus
                       Astartes to the extent that his presence can rally his brothers
                                                                                         flesh renDer
                       and inspire them to fight together against overwhelming           Prerequisites: Adeptus Astartes
                       odds. The Battle-Brother may spend a Fate Point as a Free         The Battle-Brother has a taste for the massive damage that
                       Action to regain Cohesion equal to his Fellowship Bonus. He       can be inflicted with chain weapons and other melee weapons
                       may do this once per Round.                                       that rip apart the flesh of their enemies. When inflicting
                                                                                         Damage with a melee weapon that has the Tearing quality,
                                                                                         the character rolls a single additional die for Damage and
                       faVoureD by The Warp                                              picks the highest roll. For weapons that inflict several dice
                       Prerequisite: Willpower 35                                        worth of Damage, only a single additional die is rolled.
                       Whenever a Psychic Power results in Psychic Phenomena,
                       the character may roll twice on that table and take the more
                       favourable result.                                                exaMple
                                                                                         Averrus, a Deathwatch Assault Marine, attacks a Tyranid
                                                                                         Hormagaunt with his chainsword. Because Averrus’ chainsword
                       fearless                                                          has the Tearing Quality, he benefits from his Flesh Render Talent.
                       Through hard experience with horrifying situations, fear no       Averrus rolls 3d10 for Damage (getting a 9, 2, and 5 on the dice)
                       longer commands the character’s actions. The character is         and selects the best result (9).
                       immune to the effects of Fear and Pinning, but disengaging
                       from combat or backing down from a fight requires a
                       successful Willpower Test.
                                                                                         t
                                                                                         Prerequisites: Intelligence 30
                                                                                         Logic and analysis do for the character what Tarot and
                       feeDback screech                                                  the bones claim to do for the superstitious masses. By
                       Prerequisites: Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants                  careful consideration of all the possible consequences, and
                       The character can scramble his vox synthesizers, causing a        examination of all evidence and information, the character
                       hideous blast of noise that shocks and distracts others. All      can identify the best path for success. By spending 10 minutes
                       unprotected creatures within a 30-meter radius who have the       studying or analysing a problem, the character gains a +10
                       ability to hear must make a Willpower Test or lose a Half         bonus to his next Intelligence Test.
                       Action on their next turn as they involuntarily react to the
                       cacophonous shriek.


                                  118
frenzy                                                             GunslinGer
The character’s temper and passion boil just below the surface     Prerequisites: Ballistic Skill 40, Two-Weapon Wielder
of his psyche, mostly held in check by his rational mind, but      The character has trained with pistols for so long that they are
easily released when needed. If the character spends one full      like extensions of his own body, barely requiring conscious
Round fuelling his anger—by flagellation, drugs, or other          thought to aim and fire. When armed with two pistols, the
means—on the next Round he goes into an uncontrolled rage,         character reduces the penalty for Two-Weapon Fighting by




                                                                                                                                      IV: Talents & Traits
gaining a +10 bonus to Weapon Skill, Strength, Toughness,          –10. If the character also possesses the Ambidextrous Talent,
and Willpower, but suffering a –20 penalty to Ballistic Skill      the penalty is reduced to 0.
and Intelligence. The character must attack the nearest enemy
in melee combat if possible. If he is not engaged with the
nearest enemy, he must move towards that enemy and engage
                                                                   w
it if possible. The character will not take obviously suicidal     Prerequisites: Adeptus Astartes
actions such as leaping off a building in order to engage          The Battle-Brother strikes a single blow with such focus and
someone on the ground, but he will take any actions that           force that it breaks armour and pulps flesh as it strikes. When
have a reasonable opportunity to engage in melee with the          the Battle-Brother makes an All Out Attack manoeuvre to
nearest enemy. While Frenzied, he is immune to Fear, Pinning,      make a single melee attack, he may add half his Strength
Stunning effects, the effects of Fatigue, and he may not Parry,    Bonus to the weapon’s Armour Penetration. The attack
retreat, or flee. He remains Frenzied for the duration of the      also counts as having the Shocking quality to represent the
combat. Unless the character has a Talent that allows him to       concussive force of the blow’s impact.
do so, he may not use Psychic Techniques whilst in Frenzy.
Some beings are either permanently Frenzied or can Frenzy
at will.
                                                                   t
                                                                   Prerequisites: Agility 40
                                                                   Light on his feet, the character dodges and weaves as he
t                                                                  moves, skills learned from long years in the line of fire. When
Prerequisites: Weapon Skill 35                                     the character performs a Charge or Run Action, opponents
The character’s speed and martial prowess allow him to land        suffer a –20 penalty to Ballistic Skill Tests made to hit the
several blows where lesser combatants land one. If the character   character with a ranged weapon. This penalty continues until
successfully hits his target using the All Out Attack Action, he   the start of the character’s next turn.
may spend his Reaction to make an additional attack using the
same bonuses or penalties as the original attack.
                                                                   harDy
                                                                   Prerequisites: Toughness 40
GooD repuTaTion                                                    The character’s constitution rebounds quickly from shock
Prerequisites: Fellowship 50, Peer (of that group)                 or injury. When undergoing medical treatment or healing
Talent Groups: Adeptus Arbites, Adeptus Astra Telepathica,         from injures, the character recovers Damage as if Lightly
Adeptus Astartes, Adeptus Mechanicus, Adepta Sororitas,            Damaged.
Adeptus Titanicus, Administratum, Astropaths, Chartist Captains,
Ecclesiarchy, Imperial Guard, Imperial Navy, Inquisition,
Navigators, Officio Assassinorum, PDF, Planetary Governors,
                                                                   d
Rogue Trader, Schola Progenium, Scholastica Psykana                Talent Groups: Chaos Space Marines, Daemons, Mutants,
The character is well respected within a social group or           Psykers, Xenos (specific), other
organisation. The character gains an additional +10 bonus to       A group, organisation, or race has wronged the character in
Fellowship Tests when dealing with this group. This Talent         the past, fuelling this animosity. When fighting opponents of
is cumulative with Peer, for a total of a +20 bonus. This          that group in close combat, the character gains a +10 bonus
bonus also applies to Influence Tests when dealing with this       to all Weapon Skill Tests made against them.
particular group. The GM and player may agree to award this
Talent when appropriate to the adventure or campaign.
                                                                   g
                                                                   Talent Groups: Bolt, Las, Launcher, Melta, Plasma, Primitive,
g                                                                  and SP
Prerequisites: Techmarine                                          The character can employ some of the most devastating
Utilising his sacred ability to subtly affect ferrous materials,   weapons of the battlefield. The character can use weapons
the character may un-jam a number of weapons equal to his          of the groups for which he has selected this Talent, choosing
Intelligence Bonus, so long as they are within a 10-meter          one new group each time the character obtains it. When a
radius. A successful Intelligence Test indicates the character     character attempts to use a weapon he does not have the
has appeased the spirits of the weapons. This blessing requires    correct Weapon Training Talent for, he suffers a –20 penalty
a Full Action.                                                     to any relevant Weapon Skill or Ballistic Skill Test.


                                                                                                                  119
                                                                                              iMproVeD Warp sense
                                                                                              Prerequisites: Warp Sense
                                                                                              The character can now see the warp and physical universe side
                                                                                              by side, no longer taking any concentration on his part. After
                                                                                              gaining this Talent, the character may use the Psyniscience
                                                                                              Skill as a Free Action.
IV: Talents & Traits




                                                                                              infuseD knoWleDGe
                                                                                              Prerequisites: Intelligence 40
                                                                                              The character has been infused with a great wealth of lore and
                                                                                              knowledge, either through punishing noetic techniques or by
                                                                                              arcane methods kept secret by the guardians of technology and
                                                                                              knowledge. The character treats all Common and Scholastic
                                                                                              Lore Skills as Basic Skills. This Talent also provides a +10
                                                                                              bonus to any tests involving Common or Scholastic Lore for
                                                                                              which the character already possesses the Skill.


                                                                                              g
                                                                                              Prerequisites: Ballistic Skill 40
                                                                                              The character has developed his peripheral vision and situational
                                                                                              awareness to a point where he can fire in two directions within
                                                                                              a split second. When firing two weapons as part of a single
                                                                                              Action, the targets need not be fewer than 10 metres apart.


                                                                                              inTo The JaWs of hell
                                                                                              Prerequisites: Iron Discipline
                                                                                              The character inspires loyalty and devotion in his followers
                       heiGhTeneD senses                                                      such that they would follow him into the warp vortices of
                       Talent Groups: Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste, Touch                       the Maw or on a boarding action against xenos corsairs. In
                       Either genetics or augmetics have made one of the character’s          personal combat, while visible to the character, the followers
                       senses are superior to others. When the character gains this Talent,   are immune to Fear and Pinning.
                       select one of the five senses. The character gains a +10 bonus
                       to any tests specifically involving this sense. Thus, Heightened
                       Senses (Sight) would apply to an Awareness Test to see a distant
                                                                                              inspire WraTh
                       flock of shale crows, but not to a Ballistic Skill Test or a Weapon    Prerequisites: Fellowship 30
                       Skill Test simply because the character is using his eyes.             The character knows just the turn of phrase that incites
                                                                                              individuals or groups to rage against others. The character’s
                                                                                              rhetoric grants him +20 to Interaction Tests when inspiring
                       g                                                                      hatred or anger, and this Talent doubles the number of
                       Prerequisites: Ballistic Skill 40, Agility 40                          individuals affected. This Talent can be combined with Master
                       The character’s prowess with ranged weapons is such that he            Orator to further increase the number of listeners affected.
                       can still fire accurately without his eye behind the weapon’s
                       sights. As a Full Action, the character may both move up to his
                       Full Move rate and make a single attack with a ranged weapon.
                                                                                              iron Discipline
                       This attack can only be a single shot—no automatic fire.               Prerequisites: Willpower 30, Command
                                                                                              Iron sharpens iron. The character does not coddle his
                                                                                              subordinates nor motivate them through kindness. The
                       hunTer of aliens                                                       character’s stalwart example and stern leadership exhorts them
                       Aliens are a foul and constant threat to the Imperium, and             with steel instead of spoils. If the character is visible to his
                       the character has taken a vow to rid the galaxy of their foul          followers, either in person or via vox- or pict-caster, they may
                       presence. Though he knows such a task is greater than his              re-roll failed Willpower Tests made to resist Fear and Pinning.
                       actions alone, the character hopes the vile xenos blood he spills      Iron Discipline can affect a number of targets equal to the
                       goes some way to winning the Emperor’s war against this most           character’s Willpower Bonus, who must be under the character’s
                       terrible of foes. The character gains +10 to his Weapon Skill          command. Player characters can benefit from Iron Discipline if
                       and +2 to melee weapon Damage when combating aliens.                   the character with this Talent is the official group leader.


                                   120
w                                                                 liGhTninG aTTack
Prerequisites: Toughness 40                                       Prerequisites: Swift Attack
The character has taken blows from Orks and given back            The character’s speed with weapons is legendary, allowing him to
as good as he got. The character can bounce back from             launch flurries of attacks in melee. As a Full Action, the character
most strikes without ill effects. If ever Stunned, a successful   may make three melee attacks on his turn. The effects of this
Toughness Test allows the character to ignore the effects.        Talent replace those of Swift Attack rather than adding to them.




                                                                                                                                         IV: Talents & Traits
                                                                  The use of Lightning Attack may not be combined with Dual
                                                                  Strike. If the character has the Two-Weapon Wielder Talent and
d                                                                 is wielding two melee weapons, the character gains the advantage
Prerequisites: Willpower 30                                       of Lightning Attack with only one of the weapons, and a single
The character’s wide travels have shown him both wonders          attack with the other. If the character has the Two-Weapon
and horrors beyond the ken of most. The galaxy has thrown         Wielder Talent and is wielding a melee weapon in one hand and
its worst at the character, and he has yet to flinch. Mundane     a gun in the other, they gain the advantage of Lightning Attack
events, from death’s horrific visage to xenos abominations, do    with the melee weapon and a single attack with the gun.
not cause Insanity Points, nor Fear Tests. Terrors of the warp
still affects the character normally.
                                                                  liGhTninG reflexes
                                                                  The character always expects trouble, even in the most innocuous
killinG sTrike                                                    situations, allowing him to act quickly when needed. Add twice
Prerequisites: Adeptus Astartes                                   the character’s Agility Bonus when rolling for Initiative. If the
Space Marines are amongst the deadliest warriors in the           character has Unnatural Agility, then add one to the multiplier
galaxy, and they have learned how best to place their blows       before factoring the bonus into the character’s Initiative roll.
for maximum effect. When taking the All-Out Attack action,
a Space Marine may spend a Fate Point (before rolling the
dice) to make his melee attacks for that round impossible
                                                                  liTany of haTe
to parry or dodge.                                                Prerequisites: Hatred (any)
                                                                  The character’s belief in the righteousness of his hatred is
                                                                  so ingrained in his being that he can inspire the same hate
leap up                                                           in others. As a Full Action, make a Charm Test to extend
Prerequisites: Agility 30                                         the effects of the character’s Hatred Talent to nearby allies.
A combination of athletic ability and speed allow the             Success on the test confers a +10 bonus to WS when fighting
character to spring to his feet in virtually any circumstance.    hated foes to one ally per point of the character’s Fellowship
The character may stand up as a Free Action.                      Bonus. The effects last for the duration of the encounter.


g                                                                 t
Prerequisites: Nerves of Steel                                    The character’s logis processors work with preternatural speed,
The character has developed a sixth sense about hails of          filtering sensory input and allowing the character to analyse
gunfire, allowing him to sense gaps and pauses in the lethal      and anticipate the actions of those around him. By using the
rain. The character is immune to Pinning by pistols and           character’s Reaction for the Round, the character may make a
Basic Weapons, and he adds +1 AP to the value of any cover        Tech-Use Test to make use of this Talent. The character gains
protecting him from ranged attacks.                               a +10 bonus to all Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill Tests until
                                                                  the end of his next turn. The character must pass a Toughness
                                                                  Test when he uses this Talent or gain a level of Fatigue.
liGhT sleeper
Prerequisites: Perception 30
The slightest change in conditions or disturbance brings the
                                                                  t
character from sleep to full awareness, remaining alert even      Prerequisites: Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants
in slumber. The character is always assumed to be awake,          The Omnissiah has blessed the character with augmetic conduits
even when asleep, for the purposes of Awareness Tests or          that parallel the bones of his arms. By reciting the proper litany,
surprise. Unfortunately, the character’s sleep is not deep and    the character can channel the energy stored in his Potentia
can be frequently interrupted, resulting in a less-than-cheery    Coil down these channels and direct it at enemies. Success on
disposition when awake.                                           a Ballistic Skill Test allows the character to direct this energy
                                                                  against a single target within 10 metres. The target takes 1d10
                                                                  plus the character’s Willpower Bonus of Energy Damage with
                                                                  the Shocking Quality. The character must pass a Toughness
                                                                  Test when he uses this ability or gain a level of Fatigue.
                                                                  Talent Use: Half Action Attack


                                                                                                                    121
                       luMinen charGe                                                    MaGleV Grace
                       Prerequisites: Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants                  Prerequisites: Mechanicus Implants
                       The character has mastered the union between his holy             The character is implanted with anti-grav coils throughout his
                       mechanical elements and his mortal flesh, allowing the            lower body, allowing him to hover just off the ground. Using
                       former to power the latter. With a successful Toughness           a Half Action, the character may hover 20–30 centimetres
                       Test, the character may recharge or power machinery with          off the ground for a number of minutes equal to 1d10 plus
IV: Talents & Traits




                       his internal coils. This requires one minute of meditation and    the character’s Toughness Bonus. The character must employ
                       ritual incantation. The difficulty of the Toughness Test varies   a Half Action each Round to maintaining the rite, and may
                       depending on the nature of the powered system:                    use the other actions to move normally. The character may
                                                                                         activate this rite to slow his rate of descent when falling,
                                                                                         reducing all falling Damage to 1d10+3 Impact. Each use of
                          Difficulty         Example
                                                                                         Maglev Grace exhausts the power stored in the character’s
                          Ordinary (+10)     Simple Power Cell, Illuminator
                                                                                         Potentia Coil, and so this Talent cannot be reused until the
                                             Weapon Charge Pack, Data Slate,             Coil has been recharged (usually 1d5 hours).
                          Challenging (+0)
                                             Bridge Terminal
                                             Hotshot Charge Pack, Shuttle
                          Difficult (–10)
                                             Electronics, Servo-Skull                    MaGleV TranscenDence
                                             Lascannon Charge Pack, Servitor,
                          Hard (–20)                                                     Prerequisites: Mechanicus Implants, Maglev Grace
                                             Bridge Hololith
                                                                                         The character has proven his devotion to the Machine God by
                                             Ship’s Cogitator Core, Reactor
                          Very Hard (–30)                                                lacing anti-grav coils through every portion of his body. Using
                                             Machine Spirit, Xenos Tech
                                                                                         a Half Action, the character may hover 20–30 centimetres off
                                                                                         the ground for a number of minutes equal to 2d10 plus the
                          The character must pass a Toughness Test when he uses          character’s Toughness Bonus. The character must employ a
                       this ability or gain a level of Fatigue. No matter the power      Half Action each Round to concentrate on maintaining this
                       bestowed upon the character by the Omnissiah, some systems        rite, but any Move Action allows the character to move up to
                       are either too large or too alien for this Talent—the GM is       his running speed. The character can slow his rate of descent
                       the final judge.                                                  when falling so long as this rite is active when the character
                                                                                         reaches the ground, taking no falling Damage. Each time the
                                                                                         character enacts this rite, it drains 50% of the power stored
                       luMinen shock                                                     in his Potentia Coil.
                       Prerequisites: Techmarine or Mechanicus Implants
                       The power of the character’s Potentia Coil flows through
                       a network of inductors within his flesh. This allows the
                                                                                         MarksMan
                       character to channel this energy into his blows. In close         Prerequisites: Ballistic Skill 35
                       combat, a successful Weapon Skill Test or Grapple delivers        The character’s steady hand and eagle eye allows him to keep
                       the shock. The Luminen Shock inflicts 1d10+3 points of            crosshairs steady on any target, regardless of range. Distance
                       Energy Damage with the Shocking Quality. The character            is no protection against the character’s marksmanship, and
                       must pass a Toughness Test when he uses this ability or gain      he suffers no penalties for Ballistic Skill Tests at long or
                       a level of Fatigue.                                               extended range.
                       Talent Use: Half Action Attack
                                                                                         MasTer chirurGeon
                       MachinaTor array                                                  Prerequisites: Medicae +10
                       Prerequisites: Mechanicus Implants                                The character’s advanced medical skills enable him to knit flesh
                       The character has returned to the crèches of the Mechanicus       with deft same mastery. The character’s exceptional education
                       so the Priesthood of Mars may bring him closer to the most        in use of the Narthecium, med-slate, and supplemental drugs
                       holy of forms by adding an extensive machinator array to          give his patients an enormous advantage. The character gains
                       the character’s existing augmetics. The character’s Strength      a +10 bonus on all Medicae Tests. If treating a Heavily or
                       and Toughness Characteristics are increased by +10. Reduce        Critically Damaged patient, a successful test heals 2 Wounds
                       the character’s Agility and Fellowship by –5. The character’s     instead of 1. If the patient is in danger of losing a limb from
                       mass increases to three times that of a normal person, and        a Critical Hit (see Chapter VIII: Combat), the character
                       the character may no longer stay afloat or swim in water or       provides the patient with a +20 bonus to the Toughness Test
                       similar liquids. The character may mount a single pistol or       to prevent limb loss.
                       close combat weapon on any Servo-Arm or Servo-Harness he
                       possesses. The character must still have the proper Talent to
                       use the mounted weapon.




                                   122
MasTer enGinseer                                                 MenTal raGe
Prerequisites: Tech Use +20, Mechanicus or Techmarine            Prerequisites: Frenzy
Implants                                                         The character’s madness and hate open his mind to the warp,
The character’s knowledge of engines and their machine           allowing the character to use its power with little conscious
spirits surpasses all but the most venerable servants of the     thought. While in a Frenzied state, the character may use his
Machine-God. The character can almost feel the plasma            Psychic Powers normally.




                                                                                                                                     IV: Talents & Traits
pulsing through a reactor’s conduits as if it were his own
veins. The character may spend a Fate Point for automatic
success on a Tech Use Test for enhancement, repair, or
                                                                 t
upgrade of a machine’s system, taking the minimum amount         Prerequisites: Ballistic Skill 40
of time possible on the task.                                    The character knows the weak points in every armour and
                                                                 material, and has the skill to ensure that his shots land exactly
                                                                 where they do the most damage. The character adds +2 to
MasTer oraTor                                                    Damage inflicted with a ranged weapon.
Prerequisites: Fellowship 30
The character has learned the techniques required to
influence large audiences. The character’s Fellowship Tests
                                                                 MiMic
and Fellowship-based Skill Tests affect 10 times the normal      Vox synthesisers, training, or innate abilities allow the
number of targets.                                               character to accurately mimic the voice of another. The
                                                                 character must study the voice patterns of his intended
                                                                 target for at least one hour for proper imitation, and speak
MechaDenDriTe use                                                the same language. The character cannot accurately copy the
Prerequisites: Mechanicus or Techmarine Implants                 voice of a xenos due to the difference in physiology and the
Talent Groups: Servo-arm, Weapon, Utility                        subtle complexities of most alien languages. Listeners must
Though there are many different types of Mechadendrite,          succeed on a Difficult (–10) Scrutiny Test to penetrate the
this Talent divides them into two broad categories:              deception. If the character’s study used vox recordings or
Servo-Arm: Servo-arms are powerful mechanical arms fitted        comm-link conversations rather than in-person observation,
with piston-driven claws that are equally effective as weapons   the Difficulty of the Scrutiny Test is reduced to Challenging
as they are at repairing machines.                               (+0). The character’s deception automatically fails if the
Weapon: Mechadendrites of this type end in either ranged         listener can clearly see him.
or close combat weapons, and have the supplemental support
and strength necessary for combat. Servo-Arms and the
Servo-Harness may also count as this type.
                                                                 nerVes of sTeel
Utility: Including such varied types as Machine Spirit           Long years on the battlefield enable the character to remain
Interface, Manipulator, Medicae, Utility, Optical, and           calm as fire impacts all around them. The character may re-
countless others, these Mechadendrites generally require less    roll failed Willpower Tests to avoid or recover from Pinning.
hardy mountings, but all interface with the Cyber Mantle in
a similar manner.
                                                                 orThoproxy
                                                                 A liturgical circuit has been implanted within the character’s
MeDiTaTion                                                       skull, allowing him to focus on the prayers recited by the
The character has mastered his body and its reactions by the     proxy unit when the character’s mental fortitude is in peril.
practice of meditative techniques, shutting down unnecessary     The character receives a +20 bonus to Willpower Tests made
functions that enables him to refresh both body and mind.        to resist mind control or interrogation.
Success on a Willpower Test and 10 minutes without
interruptions removes one level of Fatigue.
                                                                 paranoia
                                                                 The character knows that danger lurks behind every corner
g                                                                and knows the galaxy will hit him as soon as he lets his guard
Talent Groups: Chain, Shock, Power, Primitive, Universal         down. The character gains a +2 bonus on Initiative rolls, and
The character has trained extensively with hand-to-hand          the GM may secretly test using the character’s Perception to
weaponry, becoming proficient in the use of virtually all        notice hidden threats. The price of this eternal vigilance is a
hand-held close combat arms. The “Universal” group includes      twitchy disposition and the inability to relax.
the Primitive, Chain, Shock and Power groups. When a
character attempts to use a weapon he does not have the
correct Weapon Training Talent for, he suffers a –20 penalty
to any relevant Weapon Skill or Ballistic Skill Test.



                                                                                                                 123
                       peer                                                               prosanGuine
                       Prerequisites: Fellowship 30                                       Prerequisites: Autosanguine
                       Talent Groups: Adeptus Arbites, Adeptus Astra Telepathica,         Through the application of his will, the character may speed
                       Adeptus Astartes, Adeptus Mechanicus, Adepta Sororitas,            the function of his Autosanguinators. By spending 10 minutes
                       Adeptus Titanicus, Administratum, Astropaths, Chartist Captains,   in meditation and ritual incantation, the character may make
                       Ecclesiarchy, Imperial Guard, Imperial Navy, Inquisition,          a Tech-Use Test, and if successful, remove 1d5 points of
IV: Talents & Traits




                       Navigators, Officio Assassinorum, PDF, Planetary Governors,        Damage. If the character rolls a 96–100, he overstrains his
                       Rogue Trader, Schola Progenium, Scholastica Psykana                implants, losing the ability to use them for one week. During
                       The character knows how to deal with a particular social           that week, the character may use neither the Autosanguine
                       group or organisation. He gains a +10 bonus to all Fellowship      nor Prosanguine Talents. Using Prosanguine requires 10
                       Tests when interacting with the chosen group. The GM and           minutes of meditation and ritual incantation.
                       player may agree to award this Talent when appropriate to the
                       adventure or campaign.
                                                                                          g
                                                                                          The character is a psyker; their power in game terms is rated
                       g                                                                  on a scale of 1 to 10, where Psy Rating 1 is the lowest to
                       Talent Groups: Bolt, Las, Launcher, Melta, Primitive, Plasma       warrant the attentions of the Scholastica Psykana and the
                       SP, Universal                                                      Black Ships, and a rating of 10 represents one of the most
                       The character has practised with nearly every single-handed        powerful of the entire human sphere. A Librarian begins play
                       ranged weapon within the confines of the Imperium, and no          with Psy Rating 3, as detailed on page 80 of Chapter II:
                       small number without. This talent confers proficiency with         Specialities. See Chapter VI: Psychic Powers for detailed
                       most pistol-type weapons, including the Bolt, Las, Launcher,       rules on the game mechanics of this ability. Increasing a
                       Melta, Plasma, Primitive, and SP groups. When a character          character’s Psy Rating represents that character unlocking
                       attempts to use a weapon he does not have the correct Weapon       more of his psychic potential and becoming more and more
                       Training Talent for, he suffers a –20 penalty to any relevant      powerful. A character may take this Talent multiples times.
                       Weapon Skill or Ballistic Skill Test.                              Each time this Talent is taken, the character’s Psy Rating is
                                                                                          increased by 1. An increase in Psy Ratings in Deathwatch
                                                                                          does not give additional Psychic Powers.
                       t
                       Prerequisites: Intelligence 40, Fel 30
                       The character has an innate ability to derive meaning from
                                                                                          psychic Techniques
                       unknown languages, and make himself understood using this          Talent Groups: See Psychic Techniques
                       intuitive grasp. The character treats all languages as Basic       Either through training or natural development, the character
                       Skills. This is not the same as true knowledge of the language,    has learned an additional Psychic Technique. Once this Talent
                       and tests using this Talent suffer a –10 penalty due to the        has been selected, the character may select one new Psychic
                       simplistic nature of translation.                                  Technique in any Discipline he possesses with an XP cost
                                                                                          equal to or lower than the Talent’s XP cost. Note that when a
                                                                                          Psychic Technique is selected, the character does not have to
                       w                                                                  spend more XP -he spent the required XP when he purchased
                       Prerequisites: Weapon Skill 40, Sure Strike                        the Talent. This Talent may be chosen multiple times, each
                       The character’s eye, hand, and weapon act seamlessly together,     selection granting an additional Technique.
                       placing the character blows exactly where the character
                       intends. When making a called shot with a melee weapon,
                       the character does not incur the normal –20 penalty.
                                                                                          The character has practiced so frequently with his weapons
                                                                                          that they practically leap into his hands in response to a
                       d                                                                  simple thought. The character can Ready as a Free Action
                       Prerequisites: Weapon Skill 40, Agility 50                         when armed with a pistol or basic ranged weapon, or a melee
                       The character is a swift moving bringer of death, a living,        weapon that can be wielded in one hand.
                       bloody scythe before whom foes die like corn before the
                       reaper. The character may use Swift Attack and Lighting
                       Attack as a Half Action rather than a Full Action. In addition,
                                                                                          rapiD reacTion
                       the character may use the Swift Attack and Lightning Attack        Prerequisites: Agility 40
                       Talents during a Charge.                                           The character has honed his reactions to a razor’s edge,
                                                                                          allowing them to act while most stand dumbfounded. When
                                                                                          surprised or ambushed, a successful Agility Test allows the
                                                                                          character to act normally.



                                  124
d                                                                   the character appropriate new ones of equal severity. The
                                                                    character’s comrades may find the character somewhat cold,
The firing ranges and weapon drill chambers are the character’s     though other followers of the Omnissiah will rejoice in the
constant abode, and hours of reloading countless magazines or       character’s newfound freedom.
power cells means that he can replace them without looking
and without thinking. The character halves all reload times,
rounding down. Thus, Half Action reload become a Free
                                                                    g




                                                                                                                                        IV: Talents & Traits
Action, a Full Action reload becomes a Half Action and so on.       Prerequisites: Psy Rating
                                                                    The character has been trained to resist the dangers of the
                                                                    warp: his resistance has been weighed and measured and
resisTance                                                          found to be sufficient for his power to be sanctioned. This
Talent Groups: Cold, Fear, Heat, Poisons, Psychic Powers            ceremony changes a psyker, and the character bears these
The character’s background, experience, training, exposure,         physical changes along with a Sanctioning Mark. Choose one
or plain stubbornness has developed a resistance within him.        result on the Psychic Phenomena chart on page (other than
Each time the character selects this Talent, choose one area        Perils of the Warp). When rolling for Psychic Phenomena,
of resistance. The character gains a +10 bonus when making          the character may substitute the specified result for the effect
tests to resist the effects of this group. The character’s GM       rolled on the table, so long as the character did not roll Perils
may wish to approve certain choices or have them justified by       of the Warp.
the character’s past.
                                                                    riVal
riTe of aWe                                                         Talent Groups: Adeptus Arbites, Adeptus Astra Telepathica,
Prerequisites: Mechanicus or Techmarine Implants                    Adeptus Astartes, Adeptus Mechanicus, Adepta Sororitas,
The augmetic blessing of the Omnissiah on the character’s           Adeptus Titanicus, Administratum, Astropaths, Chartist Captains,
voice box allows him to recite infrasonic liturgies that trigger    Ecclesiarchy, Imperial Guard, Imperial Navy, Inquisition,
awe and fear. All humans, regardless of their ability to hear,      Navigators, Officio Assassinorum, PDF, Planetary Governors,
within a 50-meter radius feel a sense of dread and take a           Rogue Trader, Schola Progenium, Scholastica Psykana
–10 penalty to their next Skill Test (including Weapon Skill           This Talent represents aggressive competition and some
and Ballistic Skill Tests). Player characters may ignore these      animosity with a particular social group or organisation. The
effects with a successful Willpower Test. Whilst incanting          character suffer a –10 penalty to all Fellowship Tests when
the rite, the character may not talk or communicate with            interacting with the group in question.
others. The rite requires one-Half Action speaking the litany          The GM and player may agree to award this Talent when
in Techna-Lingua, and it is considered very bad form to             appropriate to the storyline. This Talent may be removed with
break off the recitation before completion. Humans without          an Elite Advance and the approval of the GM if the character
auditory implants cannot hear infrasonic sounds, and though         has taken suitable actions to earn the trust of the group.
still affected do not know the character is speaking.
                                                                    scourGe of hereTics
riTe of fear                                                        The character has taken a vow to purge heretics wherever
Prerequisites: Mechanicus or Techmarine Implants                    he finds them and has honed his skills in dispatching them.
The character’s infrasonic dirges cause terror in the weak. All     This is not a blood-fuelled rage or the uncontrollable madness
humans, regardless of their ability to hear, within a 50-meter      of death but rather a cold, calculated skill drilled into the
radius treat the character as if he had a Fear Rating of 1. While   character through countless hours of training and prayer. The
incanting the dirge, the character may not communicate in           character gains a +10 to his Weapon Skill and +2 to melee
any other way. The rite requires one-Half Action chanting           weapon Damage when combating heretics. It is up to the GM
in Techna-Lingua, and most would not consider halting               to decide exactly which enemies count as heretics.
the incantations prior to their completion. Humans without
auditory augmentation cannot hear infrasonic sounds, and
though still affected do not know the character is speaking.
                                                                    serVo-harness inTeGraTion
                                                                    Prerequisites: Techmarine Implants, Mechadendrite Use
                                                                    (Servo-arm)
t                                                                   The Techmarine has had his implanted systems integrated
Prerequisites: Mechanicus or Techmarine Implants                    with a many-armed servo harness, allowing him to use its
The character has replaced the creative half of his brain with      pincer-arms and weapon arrays as if they were extra limbs of
sacred cranial circuitry. The character can no longer feel          his body. The Techmarine may be fitted with and use a Servo-
emotion, and instead embraces the crystal purity of logic.          harness (see page 177 in Chapter V: Armoury) and may use
The character is immune to Fear, Pinning, and any effects           weapons fitted to the harness in which he is proficient.
that stem from emotional disturbance. The character’s GM
removes any Mental Disorders that no longer apply, and grant


                                                                                                                    125
                       sharpshooTer                                                          siGnaTure WarGear (hero)
                       Prerequisites: Ballistic Skill 40, Deadeye Shot                       Talent Groups: Weapon, Armour, Relic, and Wargear
                       The character’s steady hand and eagle eye allow him to place          (includes Servitors)
                       shots exactly where he wants. When making a Called Shot,              The Battle-Brother has been permanently entrusted with
                       the character does not incur the normal –20 penalty. The              artificer armour, a Space Marine relic, master-crafted weapon,
                       effect of this Talent replaces those of Deadeye Shot.                 or some other prestigious and rare tool of the Adeptus
IV: Talents & Traits




                                                                                             Astartes. Select one item from the Armoury (excluding unusual
                                                                                             ammunition) with a Requisition cost of 70 or less. This
                       siGnaTure WarGear                                                     Requisition limit may include Upgrades and/or Craftsmanship
                       A tool of war has served the Battle-Brother in countless              modifiers in its calculation. This item is permanently in the
                       victories, and is always at his side. Select one item from            Battle-Brother’s possession without the need to Requisition
                       the Armoury (excluding unusual ammunition) with a                     it, effectively becoming standard issue for him. He must meet
                       Requisition cost of 20 or less. This Requisition limit may            any Renown requirement for the item. A Battle-Brother may
                       include Upgrades and/or Craftsmanship modifiers in its                purchase this Talent multiple times in accordance with his
                       calculation. (For example, a Master-Crafted Flamer.) This item        Career Advances. Each time, note the item it applies to such
                       is permanently in the Battle-Brother’s possession without             as Signature Wargear (Artificer Armour).
                       the need to Requisition it, effectively becoming standard
                       issue for him. He must meet any Renown requirement for
                       the item. A Battle-Brother may purchase this Talent multiple
                                                                                             sounD consTiTuTion
                       times in accordance with his Career Advances. Each time,              The character gains an additional Wound. The character may
                       note the item it applies to such as Signature Wargear (Master-        purchase this Talent multiple times, the exact number of times
                       Crafted Flamer).                                                      is determined by his Career Path. When a character has gained
                                                                                             this Talent multiple times, note the number of times it’s been
                                                                                             taken after the Talent, such as Sound Constitution 3.
                       siGnaTure WarGear (MasTer)
                       Prerequisites: Signature Wargear for the item selected
                       The Battle-Brother has forged a bond with his chosen tool of
                                                                                             slayer of DaeMons
                       war, and can perform impressive feats with it. The maximum            Vowing to battle the beyond, the character has marked
                       Requisition cost of his Signature Wargear increases to 40. (At        the warp-spawned for death. The character gains a +10 to
                       the time this Talent is purchased, you may choose to apply            his Weapon Skill and +2 to melee weapon Damage when
                       additional Upgrades to your existing Signature Wargear,               combating daemons.
                       or replace the Signature Wargear item with a new item
                       worth up to 40 Requisition.) Choose one applicable effect
                       from the table below and apply it when equipped with the
                                                                                             t
                       Signature Wargear.                                                    The character can move at great speeds. When taking a
                                                                                             Full Move Action, the character can move an extra number
                                                                                             of metres equal to his Agility Bonus. When taking the Run
                                                                                             Action, the character may double his movement for one
                                                                                             Round. The character gains one level of Fatigue if he uses
                                                                                             this Talent two Turns in a row.

                         Table 4–2: Signature Wargear (Master)
                          Effect                                                Applies to
                          You know how to wield the weapon to                                Prerequisites: Adeptus Astartes
                          maximum effect. Gain +10 to Attack Tests              Weapons      The Battle-Brother stands immovable and indomitable, as if
                          made with this weapon.                                             he were made of rock and iron against which foes break like
                          Your defences are at their best wearing this
                                                                                Armour
                                                                                             water against a cliff. The Battle-Brother may spend a Fate
                          armour. Add +10 to Dodge Tests.                                    Point as a Full Action to adopt a Stalwart Defence. While
                          Your affinity with this device serves you on                       adopting this condition, the Battle-Brother may not move
                          and off the battlefield. Re-roll failed Skill Tests   Wargear      and may not Dodge. He may make a Parry reaction against
                          made to use the item.                                              all successful strikes against him, and all Damage he suffers
                          The machine spirit is as trusted as any Battle-                    is reduced by –2. Furthermore, the character’s enemies gain
                                                                                Any item
                          Brother. Gain +1 Cohesion.
                                                                                             no benefits for outnumbering the Battle-Brother in close
                          Your guardian machine spirit aids you in                           combat. These effects last until the Battle-Brother chooses
                                                                                Any item
                          thwarting enemies. Gain +2 Initiative.
                                                                                             to end his Stalwart Defence or until he is rendered incapable
                          Faith in your war gear bolsters your morale.
                                                                                Any item     of fighting.
                          Gain +5 on WP tests.




                                   126
sTep asiDe                                                         sure sTrike
Prerequisites: Agility 40, Dodge                                   Prerequisites: Weapon Skill 30
The character can sway his body out of the path of an attack,      The character has a degree of control over where his melee
causing it to pass through thin air. The character may make        attacks land. When determining hit location for a melee
an additional Dodge once per Round. In effect, this gives the      attack, the character may use the dice as rolled, or he may
character a second Reaction that may only be used to Dodge,        reverse them, choosing the preferred location. For example, if




                                                                                                                                      IV: Talents & Traits
allowing two Dodges in a Turn. However, the character may          Cassus rolls a 37 to hit a Chaos Heretic, this would ordinarily
still only attempt a single Dodge against one attack.              strike the Right Leg. However, since he has the Sure Strike
                                                                   talent, he could choose to hit the Body (37).
g
The character is an experienced survivor of the kind of
                                                                   sWifT aTTack
murderous fights that occur in the depths of an underhive or       Prerequisites: Weapon Skill 35
stinking alleys of a sink hab. When dealing Critical Damage        The character’s speed and martial ability allows him to land
with an unarmed attack or knife, the character deals an            flurries of blows. As a Full Action, the character may make two
additional +2 points of Damage.                                    melee attacks. If the character has the Two-Weapon Wielder
                                                                   Talent and is wielding two melee weapons, the character
                                                                   gains the advantage of Swift Attack with only one of the
sTorM of iron                                                      weapons, and a single attack with the other. If the character
Prerequisites: Adeptus Astartes                                    had the Two-Weapon Wielder Talent and is wielding a melee
When facing massed enemy, the Battle-Brother’s firepower is        weapon in one hand and a gun in the other, the character gets
laid down in precise patterns and well trained rhythm, so that     the advantage of Swift Attack with the melee weapon and a
they create a storm of iron that kills and maims many. By such     single attack with the gun.
discipline, the Battle-Brother has faced enemies many times
his number and emerged victorious. When using a flamer or
firing a Semi or Full Auto Burst against an enemy with the
                                                                   TakeDoWn
Horde trait, the Battle-Brother doubles any Damage that he         As a Half Action, the character may declare that he is
deals to the Horde’s Magnitude. For example, if the Battle-        attempting a takedown before making his Weapon Skill
Brother’s attacks would reduce the Horde’s Magnitude by 5,         Test. If the character hits and would have done at least 1
this amount is doubled to 10.                                      point of Damage, it is ignored, but the character’s opponent
                                                                   must make a Toughness Test or be Stunned for 1 Round. In
                                                                   addition, when performing a Stun Action, the character does
d                                                                  not suffer a –20 penalty to his Weapon Skill.
Prerequisites: Willpower 30, Resistance (Psychic Powers)
The character’s conditioned mind acts as a fortress against
psychic attacks. The character may re-roll failed Willpower
                                                                   d
Tests to resist any Psychic Powers that affect his mind. Psychic   Talent Groups: Any Skill
Powers that have a physical effect, such as Telekinesis, are       The character has an affinity for a particular Skill. Choose any
unaffected by this Talent.                                         one of the character’s Skills, and gain a +10 bonus to tests
                                                                   made using the Skill.


                                                                   TarGeT selecTion
                                                                   Prerequisites: BS 50
                                                                   The character’s dread gaze marks out his chosen victim, and
                                                                   not even the riotous confusion of close combat interferes. The
                                                                   character may shoot into melee with no penalty.


                                                                   Technical knock
                                                                   Prerequisites: Intelligence 30
                                                                   Either through the ease of long practice, or the proper ritual
                                                                   to appease a weapon’s machine spirit, the character can clear
                                                                   stoppages with a simple knock. The character may un-jam
                                                                   any gun as a Half Action, but may only perform this rite
                                                                   on one weapon per Round. The character must touch the
                                                                   weapon to enact this rite.



                                                                                                                  127
                                                                                          g

                                                                                          Talent Groups: Universal
                                                                                          The character’s mastery of the balance, spin, and weight of
                                                                                          thrown weapons makes him a formidable foe at any distance,
                                                                                          even if only armed with a knife. The Universal group includes
                                                                                          the Primitive, Chain, Shock, and Power weapon groups. When
IV: Talents & Traits




                                                                                          a character attempts to use a weapon he does not have the
                                                                                          correct Weapon Training Talent for, he suffers a –20 penalty
                                                                                          to any relevant Weapon Skill or Ballistic Skill Test.


                                                                                          ToTal recall
                                                                                          Prerequisites: Intelligence 30
                                                                                          Mental conditioning or augmentation enables the character
                                                                                          to record and recall great amounts of information, effectively
                                                                                          granting him a perfect memory. The character can
                                                                                          automatically remember trivial facts or pieces of information
                                                                                          he might feasibly have picked up in the past. When dealing
                                                                                          with more detailed, complex, or obscure facts, such as the
                                                                                          exact layout of a defence network, the GM may require a
                                                                                          successful Intelligence Test to recall the information.


                                                                                          t
                                                                                          Prerequisites: Toughness 40
                                                                                          The character is able to shrug off wounds that would fell
                                                                                          lesser men. Whenever the character suffers Critical Damage,
                                                                                          halve the result (rounding up).
                                                                                              Example: Agamemnon takes a grievous wound from a
                                                                                          tyranid warrior. After reduction for Armour and Toughness,
                       The flesh is Weak                                                  the Scything Talon strike still does 8 Damage. Unfortunately,
                       Prerequisites: Mechanicus or Techmarine Implants                   it’s been tough going and Agamemnon only has 4 Wounds
                       The character’s body has undergone significant bionic              remaining, which would normally result in 4 points of Critical
                       replacement to the point where he is far more machine than man.    Damage. However, since he has the True Grit Talent, he only
                       This Talent grants the character the Machine Trait page
                                                                             (see 133)    takes 2 points of Critical Damage.
                       with Armour Points equal to the number of times this Talent
                       has been taken. The character may purchase this Talent multiple
                       times in accordance with his Career Path. In this case, note the
                                                                                          TWo-Weapon WielDer
                       number of times this Talent has been taken, such as The Flesh      Talent Groups: Ballistic, Melee
                       is Weak 3.                                                         Prerequisites: Ballistic Skill 35 or Weapon Skill 35, Agility 35
                                                                                          Years of training allow the character to use a weapon in each
                                                                                          hand when needed. When armed with two weapons of the
                       ThunDer charGe                                                     same type, the character may spend a Full Action to attack
                       Prerequisites: Adeptus Astartes                                    with both. Both tests made to attack with the weapons suffer
                       The Battle-Brother charges into combat using his armoured          a –20 penalty (see Chapter VIII: Combat for more details
                       body as an additional weapon. Driven by his armour and             on fighting with two weapons). The character must possess
                       the Battle-Brother’s enhanced muscle, the impact of such a         Two-Weapon Wielder (Melee) and Two-Weapon Wielder
                       charge is like being struck by a thunderbolt. When the Battle-     (Ballistic) if he wishes to use a gun and hand weapon with
                       Brother makes a Charge Action, first make an unarmed attack        this Talent.
                       (see page 245 for more details) against every opponent he is
                       charging. This represents slamming into the enemy with the
                       character’s armoured bulk. This attack automatically also has
                                                                                          unarMeD MasTer
                       the potential to knock the opponent down in the same way           Prerequisites: Weapons Skill 45, Agility 40, Unarmed
                       as if the Battle-Brother had used the Knock Down Action            Warrior
                       see page 241 for more details). Once this attack has been          The character has developed unequalled mastery of unarmed
                       resolved, the Battle-Brother may make his normal Charge            combat techniques. The character’s unarmed combat attacks
                       Attack as normal. If the Battle-Brother charges a Horde, he        do 1d10 + Strength Bonus in Impact Damage, and these
                       may make d5+1 unarmed attacks against the Horde.                   attacks no longer have the Primitive quality.


                                  128
unarMeD Warrior                                                      t

Prerequisites: Weapons Skill 35, Agility 35                          Prerequisites: Psy Rating, Strong Minded, Willpower 50
Due to extensive training in unarmed combat, the character’s         The sheer power of the character’s mind allows him to
unarmed combat attacks do 1d10–3 + Strength Bonus in                 channel vast amounts of warp energy. When pushing, the
Damage instead of 1d5–3. Because of the character’s advanced         character may add +1 to his Psy Rating and subtract –10 on
training against both armed and unarmed foes, he does not            any resultant Psychic Phenomenon rolls.




                                                                                                                                        IV: Talents & Traits
count as Unarmed, as defined on page 245, when making
attacks against armed opponents. The character’s unarmed
attacks still count as having the Primitive quality.
                                                                     Warp sense
                                                                     Prerequisites: Psy Rating, Psyniscience Skill, Perception 30
                                                                     The character’s senses have evolved to perceive the warp in
                                                                     parallel with the physical world, though it requires some
Prerequisites: Adeptus Astartes, Fellowship 40                       concentration to do so. After gaining this Talent, using
The Battle-Brother is a source of inspiration to those around        the Psyniscience Skill requires a Half Action instead of a
him; when all seems lost, he stands defiant and by his deeds         Full Action.
raises the warrior spirits of his comrades. If the squad has
suffered Cohesion Damage caused by the enemy in the
present or previous Round, the Battle-Brother may declare
                                                                     Weapon-Tech
that his next Action is an act to demonstrate that the squad is      Prerequisites: Techmarine
unbowed and unbroken. His next Action may be one of the              It is in the nature of a Techmarine to become concerned with
following: a ranged attack against the enemy, a melee attack         learning the blessed and secret intricacies of weaponry. Once
against the enemy, or a Challenging (+0) Fellowship Test             per combat, the Techmarine can enhance his weapon or seek
that represents a roar of defiance or exhortation to heroism. If     out the weak points in an opponent’s armour, increasing the
the test involved in the Action (the attack roll or Fellowship       Techmarine’s deadliness. The effects of this mean that for one
Test) succeeds, then the Battle-Brother and those within             Round per combat encounter, a weapon personally wielded
Support Range of him regain all of the Cohesion they lost to         by the Techmarine from the Melta, Plasma, Power, or Exotic
Cohesion damage in this or the last round.                           category increases its Damage and Penetration by an amount
                                                                     equal to the character’s Intelligence Bonus.
unshakeable faiTh
The character’s confidence in the Emperor is so strong that
                                                                     WhirlWinD of DeaTh
the character can face any danger. The character may re-roll         Prerequisites: Adeptus Astartes
any failed Willpower Tests to avoid the effects of Fear (see         When facing massed opponents in combat, the Battle-Brother
page 276).                                                           becomes a whirlwind of death, moving, hacking, gutting, and
                                                                     beheading with ceaseless fury. When attacking an enemy with
                                                                     the Horde trait in close combat, the Battle-Brother doubles
Wall of sTeel                                                        any Damage dealt to the Horde’s Magnitude. For example,
Prerequisites: Agility 35                                            if the Battle-Brother’s attacks would reduce the Horde’s
The character’s skill with blades is so profound that to try to      Magnitude by 3, this amount is doubled to 6.
land a blow on him is like trying to strike an invisible wall of
steel, as the character’s blade is constantly in the correct place
to deflect an attack. The character may make one additional
                                                                     		
Parry per Round, in effect giving the character a second             Prerequisites: Adeptus Astartes, Intelligence 40
Reaction that may only be used to Parry. The character may           The Battle-Brother has survived many wars, seen much, and
only attempt a single Parry against any one attack.                  been favoured with the experience of his chapter’s most
                                                                     ancient warriors. Within their mind and soul, they hold the
                                                                     well of knowledge that stretches back far before they were
Warp affiniTy                                                        raised to become one of the Adeptus Astartes. The Battle-
Prerequisites: Psy Rating                                            Brother may spend a Fate Point during a combat to get
The character has a special connection to the warp, allowing         insight on a situation. This is represented by the player asking
him to sense and avoid its less desirable effects as he channels     the GM a question about the immediate situation the Battle-
its power. The character may not select this Talent if he has        Brothers faces, which the GM should answer as helpfully as
undergone the Rite of Sanctioning. When rolling for Psychic          possible. For example when trapped in a genestealer-infested
Phenomenon, the character may discard the die roll, gaining          space hulk, the question might be, “What is the most likely
1d5 Corruption Points, and then re-roll with no modifiers.           route to the main reactor?”




                                                                                                                    129
                                            Traits                                            blooD soakeD TiDe (horDe)
                                                                                              The horde with this trait is teetering on the brink of madness.
                       “Weapons are not found only in the hands of a warrior. They are        These bloodthirsty madmen thrive on the slaughter of battle.
                       found in their blood, in the bones, and in their indomitable spirit.   When the horde fails a Willpower test to avoid being broken,
                       With such weapons, how can we fail to conquer?”                        or would have broken automatically (see Breaking a Horde
                                                                                              on page 360 in this chapter), it is not broken, but instead
IV: Talents & Traits




                                                    –attributed to Lord Solar Macharius       gains the Fearless and Frenzy Talents.



                       S
                               kills and Talents represent ability and knowledge
                               gained over the course of a character’s life. Traits, then,
                                                                                              bruTal charGe
                               are innate abilities gained by virtue of birth and racial      A creature with this trait deals an extra 3 points of damage
                        ircumstance. They may be gained through other means later             when it charges in the same round. A horde with this trait
                       in life, but they are almost never gained through choice. As           does an additional 1d10 damage when it charges in the same
                       indicated in Chapter I: Character Creation, player characters          round.
                       acquire certain traits as a result of their origins, experience or
                       other factors that make them who and what they are.
                                                                                              burroWer
                                                                                              A creature with this trait can move through solid objects
                       TraiT DescripTions                                                     by burrowing through them. This trait always includes a
                       Descriptions of the various traits follow.                             number to indicate speed. Such creatures can burrow through
                                                                                              soil, rock, sand, and so on, though some (expressed in the
                                                                                              creature‘s entry) can burrow through metal. When a creature
                       aMorphous                                                              burrows, it leaves behind a tunnel. Creatures of one size
                       An amorphous creature has a malleable form, capable of                 smaller than the creature that created the tunnel can enter
                       squeezing its body or expanding it. It can change size by one          these areas without impediment. There is a 50% chance each
                       step in either direction, though doing so does not change              round that the tunnel collapses behind the creature.
                       its speed. Creatures with this trait determine their movement
                       rates using one-half their Agility Bonus (rounding up).
                       Amorphous creatures are often missing senses and so rely on
                                                                                              craWler
                       the Unnatural Senses Trait to perceive their surroundings.             Worms, serpents, and similar creatures crawl and slither rather
                                                                                              than walk. The base move for a creature with this trait is half
                                                                                              its Agility Bonus, but it does not take penalties for moving
                       g                                                                      over difficult terrain.
                       The creature is encased in armour plating, increasing its
                       Armour Points by 2 to all locations.
                                                                                              DaeMonic
                                                                                              Daemonic creatures are creatures of the Warp, but can
                       d                                                                      manifest in realspace either through sheer strength of will,
                       The creature always counts as braced when firing heavy                 hunger, or occult rituals. Creatures with this trait multiply
                       weapons and may fire on semi- or full-automatic as a                   their Toughness Bonus against all damage by the number
                       Half Action.                                                           indicated in parentheses after the trait in the same manner
                                                                                              as an Unnatural Characteristic (see page 136). The effects of
                                                                                              this trait stack with the effects of the Unnatural Characteristic
                       besTial                                                                trait. The effects of this trait are ignored for damage inflicted
                       A creature with this trait is animalistic, tending to behave           by force weapons, psychic powers, holy attacks, or other
                       instinctively rather than rationally. No matter how high its           creatures with this trait. Daemonic creatures are also immune
                       Intelligence score is, it is still bestial. A creature with this       to poison and disease.
                       trait never needs to make a Survival Test whilst in its natural
                       habitat. Unless starving or desperate, a bestial creature must
                       make a Willpower Test when frightened, startled or injured.
                                                                                              t
                       On a failed test, the creature flees.                                  A creature with this trait sees normally even in areas of total
                                                                                              darkness, and never takes a penalty for fighting in areas of
                                                                                              dim or no lighting.
                       d
                       Blind creatures automatically fail all tests based on vision and
                       automatically fail all Ballistic Skill Tests. Such creatures take
                                                                                              DisciplineD (horDe)
                       a –30 penalty to Weapon Skill Tests and most other tests that          The horde is made up of hardened and well-disciplined troops
                       ordinarily involve or are benefited by vision.                         who do not break and flee even after having sustained terrible


                                    130
  Table 4–3: Traits
   Trait                         Description
   Amorphous                     Creature is a blob, and slow.
   Armour Plating                Increase Armour Points by 2.
   Auto-stabilised               Always counts as braced.
   Bestial                       No need to make Survival Tests in natural habitat, test Willpower to avoid flight.




                                                                                                                                              IV: Talents & Traits
   Blind                         Cannot see.
   Blood Soaked Tide             A horde becomes Frenzied and Fearless rather than breaking.
   Brutal Charge                 +3 damage on a charge.
   Burrower                      Move by digging.
   Crawler                       Calculate Movement by half Agility Bonus. No penalties for moving over difficult terrain.
   Daemonic                      Double TB against normal weapons, immune to disease and poison.
   Dark Sight                    See in darkness.
   Disciplined                   A horde is resistant to breaking.
   Fighting Withdrawal           A horde that breaks moves back in good order.
   Fire Drill                    A horde gains an extra ranged attack.
   Fear                          Forces others to make Fear Tests to avoid Shock and Madness.
   Flyer                         Fly and enter any altitude.
   From Beyond                   Immune to Fear, Pinning, Insanity Points, and mind-affecting powers.
   Hoverer                       Fly and enter the hover altitude.
   Improved Natural Weapons      Creature’s Natural Weapons are no longer Primitive.
   Incorporeal                   Creature can become insubstantial.
   Instinctive Behaviour         Creature has a set of reactions to stimuli.
   Machine                       Creature gains immunities and resistances.
                                 Creature gains extra attack with multiple attack action, +10 T, +10 to Strength Tests involving
   Multiple Arms
                                 movement.
   Natural Armour                Gain one or more Armour Points to all locations.
   Natural Weapons               Unarmed attacks deal 1d10+SB damage.
   Overwhelming                  A Horde does extra damage in melee.
   Phase                         Switch between incorporeal and corporeal as a Half Action.
   Possession                    Take control of another creature.
   Quadruped                     Movement equals AB×2.
   Regeneration                  Test Toughness to remove 1 damage.
   Size                          Determines creature’s size and benefits.
   Sonar Sense                   Perceive surroundings flawlessly within 30 metres.
   Soul-bound                    Bound to a particular group or creatures in exchange for certain benefits.
   Stampede                      Failed Willpower Test causes creature to flee, trampling anything in its path.
   Strange Physiology            Death when damage equals Wounds.
   Stuff of Nightmares           Gain appalling list of immunities.
   Sturdy                        +20 bonus to resist grapple and takedown.
   Synapse Creature              This creature grants the Fearless Talent to nearby Tyranids.
   Touched By The Fates          The being has Fate Points and may benefit from Righteous Fury.
   Toxic                         Gain poisonous attack.
   Tyranid                       This creature possesses many immunities.
   Undying                       The creature does not need to breathe and cannot be harmed by diseases, poisons, or toxic effects.
   Unnatural Characteristic      Increases one Characteristic Bonus.
   Unnatural Senses              Perceive surroundings by uncanny means.
   Unnatural Speed               Double Agility Bonus for purpose of determining movement.
   Warp Instability              Creature must deal damage if damaged, or be cast back into the Warp.
   Warp Weapons                  Creature’s weapons ignore Armour.



casualties. The horde with this trait does not suffer the –10           fear (Variable)
penalty to Willpower tests to resist breaking if it is below 50%        A creature with this trait has an unnerving appearance. The fear of
of its staring magnitude. Also, it does not automatically break (see    it always has an associated rating (1–4) to reflect just how awful
page360) if it is below 25% of its starting Magnitude.                  the creature is to behold. See page 277 for the effects of Fear on
                                                                        Space Marines.


                                                                                                                           131
                       fiGhTinG WiThDraWal (horDe)                                          and thus can’t damage non-incorporeal opponents unless
                                                                                            it has a suitable special ability or talent. Creatures with
                       Though broken, the horde does not simply flee, but makes             the Incorporeal trait can damage other creatures with the
                       a fighting withdrawal that prevents its enemies from simply          Incorporeal trait normally.
                       overwhelming it. When a Horde with this trait breaks, it does           Certain devices can keep an incorporeal creature at bay,
                       not flee moving at its Sprint rate of movement, but instead          most notably the Gellar Field of a spaceship. Creatures with
                       withdraws at any movement rate that is appropriate. The Horde        this trait cannot pass through such a field.
IV: Talents & Traits




                       will also continue to make ranged attacks as it withdraws.
                                                                                            insTincTiVe behaViour (TyraniD)
                       fire Drill (horDe)                                                   A Tyranid creature with this trait will be reduced to acting
                       The horde is made up of troops that are trained and drilled to       according to their instincts if they are separated from the
                       fire in a deadly rhythm that soaks its enemy in fire. The horde      controlling presence of the Hive Mind. In effect, this means
                       with this trait may always make one additional ranged attack         that any encounter in which creatures with this trait are not
                       in addition to those it could normally make.                         accompanied by a Tyranid creature with the Synapse Creature
                                                                                            trait (see page 135 in this chapter), they will behave in a
                                                                                            particular way. The creature’s instinctive behaviour is noted
                       flyer                                                                in parenthesises and has the following effects:
                       A creature with this trait has the natural ability to fly, whether       Feed: The creature’s instinct is to feed on flesh, blood, and
                       with broad leathery wings, strange warp energies, or inflatable      bone and its hunger can never be sated. The creature will try
                       gas sacs. This trait always includes a number to indicate at         to find and attack any living, biological, non-Tyranid creature
                       what speeds it moves when it flies. For more details on flying,      and eat them. In this state, the creature gains the Fearless and
                       see Chapter VII: Playing the Game.                                   Frenzy talents. The same applies to a Horde with this trait not
                                                                                            under the influence of a synapse creature.
                                                                                                Lurk: The creature’s instincts are to find shelter from
                       d                                                                    attack, to hide and survive. It will try to flee and find shelter in
                       The mind of a creature with this trait is beyond the petty           whatever way the situation allows. In a starship, for example,
                       frailties and precarious sanity of a mortal mind. It is immune       it may scuttle into the ducting system. When confronted, the
                       to Fear, Pinning, Insanity Points, and psychic powers used to        creature’s aim is to try to escape and will only attack if left
                       cloud, control, or delude its mind.                                  no avenue for escape or in order to survive. If a Horde with
                                                                                            this trait is not under the influence of a synapse creature, it
                                                                                            will automatically break (see Breaking a Horde on page 360
                       iMproVeD naTural Weapons                                             of this chapter).
                       This creature’s attacks are powerful enough to crush plasteel            Stalk: The creature’s instinct is to remain unseen, to find
                       or punch through armour. The creature gains all the benefits         prey, slay it, feed, and then resume its hunt for others. In
                       of the Natural Weapons Trait, except that its attacks do not         this state, the creature gains the Stealth (Ag) +10 skill. It
                       count as Primitive.                                                  will not attack enemies unless it can take them by surprise


                       hoVerer
                       Creatures with this trait have a limited capability for flight,
                       flying no higher than 2 metres. As with the Flyer trait, this
                       trait always includes a number to indicate speed. For more
                       details on flying, see Chapter VII: Playing the Game.


                       incorporeal
                       Incorporeal creatures are insubstantial and weightless, able to
                       pass through solid objects such as walls and weapons. An
                       incorporeal creature gains a +30 bonus on Concealment
                       Tests when hiding inside something. If it wishes, it may
                       become completely silent, automatically passing any Silent
                       Move Tests it is required to make.
                          An incorporeal creature is also immune to normal
                       weapons—they simply pass through its body as if it wasn’t
                       there. Daemons, psychic powers, warp creatures, other
                       incorporeal creatures, and opponents armed with force
                       weapons may all injure an incorporeal creature normally. An
                       incorporeal creature can’t normally affect the mortal world,


                                   132
   TraiT: Mechanicus iMplanTs
   The character is a servant of the Machine-God, an initiate into the mysteries of the Priesthood of Mars and as such is
   vessel for the following implants:
   t

   The Electro-graft is a small port that is grafted into the nervous system. Once a recipient has been properly trained, this




                                                                                                                                     IV: Talents & Traits
   allows him to interface with machine data ports and certain types of data nets. Electro-grafts can take many forms, such
   as skull shunts, finger probes, or spine jacks.
   elecToo inDucTors
   Electoo Inductors are palm-sized metal skin grafts that appear much like tattoos to the uninitiated. The electoos are
   wired into the nervous system, where they derive power from the bio-electrical emanations of the flesh and the sacred
   mysteries of the Potenia Coil. They can be used to emit or siphon power in many ways.
   t

   A Respirator Unit implant involves tubes, wires, vox-grills, or other augmetic parts replacing the neck and upper chest.
   The unit purifies the air supply, granting a +20 bonus to resist airborne toxins and gas weapons. The respirator unit also
   contains a vox-synthesiser capable of transmitting the voice in a variety of ways.
   cyber-ManTle
   The Cyber-mantle is a framework of metal, wires, and impulse transmitters bolted onto the spine and lower ribcage.
   As the initiate gains further implants, this mantle acts as a sub-dermal anchorage point. Amongst some servants of the
   Omnissiah, this cyber-mantle is often referred to as “the true flesh.”
   poTenTia coil
   Cradled within the cyber-mantle is a power unit known as the Potentia Coil. This mass can store energy and produce
   various types of fields. Coils come in many types, from small crystal stack affairs to bulky electrical galvinators.
   cranial circuiTry
   Cranial circuitry is a series of linked processors, implants, and cortical circuits that enhances mental capacities. Most sit
   within housing bolted onto the skull, whilst others nestle within the brain itself.


or outnumbers them. Having made a kill, the creature briefly       naTural arMour
feeds before fleeing. A horde with this trait automatically        This creature has a naturally tough hide or an exoskeleton,
breaks (see Breaking a Horde on page 360 of this chapter),         affording it some protection against attacks. This trait always
with individual creatures scattering to find shadows from          includes a numeric value to indicate how many Armour Points
which to begin their hunt.                                         the creature gains to all locations.


Machine                                                            naTural Weapons
A creature with the Machine trait is fashioned from inorganic      This creature has sharp claws, teeth, spines or some other
materials and is generally more rigourous then fleshy folks.       natural weapon with which it can slice and dice its foes. It
Machines do not breathe, are immune to the effects of a            counts as being armed even when not wielding weapons. Its
vacuum, extremes of cold, any mind-influencing psychic             attacks deal 1d10 points of damage plus its Strength Bonus.
effect, and their Armour Points apply toward fire damage.          The creature may make attacks with its Natural Weapons
Machines are also resilient to injury, having 1 to 5 Armour        using its Weapon Skill, though it cannot parry with its natural
Points for each location. This number is indicated next to         weapons, nor can it be disarmed—unless, of course, you hack
the trait.                                                         off its limbs! Natural weapons always count as Primitive.


MulTiple arMs                                                      oVerWhelMinG (horDe)
This creature has more than one pair of arms. It increases its     The creatures that make up the horde are capable of swarming
Toughness Characteristic by +10 and gains a +10 bonus on           over enemies and ripping them apart with a thousand cuts.
Strength Tests involving movement such as Climb and Swim.          The horde with this trait always rolls an extra 1d10 for
Finally, the creature may use the Multiple Attack action to        damage caused by the horde in close combat as long as it has
gain two attacks on its turn. If the creature also has the Swift   a magnitude equal to or greater than 20.
or Lightening Attack Talent, this trait increases the number of
attacks they make with a multiple attack action by +1.


                                                                                                                   133
                       phase                                                               surviving possession
                                                                                           Should the victim survive and the entity is cast out by
                       A creature with this trait can transform its body into an           exorcism or some other means, then the ordeal deals 2d10
                       insubstantial state, passing ghost-like through solid objects       points of permanent damage to the character’s Toughness and
                       or barriers of any sort. This trait functions exactly like the      Willpower Characteristics. In addition, the victim gains 1d10
                       Incorporeal trait, except the creature may become solid or          Insanity Points.
                       insubstantial by spending a Half Action.
IV: Talents & Traits




                          Phase carries additional limitations. A creature in a phased
                       state cannot cross psychically charged barriers, holy wards, or
                                                                                           d
                       energy fields designed to flux space or manipulate the warp         Quadrupeds are much quicker over a distance than their
                       such as a Gellar Field or a Void Shield.                            bipedal counterparts. To calculate their movement, double
                                                                                           their Agility Bonus. This trait is intended to cover creatures
                                                                                           with hind legs and forepaws. Creatures with more than four
                       possession                                                          legs may gain this trait but they increase the Agility Bonus by
                       Certain spirit-beings and denizens of the warp have the             1 multiplier for every extra set of legs (six legs equals AB ×3,
                       ability to possess mortal bodies. This is a far more insidious      eight legs AB × 4, and so on).
                       and damaging process than most forms of mental control, or
                       even the power of the strongest psykers to ‘ware’ the bodies
                       of others, as the very fabric of the assaulting warp being is
                                                                                           reGeneraTion
                       merged with the victim’s living body on a fundamental level         Creatures with this trait heal very quickly. Each round, at the
                       so as to allow it to remain in our reality. The mechanisms by       start of its turn, the creature tests Toughness to removes an
                       which these possessions occur in the game are detailed below,       amount of damage indicated in the parenthesis after the trait.
                       although circumstance and the nature of the entity itself may       It loses this trait when slain.
                       vary. Note that Daemonhosts, being extraordinary powerful
                       examples of deliberate, ritualistic possessions, designed to
                       bind and control daemons in living vessels, are a special case
                                                                                           shaDoW in The Warp (TyraniD)
                       and dealt with separately.                                          The Tyranid creature floods the warp around them with the
                                                                                           all enveloping cloud of interference which is the signature
                       The possession attack                                               of the Hive Mind. Any non-Tyranid psyker that attempts to
                                                                                           use a psychic power within a range equal to the creature’s
                       The entity must be within a few metres of its intended              Willpower in metres suffer a –20 penalty to their tests to
                       victim and use a Full Action. The creature and target make          use psychic powers (see pages 185 in Chapter VI: Psychic
                       Opposed Willpower Tests each round until either the entity          Powers)
                       or the victim achieve a total of five degrees of success over
                       the other—this is cumulative over several rounds. If the entity
                       wins, it successfully possesses its victim. If their victim wins,
                                                                                           size
                       he has repelled the entity who may not attempt to possess           Trait Groups: Miniscule, Puny, Weedy, Hulking, Enormous,
                       him again for 24 hours. A repelled entity also takes 1d10           Massive
                       points of damage.                                                   Creatures come in one of seven different size categories, as
                                                                                           shown on the following chart. Size affects movement and
                       The effects of possession                                           how easy or hard it is to strike that creature in combat. (When
                                                                                           calculating movement, apply the size modifier first, and then
                       A possessing entity takes control utterly, binding itself to its    other modifiers from other traits or talents.) For the purposes
                       victim, and is capable of commanding the body to function           of comparison, a human is an average-sized creature.
                       regardless of pain and injury, (and indeed might delight in
                       damaging or altering it to suit its whims). The victim increases      Table 4–4: Size
                       its Strength and Toughness Characteristics by 10 and gains            Size       Modifier Concealment Base Movement
                                                                                             Miniscule –30          +30              Agility Bonus –3
                       1d10 Wounds. The victim uses the possessing entity’s                  Puny      –20          +20              Agility Bonus –2
                       Intelligence, Perception, Willpower, and Fellowship, and uses         Scrawny –10            +10              Agility Bonus –1
                       the entity’s Psy Rating and powers in place of its own (if            Average 0              0                Agility Bonus
                       any). Likewise, the possessed creature uses any mind-related          Hulking +10             –10             Agility Bonus +1
                                                                                             Enormous +20            –20             Agility Bonus +2
                       skills and talents had by the entity and loses its own.               Massive +30             –30             Agility Bonus +3
                           The entity may also attempt to recall memories and skills
                       from its victim with a successful Intelligence Test. In the case
                       of possession by daemon the victim has a good chance of
                       becoming immediately mutated, and likely becomes further
                       mutated the longer the possession continues.




                                  134
sonar sense                                                         sTurDy
A creature with this trait perceives its surroundings by emitting   Sturdy creatures are hard to move and thus gain a +20
a frequency noise, allowing the creature to locate the position     bonus to tests made to resist grappling and uses of the
of any solid object within 30 metres. Other creatures within        Takedown Talent.
range, and that succeed on a Difficult (–10) Awareness
Test, may detect the curious keening.
                                                                    The sTuff of niGhTMares




                                                                                                                                     IV: Talents & Traits
                                                                    Some warp entities are so terribly powerful the will
d                                                                   perpetuating their bodies in our reality is almost impossible
The soul of this creature is bound to a higher purpose or           to break or disrupt. Such entities are completely immune to
being, in return for a measure of protection. When this trait       the effects of poisons, diseases, the need to breathe, most
is first gained, the entity to which the soul is bound must         environmental hazards, bleeding, stunning, and any critical
be decided. Many Imperial psykers, especially Astropaths,           result other than one that would destroy them outright, unless
are soul-bound to the Emperor, for example, whereas Chaos           caused by a psychic power, force weapon, or holy attack.
Sorcerers may be bound to one of the ruinous powers. A soul-
bound psyker rolls an additional die when forced to roll on
the Perils of the Warp table, discarding whichever one he
                                                                    ToucheD by The faTes
chooses to get a more favourable result.                            The NPC has a number of Fate Points shown in parentheses
    Upon becoming soul-bound, a character must choose               after the trait. He may use these Fate Points in exactly the
one of the following effects: 1d10 Insanity Points, the             same way as Player Characters and may even ‘burn’ a Fate
permanent loss of their sight, permanent loss of 1d10 from          Point to survive death and destruction at the GM’s discretion.
one Characteristic, or a random mutation.                           The rules for Righteous Fury also apply to this NPC.
    In addition, a soul-bound character is permanently
indebted to the entity, which undoubtedly entails all manner
of other duties and consequences.
                                                                    Toxic
                                                                    A creature with this trait is poisonous. The toxins might
                                                                    be delivered through the creature’s attacks, in which case
synapse creaTure (TyraniD)                                          a target hit by its natural weapons must make a Toughness
A Tyranid creature with this trait is a node from which the         Test. The toxins might instead be delivered by contact with
controlling and unifying presence of the Hive Mind guides the       the creature’s skin or by inhaling its stench, in which case
actions of other Tyranids. The presence of a synapse creature       a Toughness Test must be made upon coming into contact
in an encounter grants the Fearless talent to all other Tyranid     or proximity. A failed Toughness Test indicates the victim
creatures and also suppresses the effects of the Instinctive        has been poisoned. A typical poison deals 1d10 points of
Behaviour Trait in those creatures that possess it (see page        damage, ignoring Armour Points. Variations, if present, are
132 in this chapter for more details). If an exact range for this   included in the creature’s description.
effect is needed, it can be considered equal to the creature’s
Willpower Bonus x10 metres.


sTaMpeDe
Whenever a creature with this trait fails a Willpower Test, it
automatically stampedes, charging in a straight line forwards
for as far as possible, overrunning anything in its path until
the source of danger is escaped or crushed under hoof, taking
damage equal to the creature’s Natural Weapon damage (or
1d5+SB I if it doesn’t have one). One stampeding creature
automatically causes all other creatures with this Trait within
sight to stampede. The stampede lasts until the source of
danger is no longer visible or for 1d10 minutes, whichever
occurs last.


sTranGe physioloGy
A creature with this trait has an unusual, alien, or altogether
bizarre anatomy. All hits count as Body hits and death results
when damage equals or exceeds the creature’s Wounds.




                                                                                                                  135
                       d                                                                      normal (to a maximum of +30), For example: the Archmagos
                                                                                              Voltaic has a Dark Age of Technology cortical implant giving
                       The creature is a species of Tyranid; the all consuming alien          him Unnatural Intelligence (×3). He is called on to repair a
                       race ruled by the will of the Hive Mind that links and controls        damaged plasma core using his Intelligence based Tech Use
                       all Tyranids. Tyranids are immune to all of the effects of the         skill. Normally this would be a Very Hard (–30) Test, but
                       following: pinning, mind-affecting Psychic Powers, warp-               thanks to his Unnatural Intelligence the Difficulty is reduced
                       based powers that affect the mind, cold, heat, diseases,               by two stages to Difficult (–10), (–1 stage for ×2, and –1
IV: Talents & Traits




                       and poisons, including the effects of weapons with the                 for ×3).
                       Toxic Quality.                                                             During Opposed Characteristic Tests, where success is
                                                                                              achieved, the Unnatural multiplier is added to the degrees of
                                                                                              success. In the case of a tie, the participant without the Unnatural
                       g                                                                      Characteristic trait loses the Opposed Test. For example: Garm
                       This creature has a strange and ill understood physiology. It          Felbood is struggling with a tentacled monstrosity from the
                       cannot be harmed by diseases, poisons, or toxic effects. It has        swamps of Dusk. Garm has Strength 40 and the thing from the
                       no need to breathe and can survive unaided in a vacuum.                swamp has Strength 33 (Unnatural (×2)). Garm rolls 20 (two
                                                                                              degrees of success) and the thing rolls 30 (straight success),
                                                                                              unfortunately the thing adds +2 degrees of success because of
                       unnaTural characTerisTic                                               its (×2) modifier, bringing the Opposed Test to a draw. This
                       One or more of the creature’s Characteristics is unnatural.            translates to a victory to the swamp thing as it has Unnatural
                       Each time this trait is gained, select a Characteristic, and           Strength and poor old Garm does not!
                       double its bonus. For example, a creature with a Strength
                       of 41 normally has a 4 Strength Bonus. With this trait, its
                       Strength Bonus increases to 8.
                                                                                              unnaTural senses
                          The trait may be gained multiple times. Each time, you              The creature can perceive its surroundings using senses other
                       may select a new Characteristic or one chosen previously.              than sight or hearing, using special organs, fine hairs, or some
                       Each time you apply this trait to the same Characteristic, the         other disturbing trait to make itself aware of what’s around it.
                       Bonus multiplier increases by 1. For example, one selection            This trait always includes a range, usually 15 metres.
                       multiplies the Characteristic Bonus by ×2, two selections by
                       ×3, and three selections ×4. Note this trait does not modify
                       the creature’s movement.
                                                                                              d
                                                                                              The creature moves with incredible speed. For the purposes
                                                                                              of determining movement, the creature doubles its Agility
                       exaMple                                                                Bonus (after modifying AB from other traits and factors,
                       A Space Marine with a 42 Strength would normally have a 4 Strength     specifically size).
                       Bonus (the tens digit of his Strength Characteristic). However,
                       because he has Unnatural Strength (x2), his actual Strength Bonus
                       is 8 (4 x 2 = 8).
                                                                                              Warp insTabiliTy
                           It is important to note that the Power Armour strength bonus       Most warp-entities have a tenuous hold on our reality, often
                       comes after this multiplication, so a Space Marine with a 42           maintained only by horror and bloodshed, and may be
                       Strength gains +20 from his Power Armour. While wearing his            disrupted if sufficient harm can be done to their manifested
                       Power Armour, the Space Marine’s Strength Bonus is 10 (4 x 2 =         forms. If a creature with this trait takes damage and does not
                       8, +2 = 10).                                                           deal damage or Insanity Points on other creatures by the end
                           There’s also the Feat of Strength Solo Mode Ability (see page      of its next turn, it must make a Willpower Test. The creature
                       216), which lets the Space Marine perform truly heroic feats using     takes 1 damage for failure, plus 1 damage for each degree of
                       his superhuman physique. This increases the multiplier by 1 (to x3),   failure. If this would deal damage equal to or in excess of the
                       so a Space Marine with a Strength of 42 would then have a Strength     creature’s Wounds, it is cast back into the warp.
                       Bonus of 14 (4 x 3 = 12, +2 = 14) when using this ability.

                       During Opposed Characteristic Tests, on a success, the bonus
                                                                                              Warp Weapon
                       multiplier is added to the degree of success. Any additional           Creatures with this trait have weapons that are partially
                       multipliers for Unnatural Characteristics (i.e., if a Space Marine     insubstantial, able to ignore such mundane things as armour
                       with Unnatural Strength (x2) uses a Powerfist, which doubles           or cover. Natural weapons and attacks made by a creature
                       the user’s Strength Bonus), simply improves the existing               with this trait ignore physical armour unless it is created from
                       multiplier by 1. For a Space Marine using a Powerfist, he              psychoactive materials or carries the holy quality. Force fields
                       would triple his Strength Bonus rather than doubling it and            still work against these attacks normally.
                       then doubling it again.
                          When taking a Skill Test based upon a Characteristic
                       with the Unnatural trait, the base Difficulty of the Test is
                       staged downwards one level for degree of multiplier past


                                   136
 Requisition
      •
  Renown
      •
CRaftsmanship
      •
  weapons
      •
  r
      •
 waRgeaR &
   ReliCs
      •
  ChapteR
  tRappings
      •
 CybeRnetiCs
                   Chapter V:                                                            The resources of the Deathwatch exceed those of any
                                                                                      traditional Chapter. The wargear in a Watch Fortress’s
                                                                                      armoury has many sources: equipment specialised to the


                    Armoury
                                                                                      purpose of fighting xenos forged by the Deathwatch’s own
                                                                                      artificers, tithes from the Chapters sworn to the Deathwatch,
                                                                                      Inquisitional support, caches revealed by the cryptic Omega
                                                                                      Vault, and even technology captured during thousands of
             “The history of our chapter is in this bolter. Twelve times it has       years at war with the alien.
             passed from one of our fallen Brothers to his successor. May the deeds


                                                                                                 Requisition
             it performs in your hands live up to theirs.”
V: Armoury




                    –Sergeant Caelicus of the Ultramarines, upon a Scout’s
                                          induction to the 10th Company
                                                                                      Victory is just a prelude to the next battle.


             E
                    ach Adeptus Astartes is a weapon unto himself, an
                    instrument of war left behind to safeguard humanity                                          –maxim of the Blood Ravens Chapter
                    in the God-Emperor’s stead. This sacred task is


                                                                                      T
             assailed from every corner of the galaxy by every manner of                      hough the Deathwatch’s tools of war fill armoured
             foe; a Battle-Brother faces threats so terrible that the mere                    chambers deep beneath Watch Fortress Erioch and
             knowledge of them can break mortal men. He could not hold                        sleep in the holds of its scattered Watch Stations, its
             back this abominable tide without weapons as carefully forged            resources are still ultimately finite. The Forge Master must
             and time-tempered as his own gene-seed. The Space Marines                ensure all Deathwatch Kill-teams in the Jericho Reach are
             are a remnant of the mighty Imperium that was, and their                 sufficiently equipped to fight the enemies of man. Simply
             tools of war reflect this same might. Their arsenals include             keeping a steady stock of bolt shells requires vigilantly
             the finest weapons and armour in the Imperium—equipment                  protected and secret supply lines. Replacing a suit of
             worthy of the Adeptus Astartes’ legacy.                                  Terminator Armour may take years, and if a relic blade strikes
                                                                                      down Tau Fire Warriors, it cannot be used at the same time
                                                                                      to slay a Hive Tyrant. As such, the Deathwatch must allocate
                                                                                      assets to Kill-teams in proportion to the threat they face.
                                                                                         Wealth and titles are of little use to the average Battle-
                                                                                      Brother; the Deathwatch supplies him with everything he
                                                                                      needs to carry out his charge. A Watch Captain, Inquisitor,
                                                                                      or similar authority determines the level of resources
                                                                                      necessary for a given Mission. This judgement is represented
                                                                                      by the Mission’s Requisition rating. Each Battle-Brother
                                                                                      on the Mission then has a number of Requisition Points
                                                                                      equal to that rating with which to arm himself. The more
                                                                                      challenging a task, the greater the magnitude and rarity of the
                                                                                      Deathwatch’s resources a Battle-Brother has at his disposal.
                                                                                      A straight forward Mission may have a Requisition rating
                                                                                      of 50, while the protracted defence of a planet may warrant
                                                                                      a rating of 200 or more. If a Kill-team disagrees with the
                                                                                      assessment of a Mission’s difficulty, their Leader can try to
                                                                                      convince the Mission authority, but frequent quibbling is not
                                                                                       viewed favourably.
                                                                                         Each item in the armoury has a Requisition cost associated
                                                                                      with it. The total Requisition cost of a Battle-Brother’s
                                                                                      withdrawals may not exceed the Requisition Points available
                                                                                      to him. This allocation can be used only for the Mission
                                                                                      at hand; unspent Requisition does not carry over to future
                                                                                      undertakings, nor is it increased based on results or returns
                                                                                      of a prior Mission. A Squad may choose to pool their
                                                                                      Requisition Points for a communal item or to Requisition
                                                                                      a particularly rare item for one member. Unless otherwise
                                                                                      stated, ranged weapons include an adequate supply of basic
                                                                                      ammunition; explosives (including grenades and missiles) and
                                                                                      other consumables likewise last the duration of the Mission.
                                                                                      However, the Requisition cost of Special Issue Ammunition
                                                                                      represents only a single clip. Requisitioned equipment, used


                         138
or not, is always returned at the Mission’s end. Some items
that are not typically Requisitioned still have a Requisition
Points value listed, should the cost be relevant if the Battle-
                                                                                          Renown
Brother wishes to acquire a back-up or secondary weapon, or              “This ship’s record is long and admirable indeed; with the Emperor’s
for Signature Gear calculations.                                         blessing we will add to it before our souls rejoin him. But let us never
                                                                         forget it is bravery and honour that lead to glory. Those who sought
                                                                         fame for its own end are remembered now only in infamy.”
example
Brother Gideon (an Apothecary) and Brother Aeldan (a Deathwatch                                   –Brother Pellas, upon taking command
Devastator Marine) are both Respected Battle-Brothers. They are                                                     of the Thunder’s Word




                                                                                                                                                    V: Armoury
being dispatched on a Mission for Inquisitor Quist. She has assessed


                                                                         T
the difficulty as “Xenos Abbrevio Intermedis.” The GM informs the                he Mission’s difficulty alone does not determine what
players this equates to a Requisition rating of 60. Gideon’s player              a Battle-Brother can remove from Deathwatch vaults.
decides to Requisition a storm bolter (20 Requisition) to use instead            Many weapons of the Adeptus Astartes are marks of
of his boltgun, and two clips of hellfire rounds (2 x 15 Requisition).   status, and the right to carry them must be earned in the
As a Devastator, Aeldan always has a heavy bolter, so he Requisitions    eyes of this unique organisation. Renown represents status
a suspensor (25 Requisition) and the vox-operated upgrade (15            within the Deathwatch, and is not altogether divorced from
Requisition) for it. This leaves Gideon with 10 Requisition and          prestige in a Battle-Brother’s home Chapter. A warrior with
Aeldan with 20.                                                          an exceptionally valorous record is welcomed with warm
    They agree heavier firepower might be required on this Mission       accolades when he joins a Kill-team. Conversely, it is possible
and pool their remaining 30 Requisition for a better heavy weapon        for a Battle-Brother to arrive full of unrecognised potential
for Aeldan. They would like a plasma cannon, but won’t have access       and return to his Chapter a hero.
to it until they reach the Distinguished Renown rating. Instead, they        In many ways, a Battle-Brother’s standing with his new
Requisition a lascannon. Aeldan chooses to apply the suspensor and       Deathwatch comrades matters more during his service there
vox-operated upgrades to the lascannon.                                  than his Rank before induction. Renown determines which
                                                                         weapons the commanders of the Deathwatch believe him
                                                                         ready to Requisition. A Battle-Brother’s Renown Rank (see
  Table 5–1: Availability and Requisition                                Table 5–2: Renown) must be at least as high as any Renown
   Availability                  Requisition Point Range                 restriction on an armoury item before he may Requisition it.
   Ubiquitous                    1                                       A Battle-Brother’s Renown increases as he proves himself to
   Abundant                      2                                       the Deathwatch through service, sacrifice, and victory. See
   Plentiful                     3                                       Chapter VII: Playing the Game on page 232 for more
   Common                        4-5                                     information on how Missions affect Renown.
   Average                       6-8                                         Renown also serves as a measure of Chapter obligations to
   Scarce                        9-14                                    the Deathwatch. Tradition warrants that if a Battle-Brother
   Rare                          15-20                                   falls before his sworn term is served, his Chapter must send a
   Very Rare                     21-30                                   replacement of equal merit.
   Extremely Rare                31-50
   Near Unique                   51-70
   Unique                        71+



   ResouRCes in the 41st millennium
   Humanity is in constant competition with itself for resources: from underhive denizens hunting rats through alleys to
   Rogue Traders squabbling with one another over trade routes and with endless bureaucracy. Space Marines fight more
   important battles; their Chapters provide everything they need. They have little use for the various currencies used to
   measure wealth across the Imperium. Money among the Emperor’s subjects is as varied as their worlds and cultures. The
   Calixis Sector—intimately connected with the Achilus Crusade—uses Throne Gelt as the gauge for tithes, and it has
   become the de facto standard for exchange in the sector.
      In Dark Heresy, lower ranking members of the Inquisition use Thrones for purchases, while Throne Agents rely
   on Influence to fund their pursuit of heretics. Explorers in rogue TraDer use a similar mechanic called Profit Factor to
   represent their fortunes and power. In both games, Availability drives the difficulty of using these resources to acquire
   goods or services.
      Should a Battle-Brother need to requisition an item from rogue TraDer or Dark Heresy, Table 5–1: Availability
   and Requisition provides guidance on how many Requisition Points it is likely to require. The GM may also choose to
   mandate a Renown requirement for certain items. In general, articles unique to the Adeptus Astartes are neither available to,
   nor easily usable by, Throne Agents and Rogue Traders.



                                                                                                                               139
               Table 5–2: Renown
                Renown Rating Renown Rank
                                                                                                       Weapons
                                        Initiated: You have recently sworn              “Doesn’t matter how I came by it. Point is, this is the genuine article:
                0-19
                                        your oaths of duty to the Deathwatch.
                                                                                        a Space Marine bolter. Cursed? Only if you get caught with it. Here,
                                        Respected: You have proven your                 I’ll show you how easy it is.”
                20-39                   prowess repeatedly through bravery and
                                        blood.
                                                                                                   –Last words of Edwin Dice, Metallican arms dealer
                                        Distinguished: You have earned



                                                                                        T
                                        an impressive number of victories
                40-59                                                                          he Deathwatch has access to a dizzying spectrum of
                                        safeguarding humanity against its
V: Armoury




                                        enemies.                                               armaments. Weapons are divided into several groups
                                        Famed: Your reputation precedes you,                   containing a plethora of ranged and melee weapons,
                60-79                   and your deeds are known to Battle-             covering everything from mundane clubs to Astartes plasma
                                        Brothers across the Reach.                      cannons. All weapons come with the appropriate holster
                                        Hero: Your name echoes to your                  when Requisitioned.
                80+                     Chapter and beyond as a paragon of                 Weapon profiles use the following statistics, providing
                                        strength and valour.                            players and GMs with all the relevant information needed to
                                                                                        use them:

               Craftsmanship
                                                                                           Name: What the weapon is called.
                                                                                           Class: Describes what class the weapon is: exotic, melee,
                                                                                        thrown, pistol, basic, heavy, or mounted weapon.
                                                                                          • Melee weapons can be used in close combat. When
             “A finely crafted weapon is like a finely-crafted battle plan. Both will        using a melee weapon, you add your SB to the damage
             serve you well.”                                                                you inflict.
                                                                                          • Thrown weapons cover anything propelled by muscle
                                                                –Commissar Holt              power alone and include knives, axes, spears, and the like.
                                                                                             Unless they are also classed as melee, thrown weapons


             W
                           ithin the Imperium, the quality of goods and services             cannot be used in close combat (except as improvised
                           varies widely, from handcrafted masterpieces of war               weapons). When using a thrown weapon you add your
                           to crude, mass-produced laspistols. To put a poor                 SB to the damage you inflict (with the exception of
             quality item in the hand of an elite Adeptus Astartes would be                  explosives such as grenades).
             wasteful. Indeed, Adeptus Astartes gear is measured on a scale               • Pistol weapons are fired one-handed and can be used to
             unto itself. Imperial governors and the richest noble families are              make a Standard Attack while engaged in melee. When
             lucky to own a single treasure that rivals the fine make of the                 a pistol is used in this fashion, the pistol still Tests on
             most Common Adeptus Astartes equipment. Still, more time and                    Ballistic Skill and continues to count as a ranged weapon
             customisation can be put into a given piece, creating superlative               for all other purposes, including the application of Talents.
             equipment most likely found in the hands of esteemed Battle-                    However, the firer gains no bonuses or penalties to hit
             Brothers. Exceptionally crafted items are produced in venerated                 for range or targeting equipment such as Sights. Pistols
             forges by senior artificers, and their design reflects the additional           with the Scatter Quality fired in melee are considered
             effort devoted to their making. Lauded even above these                         to be firing at Point-Blank range for the purpose of
             noteworthy works are Master-Crafted items, the rare opuses of                   determining number of hits only.
             Forge Masters, into which untold years and the most precious                 • Basic weapons normally require two hands, but can
             and advanced materials are poured.                                              be used one-handed with a –20 penalty to hit. While
                 Items of Exceptional and Master craftsmanship are more                      wearing Astartes power armour this penalty is negated.
             durable, though it is up to the GM how and when these effects                • Heavy weapons always require two hands and must be
             enter into play. In the case of weaponry and armour, effects on                 braced in some way, usually either on a bipod or tripod
             performance or weight are detailed later, but for other goods,                  to be fired without penalties. A windowsill, sandbag,
             differences of quality are merely descriptive. The GM may reduce                or the firer’s shoulder (in the case of missile launchers)
             the Difficulty of some Tests involving items of better craftsmanship,           can also serve to brace. Firing a heavy weapon without
             but that is entirely at his discretion. Unless specifically stated, an          bracing incurs a –30 penalty and prohibits semi-auto and
             object is considered of Common craftsmanship.                                   full auto fire.


               Table 5–3: Craftsmanship and Requisition Costs
                Craftsmanship Upgrade                           Requisition Multiplier                        Renown Requirement
                Common to Exceptional                           x 1.5                                         Respected
                Exceptional to Master                           x 1.5                                         Distinguished
                Common to Master                                x2                                            Distinguished



                          140
   • Mounted weapons are heavy weapons too large and                      counts as only having 2 Armour Points against any damage
     powerful to be man-portable. They are fired using the                the hit deals. Note that Penetration has no effect on fields, but
     appropriate Heavy Weapon Training Talents, but must                  it does affect cover.
     be mounted on a weapons platform (such as Terminator                     Clip: How many rounds/charges the weapon holds when
     armour) or a vehicle. Some Melee weapons (such as the                fully loaded.
     Chainfist) are also in this category.                                    Rld (Reload): How many Actions the weapon takes to
    Range: This number determines how far the weapon can                  reload. This is generally Half (for a Half Action) or Full (for a
fire accurately in metres. The weapon’s Short Range is half               Full Action). Some weapons can take a number of Actions over
this number, while its Long Range is double this number (for              several Rounds. The number of Rounds is given as a number;
range bonuses and penalties see Chapter VIII: Combat,                     for example 2 Full means that reloading takes 2 Full Rounds.




                                                                                                                                              V: Armoury
page 247–249). Weapons cannot be fired at targets more than                   Special: Tells you if the weapon has any special Qualities
four times their Range distance away.                                     such as creating a blast when fired or needing to recharge
    RoF (Rate of Fire): This tells you if the weapon fires on             between shots.
either semi-auto or full auto and how many rounds or charges                  Wt (Weight): Represents how much the weapon weighs,
it expends when doing so. A weapon’s RoF has three entries                normally in kg (kilograms).
indicating the modes it can fire in. The first entry indicates                Req (Requisition): The number of Requisition Points
whether the weapon can fire singly (with an S). The second                required to acquire a weapon from the armoury. Higher
entry indicates whether or not it can fire semi-automatically,            Requisition Point costs represent items that are more difficult
and the number listed describes the number of shots fired by              to keep in supply and must be reserved for more challenging
this mode. Finally, the third entry describes if the weapon               Missions. Items listed as N/A are not typically stocked in
can fire on full automatic and how many shots are fired when              Watch Station armouries.
this happens. Any mode in which the weapon cannot fire is                     Renown: The minimum Renown Rank required to
indicated with a “-”.                                                     Requisition the item. If no Rank is listed, then anyone may
    Some weapons can fire in more than one mode. If this is               Requisition the item.
the case, each of its different rates of fire is listed in its profile.
Characters must choose which mode to fire their weapon in
before making their attack.
    Dam (Damage): The Damage the weapon does and the
                                                                             r
type of damage it inflicts for the purpose of Criticals (as                  The GM, at his discretion, may simply award the Kill-
shown in brackets): (E): Energy, (X) Explosive, (R) Rending,                 team with a particular item, weapon, or other piece of
(I) Impact.                                                                  wargear if he feels it is appropriate.
     en (Penetration): Reflects how good the weapon is
at cutting through armour. When a shot or blow from this
weapon hits a target, reduce the target’s Armour Points by
the weapon’s Penetration, with results of less than 0 counting
as 0 (i.e. the armour provides no protection at all). Then
work out damage as normal. For example, if a weapon with a
Penetration of 3 hits a target with 5 Armour Points, the target




                                        Born of a Thousand Forges
     The Deathwatch draws its arms from a vast
                                                   array of sources. Countless forge worlds, fact
     labour to supply the thousand Chapters                                                       ories, and artificers
                                                of the Adeptus Astartes, each tithing som
     the Deathwatch. With no standard for                                                      e portion in turn to
                                               these contributions, nor any catalogue of
     encountered in the course of the Deathw                                                the  worlds and species
                                              atch’s duty, one can only guess how man
    weapons circulate through their ranks. Wh                                             y models and patterns of
                                                 ile the Godwyn-pattern boltgun is the mos
    the staple Adeptus Astartes weapon, it is                                                 t numerous design of
                                              far from the only one. Space Wolves often
    just as the Raven Guard favour Hawk’s                                                 carry the Fenris-pattern,
                                               Talons-pattern lightning claws. It would
    each and every weapon and variant pattern                                               be impossible to detail
                                                  to be found in a Deathwatch armoury (or
    of them), so the weapons, armour, and equ                                                 even a small fraction
                                              ipment in this Chapter represent the most
                                                                                           common designs.



                                                                                                                          141
             AstArtes WeApons                                                   ConCussive
             Just as the Space Marines are paragons apart from mankind,         The weapon causes a barrage of sound and force upon impact.
             their weapons are likewise a class unto themselves. Many           When you strike an opponent with a Concussive weapon, he
             designs throughout the Imperium are simply the best attempts       must make a Toughness Test at a Difficulty of –10 per degree
             to mimic Astartes designs on a scale that a normal human can       of success by which the attack succeeded or be Stunned for
             control. The original, unadulterated versions of their arms and    1 Round. Auditory protection confers a +10 bonus to this
             equipment shame such replicas. Over millennia, a particular        Test, but does not negate the kinetic energy of the blast.
             Chapter forge may have made their own adaptations to a             Additionally, any target taking Damage greater than his
             design, just as a warrior may have left battle scars on a combat   Strength Bonus from a Concussive weapon is automatically
V: Armoury




             knife before it passed to his next Battle-Brother. However,        knocked down.
             the essentials of most weapon types (along with some rare
             weapons themselves) have been in service since the first
             Founding, and in the Imperium, ancient is better.
                                                                                defensive
                Armoury entries that begin with “Astartes” designate an         A Defensive weapon, such as a shield, is intended for blocking
             item that is designed specifically for use by Space Marines. Its   and is therefore awkward when used to make attacks.
             size, weight, and potentially its technology base are different    Defensive weapons grant a +15 bonus to tests made when
             from outwardly similar models found in the hands of other          used to Parry, but take a –10 penalty when used to attack.
             organizations. These items are very difficult to obtain (and
             use) outside the Adeptus Astartes.
                                                                                devastating (x)
                                                                                Either because of an unnatural psychological property or
             WeApon speciAl                                                     pure destructive power, a Devastating weapon shakes the
             QuAlities                                                          confidence of a Squad struck by it. If the weapon hits, it
                                                                                does one additional point of Cohesion Damage regardless
             Some weapons possess special qualities to represent such           of Damage to Wounds, in addition to secondary effects on
             things as special damage or unusual effects. The following         Cohesion from the hit’s Damage and other results. If the target
             are the most widely used weapon qualities:                         is a Horde, it reduces its magnitude by a number equal to the
                                                                                number in parenthesis every time it is hit by this weapon.
             aCCuRate
             Some weapons are designed with precision in mind and
                                                                                felling (x)
             respond superbly in skilled hands. They grant an additional        Designed to puncture and to mangle, this weapon is capable
             bonus of +10 to the firer’s Ballistic Skill when used with an      of toppling even the mightiest foes. If the weapon hits, it
             Aim Action in addition to the bonus Aiming grants. When            ignores a number of levels of Unnatural Toughness possessed
             firing a single shot from a single Accurate Basic Weapon, if       by the target equal to the number in parenthesis. For instance,
             such an attack also uses the Aim action, it gains an extra 1d10    a Felling (1) weapon ignores the benefits of Unnatural
             of damage for every two degrees of success to a maximum of         Toughness (x2) and would reduce the benefits of Unnatural
             two extra d10.                                                     Toughness (x3) by one multiplier.


             balanCed                                                           example
             Some weapons, such as swords and knives, are designed so           Brother Argos fires his bolter (loaded with vengeance rounds) against
             that the weight of the hilt balances the weight of the blade,      a Hive Tyrant. The Hive Tyrant possesses Unnatural Toughness
             making the weapon easier to wield. Balanced weapons grant          (x3), raising its Toughness Bonus from 5 to 15. The vengeance
             a +10 bonus to Weapon Skill Tests made to Parry.                   rounds are Felling (1), meaning that the Hive Tyrant’s Toughness
                                                                                Bonus is only 10 (5 x 2 = 10) rather than 15 against this attack.
             blast (x)
             Many missiles, grenades, and some guns create an explosion
                                                                                flame
             when they hit. When working out the effects of a Blast             Flame weapons project a cone of flame out to the Range of
             weapon, anyone within the weapon’s blast radius in metres          the weapon. Unlike other weapons, flamers have just one
             (the number in parenthesis) is also hit. Roll Hit Location and     range. When fired, they cast fiery death out to this distance.
             Damage individually for each person affected by the blast.         The wielder does not need to Test Ballistic Skill; he simply
                                                                                fires. The flame’s path is a cone-shaped area extending in a
                                                                                30 degree arc from the firer out to the weapon’s Range. Any
                                                                                creatures caught in it must succeed on an Agility Test or be
                                                                                struck by the flames and take damage normally. If they take
                                                                                damage, they must succeed on a second Agility Test or catch on


                        142
fire. (For the effects of being on Fire, see page 260.) Cover does   taking damage by dropping the weapon. Dropping a weapon
not protect characters from attacks made by Flame weapons.           is a Free Action. A weapon that overheats must spend the
    Normally, when a weapon is fired without the appropriate         round afterwards cooling down and may not be fired again
Weapon Training Talent or a heavy weapon is fired without            until the second round after overheating. A weapon with
bracing, the wielder suffers a –20 or –30 penalty respectively       this Quality does not Jam, and any effect that would cause a
to his Ballistic Skill Test. When a wielder who does not possess     Jam (i.e., certain psychic powers) instead causes the weapon
the appropriate Weapon Training Talent fires a weapon with           to overheat.
the Flame Quality, anyone in the area of effect gains a +20
bonus to his Agility Test to avoid damage. This bonus rises to
+30 if the weapon is heavy and the wielder is not braced.
                                                                     poweR field




                                                                                                                                        V: Armoury
                                                                     A field of power wreathes weapons with this Quality,
                                                                     increasing their Damage and Penetration. Such modifiers
gyRo-stabilised                                                      are already included in the weapon’s profile. When the
The weapon has a small auto-stabilisation unit that is typically     wielder successfully uses this weapon to Parry an attack
built towards the end of the barrel. While not as powerful as a      made with a weapon that lacks this Quality, he has a 75%
suspensor, the gyro-stabiliser helps keep the weapon levelled at     chance of destroying his attacker’s weapon. Weapons with
the optimal angle for firing. A Gyro-Stabilised weapon never         the Warp Weapon Trait and Natural Weapons are immune to
counts its target as being further than Long Range (normal           this effect.
maximum range still applies). Heavy weapons with this Quality
reduce the penalty for firing without Bracing to –20.
                                                                     pRimitive
                                                                     Crude and basic in design, these kinds of weapons, while still
haywiRe (x)                                                          deadly, are less effective against modern armour. All Armour
The weapon generates an electro-magnetic field that troubles         Points are doubled against hits from Primitive weapons unless
the machine spirits of most technology. Everything within            the armour also has the Primitive Quality. Non-Primitive
the field’s radius, indicated by the number in parenthesis,          armour doubles its AP before being reduced by Penetration.
is affected. Roll on Table 5–4: Haywire Field Effects
(with any modifiers from the weapon) to determine the
strength of the effect. As the field slowly dissipates, the
                                                                     RazoR shaRp
strength lessens one step in severity each round until it b          The shearing edge of this weapon can glide through the most
ecomes Insignificant.                                                advanced armour as though it were primitive tin. When rolling
                                                                     to attack with this weapon, if the attack roll results in two or
                                                                     more Degrees of Success, double the weapon’s Penetration.
oveRheats
Certain weapons are prone to overheating, either because
of poor design or because they fire unstable superheated
                                                                     ReChaRge
ammunition. A weapon with this Quality overheats on an               Because of the volatile nature of the weapon’s ammunition or
attack roll of 91 or higher. When this happens, the wielder          due to the way it fires, the weapon needs time between shots
suffers energy damage equal to the weapon’s damage with              to Recharge. The weapon must spend the Round after firing
a Penetration of 0 to an arm location (the arm holding the           building up a charge and cannot be fired—in effect you can
weapon if it was fired one-handed, or a random arm if it             only fire the weapon every other round.
was fired with two hands). The wielder may choose to avoid

  Table 5–4: Haywire Field Effects
   Roll       Field Strength
   20 or less Insignificant: There is no noticeable effect on nearby technology.
              Minor Disruption: All actions utilising technology, including firing Ranged weapons without the Primitive Quality,
   21-40      Tech-Use Tests, and any physical actions attempted while wearing power armour or employing cybernetics, suffer a –10
              penalty. The Base Movement of anyone in power armour is reduced by 1.
              Major Disruption: All actions utilising technology, including firing Ranged weapons without the Primitive Quality,
              Tech-Use Tests, and any physical actions attempted while wearing power armour or employing cybernetics, suffer a –20
   41-60
              penalty. The Base Movement of anyone in power armour is reduced by 3. Melee weapons with technological components
              function as a Primitive weapon of the analogous type.
                ead Zone: Technology within the affected area completely ceases to function. Power armour becomes Unpowered as
              per Table 5–13: Power Unit Critical Effects. Characters with cybernetic replacements to any internal organ(s) suffer
   61-80
              one level of Fatigue each round they remain in the Dead Zone. Melee weapons with technological components function
              as a Primitive weapon of the analogous type.
   81-100 Prolonged Dead Zone: As Dead Zone.



                                                                                                                     143
             Reliable                                                            teaRing
             Based on tried and true technology, Reliable weapons seldom         Tearing weapons are vicious devices, exploding while lodged
             fail. If a Reliable weapon Jams, roll 1d10 and only on a roll of    inside their victim or using multitudes of fast-moving jagged
             10 has it in fact Jammed. Otherwise, it just misses as normal.      teeth to rip into flesh and bone. These weapons roll one extra
                                                                                 die for Damage, and the lowest result is discarded.
             sanCtified
             Damage inflicted by a Sanctified weapon counts as Holy
                                                                                 c
             Damage, which has certain effects on some Daemonic and              Some weapons rely on toxins and poisons to do their damage.
V: Armoury




             warp creatures. All weapons with this special Quality must be       Anyone that takes Damage from a Toxic weapon after
             either Exceptionally or Master-Crafted.                             reduction for Armour and Toughness Bonus must make a
                                                                                 Toughness Test with a –5 Penalty for every Point of Damage
                                                                                 suffered. Success indicates no further effect from the weapon.
             r                                                                   Failure, however, deals an immediate 1d10 points of Impact
             The standard ammunition of these weapons spreads out when           Damage to the target with no reduction from Armour or
             fired, hitting more of the target. If fired at a foe within Point   Toughness Bonus.
             Blank Range, every two degrees of success indicates another
             hit (use Table 8–2: Multiple Hits on page 239). However,
             at longer ranges this spread of small projectiles reduces its
                                                                                 twin-linked
             effectiveness. Double all Armour Points against hits from           A Twin-linked weapon represents two identical weapons
             Scatter weapons at Long or Extreme Range.                           connected together and linked to fire at the same time, often
                                                                                 through one pull of the trigger or push of a button. Twin-linked
                                                                                 weapons are built this way in order to increase the chances of
             shoCking                                                            scoring a hit through the crude expedience of blasting more
             Shocking weapons can stun their opponents with a powerful           shots at the target. A weapon with the Twin-linked Quality
             surge of energy. A target that takes at least 1 point of Damage     gains a +20 bonus to hit when fired and uses twice as much
             from a Shocking weapon after Armour and Toughness Bonus             ammunition. In addition, the weapon may score one additional
             must make a Toughness Test. He receives a +10 bonus for             hit if the attack roll succeeds by two or more degrees of success.
             every Armour Point on the location hit. If he fails, he is          Lastly, the weapon’s reload time is doubled.
             Stunned for a number of Rounds equal to half the Damage
             he suffered.
                                                                                 unbalanCed
                                                                                 Heavy and difficult to ready after an attack, Unbalanced
             smoke                                                               weapons impose a –10 penalty when used to Parry.
             These weapons throw up dense clouds of smoke to create cover.
             When a hit is scored from a weapon with the Smoke Quality, it
             creates a smokescreen 3d10 metres in diameter from the point
                                                                                 unwieldy
             of impact. This screen lasts for 2d10 Rounds, or less in adverse    Huge and often top-heavy, Unwieldy weapons are too
             weather conditions (see page 249).                                  awkward to be used defensively. Unwieldy weapons cannot
                                                                                 be used to Parry.
             snaRe
             Weapons with this Quality are designed to entangle enemies.
                                                                                 volatile
             On a successful hit, the target must make an Agility Test           Volatile matter is charged with potential energy, and reacts
             or be immobilised. An immobilised target can attempt to             violently on a solid hit. If a 10 is rolled for Damage on a
             burst the bonds (a Strength Test) or wriggle free (an Agility       weapon with the Volatile Quality, Righteous Fury occurs
             Test) on his Turn. The target is considered helpless until          automatically, dealing another 1d10 points of Damage. If
             he escapes.                                                         the second roll results in 10, further Damage is possible (see
                                                                                 Righteous Fury on page 245).
             stoRm
             A weapon with the Storm Quality unleashes shots at rapid
             speed, often through use of a double-barrelled design. This
             Quality doubles the number of hits inflicted on the target
             and the amount of ammunition expended. For example, when
             firing a weapon with the Storm Quality in fully automatic
             mode, each degree of success yields two additional hits (to a
             maximum of twice the weapon’s Full Automatic rate of fire).


                        144
Table 5–5: Ranged Weapons
Name                     Class        Range RoF              Dmg              Pen Clip Rld              Special            Wt Req Renown
Bolt Weapons
Astartes Bolt Pistol Pistol              30m       S/3/– 2d10+5 X 5                14      Full        Tearing             5.5 5†         –
Astartes Bolter
                           Basic         100m S/2/4 2d10+5 X 5                     28      Full        Tearing             18 5           –
(Godwyn)
Astartes Boltgun                                                                                       Accurate,
                           Basic         200m S/–/– 2d10+5 X 5                     24      Full                            17 15          Respected
(Stalker)                                                                                              Tearing
Astartes Combi-
                           Basic         100m S/2/4 2d10+5 X 5                     28      Full        Tearing             25 15          Respected
Weapon††




                                                                                                                                                          V: Armoury
Astartes Heavy
                           Heavy         150m –/–/10 2d10+10 X 6                   60      Full        Tearing             68 20          –
Bolter
Astartes Storm
                           Basic         100m S/2/4 2d10+5 X 5                     60      2 Full Storm, Tearing 26 20                    Respected
Bolter
†
  For additional weapons beyond standard issue
††
   Profile is for the primary bolter. Secondary weapon has RoF: S/–/– and Clip: 1, with all other statistics as per the weapon’s entry.
Plasma Weapons
Astartes Plasma                                                                                         Blast (1),
                    Heavy             150m        S/–/–      2d10+11 E 10            16       5 Full                       70     30      Distinguished
Cannon                                                                                                  Volatile
Astartes Plasma Gun
                    Basic             100m        S/2/–      1d10+9 E         8      40       4 Full    Volatile           27     20      Respected
(Ragefire)
Astartes Plasma
                    Pistol            30m         S/2/–      1d10+8 E         8      12       3 Full    Volatile           6      25      Respected
Pistol
Melta Weapons
Astartes Infernus
                     Pistol           10m         S/–/–      2d10+8 E         13     4        Full      –                  5      35      Famed
Pistol
Astartes Meltagun
                     Basic            20m         S/–/–      2d10+8 E         13     6        2 Full    –                  14     20      Respected
(Vulkan)
Astartes Multi-melta
                     Heavy            60m         S/–/–      4d10+6 E         13     12       2 Full    Blast (1)          72     35      Respected
(Maxima)
Flame Weapons
Astartes Flamer          Basic        20m         S/–/–      2d10+2 E         3      6        2 Full    Flame              15     10      –
Astartes Hand
                         Pistol       10m         S/–/–      2d10+2 E         3      4        2 Full    Flame              6      10      –
Flamer
Astartes Heavy
                         Heavy        30m         S/–/–      2d10+6 E         6      10       2 Full    Flame              65     15      –
Flamer
Solid Projectile Weapons
Astartes Assault
                         Mounted 150m             –/–/10 3d10+6 I             6      200      3 Full    Tearing            80     30      Famed
Cannon
                                                                                                        Reliable,
Astartes Shotgun         Basic        30m         S/2/–      2d10+3 I         0      18       Full                         10     5       –
                                                                                                        Scatter
Autogun                  Basic        90m         S/3/10 1d10+3 I             0      30       2 Full    –                  3.5    N/A –
Autopistol               Pistol       30m         S/–/6 1d10+2 I              0      18       Full      –                  2.5    N/A –
Las Weapons
Astartes Lascannon       Heavy        300m        S/–/–      6d10+10 E 10            6        2 Full    –                  75     30 Respected
Lasgun                   Basic        100m        S/3/–      1d10+3 E 0              60       Full      Reliable           4      N/A –
Laspistol                Pistol       30m         S/–/–      1d10+2 E 0              30       Full      Reliable           1.5    N/A –
Launchers
Astartes Cyclone
                         Mounted 300m             S/2/–      †††              †††
                                                                                     12       3 Full    †††
                                                                                                                           95     25      Famed
Missile Launcher
Astartes Missile
Launcher                 Heavy   250m             S/–/–      †††              †††
                                                                                     8        Full      †††
                                                                                                                           50     10      –
(Soundstrike)
Auxiliary Grenade
                         n/a     45m              S/–/–      †††              †††
                                                                                     4        2 Full    †††
                                                                                                                           +3     15      Respected
Launcher
†††
    Varies with ammunition




                                                                                                                                          145
             Bolt WeApons
                                                                                    man’s ReaCh exCeeds his gRasp
             If common Imperial citizens picture power armour when
                                                                                    Grave religious taboos exist throughout most of the
             they think of a Space Marine’s profile, then they picture bolt
                                                                                    Imperium against daring to touch weapons meant for
             weapons when they think of his fury. Powerful and flexible,
                                                                                    the hands of the Emperor’s Angels of Death. Astartes
             bolters are the favoured weapon of the Adeptus Astartes, and
                                                                                    weapons react violently to the grip of the unworthy,
             every recruit is issued one as soon as he becomes a Scout.
                                                                                    and men bearing terrible burn scars are living proof of a
             Most bolter models have their roots with the Space Marines,
                                                                                    flamer’s outrage in the hands of an ignoble master. Still,
             despite smaller, inferior adaptations treasured by Imperial
                                                                                    there are invariably those bold and foolish enough to
             officers and nobles. Loud and brutal, bolt weapons are
                                                                                    try taming the machine spirits of Astartes weapons.
V: Armoury




             terrifying to witness in any hand, but none wield them with
                                                                                       Obtaining an Astartes weapon should require
             such deadly proficiency as the Adeptus Astartes.
                                                                                    considerable effort on a character’s part and never simply
                Bolters fire self-propelled mass-reactive shells called bolts,
                                                                                    be the result of an Acquisition or Influence roll. Astartes
             set to explode just after penetration for maximum lethality.
                                                                                    Ranged weapons count as one Class heavier to anyone
             Overall they are superb if temperamental devices, requiring
                                                                                    lacking in Space Marine physiology. For example a
             skilled maintenance using only the most proper rituals and
                                                                                    Pistol is a Basic weapon; a Basic weapon is Heavy, and
             blessings. The standard bolter round is .75 calibre with a
                                                                                    so on. Furthermore, Astartes weapons impose a –30
             super-dense metallic core and diamantine tip. The Deathwatch
                                                                                    penalty to all Tests made with them by presumptuous
             makes frequent use of variant shells for specialised purposes,
                                                                                    mortals due to improper scale, weight, and/or recoil—
             such as penetrating armour plating or silently eliminating a
                                                                                    even in power armour. The GM may also choose to
             target without revealing one’s position. To use the various
                                                                                    impose other problems from the rebellious machine
             classes of bolt weapons, a character must have the Pistol
                                                                                    spirit based on the nature of a weapon (a plasma
             Training (Bolt), Basic Weapon Training (Bolt) or Heavy
                                                                                    weapon may require Toughness Tests from routine heat
             Weapon Training (Bolt) Talents.
                                                                                    venting; a power weapon may run the risk of feedback,
                                                                                    etc). Space Marines may use weapons scaled for normal
             astaRtes bolt pistol                                                   humans without penalty if they choose, although the
                                                                                    GM may wish to require that the Space Marine take an
             As destructive as its full-size counterpart,
                                                                                    extra action or two to remove parts that get in the way
             a bolt pistol’s primary drawbacks are
                                                                                    (such as the trigger guard or the stock!).
             its smaller clip and slower rate of fire.
             However, they are ideal for Devastator
             units needing to take down an enemy at                                 Awareness Tests to hear shots made with a Stalker-pattern
             close quarters and for Assault specialists needing a vehicle for    boltgun suffer an additional –30 penalty and can only be
             the Deathwatch’s many special bolt types.                           attempted at half the normal distance. See Stalker Rounds in
                                                                                 the Ammunition section for more information on combining
                                                                                 the two.
             astaRtes bolteR (godwyn patteRn)
             The bolter, or boltgun, is
             the backbone of every Space
                                                                                 astaRtes Combi-weapon
             Marine arsenal. Bolters vary                                        Combi-weapons are actually
             in age and pattern across                                           two different weapons that
             the Space Marine Chapters,                                          have been combined into
             though nearly all Astartes                                          one firearm. The idea is to
             bolt weapons accept the                                             provide the user with the
             same ammunition. The                                                versatility of two different
             Deathwatch-pattern bolter incorporates a shot selector, while       types of guns, without
             Battle-Brothers who bring weapons from their home Chapter           requiring him to switch
             add attachments for the same functionality.                         between them (not to mention carry them both) on the
                                                                                 battlefield. Astartes combi-weapons typically use a boltgun as
                                                                                 the primary weapon with a one-shot secondary weapon slung
             astaRtes boltgun (stalkeR patteRn)                                  under the barrel.
             The Stalker-pattern boltgun is most impressive when used in            The most popular variations found in the Deathwatch are
             conjunction with Stalker Rounds, but it is still an effective       the combi-flamer, combi-meltagun, and combi-plasma gun.
             sniping weapon with any ammunition type. It significantly           The profile entry for each of these weapons details the primary
             muffles the sound of any shell fired, and produces no               boltgun. The secondary weapon on each firearm has a profile
             muzzle flash.                                                       identical to a Flamer, Meltagun, and Plasma Gun respectively,
                                                                                 except its Clip is reduced to 1. The wielder may fire either
                                                                                 the primary or secondary weapon on his Turn; both weapons
                                                                                 cannot fire at the same time.


                        146
r                                                                fiRing plasma weapons
Heavy bolter variants have been widely adopted for Imperial      Plasma weapons can be used in two firing modes: standard
forces beyond the Space Marines, although none can compare       mode (the normal and safest method), or a higher-powered
to the punishment doled out by the original design. These        blast with a longer range and higher temperature. The latter
weapons are potent in a wide variety of roles, capable of        requires a short time to replenish the plasma back to firing
turning entire infantry platoons into a carpet of gore as well   levels. When an Astartes plasma weapon fires in Maximal
as assailing vehicles in a hail of large, armour-penetrating     mode, it gains an extra 10 metres to range, 1d10 to Damage,
explosions. Heavy bolters fire rounds of a much larger calibre   and +2 Pen, but uses 3 rounds of ammunition. The Maximal
than the standard bolt, contain more propellant and are          setting also adds the Recharge and Overheats Qualities to the




                                                                                                                                   V: Armoury
capable of achieving longer ranges.                              weapon, but increases any Blast Quality by +2 (so an Astartes
                                                                 Plasma Cannon would fire a Blast (3) on Maximal).


                                                                 astaRtes plasma Cannon
                                                                 The largest portable plasma weapon is the plasma cannon
                                                                 or heavy plasma gun, which is also seen in service on some
                                                                 Adeptus Astartes transports. Rather than using attached
                                                                 flasks, the wielder wears a large fuel canister that attaches
                                                                 to his backpack unit. This weapon has a much greater range
                                                                 and ammunition supply, and its violent discharges hurtle like
r                                                                miniature suns from its barrel, impacting a large area. It can
Storm bolters originated and                                     also fire on Maximal mode which exhausts even more fuel
still reside almost exclusively                                  but provides an even larger blast of heat on impact, creating a
in the Adeptus Astartes.                                         fireball capable of destroying heavily armoured targets.
These weapons resemble two
bolters with a single casing
and a single trigger. They
can lay down a barrage of
fire rivalling heavy weapons,
but with better portability. A
storm bolter uses twin clips to
feed its dual firing mechanisms.


plAsmA WeApons
The secrets of plasma technology are almost lost outside the
Adeptus Astartes, amongst whose ranks these weapons are
still uncommon. Plasma technology is frequently found in
the hands of the Dark Angels, who have maintained a large
number of such weapons and the art of their construction
                                                                    astaRtes weapon CRaftsmanship
since their Founding.                                               All weapon listings portray Common craftsmanship of
    Plasma weapons work using hydrogen fuel suspended in            the Adeptus Astartes. For weapons of better manufacture
a photonic state in either fuel flasks or backpack containers.      use the following modifiers:
As the fuel is fed into the miniature fusion core inside the            Exceptional: More carefully constructed, these
weapon, the hydrogen energises into plasma, held in the             weapons are consequently more reliable. All Exceptional
core by powerful magnetic containment fields. When fired,           craftsmanship weapons add 1 to the Damage they
the fields dilate open and the plasma is ejected via a linear       inflict. Ranged weapons of Exceptional craftsmanship
magnetic accelerator in a bolt of superheated matter akin           have the Reliable Quality. Exceptional craftsmanship
to a solar flare in appearance and temperature. For this            Melee weapons add a +5 bonus to Weapon Skill Tests.
reason plasma weapons are sometimes called “sun guns” by                Master: A work of art as much as a weapon, these
the common population. Plasma weapons tax their cooling             weapons are created by skilled artificers and are often
systems considerably, and the Space Marines push the                centuries old. All Master-Crafted weapons add 2 to
limits of their own resilience by using hydrogen in a higher        the Damage they inflict. Ranged weapons of Master
quantum state than standard Imperial patterns. To use the           craftsmanship never Jam or Overheat. If a roll would
various classes of plasma weapons a character must have the         result in either occurrence, count it as a miss instead.
Pistol Training (Plasma), Basic Weapons Training (Plasma), or       Master-Crafted melee weapons add a +10 bonus to
Heavy Weapon Training (Plasma) Talents.                             Weapon Skill Tests.



                                                                                                                147
             astaRtes plasma gun                                                  astaRtes multi-melta (maxima-
             (RagefiRe-patteRn)                                                   patteRn)
             The most common                                                      The largest type of melta weapon is the multi-melta, and
             model of this uncommon                                               models not built for the Adeptus Astartes and their vehicles
             technology, plasma guns                                              are rare. This huge weapon carries more fuel, fires at much
             are often deployed in                                                longer ranges, and creates a larger blast area capable of
             situations where raw                                                 vaporising several square metres at a time. It also generates
             takedown power is                                                    much more heat than its smaller cousins, making proximity
             required against highly resilient or armoured enemies.               to the firer highly uncomfortable for those not insulated by
V: Armoury




                                                                                  power armour.
             astaRtes plasma pistol
             Few pistols are deadlier than the
             plasma pistol, and many ranking
             Adeptus Astartes find them worth
             the trouble of acquiring and the risk
             of using for their sheer efficiency in
             eliminating foes at close range.


             meltA WeApons
             Melta weapons emit devastatingly intense but short-ranged            FlAme WeApons
             blasts of heat which can melt through almost any material.           As the name suggests, these weapons operate by firing gouts of
             Most types of melta induce highly pressurised gases from an          flame at the target and are capable of smiting large swathes of
             ammunition canister into an unstable sub-molecular state and         small creatures. As such they are a favoured weapon on Missions
             direct the resulting energies down the barrel. Melta usage is        in the Orpheus Salient where the Tyranid threat swarms.
             accompanied by a distinctive hissing sound as the beam boils             Flame weapons use a fuel generically referred to as
             away the water in the air, then a roaring blast as the beam          promethium. On worlds of lower technology, this could be
             reduces the target to charred scraps or molten slag.                 home-brewed concoctions or other chemicals, but Astartes
                Meltas are the premier anti-armour weapons, and few if any        weapons use only the most concentrated and refined formulas,
             vehicles can withstand their power. Astartes melta weapons           achieving consistently superior results. Most models carry
             deal an extra 1d10 Damage to targets at Short Range or               mono-propellant fuel which ignites via a small pilot flame
             closer. To use the various classes of melta weapons, a character     at the tip of the barrel, though self-igniting models utilising
             must have the Pistol Training (Melta), Basic Weapon Training         binary hypergolic fuels are not unheard of. Once produced,
             (Melta), or Heavy Weapon Training (Melta) Talents.                   the intense jet that spurts from the barrel creates a torrent of
                                                                                  liquid fire, which spreads out in an inferno that burns even
                                                                                  underwater, leaving enemies hard-pressed to put out the fire.
             astaRtes infeRnus pistol                                                 Due to the exceptional grade of fuel, a victim caught on fire
             The Infernus pistol represents specialised and ancient               by an Astartes Flame Weapon takes an additional 4 points of
             technology, almost impossible for even the Adeptus Astartes          damage per Round from being on fire. (For the full effects of
             to recreate. Mere handfuls exist in any sector, and they are         fire, see page 260.)
             found only in the hands of Battle-Brothers who have proven
             themselves worthy of such a profoundly rare weapon. This is
             a favoured weapon of the Blood Angels Chapter.
                                                                                  r
                                                                                  The flamer is an ideal weapon for flushing out enemies in
                                                                                  cover and cleansing areas with purifying flame. The typical
             astaRtes meltagun (vulkan-patteRn)                                   Adeptus Astartes model accepts fuel through a pressure seal
             Meltaguns are the most                                               that can attach to a backpack feed for longer uninterrupted
             common form of melta                                                 usage or a smaller canister for quick refuelling in bursts.
             weapon and are found in
             many Imperial forces. They
             are less prone to catastrophic
             failure than plasma guns
             and work best at shorter ranges. An ideal weapon for cutting
             through bulkheads or armour, the Deathwatch has no end of
             uses for it. The Vulkan-pattern uses a built-in fuel canister, but
             versions with a backpack attachment are also common.



                         148
r                                                                  autogun
This hand-held flamer is still capable of unleashing large         Cheap and easy to produce, autoguns are a common weapon
blasts of flame, but is good for only a few shots before the       across the galaxy; even alien races acquire and use them or
fuel canister must be switched out.                                sometimes make their own equivalents. These rapid-firing
                                                                   automatic weapons use common solid low-calibre shells fed
                                                                   via standardized clips. Reliable, rugged, and easily stocked
r                                                                  with ammunition, they are a mainstay on many a planet.
While the size and weight of heavy flamers makes them
an unpopular choice among many Imperial forces, these
                                                                   autopistol




                                                                                                                                     V: Armoury
are hardly deterrents to a Space Marine in power armour.
Terminator squads and many vehicles make frequent use of           Small but effective, autopistols are a favourite among many
the large saturation area of heavy flamers. The twin nozzles       military veterans as a supplement for their standard lasgun.
produce huge gouts of fire, enough to purge the densest            They have a faster rate of fire than most pistols, and can put
terrain of xenos.                                                  down un-armoured targets in a single burst of shells.


                                                                   lAs WeApons
                                                                   Laser or “las” weapons are by far the most numerous types of
                                                                   weapons found in the Imperium as they are the basic tool of
                                                                   the Imperial Guard’s countless soldiers. Their STC template
                                                                   is well known and their extreme ruggedness and ease of
                                                                   use makes them the perfect weapon for the Hammer of the
                                                                   Emperor. Las weapons can be found on almost any planet,
solid projectile                                                   even outside the Imperium and among many xenos tribes.
                                                                   Even with the Adeptus Astartes’ access to mankind’s most
WeApons                                                            sophisticated weapons, they still use this staple technology to
Although slug-throwers are exceedingly plentiful across the        limited but devastating effect.
Imperium, they find limited use among most Space Marine                Las weapons work by emitting short, sharp pulses of laser
Chapters. Most alien races have their own versions as well, for    energy from high capacity fast-discharge generators, with a
both technology and manufacture are fairly simple.                 flash of light and a distinctive snap like the cracking of a
                                                                   whip as the trigger is pulled. Though they are produced in
                                                                   a multitude of styles and patterns depending on the home
astaRtes assault Cannon                                            world of manufacture, most use a very common Departmento
An assault cannon is a massive, brutal weapon with a ring          Munitorum sanctioned power pack. The liquid metal core of
of rotating barrels that spray explosive shells at terrifying      the pack stores vast amounts of energy, and can be recharged
speed and velocity. This weapon’s incredible firepower can         from standard power sources with a successful Tech-Use Test.
shred troops or vehicles even more efficiently than a heavy        In emergencies they can even be recharged by placing them
bolter, although its size and weight somewhat preclude man-        in an open fire, though this diminishes the lifespan of the
portability. The Adeptus Astartes circumvent that limitation       pack and increases its failure rate.
by commonly employing them on Terminators.                             To use the various classes of las weapons a character must
                                                                   have the Pistol Training (Las), Basic Weapon Training (Las),
                                                                   or Heavy Weapon Training (Las) Talents.


                                                                   astaRtes lasCannon
                                                                   Las technology is generally of little interest to the Adeptus
                                                                   Astartes, who have access to more powerful weapons and
                                                                   do not answer to the Departmento Munitorum for their
astaRtes shotgun                                                   ammunition costs. The Lascannon is the exception. These
Most commonly encountered in Scout units, the shotgun is a         guns use huge power packs that provide enough energy to
solid and versatile weapon. While its lack of armour penetration   punch holes in the thickest armour even at extreme ranges.
does not make it a widely deployed choice with more senior         Lascannons require separate power packs, which the Space
Battle-Brothers, that same aspect is useful in situations where    Marines usually affix to their backpack generators.
breaching bulkheads or damaging equipment is a concern.
The wide shot spray also makes it effective against creatures
and enemies in large numbers.




                                                                                                                  149
             lasgun                                                                           EM spectrum chaff, all designed to block eyesight and even
                                                                                              advanced visual detection. The effect is short-lived, but
             Produced in a multitude of different styles and patterns, the                    while it lasts provides excellent cover for advancing forces.
             lasgun can be found on almost every world of the Imperium,                       The effects of this grenade last for 1d10 Rounds (shorter in
             where its robust design and dependability make it a favoured                     conditions such as prevailing winds or industrial ventilation).
             weapon of both the Emperor’s faithful and many of their foes.
                                                                                              astaRtes fRag gRenades and missiles
             laspistol                                                                        The Adeptus Astartes fill their large fragmentation (or frag)
             The laspistol is most commonly used by lower ranking                             grenades and missiles with powerful explosives and aerodynamic
V: Armoury




             Imperial officers and agents. On many worlds it is common                        metallic shards. The high velocity shrapnel created when they
             for almost every member of society to be armed with one as                       detonate is deadly against common infantry.
             a matter of course. Almost every Forge World has their own
             pattern and style, as the basic weapon is so simple that it
             allows a multitude of variations.
                                                                                              astaRtes inCendiaRy gRenades and
                                                                                              missiles
             GrenAdes And missiles                                                            Incendiary explosives are commonly employed to flush out
             Frag and krak grenades are standard munitions across                             enemies entrenched behind cover. These projectiles contain
             virtually all of the Emperor’s armies, from Imperial Guard                       slow-burning promethium distillate that ignites when the
             conscripts to the Adeptus Astartes, whose versions of these                      grenade explodes. Any target within the Blast radius must
             explosives are no exception to their rule of superlative arms.                   succeed on an Agility Test or catch fire. Furthermore, the area
             The Deathwatch has access to an even wider range of grenade                      remains on fire for another 1d5 Rounds as the promethium
             types, including rare and exotic projectiles only whispered of                   continues to burn. Anyone remaining within that area must
             by common soldiers as the stuff of fables.                                       continue to take Agility Tests or catch fire until the flames die.
                All of the grenades listed here can either be thrown by
             hand or used in a grenade launcher. Missiles must be fired
             from a missile launcher.
                                                                                              astaRtes kRak gRenades and missiles
                                                                                              Krak grenades and missiles use concentrated explosives to
                                                                                              punch holes in armoured targets such as vehicles or bunkers.
             astaRtes blind gRenade                                                           The powerful detonations do not produce a blast effect
             Blind grenades explode with a burst of dense dark                                however, making them impractical for use against most
             grey smoke including IR bafflers and broad-band                                  infantry or moving targets.


               Table 5–6: Grenades and Missiles
                Name                            Class         Range RoF             Dmg             Pen Special                         Wt Req Renown
                Astartes Blind Grenade          Thrown        SBx3        S/–/–     –               0       Smoke                       0.8    10      –
                Astartes Frag Grenade           Thrown        SBx3        S/–/–     2d10 X          0       Blast (5)                   0.8    1†      –
                                                                                                            Blast (8), Devastating
                Astartes Frag Missile           –             –           –         2d10 X          4                                   2      5†      –
                                                                                                            (1)
                Astartes Incendiary
                                            Thrown            SBx3        S/–/–     1d10+4 E        0       Blast (3)                   1      15      –
                Grenade
                Astartes Incendiary Missile –                 –           –         1d10+3 E        0         Blast (5)                   2      15       –
                Astartes Krak Grenade       Thrown            SBx3        S/–/–     3d10+4 X        6         –                           0.8 1    †
                                                                                                                                                          –
                Astartes Krak Missile       –                 –           –         4d10+6 X        10        Blast (1)                   2      5†       –
                Astartes Nova Grenade       Thrown            SBx3        S/–/–     1d10 E          0         Blast(3)                    0.8 15          –
                                                                                                              Blast (1), Special,
                Astartes Plasma Grenade          Thrown         SBx3      S/–/– 1d10+12 E 8                                               2      20       Distinguished
                                                                                                              Volatile
                                                                                                              Blast (3), Special,
                Astartes Plasma Missile          –              –         –           2d10+12 E 12                                        3      25       Distinguished
                                                                                                              Volatile
                Astartes Stasis Grenade          Thrown         SBx3      S/–/– –                      0      –                           1      N/A N/A
                Astartes Stun Grenade            Thrown         SBx3      S/–/– –                      0      Blast (5)                   0.8 10          –
                EMP Grenade                      Thrown         SBx3      S/–/– –                      0      Haywire (3)                 0.5 30          Respected
                Photon Flash Grenade             Thrown         SBx3      S/–/– Special                0      –                           0.5 5           –
                Vortex Grenade                   Thrown         SBx3      S/–/– Special                0      –                           1      N/A N/A
                †
                  Frag and krak grenades are standard issue; frag and krak missile supplies are included with any missile launcher. Requisition value is only for
                evaluating requests deemed “excessive”.



                          150
astaRtes nova gRenade
                                                                      thRowing gRenades
Photo-visors and similar ocular protection are common
                                                                      Throwing grenades requires no special training or
among the Deathwatch’s foes. This more powerful
                                                                      Talents and is resolved using a Ballistic Skill Test
version of a flash grenade was designed to overpower
                                                                      including any modifiers (such as range). On a miss, the
standard input filtering. Each sphere contains a minute
                                                                      thrown grenade goes in a random direction—see the
amount of plasma suspended in carbon gas. When ignited,
                                                                      scatter diagram on page 248.
the resulting fusion is similar to the effect of a collapsing
star, and the emitted light achieves an extreme absolute              when a gRenade “Jams”
magnitude. However, the ability to thwart auto-senses is a            Whenever a jam results from throwing a grenade




                                                                                                                                       V: Armoury
double-edged sword for Battle-Brothers, and nova grenades             or firing a grenade launcher or similar weapon (see
must be strategically utilised lest they blind their own forces.      Weapon Jams, page 249), something unfortunate has
    In addition to taking damage from the shock wave,                 happened. Roll 1d10. On any result other than 10, the
anyone within the Blast radius must make a Very Hard                  explosive is simply a dud and nothing happens. On a
(–30) Toughness Test or be Blinded (see page 260) for                 10, the explosive detonates immediately with the effect
1d10 Rounds. Photo-visors, autosenses, and similar vision             centred on the attacker. If the explosive was fired from
protection decreases this Test to Difficult (–10). Anyone             a launcher, it detonates in the barrel, having its normal
within 20 metres of the detonation point must make a normal           effect as well as destroying the weapon.
Toughness Test or be Blinded for 1d5 Rounds (identical to a
flash grenade—vision protection works normally).
                                                                       The grenade generates a stasis field with a radius of two
                                                                   metres; it lasts for 1d5 rounds (which the GM should roll and
astaRtes plasma gRenade                                            reveal only when it expires). Everything inside this bubble is
These highly lethal grenades use a deliberate plasma               cut off from the normal flow of time. Anyone and anything
containment failure, erupting into blasts of white-hot energy.     inside the affected area does (and perceives) nothing until the
The dense plasma core of an Astartes plasma grenade is not         field dissipates. Characters outside the stasis field can see the
fully consumed in the initial explosion and leaves a glowing,      frozen moment but cannot interact with it in any way.
energized orb that continues to sear the area like a miniature
sun. This tiny stellar body continues to do the plasma
grenade’s full damage to the Blast area for an additional 1d5
                                                                   astaRtes stun gRenade
Rounds after the Round it detonated.                               Stun grenades use a combination of a loud explosive and a
                                                                   flash of light to momentarily incapacitate targets without
                                                                   causing lasting injury before an assault is launched, making
astaRtes plasma missile                                            them an excellent opener in non-lethal engagements. Anyone
A larger incarnation of the plasma grenade, a salvo of plasma      caught in a stun grenade’s blast must pass a Challenging
missiles can easily turn enemy troops into a smoking crater.       (+0) Toughness Test or become Stunned for 1d10 rounds.
Indeed, a Battle-Brother must take care when firing one of         Photo-visors and sealed armour provide a +20 bonus to this
these dangerous weapons that his own Kill-team is sufficiently     Test, while input filtering renders one completely immune.
out of harm’s way. Plasma missiles have the same continuing
effect as a plasma grenade. In addition, they pose an additional
threat to vehicles. The plasma core can become fused with the
                                                                   emp gRenade
hull, leaving no escape. If a plasma missile attack on a vehicle   A rare example of xenos technology employed in limited
scores 4 or more degrees of success, the Blast radius becomes      capacity by the Deathwatch, the exact form of such a grenade
centred on the vehicle rather than a stationary point.             varies with its origin. The function of an EMP grenade is
                                                                   to generate a field of electro-magnetic static that interferes
                                                                   with most technology and generally causes machine spirits
astaRtes stasis gRenade                                            to malfunction. There are many appellations for this weapon:
Stasis fields are used throughout the Imperium                     EMP, Haywire, Scrambler, and it takes many shapes including
to hold time at bay, essentially trapping whatever                 those found with the Tau and the Eldar.
is inside them in a single moment. Uses run from
mundane food storage to the preservation of the
Ultramarine’s Primarch. A stasis grenade is simply an impact-
                                                                   photon flash gRenade
triggered version of the same technology, most commonly            Photon flash or simply flash grenades detonate in a sudden
used to temporarily neutralize a threat.                           and brilliant flare, blinding anyone nearby and overloading
    To call a stasis grenade rare and dangerous is a grave         many common vision protection systems such as visors.
understatement. One may occasionally be distributed along          Those caught without high quality eye protection are usually
with the general Requisition Points for a Mission if the Watch     left blinded and defenceless. Anyone within 15 metres of a
Captain deems necessary, but a stasis grenade may never be         photon flash grenade when it detonates must succeed on a
Requisitioned through the usual means.                             Toughness Test or be blinded for 1d5 Rounds.


                                                                                                                   151
             voRtex gRenade                                                       astaRtes missile launCheR
             This dreaded example of lost technology tears                        (soundstRike-patteRn)
             open the very fabric of reality, creating a rift                     A missile is fitted with stabilisation and guidance systems to
             into the warp. Needless to say, the results of                       aid in its accuracy, which is excellent at long ranges. Access to
             such a desperate action are highly unpredictable                     the variety of long distance warfare options these explosive
             and almost as likely to backfire on he who used it. For all          rounds provide requires a missile launcher. The standard
             the nightmarish stories of daemons crawling through the              Astartes missile launcher is a tube-like weapon that fires a single
             breach, and vortexes that still re-appear like phantoms on old       round at great accuracy. The Soundstrike pattern overcomes
             battlefields, there is no better way to ensure a threat is utterly   the single capacity of the launch tube by attaching a special
V: Armoury




             destroyed than to see it sucked into the immaterium.                 missile rack and auto-loader to a backpack power unit. The
                 The secrets of vortex grenades are jealously guarded by          auto-loader’s gripping claw rapidly refills the launcher from
             the Adeptus Mechanicus, and some question whether Forge              the back-mounted ammo source, allowing the Battle-Brother
             Worlds capable of their manufacture still exist. Certainly, their    to fire the missiles of his choice without interruption until his
             supply in the Adeptus Astartes seems ever-dwindling, and it is       missile rack is depleted.
             a dire threat indeed that warrants their precious and perilous
             expenditure. Like stasis grenades, a single grenade may only be
             allotted at the Watch Captain’s option.
                 The vortex grenade has a radius of 3 metres. Anyone within
             this area can spend his Reaction to attempt to Dodge out of it
             before the rift fully forms (see Dodging Area Effects on page
             238). Those who fail, along with everything else in the area, are
             dragged into the warp, never to be seen again. Each Round, the
             capricious vortex winks in and out of existence. It has a 50%        r
             chance of closing permanently when this happens. Otherwise,          When a Space Marine’s enhanced strength is not adequate to
             it reappears 2d10 metres in a random direction from its last         propel his choice of grenades far enough, an auxiliary grenade
             manifestation—see the Scatter Diagram on page 248.                   launcher can be employed. These compact tubes hold a small
                                                                                  row of pre-primed grenades. An auxiliary grenade launcher is
                                                                                  most commonly mounted above or below the barrel of a basic
             lAunchers                                                            weapon in a manner similar to a combi-weapon. However,
             With their super-human strength, Space Marines are capable           models with standalone trigger mechanisms are also available.
             of throwing projectiles further than some Imperial weapons           If attached to another weapon, the user must choose which
             can shoot. This relegates grenade launchers to a secondary           one to fire; the launcher cannot be fired in the same Turn
             weapon, usually affixed to a bolter or similar convenient            as the weapon it is attached to. This weapon may also be
             location. Missile launchers are the more frequent choice when        mounted on Terminator Armour. Doing so, however, doubles
             a Mission calls for long-range firepower. Requisitioning a           this weapon’s Requisition cost.
             missile launcher includes the requisition of frag and/or krak
             missiles sufficient to keep the weapon loaded with whatever
             configuration of the two missile types is desired. Alternative       exotic WeApons
             missile types must be Requisitioned as normal.                       The Deathwatch has access to weapons so rare that the
                To use the various classes of launchers, a character must         average Imperial citizen has not even envisioned them. Some
             have the Pistol Training (Launcher), Basic Weapon Training           items represent ancient patterns that only Adeptus Astartes
             (Launcher), or Heavy Weapon Training (Launcher) Talents.             artificers still understand the proper ways to create and
             Setting explosives requires the Demolition skill (see Chapter        maintain, while others are unique to the Deathwatch and
             III: Skills, pages 97-98).                                           their origins are best left unquestioned. Exotic weapons are
                                                                                  not only extraordinarily rare but also especially difficult to
                                                                                  operate. Such weapons require specialised training, and each
             r                                                                    must be mastered separately with a different Talent.
             Cyclone missile launchers were specially designed for use
             with Tactical Dreadnought armour. Valuable enough for
             their ability to launch missiles rapidly from the twin racks,
                                                                                  r
             this back-mounted missile system also makes up for some of           A small number of these rare and deadly archeotech devices
             Terminator armour’s inflexibility by providing more options          circulate through the hands of senior Techmarines. By using
             in combat. Each of the missile racks may be loaded with a            the energy stored in atomic bonds, a conversion beamer can
             different missile type, allowing the user to decide which type       annihilate creatures, vehicles, or nearly anything its beam
             to fire each round.                                                  reaches, provided it is given time to build to critical mass.
                                                                                  When fired, a conversion beamer expels a stream of neutron-
                                                                                  bombarded particles, beginning an atomic chain reaction
                                                                                  that converts matter to energy in a blazing beam that hurtles


                         152
  Table 5-7: Exotic Weapons
   Name                       Class       Range    RoF       Dmg          Pen      Clip   Rld       Special         Wt    Req     Renown
   Astartes Conversion Beamer Heavy       100m     S/–/–     Varies       Varies   4      2 Full    –               85    40†     Hero
   Astartes Digital Flamer    Pistol      4m       S/–/–     2d10+2 E     3        1      Special   Flame††         0.1   35      Famed
   Astartes Digital Laser     Pistol      4m       S/–/–     1d10+4 E     7        1      Special   Reliable        0.1   35      Famed
   Astartes Digital Melta     Pistol      4m       S/–/–     2d10+5 E     12       1      Special   –               0.1   35      Famed
                                                                                                    Accurate,
   Astartes Sniper Rifle         Basic    200m     S/–/–     1d10 R       0        6      2 Full    Felling (1),    4     20      –
                                                                                                    Toxic
   †
    Only Techmarines are entrusted with this weapon.




                                                                                                                                               V: Armoury
   ††
     Add +4 to Damage from fires started by this weapon
   Reloading a Digital Weapon requires 1d5 hours and a successful Challenging (+0) Tech-Use Test.


towards the target. As the escalating reaction travels, more
and more air molecules are converted into a deadly blast that
finally consumes the target in an explosive release of energy.
                                                                         Melee Weapons
   Conversion beamers are more powerful at long ranges as
they can absorb more matter into the blast’s strength before it         “Only when your hearts have beat to the same pulse of clashing
hits. At distances of up to 15 metres, it does 1d10+9 Damage            weapons as your enemy’s, only when his blood anoints you, and you
and has a Penetration of 2. Over that distance and up to Short          glimpse the blackness waiting for us all in his dying eyes—only then
Range, it does 3d10+9 Damage with a Penetration of 8 and                have you known battle.”
gains the Felling Quality. Against targets further than Short
Range it does 6d10+12 Damage with a Penetration of 14                                      –Brother-Captain Furio of the Blood Angels
and possesses the Felling and Blast(2) Qualities.


                                                                        A
                                                                                 ny witness to the ruthless efficiency of an Assault
                                                                                 squad can attest that Space Marines are as great a
astaRtes digital weapons                                                         threat at close range as they are raining bolter fire
Digital weapons, or digi-weapons as they are commonly                   from a distance. The Codex Astartes lays out many tactical
known, are miniaturised guns so advanced that most foes                 uses for warriors that can engage the enemy in close quarters,
mistake them for mere ornamentation until the digi-weapon               but for some Chapters, the drive to excel in hand to hand
unleashes the firepower of a full-sized pistol. The ranking             is as simple as the need to look one’s foe in the eyes before
Space Marines outfitted with such archeotech devices usually            eviscerating him.
install them along the finger ridge of a glove for practical                The combination of a Space Marine’s enhanced physiology
reasons. Rings are a more common design among Imperial                  and his power armour makes even the simplest of weapons
nobles and military elite who are less likely to be wearing             lethal in his hands. Melee weapons range from the simple
powered gloves. Digi-weapons exist that replicate the                   but effective combat knife, to revered relics from ages gone
functions of a variety of deadly weapons. However, each                 by—artefacts which could never be created again in this
weapon can only be fired once, and reloading a digi-weapon              dark millennium.
is exceptionally difficult. A character can wear up to one digi-
weapon per finger—not thumbs—and a digi-weapon can be
fired even if the character is holding something else in his            chAin WeApons
hands. Digi-weapons may be used in melee like pistols.                  Variations of these brutal war-devices are found throughout
                                                                        the galaxy. This simple but effective technology employs fast
                                                                        moving chains with serrated metallic teeth running across a
astaRtes snipeR Rifle                                                   weapon’s edge. Once engaged, the chain drive roars loudly
The needle rifle offers the perfect combination of range, stealth,      to life, acting as a clear warning to all. Even the slightest
and deadliness. A low-power laser beam propels small slivers            impact can tear open flesh, and solid blows can cut through
of crystallised toxin that, once lodged in flesh, dissolve into the     most armour. To use chain weapons, a character must have the
bloodstream almost instantly. Many chemicals can be solidified          Melee Weapon Training (Chain) Talent.
into such rounds with the right equipment, and a variety are
in use by the Deathwatch. The most common compound (and
the standard ammunition for this weapon) is a viral toxin that
                                                                        astaRtes ChainswoRd
leaves most enemies dead within moments of being wounded.               The Chainsword has served many a Battle-Brother during his
As they have no muzzle flash, needle weapons are ideal for              time in an Assault Squad. These weapons generally have a flat
assassinations. The only argument against these exquisite               carapace containing the chain with only the forward curved
weapons is that the brittle rounds have little penetrating power,       section open where the spinning chain teeth can bite into
making them next to useless against heavily armoured targets.                                                     flesh and bone.



                                                                                                                            153
               Table 5-8: Melee Weapons
                Name                                     Class      Dmg              Pen Special                         Wt Req Renown
                Chain Weapons
                Astartes Chainsword                      Melee      1d10+3 R         4       Balanced, Tearing           10    5      –
                Power Weapons
                Astartes Chainfist                       Mounted    2d10† E          10          Power Field, Tearing     48   40     Famed
                                                                                                 Power Field, Special,
                Astartes Lightning Claw                   Melee          1d10+6 E         8                               30   30/45 Distinguished
                                                                                                 Tearing
                Astartes Power Axe                        Melee          1d10+8 E         6      Power Field, Unbalanced 10    20     Respected
V: Armoury




                Astartes Power Fist                       Melee          2d10† E          9      Power Field, Unwieldy 25      30     Distinguished
                Astartes Power Sword                      Melee          1d10+6 E         6      Balanced, Power Field    5    20     Respected
                                                                                                 Power Field, Concussive,
                Astartes Thunder Hammer                   Melee          2d10+5 E         8                               18   30     Distinguished
                                                                                                 Unwieldy
                Omnissian Axe (Astartes-Pattern)          Melee          2d10+6 E         6      Power Field, Unbalanced 14    30††   Distinguished
                †
                  Chainfists and Power Fists double the wielder’s Strength Bonus when adding to Melee Damage.
                ††
                   Only Techmarines are entrusted with this weapon.
                Traditional Weapons
                Astartes Combat Knife                    Melee      1d10+2 R         2       –                           2     3†††   –
                Ceremonial Sword††††                     Melee      1d10+3 R         2       Balanced                    5     3†††   —
                Sacris Claymore††††                      Melee      2d10+2 R         2       Unbalanced                  10    3†††   –
                Force Weapons
                Astartes Force Staff                     Melee      1d10+1 I         0       Balanced, Special           5     25     Respected
                Astartes Force Sword                     Melee      1d10+2 R         2       Balanced, Special           5     25     Respected
                Other Melee Weapons
                Primitive Weapons                        Melee      1d10 I           0       Primitive                   –     N/A    –
                Improvised                               Melee      1d10–2 I         0       Primitive, Unbalanced       –     N/A    –
                †††
                    For additional weapons beyond standard issue
                ††††
                     See Page 170 for description


             poWer WeApons                                                                  A chainfist replaces the normal glove on Terminator
                                                                                          Armour, and imposes the same weapon restrictions and
             Power weapons project a disruptive energy field along the                    manual dexterity penalties as a lightning claw.
             blade or head of a weapon, allowing it to slice armour or
             strike with explosive impact. In theory, any weapon can be
             upgraded to a power weapon given the necessary technology,
                                                                                          astaRtes lightning Claws
             though in practice there is a traditional array in use by the                Simply wearing lightning claws is a
             Adeptus Astartes. The sight of an angel of vengeance charging                statement about the wielder’s expertise in
             into battle is intimidating in its own right. When his weapon                battle. Constantly honed melee prowess
             or fist itself suddenly flares to life in a halo of electricity, it          and a willingness to sacrifice easy access
             becomes truly inspiring—or terrifying—depending on which                     to ranged weaponry is necessary to utilise
             side of the charge you are on. A power weapon can still be                   these weapons to their full effect. For these
             used as an ordinary weapon should its power source become                    reasons, lightning claws are usually seen in
             inhibited or damaged.                                                        the hands of senior assault specialists.
                                                                                              A lightning claw is a heavy gauntlet
                                                                                          that replaces the normal glove on Astartes
             astaRtes Chainfist                                                           power armour. Its extra bulk contains the
             A chainfist combines the matter-cleaving power field of a                    mechanisms that power four individual
             power fist with the rending adamantite teeth of a chainblade.                power blades, which extend like crackling
             The field envelopes both the huge gauntlet and the whirring                  talons from the back of the hand. While the lethal design of these
             blade, yielding a weapon capable of slicing through armour,                  weapons is enough to ensure they can shear through armour
             vehicles, heavy cruiser bulkheads, or nearly any other                       nearly as easily as flesh, when used as a pair by an accomplished
             substance in the galaxy given enough time. These weapons                     close combatant, they become pure instruments of death.
             are too unbalanced for even a Battle-Brother in standard                         Lightning claws do an additional point of Damage per degree
             Astartes power armour to wield effectively; chainfists are only              of success on the Attack roll. When a character is equipped with
             capable of being used with Terminator armour. This is just                   a pair of lightning claws, they instead do 2 additional points of
             as well, as any foe dreadful enough to warrant use of this                   Damage per degree of success. The blades on lightning claws may
             weapon certainly calls for equally potent protection.                        be sheathed or unsheathed as a Ready action, but their bulk makes


                          154
it impossible to effectively use ranged weapons of any class other    the pulverising blow are likely to be incapacitated by the
than Thrown in the applicable hand(s) even when the blades are        shockwave that follows. Many Battle-Brothers balance the
retracted. In addition, the poor manual dexterity penalty increases   clumsy nature of attempting to parry with a thunder hammer
to –20. When Requisitioning a pair of lightning claws for one         by pairing it with a storm shield; the Storm Wardens are said
character, the Requisition needed for the second claw is halved.      to be so fond of this combination that some practice a combat
                                                                      style developed specifically around it.
astaRtes poweR axe
Power axes allow for greater impact when striking than a power
                                                                      omnissian poweR axe
sword, but are less nimble in the hand. Their inferior defensive      (astaRtes patteRn)




                                                                                                                                            V: Armoury
capabilities are often mitigated by pairing them with combat
shields or even more sophisticated means of protection. Still,        Often carried by Techmarines to show their devotion to the
they have a reputation as a brutal and unsubtle weapon; the           Omnissiah, this weapon has a long staff-like body tipped with
choice to employ one is often more personal than strategic.           half of the circular Adeptus Mechanicus skull and cog icon. The
                                                                      symbol forms a blade and is sheathed in a power field. Arcs of
                                                                      energy illuminate the ridged blade and light the skull’s eyes with
astaRtes poweR fist                                                   a hungry glow, leaving little doubt that—even while covered
A power fist generates an energy field                                with inscribed circuitry designs indicating its sacred nature—this
so violently disruptive that the weapon                               religious icon is also a deadly weapon in a Space Marine’s powerful
inside it is of little consequence. Therefore,                        hands. The Ommnisian axe also functions as a combi-tool.
instead of surrounding a traditional
weapon, the field envelopes an oversized
and augmented glove. Backed by a Battle-                              Force WeApons
Brother’s strength, a power fist can sunder                           The psi-lattice circuitry in force weapons is said to originate
even the heaviest armour or rupture flesh                             with the Emperor himself when he walked among mortal
as though bursting a bloody, overripe                                 men. These weapons combine this archeotech circuitry pattern
fruit. Keeping these superior energy fields                           with the same rare, psycho-reactive crystal used in psychic
charged requires heavy cables linked to the armour’s power system.    hoods to channel the mental power of a psyker into deadly,
The generators are also rare and difficult to maintain, making such   reality-rending force. Force weapons can take many forms, and
a weapon a sign of status, even within the Adeptus Astartes.          comprise several specialised variants; the most well known
    A power fist adds a multiplier to the wielder’s Strength Bonus.   within the Adeptus Astartes are the Nemesis weapons of the
(Note: A Space Marine already doubles his Strength Bonus from         Grey Knights. Force swords are the easiest of such weapons for
his Unnatural Strength Trait. Therefore, the Power Fist increases     a Librarian to obtain, followed by force staffs.
the multiplier by one, tripling the Space Marine’s Strength              Unless wielded by a psyker, force weapons simply count
Bonus) It replaces the normal glove on Astartes power armour,         as a Common Astartes-sized weapon of the appropriate type
and imposes the same weapon restrictions and manual dexterity         with the Damage listed in the weapon’s profile. However, in
penalties as a lightning claw.                                        the hands of a wielder with a Psy Rating, they are much more
                                                                      potent. For every point of Psy Rating the wielder has, the
                                                                      weapon’s Damage and Penetration increase by +1. For example,
astaRtes poweR swoRd                                                  an Astartes force sword wielded by a character with Psy Rating
Power weapons require great investments of time and rare              3 would inflict 1d10+5 (plus SB) and have a Penetration of 5.
materials to produce. Therefore, power swords are typically              In addition to normal Damage, whenever a psyker damages
reserved for ranking members of the Adeptus Astartes. Elegant         an opponent, he may, as a Free Action, channel psychic force
but effective, they allow the user greater attack options and         and killing will into the blade. This requires a Focus Power
defensive responses than many other varieties of power                Test using Opposed Willpower. For every degree of success,
weapon. This efficient design makes them popular with officers        the force weapon’s wielder deals an additional 1d10 Damage,
regardless of whether they specialise in close combat or not.         ignoring the victim’s Armour and Toughness Bonus. Force
                                                                      weapons cannot be destroyed by a power weapon’s field.
r
The furious energy blast released when these weapons strike
                                                                      astaRtes foRCe staff
creates waves of booming concussive force as loud as thunder,         A force staff houses its core psi-lattice inside a sturdy casing
from which their name originates. Enemies that survive                made from polished metal, bone, exotic wood, or any
                                                                      number of other materials. Usually topping a force staff is an
                                                                      elaborate, circuitry-laced concentration icon whose imagery
                                                                      coincides with the weapon’s origin. A force staff acts as an
                                                                      exceptional Psy-Focus, granting +15 to Invocation Tests. This
                                                                      bonus applies as long as the staff is held in at least one hand.
                                                                      However, striking with the weapon requires both hands.


                                                                                                                        155
             astaRtes foRCe swoRd
             A force sword’s blade glows with the pattern of embedded
                                                                                              Weapon
             channelling circuitry, and flares brightly every time the
             wielder activates the sword. The composite adamantine alloys
             are honed to a monomolecular edge. Empowered by both the
                                                                                              Upgrades
                                                                                 W
             Battle-Brother’s superhuman strength and his powerful mind,                      eapons can be fitted with upgrades to enhance
             a force sword in a Librarian’s hand can shear through flesh                      their utility. Each Upgrade description lists which
             and armour with astonishing ease.                                                weapons it may be applied to. The Requisition
                                                                                 cost for an Upgrade covers both the technological
V: Armoury




                                                                                 components to fit the weapon, as well as any labour required
             trAditionAl WeApons                                                 to install them in it. Many Techmarines prefer to make these
             Basic hand weapons are a common sight throughout the                upgrades themselves, but doing so does not decrease the
             Imperium and beyond; in much of the war-torn galaxy it is           Requisition required.
             unthinkable to venture forth without some form of visible
             protection. Primitive weapons range from simple metal swords
             used by poor serfs to the technologically sophisticated blades
                                                                                 aRm weapon mounting
             employed by the Adeptus Astartes.                                   This heavy bracing allows a single ranged weapon to be
                                                                                 mounted along the arm, with specific hand movements or
                                                                                 MIU input triggering the weapon. This allows the user to
             astaRtes Combat knife                                               keep both hands free, and can have a strong visual impression
             When a Battle-Brother’s last grenade has been thrown, when          as the Battle-Brother brings forth a storm of destruction with
             his bolt rounds are spent and the enemy tide continues to           the sweep of his hand. This upgrade reduces the weapon’s
             swell, he can always turn to his combat knife. Every Space          Range by 30%. It is also possible to mount a weapon at the
             Marine is issued one of these blades as soon as he recovers         shoulder instead of on the forearm, with the same effects.
             from receiving his implants, and he carries it up until his final       Upgrades: Las, Solid Projectile, Bolt, or Melta Pistol, or
             moment of battle. This large knife—easily the size of a normal      Auxiliary Grenade Launcher
             human’s sword—holds a mono-molecular edge that never
             dulls, even through centuries of service. In some Chapters
             combat knives are passed down through the generations, with
                                                                                 astaRtes melee attaChment
             the deeds of their owners etched upon them. In others, the          The value of a bayonet or similar combat attachment on a
             forging of metal into blade is simultaneous with the forging        ranged weapon is unquestioned, giving the wielder versatility
             of a recruit into Space Marine, and his combat knife is laid to     to deal with enemies close-up without having to change
             rest when he is.                                                    weapons. However, the common spear-like attachments made
                                                                                 for normal human weapons would be an insult to both a
                                                                                 Space Marine and his weapon. The Adeptus Astartes utilize
             pRimitive weapon                                                    fine, mono-edged blades and whirring chain attachments
             Catalogues of low-tech weapon variants across the galaxy fill       that are almost as effective in melee combat as a dedicated
             floors of Administratum archives in the Prol system. However,       sword. Melee attachments are available that allow the weapon
             such distinctions are largely frivolous when a Primitive weapon     to count as either a Combat Knife or a Chainsword in close
             is pitted against the armour and constitution of an Adeptus         combat, although in the latter case it lacks the Balanced
             Astartes. Sticks, iron knives, finely crafted feudal swords, or     Quality.
             giant two-handed warhammers; if made of common materials,              Upgrades: Any Basic ranged weapon
             none of these have but a prayer of cracking a Battle-Brother’s
             advanced armour, much less doing him harm. Therefore,
             melee weapons with the Primitive Quality are represented by
                                                                                 r
             one general profile. GMs should feel free to add appropriate        Because a Deathwatch Kill-team is often deployed without
             modifiers and Qualities for different variations if it              support, the ultimate in battlefield flexibility is required. The
             becomes relevant.                                                   anti-grav plates and studs of suspensors attach to a weapon or
                                                                                 equipment, making it easier to use by offsetting some of the
                                                                                 weight. Suspensors reduce the weight of a weapon by half,
             impRovised                                                          allowing Heavy weapons to be deployed in a wider range
             Improvised weapons can take many forms, but are generally           of situations. When firing a weapon with suspensors, the
             any handy weighted object such as table legs, severed limbs         operator counts as having the Auto-stabilised Trait—meaning
             or artillery shell casings. Hitting someone with the butt           he always counts as braced and may fire the weapon on semi-
             of a basic ranged weapon (such as a boltgun) counts as an           or full-automatic as a Half Action and never suffers penalties
             improvised weapon.                                                  for moving and firing.
                                                                                    Upgrades: Any Heavy ranged weapon



                        156
  Table 5-9: Weapon Upgrades
   Name                                         Wt               Req                              Renown
   Arm Weapon Mounting                          +1.5             10                               Distinguished
   Astartes Melee Attachment (Mono)             +2               7                                –
   Astartes Melee Attachment (Chain)            +8               9                                –
   Deathwatch Suspensor                         x1/2             25                               Respected
   Fire Selector                                +1               2                                –
   Dipole Mag-lock                              –                5                                –
   Motion Predictor                             +0.5             20                               Respected




                                                                                                                                         V: Armoury
   Preysense Sight                              +0.5             10                               –
   Red-Dot Laser Sight                          +0.5             10                               –
   Silencer                                     +0.5             3                                –
   Telescopic Sight                             +1               6                                –


r                                                                    Upgrades: Any non-Primitive ranged weapon capable of
A staple tool of the Deathwatch, a shot selector allows for       semi-auto or full auto fire. The target acquisition component
speed and ease of switching between magazines of different        of a Motion Predictor must be installed as a sight, and a gun
ammunition, maximising tactical flexibility when deployed         may only have one sight.
under uncertain parameters. A weapon with a fire selector can
have up to three different clips added. At the start of the
shooter’s Turn, he can use his fire selector to choose which
                                                                  pReysense sight
clip he wishes to draw ammo from.                                 This is a weapon sight that shows thermal images and reveals
    Upgrades: Bolt or Solid Projectile Pistols, and Bolt or       the hiding places of enemies who lurk in the darkness. A
Solid Projectile Basic weapons                                    character using a preysense sight suffers no penalties due to
                                                                  darkness and gains a +20 bonus to vision based Perception
                                                                  Tests at night.
dipole mag-loCk                                                      Upgrades: Any Basic Las, Solid Projectile, Bolt, or Plasma
For warriors in power armour, mag-locks are as common as          weapon. A preysense sight counts as a sight, and a gun may
holsters for securing weapons. The typical mag-lock consists      only have one sight.
of strong electromagnets near a suit of power armour’s
surface, and mirrored magnets on the weapon to be attached.
A dipole mag-lock can reverse its magnetic field to literally
                                                                  Red-dot laseR sight
propel the weapon into the wielder’s hand. This is typically      This is a laser sight that grants a +10 bonus to Ballistic Skill
accomplished by embedding small proximity triggers in the         Tests when the weapon is fired on single shot.
glove of the weapon hand that cause the magnet to reverse            Upgrades: Any Pistol or Basic ranged weapon of the following
polarity when brought near it. However, versions using verbal     types: Las, Solid Projectile, Bolt, or Plasma. A red-dot laser sight
and more sophisticated somatic cues also exist.                   counts as a sight, and a gun may only have one sight.
   A dipole mag-lock grants the Quick Draw Talent for the
upgraded weapon. If the character already has Quick Draw,
he may draw his weapon as part of a Parry, allowing him to
                                                                  r
go from unarmed to deflecting an enemy blade with his own         Silencers lower the noise from a weapon’s discharge, preventing
in the blink of an eye.                                           detection of the shot. Awareness Tests to hear shots made
   Upgrades: Any Pistol or Basic ranged weapon, or any            with a silenced weapon suffer an additional –20 penalty and
melee weapon that may be wielded in one hand                      can only be attempted at half the normal distance.
                                                                     Upgrades: Autogun, autopistol, needle sniper rifle.
r
A complex target-tracking cogitator in this device activates
                                                                  telesCopiC sight
once the user has sighted the desired target. The Predictor       Telescopic sights magnify the target’s image, making it easy to
then tracks the target, and when the trigger is pulled chases     see. This is especially useful for long-range shots that need to
the target with all the rounds in a clip in one long burst. A     hit a very specific target location. A weapon with a telescopic
Motion Predictor adds a +10 bonus to Ballistic Skill Tests but    sight ignores penalties for long and extreme range as long as
only functions when the weapon is fired on semi-automatic         the shooter takes a Full Action to Aim.
or fully automatic mode.                                             Upgrades: Any Basic Las, Solid Projectile, Bolt, or Plasma
                                                                  weapon. A telescopic sight counts as a sight, and a gun may
                                                                  only have one sight.



                                                                                                                    157
               Table5–10: Ammunition                                            c
                Name                  Req               Renown                  There are many kinds of weapons wielded by the Deathwatch
                Bolt Shells           N/A               –                       that use unusual types of ammunition, from the special
                Bullets               N/A               –                       ammunition reloads for digi-weapons, to the finely crafted
                Charge Pack           N/A               –                       darts of a needle rifle.
                Exotic                N/A               Varies                     Used with: Needle rifles and any other exotic
                Fuel                  N/A               –                       ranged weapons.
                Melta Canister        N/A               Varies
                Needle Precipitator   N/A               –
                                                                                fuel
V: Armoury




                Plasma Flask          N/A               Varies
                Shells                N/A               –                       Flame weapons use liquid fuel, which can vary greatly in
                                                                                composition and quality. Underhivers on poor Imperial worlds
                                                                                may construct shoddy weapons using nothing but flammable
             Ammunition                                                         alcohols, while the Adeptus Astartes weapons use only the
             The xenos hordes faced by the Adeptus Astartes seem infinite       purest promethium. A fuel tank always provides shots equal
             in number, and entire planets are given over to manufacturing      to the weapon’s full clip value.
             the endless quantities of ammunition needed for war. Weapons          Used with: Flamers, hand flamers, heavy flamers.
             Requisitioned from the Deathwatch come with a sufficient
             supply of standard ammunition for the weapon. Each type of
             ammo can be used only with certain weapons as detailed in its
                                                                                r
             description. Ammo weight is not listed; however, should it be      Meltaguns use specially refined chemicals injected into highly
             important to know how much ammunition weighs, consider a           pressurised canisters. The size and mounted position varies
             weapon’s full clip to be 10% of the weapon’s total weight.         depending on the model and class of the weapon. In all cases,
                                                                                it provides shots equal to the weapon’s full clip value.
                                                                                    Used with: Infernus pistols, meltaguns, and multi-meltas.
             bolt shells
             The mass-reactive explosive bolt shell is among
             the deadliest kind of round in the Imperial arsenal.
                                                                                r
             The Deathwatch takes great advantage of variations                 These devices can be issued with weapons that use needle
             that have been made on this design over the years,                 rounds, and are often built directly into the holster or carrying
             yielding a wide variety of alternate rounds that still             case for the weapon. A precipitator crystallises liquid or
             fire from a standard bolt weapon. The majority of                  powdered chemicals into the rounds fired by needle weapons.
             bolt shell manufacturing capacity is reserved for the              One dose of a drug or toxin yields one shot of ammunition.
             Adeptus Astartes, making them costly for others to obtain but      See Drugs and Consumables on page 172 for toxin options.
             a matter of course among Battle-Brothers.                          Unless otherwise stated, any toxin may be precipitated into
                 Used with: Any Bolt-class Pistol, Basic, or Heavy weapon.      needle rounds.
                                                                                   Used with: Needle rifles
             bullets
             Hard rounds are common for many weapons within the
                                                                                plasma flask
             Imperium and vary greatly in calibre and design. Bullets           Raw plasma weapon fuel consists of highly dangerous and
             from one kind of firearm cannot be used in another unless          volatile photonic hydrogen, compressed and precariously
             they are very similar in make. Autoguns and autopistols can        contained within reinforced flasks. It was almost surely a
             usually interchange rounds, but the calibrated bullets fired in    plasma flask whose handling rites were rushed that gave birth
             terrible volleys from Astartes assault cannons are unique to       to the plasma grenade.
             that weapon.                                                          Used with: Plasma pistols, plasma guns, and plasma
                Used with: Autopistols, autoguns, and assault cannons.          cannons.


             ChaRge paCk                                                        shells
             Charge packs are powerful batteries used almost exclusively        Shells contain dozens of tiny balls and are designed to scatter
             by las weapons. The size of a charge pack depends on the           over a wide area when fired, making them ideal for close-in
             class of the weapon. In all cases it provides shots equal to the   work where accuracy is less important.
             weapon’s full clip value.                                             Used with: Shotguns.
                Used with: Laspistols, lasguns, lascannons.




                        158
speciAl issue                                                       hellfiRe Rounds
Ammunition                                                          Originally designed to combat the Tyranid threat,
                                                                    hellfire rounds have a devastating effect on organic
Tactical flexibility is paramount given the unknown situations      matter. Their cores are replaced with vials of
Deathwatch squads are often thrust into. Battle-brothers in         mutagenic acid that eats through any living material
the organisation make extensive use of variant bolt rounds          with horrific speed.
that have numerous advantages over even the considerable                Effects: The weapon ignores Natural Armour
power of standard bolt shells.                                      and may inflict Righteous Fury on any damage die results of
    The cost to Requisition special ammunition listed in            a 9 or 10. In addition, the weapon gains the Tearing Quality




                                                                                                                                       V: Armoury
Table 5–11: Special Issue Ammunition represents one                 (if it did not already possess it). When used in a Heavy Bolter,
clip for any applicable weapon, except Pistols which halve          it changes the weapon’s ROF to S/–/– and adds the Blast
the listed Requisition cost due to their smaller magazine.          (3) Quality. When used against a Horde, Hellfire Rounds add
Special issue ammunition for Heavy Bolters adds +5 to the           one additional point of damage to the Horde’s Magnitude
Requisition total.                                                  per hit.
                                                                        Used With: All bolt weapons.
astaRtes baCkpaCk ammo supply
Many weapons require larger ammunition sources to function
                                                                    implosion shells
during extended battles. A backpack supply fits over the standard   The result of early experiments with alternative krak
backpack power unit on Astartes power armour. For energy            technology, an implosion shell replaces its explosive core
weapons, the supply is a massive battery or charge-unit. For        with an infinitesimal amount of antimatter; this creates a
flame and plasma weapons, it consists of volatile fuel tanks or     violently decompressing vacuum when exposed to matter.
canisters. Other ammunition packs are simply stacks of regular      Like the standard bolt shell, these rounds activate via their
rounds with a feeder line that links into the weapon. Backpack      mass-reactive core, meaning they embed partially in their
supplies hold 100 rounds of ammunition for Plasma, Melta, and       target before the implosion takes effect. The round’s force
Las weapons, 250 rounds of ammunition for SP or Bolt weapons,       is therefore not directed at cracking open armour, but to
and 75 shots for Flame weapons. A weapon connected to a             collapsing the unfortunate victim’s body from the inside
backpack supply uses that supply for its ammunition and ignores     out—enough to debilitate even a Space Marine.
its normal clip size. Backpack Ammo/Power supplies weigh 40            Effects: In addition to taking normal damage, a target
kg and are automatically issued with any heavy weapon.              who takes one or more points of Damage (after Armour and
                                                                    Toughness) from an implosion shell suffers 1d5 points of
                                                                    Agility Damage.
dRagonfiRe shells                                                      Used With: All bolt weapons.
Dragonfire shells replace their main explosive charge with
an air-reactive concentrate. When the round detonates, the
payload combusts in a burst of fire, offering area saturation
                                                                    kRaken Rounds
comparable to a flamer.                                             The superior propellants in kraken rounds provide
   Effects: Decrease the weapon’s Damage by 2. Anyone               increased range without sacrificing armour
within 2 metres of, and including, the target must succeed on       penetration, while their ultra-dense adamantine
an Agility Test or catch on fire. The firer may choose to target    composition and improved explosive charge
an object or specific area instead of an opponent. In this case     provide a final burst of force for puncturing the
the shot is Routine (+20), and everyone in the 2 metre radius       heaviest armours.
must Test to avoid catching fire.                                      Effects: The weapon’s Penetration increases to
   Used With: All bolt weapons.                                     8, and its Range increases by 50%.
                                                                       Used With: All bolt weapons.
  Table5–11: Special Issue Ammunition
   Name                                Req Renown                   metal stoRm Rounds
   Astartes Backpack Ammo Supply       N/A    –                     Metal storm rounds are tipped with proximity
   Dragonfire Shells                   28     Respected             triggers, causing them to detonate sooner than
   Hellfire Rounds                     25     –                     standard bolt shells and release their payload
   Implosion Shells                    27     Respected             of explosive frag before fully penetrating the
   Kraken Rounds                       5      –                     target. When employed in a bolter with a high
   Metal Storm Rounds                  15     –                     rate of fire, they can decimate groups of lightly
   Stalker Rounds                      5      –                     armoured enemies.
   Vengeance Rounds                    25     Famed                     Effects: The weapon’s Damage and Penetration are each
   Witch Bolts                         12     Distinguished         reduced by 2, but it gains the Blast (2) Quality.
                                                                        Used With: All bolt weapons.


                                                                                                                   159
             stalkeR Rounds
             Stalker rounds were designed for sniping use in
                                                                                                Armour
             Stalker-pattern boltguns, and that is still where                “Bless this plate, that it may deflect the blade of my enemy and the
             they achieve maximum efficacy. However, they                     bullets of the unrighteous.”
             may be used in other bolt weapons to reduce their
             report. A stalker round’s core is replaced with gas                                                     –From the Rites of Girding
             propellant and the mass-reactive explosive replaced


                                                                              I
             with solid mercury.                                                  n the 41st Millennium mankind faces not just the alien
                Effects: Awareness Tests to hear shots made                       menace, but treachery and war from within. Protective
V: Armoury




             with stalker rounds suffer an additional –30 penalty and             measures have multiplied and diversified with every threat.
             can only be attempted at half the normal distance. Reduce        While the Space Marines rely on various forms of their
             the weapon’s Damage by 2. When used in a Stalker-pattern         signature power armour, the common Imperial citizen must
             Boltgun, this damage penalty does not apply. Additionally        settle for far less advanced means of defence.
             in such a weapon, no Tests to detect the shot are possible           Armour provides Armour Points (AP) to various locations
             (however, depending on the situation, the appropriate            on a character’s body. In addition, some kinds of armour have
             Opposed Skill Test may be required for the firer himself to      special properties noted in their description:
             remain hidden).                                                      Armour Type: The type of armour it is.
                Used With: All bolt weapons.                                      Location(s) Covered: What locations the armour covers,
                                                                              a combination of arms, legs, body, and head. Some armour
                                                                              covers all four locations and is noted as covering “All”.
             vengeanCe Rounds                                                     AP (Armour Points): How many Armour Points the
             Vengeance rounds were originally created to combat the           armour provides for the locations covered. Any armour that
             Adeptus Astartes’ most bitter foe: Chaos Space Marines.          provides 7 or more APs (including Astartes power armour)
             Designed to breach power armour of Space Marine calibre,         inflicts a –30 penalty on the wearer’s Concealment and Silent
             the core of each round contains a spark of unstable matter       Move Tests.
             that creates a micro-fission explosion upon detonation. Each         Kg (Kilograms): Represents how much the armour
             delicately engineered bolt is supremely effective at thwarting   weighs. For information on how much a character can carry
             armour and eradicating even the most resilient target, but the   refer to page 208. Since Space Marines are engineered to
             technology needed to imbue a bolt shell with such power          function in their power armour, it never counts against their
             carries great risks.                                             carrying weight.
                 Effects: The weapon gains the Felling (1) Quality, and           Req (Requisition): The number of Requisition Points
             its Penetration increases to 9. Vengeance rounds detonate        required to acquire the armour from the armoury.
             prematurely on an attack roll of 91–100. When this happens,          Renown: The minimum Renown Rank required to
             the firer suffers explosive damage equal to the weapon’s         Requisition the armour.
             damage with a Penetration of 5 to an arm location (the arm
             holding the weapon if it was fired one-handed, or a random
             arm if fired with two hands). This automatically causes the      AstArtes poWer
             weapon to Jam, and happens too quickly to avoid the damage
             by dropping the weapon.
                                                                              Armour
                 Used With: All bolt weapons.                                 Astartes power armour is the high standard against which other
                                                                              forms of Imperial protection are measured. The commanding
                                                                              sight of the God-Emperor’s warriors in their iconic battle gear
             witCh bolts                                                      has routed more than one enemy force without firing a shot.
             Based on a Black Templars design, these bolts release a          Heavy ceramite plates form the basis for most suits, actuated
             small core of neuro-inhibitors laced with warp-reductive         by electrically motivated fibre bundles that replicate the
             compounds that disrupt a creature’s connection to the warp.      movements of the wearer and enhance his strength. Not only
                Effects: In addition to taking normal Damage from the         are Adeptus Astartes patterns the pinnacle of power armour
             weapon, any creature with a Psy Rating who takes Damage          technology, but a Space Marine’s unique interface implants
             from a witch bolt reduces its Psy Rating by 1 for 1d10           ensure that his armour responds with the speed and precision
             Rounds each time. During this time, the creature may not         of his own body. Each Battle-Brother is responsible for the
             Push its Psychic Strength. Additionally, creatures with Warp     care of his own suit of power armour, the components of
             Instability must immediately make a Willpower Test to check      which may have served his Chapter for millennia before him.
             for disruption as described in the Trait.                           Astartes power armour contains many complex sub-systems,
                Used With: All bolt weapons.                                  and it is the synergy of advanced technology with Space Marine
                                                                              physiology that makes a Battle-Brother in power armour so
                                                                              deadly. This combination yields the following effects:




                        160
   Ceramite Plating: Provides AP 10 to the Body and AP 8               Vox Link: Serves as a
to all other Locations.                                            standard vox and a channel
   Enhanced Strength: Increase the Battle-Brother’s Strength       for any more sophisticated
by +20. The effect on SB is calculated after the Unnatural         data transmissions the suit
Strength multiplier.                                               or its wearer can access.
   Auto-senses: The Space Marine gains the Dark Sight              The bio-monitor feed also
Trait, and Heightened Senses (+10 to relevant Tests) for Sight     transmits through this link,
and Sound. Input filtering provides immunity to photon flash       permitting a squad to view
grenades and stun grenades. Note that these benefits only          each others’ vitals.
apply whilst the Space Marine is wearing his helmet, and the           Magnetized         Boot




                                                                                                                                         V: Armoury
benefits from the Auto-senses stack with the benefits of the       Soles: Can be activated to provide the equivalent of
Space Marine’s Lyman’s Ear and Occulobe implants (meaning          Magboots.
that Space Marines have a +20 to Sight- and Sound-based                Nutrient Recycling: Filters in the armour capture and
Awareness Tests). Additionally, the Auto-Senses make the           purify body waste, re-constituting it into a nutrient solution that
Called Shot Action (see page 238) into a Half Action.              is intravenously returned to the body. This can sustain a Battle-
   Osmotic Gill Life Sustainer: With the helmet on, the            Brother for long periods of time, but not indefinitely. For every
armour is environmentally sealed and can maintain an adequate      two weeks that no other source of nutrition is ingested, make
oxygen supply as long as the unit is powered.                      a Toughness Test or suffer one level of Fatigue until nutrition
   Bio-monitor and Injectors: If the internal cogitator            is consumed. The Difficulty of this test increases one step for
detects a problem with the wearer’s bio-signs, it can administer   every two weeks that passes without food or Preomnor-derived
pain suppressors, combat stimms, and anti-toxins. This provides    sustenance.
the following benefits:                                                Recoil Suppression: Provides the ability to fire Basic
  • +10 to Tests resisting the Toxic Quality and similar           weapons one-handed. Ranged weapons not classed as Pistols
     poison effects.                                               still may not be used in Close Combat.
  • The pain suppressor reservoir has a total of 6 doses,              Giant Among Men: A Space Marine in power armour
     each of which can be used to ignore Critical Effects          is Hulking. This increases his Base Movement by 1;
     for 1d10 rounds. The doses may be used in succession          however, the grace afforded by his Black Carapace negates
     or staggered.                                                 the modifier enemies would otherwise have to attack him.
  • If the wearer is Stunned, the effect lasts a maximum of one    See page 134 for the full effects of Size. He still suffers the
     Round before the bio-monitor detects and negates it.          usual penalties to Concealment and Silent Move for being
                                                                   heavily armoured.
                                                                         oor Manual Dexterity: While protective, armoured gloves
                                                                   are not ideal for fine manipulation. Delicate tasks suffer a –10
                                                                   penalty unless using equipment designed for Space Marines.
                                                                   Similarly, ranged weapons other than those of Astartes design
                                                                   are too small for an armoured Battle-Brother to wield at all.
                                                                       Assuming power armour is a sacred ritual, honouring the
                                                                   machine spirit’s history of valiant deeds and praying for its
                                                                   boons in the battles to come. It takes 20 minutes to remove
                                                                   or don power armour un-aided, but never less than 5 minutes
                                                                   no matter the amount of assistance as the proper rites must
                                                                   be observed.


                                                                   poweR aRmouR histoRy
                                                                   Every suit of power armour is unique, worn in different battles
                                                                   and often comprised of remnants from other suits with their
                                                                   own service records. It is no surprise that the machine spirits
                                                                   of power armour develop their own personalities over time.
                                                                   Roll 1d10 on the Power Armour History chart to determine
                                                                   a suit’s character. The result of the roll may be modified by 1
                                                                   either up or down based on the player’s preference (rolls of 1
                                                                   may be modified to a result of either 2 or 10, and rolls of 10
                                                                   may be modified to a result of either 9 or 1).




  r

                                                                                                                     161
             Table 5–12: Power Armour History
             Roll         Result
                          Cower Not Before the Enemy: This suit of armour has been obsessively maintained with marks of pride, bears
                          pristine heraldic depictions, and is bedecked with sashes, helmet crests, and Banner Displays. The wearer carries
                          himself tall, often heedless of cover or stealth. The armour seemingly sabotages any attempts at subtlety, and imposes a
             1
                          further –20 to all Silent Move and Concealment Tests (in addition to those imposed on standard power armour), while
                          it whirs, vents, or clanks at precisely the wrong moment. However, it also grants a +10 bonus to Command Tests, due
                          to the overwhelming force of authority and confidence the bearer projects.
                          None shall escape the Emperor’s Wrath: Incorporating a rare and prized Persecutor Target Acquisition Spirit, this
                          armour constantly scans for targets, predicting ranges, windage, and elevation, as well as passively noting bio-signs
V: Armoury




                          for later targeting recall. It makes nearly imperceptible adjustments to the aim and firing rate of the wearer, sometimes
             2            even anticipating the bearer’s movements. Many warriors are put off by such contrary behaviour, but all eventually
                          learn to become one with the intentions of their second skin. The obvious advantage gives the wearer a +5 bonus to
                          BS. However, the armour is sluggish to respond to unplanned events, as it seems to dislike the jostling of its precise
                          calculations. The wearer suffers a –10 penalty to Dodge in melee.
                          Thine arm be the scourge of the impure: The spirit of this armour has been honed by its long years of service into
                          a truly potent adversary. It has been upgraded with numerous enhancements for the sole purpose of bringing ruination
             3            to the enemies of Man in glorious close combat. Wearers claim that it knows how and when they are going to strike,
                          and come to trust it as innately as any other brother in arms. Such a suit grants the wearer +5 WS. However, its long
                          range targeting systems are difficult and temperamental. When wearing the suit’s helmet, BS tests suffer a –5 penalty.
                          Death is Joy: Some warriors are simply made to kill. This armour epitomises that archetype, and though it is of
                          comparatively recent manufacture, numberless foes have learned to fear its countenance. The longer a warrior bears
             4            this armour, the more the two become one. As time goes on, bringing a swift end to the enemies of Man is as easy
                          as breathing. Add +2 Damage to any of the wearer’s attacks that do Critical Damage and increase the damage to a
                          Horde’s Magnitude by 1 with any successful attack against a Horde.
                          A Fury like lightning: The reactions of the Angels of Death are far beyond what any normal human could achieve.
                          While Astartes power armour manages not to hinder a Battle-Brother’s natural speed, this suit goes to great lengths
             5            to enhance and optimise it. The armour’s hyper articulated joint mechanisms allow for more dextrous weight
                          manipulation, and muscle-response auto-readers translate even minute movements into powered assistance. These
                          systems grant the bearer a +5 bonus to Agility, and +1 to Initiative rolls.
                          Thy strength be legend: The raw physical strength of the Adeptus Astartes is already the stuff of legend, which all
                          power armour further enhances. This suit, however, makes the bearer’s strength truly titanic. Such armour has created
             6            tales of burning vehicles levered from atop trapped comrades and crumbling buildings supported by the Battle-Brother
                          alone. The bearer receives an extra +10 bonus to Strength, in addition to the normal bonus granted by power armour.
                          The Strength bonus from this power armour is added in after the modifications for Unnatural Strength.
                          Terror be thy friend: Though all suits of power armour are intimidating to say the least, this suit seems to project an
                          air of menace and violence. Its power core periodically emits grumbles that are often confused with the growling of a
                          wild beast. In combat, this turns into a ferocious howl and is truly a paralysing thing to face. Numerous attempts have
             7            been made to quiet this phenomena, but Tech-Priests have thus far been unable to appease the temperamental machine.
                          Many bearers enhance this effect by adding terrifying reliquary inlays and scriptures of damnation, causing their
                          impact on the weak souls of their enemies to increase considerably. The wearer gains the Fear (1) Trait against any foe
                          engaged in melee with him (or increases his Fear Rating by 1 if he already possesses one).
                          Lead from the front: All men need leaders, and all leaders need to be seen and heard to be effective. It is common
                          for the leaders of the Adeptus Astartes to lead from the front, and such warriors have had the honour of bearing this
                          armour into battle over the centuries. Its vox amplifiers ring like booming thunder, and its brilliant heraldry seems to
             8
                          blaze on the battlefield. Truly a sight to behold, there have been statues erected on a hundred worlds of the brave souls
                          who wore this relic into battle and saw the day through to victory. Add +1 Cohesion to your Squad’s total (this bonus
                          may stack with other armour with the same history).
                          Bring Death from Afar: Borne into service amidst great sieges, this armour has become accustomed to the arduous
                          duty of brandishing heavy weapons. Whether it is the continuous impacts that come with keeping a heavy bolter
                          steadily firing on target, or the raw power required to withstand the ferocious effect of firing a plasma cannon, this
             9            armour never fails under stress. While wearing this armour, the wearer never suffers any penalties for moving and
                          firing with a pistol- or basic-class weapon on semi- or fully automatic fire (see pages 239 and 242). Additionally, the
                          wearer may count any heavy weapon he wields as a basic weapon for the purposes of moving and firing on semi- or
                          fully-automatic fire.
                          To forget is to forgive. Forget nothing: Each bearer of this armour has inscribed it with an oath of vengeance
                          against those who have offended the Emperor in some way. Some inscriptions revile a single name, while some
                          condemn entire races of Xenos or planetary populations. Each successive bearer considers it a matter of honour to
             10
                          exact the Emperor’s Vengeance upon the offender and considers it his solemn duty to put right as many of the wrongs
                          as possible. Once the offender has been punished, his name is left as an example to others. Gain the Hatred (choose
                          one) Talent.




                    162
   r
   The Power Armour History table is meant to provide
   ideas for the unique machine spirits that evolve in
   Astartes power armour. Players should decide on the
   specific story behind their result. For example, a suit
   with the “None shall escape the Emperor’s wrath”
   history may have enabled a famous Captain to make
   an impossible shot that killed an entrenched enemy
   leader, turning the tide at the First Siege of Khazant.




                                                                                                                                          V: Armoury
   Armour with the “Lead from the front” history should
   have a lineage of the illustrious bearers and the battles
   where they led their brothers to victory.
      Players and GMs should also not feel restricted to
   the list provided. You may wish to negotiate comparable
   effects that better reflect the particular character of a
   Battle-Brother’s most important piece of equipment.

r
Once a Battle-Brother takes Damage greater than the Armour
Points of his armour, it no longer counts as environmentally
sealed. An application of repair cement is usually sufficient to
re-seal it until permanent repairs can be made. Astartes power
armour uses a fusion generator backpack which can sustain
power forever with proper care. However, it is possible for the     r
power unit to be damaged, hindering or even disabling the suit.     Painstakingly cared for and customised for each esteemed
If the wearer takes Critical Damage to the Body from behind,        bearer, artificer armour is the rarest form of power armour.
consult the Power Unit Critical Effects chart (in addition to       The technology and superdense materials used to construct
normal Critical Effects). The problems continue until the unit      these suits is unparalleled inside the Imperium. Each one is a
can be repaired with a Challenging (+0) Tech-Use Test.              masterwork of artificer ingenuity and (outside of Techmarines
                                                                    labouring towards their own) is awarded only to true Chapter
                                                                    heroes. Artificer armour is always Master-Crafted. In addition
   r                                                                to the effects of standard Astartes power armour, the advanced
   The power armour presented in this chapter is the Mark           helmet incorporates an MIU. Some suits incorporate even more
   VII version, also known as “Aquila Armour.” There are            unusual features, such as automated fibre re-weaving, eliminating
   many other marks of Space Marine power armour, and               the need for Repair Cement to seal most breaches.
   more information on these marks of power armour will                Only countless hours of labour at the blazing Space Marine
   be presented in future h supplements.                            forges gives rise to a suit of artificer armour. The unique inlays,
                                                                    engravings, and profile represent the vision which drove its
                                                                    maker to such a momentous undertaking, and its machine
  Table 5–13: Power Unit Critical Effects                           spirit waxes wise and powerful. Roll twice on Table 5–12:
   C r i t i c al                                                   Power Armour History to determine the properties of a
   Damage Result                                                    particular unit.
               Unaffected: The power unit continues
   1–3
               functioning normally.
                                                                    r
               Damaged: The power flow is diminished,
               causing system failures and difficulty moving.       In most Codex Chapters, Neophyte Space Marines serve in the
   4–5         All benefits granted by the armour (except its       10th Company as Scouts as their first assignment. Scouts are
               inherent AP) are lost. All physical actions suffer   placed under the instruction of an experienced sergeant, who
               a –10 penalty. Decrease Base Movement by 2.          both takes command of the squad and teaches the Scouts what
               Unpowered: The suit completely shuts down.           it means to be a Space Marine. During this time, Scouts wear
               All benefits granted by the armour including
                                                                    lighter, less-encumbering armour than the power armour worn
               History (but not its inherent AP) are lost. The
   6+          wearer must make an Arduous (–40) Strength
                                                                    by the Initiate Battle-Brothers of the Chapter. This armour is a
               Test to simply move. If he passes the test, his      version of carapace armour that offers protection while at the
               Base Movement is still reduced to 1, and all         same time is extremely well-suited for stealth and skirmishing.
               physical actions suffer a –30 penalty.                  Astartes Scout Armour provides a +10 bonus to Concealment
                                                                    Skill Tests and does not inflict a penalty to Silent Move and
                                                                    Concealment Skill Tests based on AP (seepage 160).


                                                                                                                      163
                                                                                 also increase the Squad’s effective Rank by 1 for the purposes of
                                                                                 determining whether or not it is in Support Range. Terminator
                                                                                 armour’s heavy layers of protective alloys can deflect even the
                                                                                 heaviest bombardments. In addition, the Crux Terminatus on
                                                                                 every Terminator’s shoulder plate serves as a ward capable of
                                                                                 turning aside attacks from power weapons, melta fire, and even
                                                                                 the baleful energies of the warp. This protection provides the
                                                                                 same chance to emerge unscathed as a Force Field (see page
                                                                                 166) with a Protection Rating of 35. Since this is purely due
                                                                                 to the chance of the hit glancing off the armour’s strongest
V: Armoury




                                                                                 surfaces, there is no possibility of Overload. Also roll once on
                                                                                 Table 5–12: Power Armour History.
                                                                                    The massive frame of a Terminator is not without limitations.
                                                                                 A Terminator cannot Run, and the wearer suffers –20 to
                                                                                 Agility, and cannot Dodge (but may still Parry). Furthermore,
                                                                                 in order for the Terminator’s frame to properly support, aim,
                                                                                 and interface with weapons, they must be affixed by special
                                                                                 couplings. Arming Tactical Dreadnought units is a laborious
                                                                                 and sacred ritual that may only be performed by high-ranking
                                                                                 Techmarines with the proper ceremonial accoutrements and
                                                                                 facilities. This prohibits the weapon configuration from being
                                                                                 changed under other circumstances. Weapons typically available
                                                                                 with the right couplings for Terminator armour are limited;
                                                                                 when Requisitioning Terminator armour, the Battle-Brother
                                                                                 pays the 60 Requisition Points for the armour itself and then
                                                                                 must spend a minimum of 40 additional Requisition Points to
             r                                                                   arm it. Its weapons must come from the list below. (There is no
             Tactical Dreadnought armour, more commonly called                   restriction on Upgrades or Wargear.)
             Terminator armour, turns an Adeptus Astartes into a nigh-              Terminator-Compatible Weapons: Any combi-weapon,
             unstoppable force of destruction. These exceedingly rare suits      Power Weapon or Force Weapon, Storm Bolter, Storm Shield,
             are the superlative form of individual protection in Space Marine   Heavy Flamer, Assault Cannon, Cyclone Missile Launcher.
             armouries, and enable a Battle-Brother to unleash firepower
             rivalling combat vehicles. Terminator Armour is only deployed
             on the most dangerous Missions and only to veterans who have        other Armour
             proven themselves worthy of wearing the Crux Terminatus: the
             icon found on the left shoulder of every suit of Terminator
                                                                                 r
             armour. Each one of these honour badges is said to contain
             a fragment of the Emperor’s own armour from his final battle        Primitive armour is the norm on many feudal or feral planets,
             with the traitor Horus.                                             the lower levels of some hives where technology is unreliable
                 Terminator Armour incorporates all the systems of standard      or too expensive, and many alien worlds. Protection at this
             Astartes power armour with several upgrades. Superior actuator      level often consists of reinforced animal hides, metal plating
             and stabilisation systems allow for Heavy and Mounted               worn over the chest, chainmail, or a combination of these
             weapons to be fired one-handed. This also provides the Auto-        and other crude methods. Armour with the Primitive Quality
             Stabilised Trait and grants +30 to Strength instead of +20. The     only offers full protection against weapons also having the
             auto-senses are part of a sensorium, which provides the same        Primitive Quality. Otherwise, it only provides half its normal
             capabilities as an auspex. If two or more Battle-Brothers are in    AP value (rounding up). Primitive armour’s APs are halved
             Terminator Armour, the input-link capabilities of a sensorium       before being reduced by the weapon’s penetration.


                                                             The Crux Terminatus
                Each Terminator bears a badge upon his left shoulder guard that is made from stone and is said to incorporate
                fragementsof the Emperor’s armour. At the climax of the Horus Heresy, the Emperor personally led an
                attack on the Warmaster’s battle barge alongside his most trusted warriors. During the fierce fighting, the
                Emperor came face to face with Horus. In the battle that followed, Horus greivously wounded the Emperor.
                Following Horus’ defeat, the legends say that the Emperor decreed that his armour be taken off and melted
                down, and that the pieces be made into badges that all Terminators would wear in recognition of the service
                performed in the defeat of Horus. However, if this is true, then each suit of Terminator armour must only
                contain the most miniscule of fragments.
                        164
  Table 5–13: Armour
   Name                                      Locations Covered AP                             kg              Req              Renown
   Astartes Power Armour                       All                           8/10                180          N/A              –
   Astartes Artificer Armour                   All                           12                  100          60†              Hero††
   Astartes Scout Armour                       Body, Arms                    6                   30           N/A              —
   Astartes Terminator Armour                  All                           14                  400          100†††           Famed
   Primitive Armour                            Varies                        Varies              Varies       N/A              N/A
   Carapace Armour                             All                           6                   15           N/A              –
   Diagnostor Helmet                           Head                          8                   30           15               –




                                                                                                                                                        V: Armoury
   Masking Screen                              –                             –                   +0.5 kg      25               Distinguished
   Flak Armour                                 All                           4                   15           N/A              –
   †
     Artificer armour is not available on a per-mission basis; it must be obtained as Signature Gear.
   ††
      For Techmarines, the artificer armour Renown requirement is only Distinguished.
   †††
       This encompasses 60 Requisition for the Terminator Armour itself, and the minimum 40 to arm it.


r                                                                                masking sCReen
While carapace armour may be a sign of status among standard                     In a long history of clashes with the Velk’Han Sept of the alien
Imperial forces, its protection is substantially inferior to                     Tau forces, the Deathwatch has captured a limited number of
power armour, and it is typically worn only by Space Marine                      their prized stealth field generators. While the Crucible Resolviate
Scouts. Made from moulded plates of armaplas, ceramite, or                       has been unable to produce a perfect equivalent purged of alien
other strong materials, it can cover the entire body or just                     taint, painstaking research has created a functionally similar
sections depending on the desired level of protection. Space                     device, if not quite as potent. It combines light refraction with
Marine Scouts wear carapace plates that allow maximum                            noise dampeners to hide the subject from most senses, even at
freedom of movement for the stealth operations of their units,                   close range.
while Tau Fire Warriors wear thick, articulated suits complete                       The emanator is typically a small, translucent polyhedron that
with helmets.                                                                    affixes at the shoulder. When it is active, the user appears wrapped
                                                                                 in a mirage-like haze as the screen obstructs sound and light wave
                                                                                 transmissions through its area. This makes it valuable for covert
diagnostoR helmet                                                                operations, particularly those performed in otherwise noisy
Apothecaries often replace their usual helmet with a diagnostor                  power armour. It also provides an additional measure of defence
helmet, which contains upgraded sensors and readouts to assist                   in combat, but the technology is not perfectly unidirectional, and
with their charge of treating the injured and maintaining their                  many warriors do not find it worth the side effects in combat.
brothers’ physical combat readiness. A paired infralense and                          An active masking screen provides the user a +30 bonus to
x-ray imager help the Apothecary monitor small changes in                        Concealment, Shadowing, and Silent Move Tests, but imposes
a patient and diagnose internal injuries, even through power                     a –10 on all Perception-based Tests. Attack rolls on a character
armour. A character equipped with a diagnostor helmet gains                      using a Masking Screen suffer a –10 Penalty. At distances over
a +10 to all Medicae Tests where he is working directly on a                     30 yards, this penalty increases to –20, but the distortion affects
patient. The improved sensory capabilities also duplicate the                    the protected character as well, who suffers a –10 to Attack
effects of a Preysense sight.                                                    opponents at that distance or further. The field may be activated
                                                                                 or de-activated as a Ready Action.




   aRmouR CRaftsmanship
   All the types of armour detailed here are of Common craftsmanship for the groups that regularly employ them. For example,
   the Astartes power armour entry details power armour craftsmanship that is common to the Adeptus Astartes (although the
   actual craftsmanship of Space Marine power armour far outstrips any “common” standard elsewhere in the Imperium), while
   the flak armour entry details flak craftsmanship common to the Imperial Guard and general Imperial citizenry. Armour of
   better manufacture uses the following modifiers.
      Exceptional: Well constructed and better fitting, this armour is easier to wear. Against the first attack in any round, the
   armour increases its AP by 1.
      Master: Finely wrought and perfectly fitted, Master-Crafted armour is like donning a second skin. Master-Crafted
   armour weighs half the normal amount and increases AP by 1.



                                                                                                                                   165
                          Table5–14:Force Fields
                                                          Protection
                           Name                           Rating     Overload Roll                Wt                     Req                     Renown
                           Astartes Combat Shield         25                01–10                 3                      20                      Distinguished
                           Astartes Storm Shield          55                01–10                 10                     35                      Distinguished
                           Iron Halo                      50                01                    0.5 kg                 40                      Hero


                        r
                                                                                                 is also a highly guarded secret of the Adeptus Mechanicus,
V: Armoury




                        Relatively lightweight and cheap to produce, flak armour is              and virtually all force fields are centuries old, at least. The
                        one of the most common types of armour in the galaxy. It                 Adeptus Astartes and the Deathwatch are fortunate to have
                        can be found protecting countless human factions and xenos               more than their fair share of these precious machines and
                        species. It is also standard issue to the millions of Imperial           carefully control their deployment.
                        Guard adding their names to the memorial of the fallen on
                        Karlack. Many layers of ablative and impact absorbent material
                        go into making each suit, enough to deflect or negate most
                                                                                                 field Rules
                        low-level attacks such as small arms, shrapnel, and proximity            A character may only benefit from one field at a time, regardless
                        blasts. A great many foes in the Jericho Reach have dreaded              of how many different fields he may have equipped. When a
                        weapons powerful enough to completely negate flak armour,                character wearing an active field is attacked, roll 1d100. If the
                        but a guardsman who discovers the dark terrors absent from his           result is less than or equal to the field’s protection rating, the attack
                        Primer usually doesn’t live long enough to tell others. As long          is nullified and has no effect on the protected character (although
                        as the wearer is not on the target spot of the blast, Flak armour        the attack may have an impact on the character’s surroundings or
                        counts as AP 5 against weapons with the Blast Quality.                   other nearby characters, such as weapons with the Blast Quality).
                                                                                                     Fields may also overload. Compare the result of the d100 roll
                                                                                                 to avoid damage to the field’s Overload Roll. If the result is less
                        Force Fields                                                             than or equal to the listed number, the field is overloaded and
                        Astartes power armour comprises the highest quality ceramite             ceases to function until it is recharged or repaired (requiring a
                        and adamantite plating—the strongest protective materials the            successful Very Hard (–30) Tech-Use Test). Most Common
                        Imperium can produce. However, the armour-piercing claws                 Astartes force fields overload on a roll of 01–10. Exceptional
                        of some xenos, and the assaults of their twisted weapons, call           craftsmanship reduces that threshold to rolls below 05, while a
                        for better defences than any armour can provide. In these                Master-Crafted force field only overloads on a roll of 01.
                        situations, the Adeptus Astartes utilise force fields, which
                        provide protection of an altogether different level. Force fields
                        are designed to deflect rather than merely absorb incoming
                                                                                                 astaRtes Combat shield
                        attacks; this makes them capable of averting blows from even             A combat shield is a compromise between flexibility and
                        the most powerful weapons.                                               defence, trading the stronger field and physical protection a
                            Force field projectors are often small devices, easily               storm shield’s size offers for a free hand. A combat shield straps
                        fitted onto armour, shields, or weaponry. The technology to              to the arm, providing an able parrying tool as well as a smaller
                        produce such powerful emanations from such tiny devices                  energy field. A combat shield is a Balanced weapon that does
                                                                                                 1d5+1 Impact damage.


                                                                                                         astaRtes stoRm shield
                        The Crucible Resolviate                                                          Storm shields are large and heavy shields that can house
                                                                                                         extensive webs of field generation circuitry in their thick
 Within the Adeptus Mechanicus of the Jericho Reach, there exists a cabal of Magos,                      plating. Its energy field can fend off bullets and blasts
 known as the Crucible Resolviate, who are devoted to the shadowed study of xenos         m’s            from afar, while the physical shield itself protects against
 machine spirits. The Omnissiah’s Universal Laws condemn the alien mechanisand                           melee attacks. A storm shield provides +4 Armour Points
 perversio n. Despite  this warning , the Machine  Cult’s  quest to recover  knowled   ge
                                                                                            it
 others’ more pragmatic drives for new weapons against mankind’s foes can make
                                                                                                         to the Arm wielding the shield and to the Body location.
 difficult to ignore the opportunity  presented by alien technolo gy when  it falls into their           Storm Shields also have the Defensive Quality. It also
                                                                                            of
 hands. Organisations like the Crucible Resolviate are a logical corollary to this state                 reduces the time necessary for a Guarded Attack to a Half
 affairs.                                                                                                Action. If used to bash an enemy, a storm shield does
                                                                                                         1d10 Impact damage but suffers a –20 penalty to the
  Seldom spoken of and barely tolerated, this circle of Adeptus Mechanicus Magi
  acquires an unusual number of captured alien devices through the Ordo Xenos and other
                                                                                                         attack roll.
                                                                                          by
  channels better left unmentioned. Their Dioctal Sacellum sits on Vormos, surrounded
  mysterious, aquila-topped xenos monolith   s that they have  made  pure through elaborate
                                                                                           n
  rites of consecration. Deep within this sanctuary, they labour to remove the corruptio
  from the machines brought to them,   to isolate the knowled  ge trapped  within and  bring
                                                                                         the
  it into compliance with the Universal Laws. Several items of technology, such as
  EMP grenade and masking screen      have   quietly made  their way  into circulation after
  being declared “Technosanctus Verifida   e” by the Crucible.
                                   166
  Table 5–15: Relics
   Name              Class           Range RoF           Dmg           Pen Clip Rld            Special             Wt Req Renown
   Deathwatch Relics
   Adamantine Mantle       —         —         —         —             —       —      N/A      —                   15   50    Hero
   Deathwatch Relic                                                                            Power Field,
                           Melee     —         —         2d10+7 E      9       —      N/A                          25   50    Hero
   Blade                                                                                       Special
                                                                                               Accurate,
   Skapulan Bolter         Basic     120m      S/2/4 2d10+9 X          7       28     Full                         16   75    Hero
                                                                                               Tearing, Special
   Chapter Relics
   Armour of the




                                                                                                                                              V: Armoury
   Remorseless Crusader Melee        —         —         1d10+8 R      6       —      N/A      Sanctified          110 70     Hero
   (Sword Profile)
   Chalice of Vision    —            —         —         —             —       —      N/A      —                   5    70    Hero
                                                                                               Blast(1), Felling
   Deathroar               Pistol    40m       S/–/–     2d10+13 E 10          10     3 Full                       7    70    Hero
                                                                                               (1), Volatile
                                                                                               Balanced, Power
   Frost Blade             Melee     —         —         1d10+11 E 9           —      N/A                          10   60    Hero
                                                                                               Field, Tearing
   Helm of Varthion        —         —         —         —             —       —      N/A      —                   18   70    Hero
   The Levin Shield        —         —         —         —             —       —      N/A      —                   10   50    Hero


iRon halo                                                                  aRmouR of the RemoRseless
Exceedingly rare and reserved only for Battle-Brothers who have            CRusadeR (blaCk templaRs)
proven themselves time and again through exceptional deeds, the            This artificer armour is one of a trinity crafted by the Black
Iron Halo is as much a mark of valour as it is a protective device—a       Templars. Each suit is gilded with detestations of the warp
function which should not be understated. These devices radiate            and said to have the blood of saints layered into the thousand-
an energy field almost as powerful as a storm shield, while their          folded adamantite of its construction. The Armour of the
typical design of a literal halo crowning the wearer’s head leaves         Pitiless Crusader and the Fearless Crusader remain with the
his hands free for battle. An Iron Halo is always Master-Crafted.          Chapter, but one unit was tithed to the Deathwatch.
                                                                              In addition to the normal benefits of artificer armour,
                                                                           hexagrammic wards provide +20 to Tests made to resist psychic

                      Relics                                               effects, and double the suit’s armour points against psychic or
                                                                           warp attacks that deal damage. It retains full armour value
                                                                           against attacks with the Warp Weapon effect. The Armour of


T
        he most common Adeptus Astartes equipment is still                 the Remorseless Crusader also incorporates a Master-Crafted,
        a technological marvel outside their ranks. However,               Sanctified sword that can extend from the forearm.
        artefacts exist that are legendary even to Space Marines:
weapons wielded by famous heroes of their Chapters, items
vital to key victories in Imperial history, and unique armour
                                                                           ChaliCe of vision (blood angels)
perfected through virtually forgotten tech-craft. Such items               The shrouded motives of the Omega Vault
are collectively known as Relics, and to simply hold one is                revealed this ornate gold chalice the day
a great honour. Unless otherwise stated, a Relic is always                 Watch Captain Mordigael assumed his role
Master-Crafted, granting the appropriate Skill Test bonuses.               as Master of the Vigil. Unknown hands
The effects to Damage are included in their profiles below.                engraved it with the image of Sanguinius’
                                                                           final battle and set a reservoir of a ritual
                                                                           compounds in its base that releases when
chApter relics                                                             the cup is filled. The resulting draught can
On rare occasion a Chapter permanently contributes a relic of              be used in the Rite of Vision, said to grant
Chapter significance to the Deathwatch as a reaffirmation of               a Blood Angel the same almost prescient
their oaths. Other such items sometimes find their way into                clarity their Primarch possessed. Bearers of
Deathwatch armouries when the Battle-Brother who owned                     the Chalice typically carry a flask of scarlet
it dies in service with his Mission unfulfilled. Even if many              sacramental wine to use with the relic.
Deathwatch vaults did not protect their own contents through                   Those who imbibe from the Chalice gain +10 to all WS, BS,
gene-coded locks, no Space Marine would be so crass as to use              and Skill Tests, and the Unnatural Perception Trait for 1 hour.
a relic sacred to another Chapter. These relics are only issued to         Dire consequences exist for those who violate the strictures
Battle-Brothers of the same affiliation as the relic’s legacy.             against performing the Rite of the Vision too often. At the GM’s
                                                                           discretion, those who drink from the Chalice may experience
                                                                           strange oracular visions that my reveal hints about the future.


                                                                                                                             167
             deathRoaR (daRk angels)                                             levin shield (stoRm waRdens)
             This venerated Plasma Pistol                                        The Storm Wardens Chapter Master,
             was recently left to the                                            Lorgath Maclir, once wielded the
             Deathwatch by Captain Raziel                                        Levin Shield. It is said he passed it
             of the Dark Angels, who gave                                        to the Deathwatch in payment of
             his life to hold a fortress on the                                  an honour debt to Watch Captain
             edge of the Cellebos Warzone                                        Mordigael. This storm shield
             against Chaos sieges until                                          adjusts to the bearer’s bio-electric
             reinforcements arrived. Deathroar contains the power of a           signature and uses his body as
V: Armoury




             heavy weapon in its small casing. The super-heated air around       part of the circuit to generate its
             the muzzle as the weapon discharges produces a unique               powerful energy field. The crackling
             sound reminiscent of predatory felines from which Deathroar         nimbus protects the wielder while
             derives its name. Firing Deathroar on Maximal setting does          electrifying his foes. The Shield’s kinetic repercussion plating
             not cause the Overheats Quality.                                    also unleashes thunderous fury when struck.
                                                                                    This Force Field has a Protection Rating of 55 and an
                                                                                 Overload number of 1, and causes 1d10+4 Energy Damage
             fRost blade (spaCe wolves)                                          each Round to all creatures in melee with the wielder,
             Frost blades are master works from the Space Wolves’ Iron           ignoring armour. If the Storm Warden successfully Parries
             Priests—each incredibly rare and prestigious. The teeth of          with the Levin Shield, the attacker must immediately make
             these icy chain weapons are always cut from nigh-unbreakable        a Toughness Test at –10 per degree of success by which the
             substances such as Kraken fangs or tempered diamond. The            Parry succeeded, or be Stunned for 1 Round. As a storm
             unique power fields enveloping frost blades have a distinct         shield, it also provides +4 AP to the Body and the Arm
             blue cast. A frost blade combines the best of a chain weapon        carrying it and reduces the time necessary for a Guarded
             and a power weapon, and adds +3 Damage when an attack               Attack to a Half Action.
             from the weapon causes Critical Damage.

                                                                                 deAthWAtch relics
                                                                                 Some Relics’ legacies are rooted in the Deathwatch. Such an
                                                                                 item may be forged by artificers deep in the shielded heart of
                                                                                 the Watch Fortress, rise to significance in service to their vigil,
                                                                                 or even be an offering from the outer catacombs of the Watch
                                                                                 Fortress’s mysterious revelation mechanisms.

             helm of vaRthion (ultRamaRines)                                     adamantine mantle
             Sergeant Varthion is a legend on
             Watch Fortress Erioch. Long before                                  These intricately worked cloaks take their name from the
             Warmaster Achilus ever dreamed of                                   most common variation: small adamantine scales worked
             conquest through the Warp Gate,                                     into a protective yet flexible defensive covering. Similar,
             the Deathwatch kept vigil over                                      personalised designs exist, all using unbreakable materials to
             it. In the fourth century of M41,                                   form an impressive cloak. Each one is the labour of decades
             Varthion and his squad destroyed                                    by master artificers, who temper each individual scale and
             a xenos warhost hundreds of                                         thread for maximum resilience. Their work is then blessed
             times their number in defence of                                    by Chaplains before finally being laid upon the shoulders of
             the Gate. Records conflict as to                                    its first bearer. The mantle protects him not just through its
             which side of the Gate originated                                   physical strength, but also by making his movements more
             the enemy assault, but accounts of the aftermath in the control     difficult to predict as the opaque cloak whirls about him in
             structure are identical. They describe alien corpses of an aspect   combat.
             uncatalogued before or since, “in such volumes that Varthion’s          An adamantine mantle negates 2 points of Armour
             squad stood atop them like Titans astride a demolished hive.”       Penetration from any incoming attack. The wearer gains a
                 The Ultramarine Sergeant’s ancient helm contains the pinnacle   +10 to his Opposed Weapon Skill Test to Feint, and if he
             of augury sensors and prophesier readouts. It grants +10 to all     takes the Defensive Stance Action, foes suffer an additional
             Attack rolls, and unerringly divines the enemy’s weakest point,     –10 on Weapon Skill Tests to attack him.
             granting a +3 bonus to the Penetration of any weapon wielded
             by the helm’s wearer. A dedicated cogitator bank also provides
             tactical recommendations based on thousands of years of
             compiled Ultramarines combat theory. This increases the wearer’s
             effective Rank by 1 for purposes of calculating Cohesion or for
             Ultramarines Chapter abilities in Solo Mode.


                        168
deathwatCh ReliC blade
A standard power sword is no better than a flimsy
                                                                               Chapter
metal spike in the humbling aura of a relic blade.
Remembrancer works from the Horus Heresy depict
these magnificent power weapons in the hands of
                                                                              Trappings
                                                                 E
its heroes, and accounts can be found through the                       ven though a Battle-Brother paints most of his armour
ages of how their wielders turned the tides of key                      black to symbolise his new role in the Deathwatch,
battles. Few enough have survived the millennia,                        he does not leave all the accoutrements of his home
and only a precious handful of those are reserved                Chapter behind any more than he leaves his loyalty, training,




                                                                                                                                         V: Armoury
for the Deathwatch.                                              or beliefs. Most chapters have characteristic adornments
    Relic blades take various forms, but are always              that they wear into battle aside from Chapter heraldry, and
a great weapon of some fashion. They require two                 it is quite common to find Battle-Brothers serving in the
hands for even a Space Marine to wield. A relic                  Deathwatch continuing to wear at least one such small token
blade that successfully Parries a weapon without                 of that history at all times. A character may start with one
the Power Field Quality automatically destroys the attacker’s    Chapter-appropriate trapping from this section.
weapon. It has the same effect on weapons used to Parry
it, shearing through such inferior defences and striking as
though opposition was never rendered. A relic blade has a
                                                                 devotion Chain (blaCk templaRs)
25% chance to destroy a weapon normally immune to Power          The Black Templars frequently wrap sections or their armour
Fields (including one with a Power Field) that is not also       with chains, or bind their weapons to themselves to symbolize
a Relic.                                                         that they are unendingly bound to war against the Emperor’s
                                                                 enemies. These constant reminders of a Black Templar’s vows
                                                                 steel his resolve. Add +3 to any Willpower Test to resist Fear
r                                                                effects and Cohesion Damage.
The Deathwatch of
the Jericho Reach is
strangely silent about
                                                                 tabaRd (blaCk templaRs)
the history of Watch                                             Tabards may bear personal, Deathwatch, Chapter, or even
Station Skapula, and                                             Squad-specific heraldry. In other cases they are ornamental
how this lethal bolter                                           and without symbols of any kind. Black Templars in the
remains from the                                                 Deathwatch typically wear tabards only from the waist to
abandoned station.                                               avoid marring the uniform intent of the Squad colouring, but
Techmarines fortunate enough to examine the advanced             less conforming individuals have been known to wear the
weapon frequently debate the number and nature of machine        full tabards most commonly seen back in their home Chapter.
spirits necessary to achieve its flawless performance, but the   Choose one of the following types of tabard:
most widely accepted theories place a union of over one             • Ornamental: Add +2 to Fellowship Tests.
hundred machine spirits within the casing of tenebrous              • Deathwatch / Squad heraldry: The Kill-team
alloys.                                                                restores 1 bonus Cohesion for every Primary Objective
    In addition to accuracy and power unrivalled in other              achieved.
bolters of its size, the Skapulan Bolter integrates a Fire          • Chapter heraldry: Add 1 to the character’s effective
Selector, a Targeter, and a melee attachment equivalent to a           Rank for determining Black Templar Solo Ability
Master-Crafted combat knife. The gun never Jams, and any               effectiveness, but subtract 1 from Squad Base Cohesion.
Attack roll of 96–100 may be re-rolled as the machine spirits
—however many they may be— strive for perfection.
                                                                 blood dRop pendant
                                                                 (blood angels)
                                                                 These ornaments are representations of the Blood Angels’ Chapter
                                                                 symbol and the blood of Sanguinius that runs through their
                                                                 collective veins. Some are literally filled with the Battle-Brother’s
                                                                 own precious blood, while others are jewelled or crystalline
                                                                 representations. They are most often, but not always, worn around
                                                                 the neck. Whenever the character spends a Fate Point to gain a
                                                                 bonus on a Test, he may add +13 instead of the usual +10.




                                                                                                                    169
             golden iCons (blood angels)                                           saCRis ClaymoRe (stoRm waRdens)
             Blood Angels frequently hang sacred gilded icons on their armour      The feral clansmen of Sacris are raised with giant claymores
             or from their belts. The exact form of these items varies, but they   in their hands. After a warrior’s transfiguration into a Space
             are considered a display of devotion as well as serving as a focus    Marine is complete, the sword of his youth is a light and
             for spiritual meditation. Choose one of the following types:          simple thing, but the Storm Wardens have made a habit of
               • Icon of Inspiration: Add +3 to Command Tests.                     forging improved versions of these primitive weapons of size
               • Wings of Wrath: Add +1 to Damage if the character                 and materials befitting an Adeptus Astartes. It is far from
                  hits with his attack during the Charge action.                   unheard of for an enraged Storm Warden to favour his simple
               • Purity Focus: Whenever the Battle-Brother gains                   claymore over a power sword, particularly when matters of
V: Armoury




                  Corruption Points, reduce the total by 1.                        honour are at stake. A Sacris claymore replaces the Astartes
                                                                                   combat knife, and requires two hands to wield. The statistics
                                                                                   for this weapon can be found in Table 5–8.
             CeRemonial swoRd (daRk angels)
             Dark Angels frequently carry swords with winged hilts in
             echo of their Chapter symbol. These weapons are used more
                                                                                   tempest amulet (stoRm waRdens)
             in ceremony than in combat, but they are perfectly functional         The native traditions of Sacris place a strong emphasis on the
             weapons should the Battle-Brother have reason to draw one.            ability of an individual to affect change in the world through
             They are carried either in addition to, or in lieu of, a combat       strength of arm and force of will. Tempest Amulets are rooted
             knife depending on the individual’s preferences. The statistics       in mysticism, but also serve as a focus for the Storm Warden’s
             for this weapon can be found in Table 5–8.                            stubborn will. These small leather pouches contain “tempest
                                                                                   stones,” rocks fused into glass by the fierce lightning storms of
                                                                                   Sacris and wrapped in prayer scripts written by the owner.
             Robe (daRk angels)                                                       • Amulet of Might: Add +2 to Strength (after all other
             Hooded robes are a common sight amongst Dark Angels.                       modifiers).
             While they are most often worn by veterans and other high                • Victory Scripture: Gain +2 WS when fighting an
             ranking warriors, Battle-Brothers of all ranks may be found                enemy in single melee combat.
             wearing them. The exact reasons and hidden meanings of                   • Guardian Amulet: The enveloped scripts venerate the
             wearing such a robe are difficult to discern even for members              Storm Warden’s lost 1st Company, so that they will send
             of the Chapter, but a few examples exist below:                            aid to the bearer in times of greatest peril. The amulet
               • Scholar’s Robe: Choose one Scholastic Lore and add                     counts as a Charm.
                  +3 to all Tests on it.
               • Robe of Secrets: Choose one Forbidden Lore and add
                  +3 to all Tests on it.
                                                                                   Cingulum (ultRamaRines)
               • Seeker’s Robe: add +3 to Scrutiny Tests.                          The cingulum is a belt formed from several studded straps of
                                                                                   leather or a similar strong and flexible material, which serves
                                                                                   as a place for the hanging of victorex and other accolades
             wolf pelt (spaCe wolves)                                              of valour. Such belts are common decorations amongst the
             Fenrisian wolves are renowned across the galaxy for their             Ultramarines and their successor chapters. The appearance of
             viciousness. They are respected creatures, and greatly                a cingulum also varies with the type of small, detailed plates
             entwined with Space Wolf beliefs. Unarmed hunting rituals             that have been used to stud it and the choices of what terminal
             exist on Fenris to prove a warrior’s prowess. Should a Battle-        decorations hang upon it.
             Brother succeed on such a hunt, he typically displays the pelt          • Adamantine Inlays: The detailed plates are strong
             of the animal thereafter. Add +2 to Intimidate Tests.                      enough to deflect weak blows. Add +3 to Parry Tests.
                                                                                     • Honour Bells: The clinking scales and bells hung at the
                                                                                        end of each strap herald the bearer’s approach. Gain +3
             RuniC totem (spaCe wolves)                                                 WS on your first Attack roll in a combat.
             The Sons of Russ have many traditions that are unique to                • Marks of Leadership: Add +3 to any tests made to
             their Chapter, and at the heart of Fenrisian mysticism stand               regain Cohesion or prevent Cohesion Damage.
             the Rune Priests. Using their arcane arts they craft rune
             totems to call upon the powers of Fenris’ mythic beasts, and
             Space Wolves fiercely believe that these talismans can lend
                                                                                   heRaldRy sCRoll (ultRamaRines)
             the bearer power from the spirit whose name is inscribed              Scrolls worked into a Battle-Brother’s armour, either as
             upon it. Listed here are some representative totems:                  metalwork or a placard are popular in many chapters, and the
               • Totem of the Bloodied Hunter: add +1 to any damage                Ultramarines are no exception. This crest may display a motto
                  inflicted by Righteous Fury.                                     or title, but most commonly it bears the Ultramarine’s name
               • Totem of the Sea Wolf: Choose one Drive or Pilot Skill            so that his enemies know who brings their deaths, and tales
                  and add +3 to all Tests on it.                                   of his deeds may travel. Add +10 Kill Markers to any Assault
               • Totem of the Sun Wolf: add +3 to Awareness Tests.                 Mission where the scroll was displayed in at least one battle.


                         170
               Wargear                                                astaRtes psyChiC hood
                                                                      The arcane devices known as psychic hoods are lined with psi-
The Deathwatch is called upon to perform a wide range                 enhancing crystals that amplify the wearer’s psychic powers.
of duties, some of which require more than a bolter to                Some would say more importantly, they render the wearer
accomplish. Watch Station armouries contain tools for nearly          capable of nullifying the effects that other psykers have on the
every Mission, ensuring that a Battle-Brother can prepare for         warp nearby. A character equipped with a psychic hood may
any service the God-Emperor asks of him.                              spend his Reaction to attempt to nullify a psychic technique
                                                                      being used by another psyker within a number of metres
                                                                      equal to the character’s Willpower. This attempt should be
astaRtes haRness




                                                                                                                                           V: Armoury
                                                                      declared before the enemy psyker makes his Focus Power
Offering more safety than a grapnel but less noise and bulk than      roll. The psychic hood’s wearer first makes a Focus Power
a jump pack, this Battle-Brother-sized harness can be used to         (Willpower) Test. Every degree of success imposes a –10
aid in safely descending from terrain or buildings. The simple        penalty on the enemy’s Focus Power Test. Alternatively, the
harness fits over a character’s power amour. A hook-shaped            wearer may attempt to nullify the effects of a Psychic Technique
magnetic clip can then be anchored to a wide variety of surfaces      on himself only, regardless of Range. To do this, the character
as the coiled safety line slowly unspools. The Battle-Brother         takes a Focus Power (Willpower) Test. If he succeeds, he
gains a +30 bonus to Climb Tests, and will not fall if he fails.      is unaffected by the Psychic Technique, but any other targets
                                                                      or areas are affected normally. A nullification Test may trigger
                                                                      psychic phenomena based on Psychic Strength as normal.
astaRtes Jump paCk                                                    Additionally, the psychic hood grants the wearer a +5 bonus
These        large                                                    to all Focus Power Tests, including nullification attempts.
rocket thrusters
typically attach
to the backpack
                                                                      r
power unit on                                                         A Battle-Brother is asked to leave his home Chapter allegiances
Astartes power                                                        and the majority of its heraldry behind when he joins the
armour.       The                                                     Deathwatch. However, that does not mean his squad is without
user triggers a                                                       honour, inspiration, or heroes, for devoting oneself to the grisly
jump pack to                                                          war against the alien is its own great reward. Back banners fly on
lift high into                                                        ornate poles wrought with the Deathwatch symbol and icons of
the air and then swoops down as part of his assault. Jump packs       Imperial faith, mounted on a backpack power unit or rising from
are also useful in leaping over high obstacles and reaching           between the shoulder blades. These elaborate banners often tower
distant enemies. Most Battle-Brothers receive the specialised         as tall again as the Battle-Brother’s height itself, heralding the
training necessary to operate these devices as part of an assault     valour of the Emperor’s avenging angels to brother and foe alike.
squad, where the extra noise and bulk is secondary to the extra           When the Kill-team’s leader spends a Fate Point to restore a
mobility that would allow him to charge that much faster into         point of Cohesion (see page 212), he restores one bonus point of
the thick of battle.                                                  lost Cohesion if he is wearing a back banner.
    A Jump Pack requires the Pilot (Personal) skill to operate
effectively. An Astartes Jump Pack allows for a safe, guided fall
from any height, and any number of short jumps. Such jumps
                                                                      ChaRm
allow the Battle-Brother to double his Base Movement and              A charm is a keepsake, holy relic, or good luck token that
travel in any direction without regard for obstacles. For all other   is intended to draw the benevolent eye of the Emperor, a
purposes, he counts as having taken the appropriate Movement          Primarch, or other patron to the bearer. They take myriad
action. He must land by the end of his Turn. Alternatively, the       forms including such things as fragments of blessed bolter
pack can use maximal thrust to duplicate the Flyer (12) trait for     casings, water from holy seas, and pelts of sacred animals.
up to a minute before the turbines require a minute to cool.
                                                                        Table 5–17: Equipment
astaRtes magboots                                                        Name                    Wt      Req     Renown
Astartes power armour can be upgraded to contain strong                  Astartes Harness        8       4       –
electromagnets built into the boot soles, allowing the wearer to         Astartes Jump Pack      50      15      –
adhere to metallic surfaces such as exterior hull plating. These         Astartes Magboots       5       3       –
magnets may be activated or de-activated at the beginning of             Astartes Psychic Hood   15      25      Distinguished
the wearer’s Turn. Magboots reduce Agility Bonus (recalculate            Back Banner             5       15      –
Movement accordingly) by half when used, but otherwise                   Charm                   –       6       –
allow normal movement in low- or zero- gravity areas provided            Chrono                  –       1       –
there is a suitable surface to walk upon. Standalone versions of         Dilation Field          1       45      Famed
Magboots can be found outside the Adeptus Astartes.


                                                                                                                       171
                Charm choices vary with Chapter and with the individual.                Table 5–18: Drugs and Consumables
             Charms have no tangible benefits. However, when the
             unfolding plot calls for something bad to happen to a random                Name                      Wt Req Renown
             squad member, at the GM’s discretion a character with a                     De-Tox                    –       10       –
             charm may be exempt. If all characters carry charms, then it is             Deadlock (Toxin)          –       10       –
             up to the GM to choose which charms are the most potent.                    Delay Agent (Toxin) –             6        –
                                                                                         Genophage (Toxin) –               N/A –
                                                                                         Injector                  –       3        –
             ChRono                                                                      Narthecium                5       10       –
             Chronos are timepieces, which are dependable and simple to use.             Pain Suppressant          –       10       –
V: Armoury




             General models are usually hand-held or worn on the wrist, while            Repair Cement             0.5 1†           –
             Space Marines typically rely on the ones built into their armour.           Resuscitex                –       5        –
                                                                                         Sacred Ungents            –       20       –
                                                                                         †
                                                                                          Requisition value is only for evaluating requests deemed “excessive”.
             dilation field
             Remnants of largely abandoned experiments with inverting stasis
             field technology, a few of these devices linger in the armouries of      positive and negative, of any drugs, toxins, or gases affecting
             Jericho Reach. These small, unembellished boxes are similar in           the character (unless the effect states that de-tox is not
             size to a force field projector, but rather than surrounding the user    effective against them) and renders him immune for another
             with a protective field, within their sphere of effect time seems        1d10 Rounds. Given that natural Space Marine resilience
             to pass at a different rate. While this enables a Battle-Brother to      protects him against many of the common chemicals that
             react with unprecedented swiftness to the events around him, the         pose a threat to other beings, de-tox is manually administered
             sudden shift in his perceptions can be disorienting.                     to avoid unintended interruption of injector system effects.
                 A dilation field grants the owner the Unnatural Agility and
             Unnatural Speed Traits. Activating the field is a Ready Action
             with all effects (including any change to the character’s place in
                                                                                      deadloCk (toxin)
             the Initiative Order) beginning at the start of the next Round.          This paralytic chemical causes the target’s muscles to seize,
             Dilation fields consume huge amounts of power, and once                  immobilising him for easy elimination or capture without
             activated remain on for only 1d10 Rounds before requiring 1              rendering him unconscious. This toxin is most commonly
             hour to recharge. Furthermore, the character is at –10 WS and BS         found in the form of needler rounds. If the victim fails a
             on the first Turn the field goes into effect, and the first Turn after   Difficult (–10) Toughness Test, he suffers 1d10 temporary
             the field’s effects end, as he adjusts his timing.                       Strength Damage, plus a further 1d10 per degree of Failure.
                 The interactions between dilation fields and force fields can        If he reaches “0” Strength, he is completely paralysed and
             have disastrous consequences, and only one type of field should          unable to act. This paralysis and Strength Damage wears off in
             be activated at a time on a character.                                   2d5 minutes, minus the victim’s Toughness Bonus (minimum
                                                                                      1 minute).

             druGs And
                                                                                      delay agent (toxin)
             consumABles                                                              Not a toxin in and of itself, a delay agent encapsulates the molecules
             Common combat drugs such as Slaught or Ghostfire Pollen                  of drugs and poisons with a slowly decaying non-reactive
             would only serve to pollute the perfectly engineered Space               microshell that allows the payload to take effect substantially after
             Marines’ blood. However, chemical compounds have a place in              delivery. Any drug or toxin may be cut with a delay agent, causing
             their arsenal, primarily for use on enemies, but also in the specially   it to take effect 1d5 hours after it is administered.
             formulated concentrates used to help an Adeptus Astartes shrug off
             debilitating injuries. Unless otherwise noted, all drugs listed here
             are Astartes-grade. They may be used on normal humans, but this
                                                                                      genophage (toxin)
             requires a Routine (+10) Medicae Test when administered to               Lethally effective, every dose of genophage is tailored to
             correctly cut the dosage and avoid causing 1d5 levels of Fatigue         attack the weaknesses in the molecular structure of a particular
             and 1 Round of Stun in addition to the intended effect. Unless           individual. As such, it may never be simply Requisitioned,
             otherwise noted, the Requisition cost listed in Table 5–19: Drugs        and must always be custom made. Victims of genophage
             and Consumables is for a single unit or dose.                            stand little chance of resisting the quick-acting enzymes that
                                                                                      immediately shut down circulatory and respiratory functions.
                                                                                         Genophage is so deadly that it only needs to make contact
             de-tox                                                                   with its intended target to be effective. If used in weapon form,
             A more powerful form of the anti-toxins found in Astartes                this means the attack must deal at least 1 point of Damage after
             power armour, this drug can negate the effects of most                   AP, but does not need to overcome TB. If contact is made,
             dangerous gases and toxins if administered quickly enough.               the target must pass a Hard (–20) Toughness Test. Failure
             A dose of de-tox immediately ends the ongoing effects, both              indicates he takes 1d10+5 impact Damage with no reduction


                         172
for armour or Toughness. This continues every Round until           saCRed unguents
the victim either passes the Test or dies. If genophage is used
upon a creature other than the individual it was made for, it       Sacred unguents blessed by the Omnissiah are much sought
simply has the standard Toxic effect.                               after for their mystical properties when applied to machines.
                                                                    If applied to a weapon (a Full Action) it becomes immune
                                                                    to Jamming (see Chapter VIII: Combat, page 249) for a
r                                                                   number of shots equal to its clip size. If the weapon is Jammed
Injectors carried by the Adeptus Astartes are usually hypo-         and the unguent is then applied, it immediately unjams, but
sprays that require helmets to be removed so that skin              there is no further effect.
contact can be made. An injector can hold a single dose of




                                                                                                                                            V: Armoury
any drug (or toxin), which a character may administer as a
Full Action. An injector may be used on an unwilling target         tools
through standard melee combat rules as though it were a
weapon, but the injector itself deals no Damage and cannot
penetrate armour.
                                                                    astaRtes ClusteR mines
                                                                    Cluster mines are designed not just for explosive power, but to
                                                                    avoid the enemy’s notice until he is blown into tiny bits. Cluster
naRtheCium                                                          mines achieve this aim by packing triple-intensity fyceline or
The tool of an Apothecary’s trade, a narthecium contains            similarly potent explosives into dozens of micro-explosive nodules
implements specially designed for Space Marine physiology           that are linked to a single trigger, typically a tripwire or pressure
and for performing first aid without having to remove the           sensor. The networked explosives have a synergistic effect and
patient’s power armour. It also comprises various counterseptics,   produce a massive blast when detonated.
skin patches, transfusions and other compounds engineered               A standard mine array covers two square metres; this can be
for the Space Marines’ physiology, and several stasis tubes for     increased by linking multiple mine arrays, but the area’s smallest
storing recovered gene-seed.                                        dimension must not be less than one metre for the mines to have
   A narthecium grants a +20 Bonus to Medicae Tests                 their full effect. Cluster mines are designed for even the relatively
made on a Space Marine patient. It also raises the                  green Scout squads to plant without extensive training. When
Threshold at which the patient is considered Lightly                setting cluster mines, the character makes a Concealment Test,
Damaged to 3 times his Toughness Bonus, and doubles                 receiving a +20 bonus if he is also trained in Demolitions. Note
the amount of damage healed by first aid. A narthecium              the degrees of success, as any character about to pass through a
also holds ten doses of any one drug. The drug must be              mined area Opposes those successes with an Awareness Test. If
acquired separately.                                                the potential victim wins the contest, he may stop short to avoid
                                                                    the mines. If he fails, he and anyone else in the mined area take
                                                                    4d10 X Damage with a Penetration of 4.
pain suppRessant                                                        A successful Demolitions Test while planting mines allows for
The same chemical is found in most Astartes power armour            more sophisticated trigger techniques such as time-delays. These
injectors and allows a character to ignore Critical Effects for     booby traps are particularly effective when used to damage the
1d10 Rounds. Additional doses are often carried in nartheciums,     vulnerable underside of most vehicles. Cluster mines double their
and may also be used in the Sacraments of Renewal to refill         Penetration to any vehicle in their area of effect.
power armour injectors with a Routine (+10) Tech-Use Test.
                                                                    astaRtes signum
RepaiR Cement                                                       A signum is a sensorium and transmitter array that can be mounted
Repair Cement is a spray-gel composed of dual tubes of              on a Battle-Brother’s armour. It broadcasts enhanced tactical
polyplas allomers that bond instantly with each other to seal       readings to all members of a Squad, allowing them to benefit from
power armour damage. It is typically used for quick field           the targeting data. While a character equipped with a signum is in
repair of breaches until the armour can be attended properly        Squad Mode, all characters in Squad Mode receive a +5 bonus to
by a follower of the Omnissiah. A Space Marine learns how           Ballistic Skill Tests. If the equipped character spends a Full Action
to use repair cement as soon as he is issued power armour; its      and succeeds on a Tech-Use Test, this bonus increases to +10
application takes one Round but requires no Test.                   until the end of the next Round. The effects of multiple signums
                                                                    are not cumulative, but see the signum link below.
ResusCitex
This stimm is intended to revive an unconscious comrade. It
                                                                    astaRtes signum link
immediately wakes an unconscious character. If the character        A signum is a useful tool alone, but by equipping the targeting
has taken Fatigue levels in excess of his Toughness Bonus, it       systems of one or more squad members with a signum link,
reverts the level of Fatigue to a number equal to his TB. It        they can make optimal use of the signum’s readings to achieve
has no effect on conscious characters suffering Fatigue levels      unparalleled acts of teamwork by forming a web of their
equal to or less than their TB.                                     interconnected autosenses. This allows all participating members


                                                                                                                       173
             to make a concerted attack on the same foe, striking               Founding. From hand-copied tomes bound in etched leather
             with a coordinated precision that makes their assault all          to crystal-circuited datacrypts, the collected wisdom of
             but inescapable.                                                   Roboute Guilliman, the Primarch of the Ultramarines—and
                To form a signum web, at least one member of a Squad must       arguably the most celebrated war tactician the Imperium has
             be equipped with a signum. One or more other characters            ever seen—endures in forms uncounted. It is also the guiding
             in the squad then equip their armour with signum links.            doctrine for how most Chapters operate today. Many Battle-
             All characters in Squad Mode on the web (via the signum            Brothers, particularly the descendants of Guilliman, never
             or a link) may benefit from the rules for ganging up on an         pass a day without studying from this text.
             opponent, regardless of whether they are engaged in melee
             or using ranged attacks, and with the benefits applying both
                                                                                Combi tool
V: Armoury




             to Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill. Characters in Solo mode
             gain no benefits from being part of the signum’s web.              Commonly found in the hands of Techmarines, combi-tools
                                                                                are versatile, if somewhat bizarre, mechanical devices. They
                                                                                are spindled with small implements that interface, cut, solder,
             r                                                                  and anoint, granting a +10 bonus to Tech-Use Tests.
             The Space Marine version of a Targeter encompasses several
             sights connected to a guidance cogitator array that improves
             overall accuracy. Rather than being hard-wired to a specific
                                                                                data-slate
             weapon, the array fixes at the shoulder or backpack unit           Data-slates are commonplace in the Imperium—the primary
             and links into the power armour’s general targeting systems,       means of storing and reading printed text, schematics, and
             providing its benefits to all ranged weapons the user wields       other media such as video (pict) or audio (vox) recordings.
             regardless of their Class.                                         Models range from cheap, single purpose devices built to play
                A Targeter combines the effects of a Red-Dot Laser Sight        only a certain recording, to sophisticated models that can re-
             and Telescopic Sight. In addition, its sophisticated target-lock   record new information and transmit and receive data from
             system makes evading a shot from a weapon guided by it             other devices.
             extremely difficult. Attempts to Dodge ranged attacks from a
             character equipped with a Targeter suffer a –10 penalty.


             r
                                                                                  Table 5–19: Tools
             These devices are used to detect energy emissions, motion,
                                                                                   Name                        Wt        Req Renown
             and biological life signs. A character using an auspex gains
                                                                                   Astartes Cluster Mines 4               5†       –
             a +20 bonus to Awareness Tests and may make a Tech-Use
                                                                                   Astartes Signum              5         35       Distinguished
             Test to spot things not normally detectable to human senses
                                                                                   Astartes Signum Link +0.5 20                    –
             alone, such as invisible gases, nearby bio-signs, or ambient
                                                                                   Astartes Targeter            4         25       Distinguished
             radiation. The standard range for an auspex is 50m, though
                                                                                   Auspex                       0.5       12       –
             walls more than 50cm thick and certain shielding materials
                                                                                   Cartograph                   0.5       5        –
             can block the scanner.
                                                                                   Codex Astartes               0.5       –        –
                                                                                   Combi Tool                   1         15       –
             CaRtogRaph                                                            Data Slate                   0.5       5        –
             This specialised data-slate accepts geographical and                  Demolition Charges           1         10       –
             navigational information on a planet, either from existing            Elucidator                   1         25       –
             data-banks or gathered by a ship’s Augur Arrays in orbit. Its         Lamp/ Glow-globe             0.5       1        –
             geo-locator tracks the user’s planetary coordinates, enabling it      Locus Seeker                 –         30       –
             to provide distance and bearing to any known location. This           Magnoculars                  0.5       3        –
             provides a +10 to all Navigation (Surface) Tests. It is also          Melta bomb                   12        25       –
             capable of storing detailed maps and schematics, which can            Multikey                     –         15       –
             be useful for objective approach planning. Many cartographs           Pict recorder                1         5        –
             are also equipped with a small holo-projector that displays           Psy-Focus                    –         15       –
             three-dimensional maps of its contents.                               Reductor                     4         8        –
                                                                                   Restraints                   4         10       –
                                                                                   Screamer                     1.5       5        –
             Codex astaRtes                                                        Stummer                      2         5        –
             The entirety of the Codex Astartes fills immense librariums,          Teleport Homer               0         10       –
             but many Space Marines carry the heart of this sacred text            Vox-Caster                   0.5       10       –
             into battle. Of course, interpretations of what passages form         †
                                                                                    This is the cost for one mine array. Each cluster of mines must be
             the core of the codex vary even more than the forms it has              equisitioned individually.
             been transcribed into over the millennia since the Second


                        174
demolition ChaRge                                                         magnoCulaRs
A demolition charge is a simple explosive device, commonly used           These are powerful vision aids that magnify distant objects.
for blowing open doors, breaching bulkheads, and destroying               More advanced, high-quality magnoculars can also give
infrastructure. The listed weight for a demolition charge represents      range read-outs, detect heat sources, calculate target location
1 kg of explosives, though it is possible to rig charges together, thus   positioning, and take pict-captures of a view for later analysis.
increasing their destructive potential. When a demolition charge
explodes, anyone (or anything) caught within its blast radius takes
3d10 Explosive Damage plus an additional 2 points of Damage
                                                                          melta bomb
for every kilogram used. The blast radius of the charge is 3 metres       Melta bombs affix to their target with mag-adhesives




                                                                                                                                                V: Armoury
for each kilogram used. For setting and defusing explosives see           designed to quickly adhere to metallic surfaces. They
the Demolition Skill in Chapter III: Skills, pages 97-98.                 detonate with a powerful shaped charge of intense heat akin
                                                                          to a meltagun beam, and are ideal for destroying dangerous
                                                                          alien relics, vehicle hulls, and other heavily armoured targets.
r                                                                         Melta bombs are typically unwieldy and not designed to be
The Jericho Reach is rife with planets out of contact with the            thrown, only placed in contact with their target material to
Imperium for thousands of years, pockets of humanity lost                 ensure the charge explodes to maximum effect. When a melta
during the Age of Shadow or even before. During that time,                bomb explodes it deals 6d10 E Damage to anything within
their language may have diverged radically from Low Gothic. An            2 metres with a Penetration of 12. Anything surviving must
elucidator is a hand-held device that can analyse speech or text,         pass an Agility Test or catch on fire.
and translate it into a standard language and dialect (and vice
versa). It is most useful in dealing with cultures whose languages
have a basis in Low Gothic, requiring no Test to perform this
                                                                          multikey
function. However, a character with the Logic Skill may make              As it can open most standard Imperial locks, a multikey is
a Difficult (–20) Test to use an elucidator to decipher basic             reason for suspicion in the hands of a common citizen. For
meanings from truly alien languages. (The GM may adjust this              organisations like the Deathwatch they are indispensable, as
modifier depending on the language’s similarity to ones the               it is considerably faster and quieter to infiltrate the enemy’s
character does know.) An elucidator’s output can display on its           fortifications than to blast through them. A character with a
screen, project from its vox, or transmit through a vox channel.          multikey gains a +30 bonus to any Security Test when trying
                                                                          to open locks.
lamp/ glow-globe
These common devices can illuminate an area a dozen or more
                                                                          r
metres in diameter. A typical lamp lasts 1d5 hours before it              Pict recorders (or simply picters) are relatively simple live-media
needs to be recharged.                                                    recording devices, and some have holographic capabilities.
                                                                          Most also allow for playback as well as recording, and some
                                                                          are even built into dedicated pict-servitors so they can capture
r                                                                         important battles, weapon tests, alien interrogations, and other
A locus seeker is actually a pair of devices. The smaller component,      dangerous events.
the locus caller, is a dull metal sphere only millimetres in
diameter. The larger component is a small, translucent globe
with a needle of identical metal suspended mysteriously inside.
                                                                          psy-foCus
The needle, called the locus seeker, is usually carved in the shape       Psykers and Librarians often use these items to help them focus
of a grasping talon and reaches unerringly towards the caller,            their powers. A psy-focus could be a book of meditations, a
with no observed limits on its distance. Occasionally these               blessed icon, or a carved witch stave from the Battle-Brother’s
globes have been unearthed with missing callers, and unlucky              homeworld. When a psyker with a Psy-focus makes an
men have been sent to search for decades or even lifetimes to             Invocation Skill Test (see Chapter III: Skills, page 99) he
locate the other piece, so valuable is a completed locus seeker.          gains a +10 bonus.
   Although difficult to come by, these devices can be invaluable
for tracking suspicious ships, cargo, or individuals over not just
planets, but sectors. Plotting a course towards the caller using the
                                                                          r
globe requires the appropriate Navigation Test with a Difficulty          Retrieval and storage of a fallen Battle-Brother’s gene-seed
based on how much distance lies between the two. Hiding a                 is so critical that Apothecaries carry a special tool for this
locus caller on a person or object requires a Concealment Test,           operation. While a reductor is not required for Progenoid
with the degrees of success noted for later Opposed Search                removal, it significantly reduces the time. This surgical
Tests by any potential detectors. One may also embed a caller             implement fastens under the wrist. It includes a monomolecular
in an object through a Routine (+10) Test on the appropriate              saw for penetrating power armour and Ossmodula-enhanced
Skill (Tech-Use for a data-slate, Trade (Armourer) for a weapon,          rib cages, and a diamantine-tipped extractor drill.
and so on).


                                                                                                                            175
                A reductor reduces the time to remove the Progenoid glands       r
             to 1 Round per gland (2 for a full recovery). Although generally
             regarded as disrespectful to the machine’s sombre purpose, it       Short-range voxes (like those in power armour) lack the range
             can also be used as a melee weapon that does 1d10+2 R with          to coordinate across an entire planet or reach spacecraft in
             a Penetration of 10. If used as a weapon, a reductor does not       orbit. A vox-caster can be used to send signals over great
             add the Battle-Brother’s SB to Damage; its design emphasises        distances, up to and including ships in orbit from a planet’s
             control and precision, but does not provide adequate leverage       surface. Using a vox-caster to receive or transmit signals
             to take advantage of the wielder’s strength.                        through interference or other unusual conditions requires a
                                                                                 successful Tech-Use Test with a Difficulty commensurate to
                                                                                 the adversity of the conditions.
             RestRaints
V: Armoury




             Despite their designation, Kill-teams’ Mission objectives are far
             more varied than simple target elimination. Live capture may
             be the means to an end or the goal itself. Simple but effective,             Cybernetics
             Deathwatch restraints size to most roughly human-shaped
             bodies and are strong enough to hold even a thrashing Ork.          “This hand? Yes, it seems a fine instrument of vengeance. I trust it
                                                                                 will help me repay the one who necessitated it in the first place.”
             r                                                                       –Brother Leonen of the Dark Angels, after losing an arm
             Screamers are proximity alarms that detect motion or sound—


                                                                                 U
             depending on the model—and alert their users to incoming                     sually Battle-Brothers are augmented with
             dangers by making a horrendous noise. To use a screamer,                     cybernetics due to battle wounds. Requisition and
             you must succeed on a Tech-Use Test. The GM rolls this test                  Renown requirements are listed for reference, but
             in secret so you are not sure of whether or not the device          with the exception of servo-harnesses and servo-arms (which
             will work properly. Once set, a screamer has a Perception           can connect to and detach from external ports), cybernetics
             of 75 for the purposes of detecting sound or motion. If it          are permanent, usually installed to replace lost functionality
             detects an intruder, it sounds its alarm, which can be heard        from Critical Damage. The craftsmanship of the mechanical
             anywhere out to 1 kilometre and may also be set to broadcast        replacement varies with the Battle-Brother’s Renown as
             over a pre-programmed vox channel. Doors, walls, and other          detailed on Table 5–23: Cybernetic Replacement
             barriers may reduce the alarm’s auditory range.                     Craftsmanship. The installation process is only carried out
                                                                                 by Apothecaries trained in Astartes physiology, and most
                                                                                 operational Watch Stations have the necessary facilities. The
             r                                                                   operation and recovery takes 2d10- TB days (minimum 1).
             The reverse of a screamer, stummers generate sound waves               There are exceptions, such as the Iron Hands and many
             to cancel out ambient sounds and noises made by moving              Techmarines, who embrace the chance to become closer to the
             personnel in a small area. A character carrying an active           machine. A Techmarine may start with a Servo-Arm and one
             stummer gains a +30 to Silent Move Tests. The device may            other Common craftsmanship cybernetic. (In some Chapters,
             also be used as a countermeasure against vox-bugs and other         like the Space Wolves, the sacrifice of flesh is required to walk
             surveillance attempts. A stummer typically has enough power         the path of Machine Spirits.) When a Techmarine crosses the
             for 20 minutes of continuous use before needing to be               Renown threshold to Respected, he may opt to install one
             recharged, a process that takes about 1 hour.                       Exceptional craftsmanship cybernetic; this may either be a
                                                                                 new bionic or an upgrade to an existing system. When a
                                                                                 Techmarine become Famed, he may opt to install one Master-
             r                                                                   Crafted cybernetic.
             These powerful signal transmitters allow ships equipped with           The robust construction of cybernetics adds 2 to the
             a Teleportarium or similar technology to zero in on a person,       owner’s Toughness Bonus (after Unnatural Toughness) in
             object, or area. Teleport homers may be used to target points       the relevant location. Damage taken to these locations counts
             for squad deployment or to locate a moving individual who           as Damage to the character, and Critical Damage dealt to
             needs to be retrieved.                                              these locations functions as normal. Any result that causes
                                                                                 bleeding or some other inappropriate result has a 50% chance
                                                                                 of rendering the bionic limb useless; otherwise the durable
                                                                                 natures of the appendage and its owner manage to shrug off
                                                                                 the effect. Critical Damage to a limb that results in death
                telepoRtation                                                    always has the full effect; it can be assumed that the limb
                Space Marines often use a teleportarium aboard one of            explodes into shrapnel, incinerates, or discharges stored
                their Strike Cruisers, Battle Barges, or other space vessels     energy through the owner with lethal results.
                to arrive directly into the thick of the action. Typically,         Replacement and additional limbs—such as servo-arms—
                this is done only by the heavily-armoured Terminators.           can only be used to perform tasks that the owner already
                                                                                 knows how to do. Any bonuses or penalties relate only to


                        176
Tests made using the bionic limb, and characters that possess             At a minimum, a servo-harness consists of two servo-arms, a
two bionic limbs do not double the modifier.                           Combi-tool, a fyceline torch, and a plasma cutter. The torch is
   It is important to note that the Requisition cost for a             identical to an Astartes flamer. The plasma cutter can cut through
Cybernetic is a one-time payment. Once the cybernetic is               a metre of adamantine plating up to 20 centimetres thick every
installed, the character possesses it until he dies.                   minute (thinner material can be cut through faster). It may also be
                                                                       used as though it were an Astartes Plasma Pistol (see    page 148)
                                                                       with a Range of 10m and no option to fire on Maximal Mode.
astaRtes seRvo-aRm                                                        The ingenious machine spirit of a servo-harness is capable
Techmarine servo-arms are powerful manipulators tipped with            of far more sublime communion with its master than a simple
crushing pincers, useful for field repairs and punishing enemies.      servo-arm. A character with Talents that make him capable




                                                                                                                                             V: Armoury
Ports for these detachable appendages are installed at the shoulder,   of taking the Multiple Attacks Action may use any weapon
and the Battle-Brother’s armour must also be upgraded with more        (or equivalent) on his servo-harness for any of the attacks he
powerful gyro-stabilisers to use one effectively. So supported, a      would normally be allowed, subject to all normal limitations
servo-arm can lift one side of a Rhino APC to repair a broken          including weapon Class. Additionally, the Techmarine may
tread link.                                                            use his Reaction to make a single shot or strike with any one
    A servo-arm can extend up to 1.5 metres. A Techmarine uses         weapon on the harness. Exceptional servo-harnesses enhance
the arm’s Strength value of 75 with Unnatural Strength (X2)            the servo-arms to Exceptional as discussed above, and add a
rather than his own (this value cannot be increased or decreased       +5 to all Skill, WS, and BS Tests made using the components
through devices or abilities that affect the Techmarine’s strength).   of the harness. The Servo-Harness Integration Talent is
The limb’s gripping mandibles allow the Techmarine to lift heavy       required in order to use a Servo-Harness.
objects or anchor himself to a suitable point as a Free Action.
    Astartes servo-arms are more than just repair tools, and make
deadly weapons. The Techmarine may strike with the arm as his
                                                                       augeR aRRay
Reaction for the round, or as a Standard Attack during his turn        These implanted devices duplicate the effects of sensor
(so long as the servo-arm only makes one attack per round). This       systems that go beyond the human horizons of perception. In
attack uses the Techmarine’s Weapon Skill, and deals 2d10+14           all cases their use requires concentration and a Half Action.
Impact Damage with Pen 10. Exceptional craftsmanship servo-                Common systems function identically to a standard hand-
arms increase their Strength value to                                           held auspex (see page 174). Exceptional systems
85 (increasing damage to 2d10+16)                                                 function as a full auspex and also allow re-rolls on
and add a +10 to Grapple Tests.                                                    Perception based Tests when using its functions.


astaRtes seRvo-                                                                          bioniC aRm
haRness                                                                                   Common versions of these systems replace
                                                                                           the function of the Battle-Brother’s arms
Like a servo-arm, a full servo-harness integrates                                          and hand exactly, retaining his strength,
with the Techmarine’s power armour and is                                                  dexterity, and sense of touch.
controlled through the same spine interface that                                              Exceptional bionic arms provide a
makes him one with his armour. Radiating                                                   +10 bonus on Tests requiring delicate
from a boosted fusion backpack capable of                                                  manipulation (such as Tech-Use Tests to
powering them all, this cluster of auxiliary                                              repair small circuitry) and add a +10 bonus
limbs aid in battlefield repairs as well as                                              to Strength Tests using the arm.
combat. The composition of each
servo-harness is unique,
customised      with
                                                                                      bioniC heaRt
the tools most                                                                     A Space Marine is quite capable of living through
preferred by its                                                                   the destruction of one of his two hearts. Naturally
previous owners                                                                    if this happens, the organ must be replaced. The
for tending to                                                                      necessarily lightweight materials of a bionic heart
machine spirits and                                                                 do not provide quite as much shielding as the
laying waste to the God-                                                            thick plating of an external bionic, adding only
Emperor’s enemies. Some bear only a                                                   1 to the Body location’s Toughness Bonus.
few appendages, while others are great                                                  Exceptional models can be triggered to pump
spiders of diagnostors, interface tines,                                                  more rapidly to increase physical capacity,
drills, weapons, plasma cutters, and                                                       though prolonged operation puts stress on
even more arcane elements that future                                                     the circulatory system. This provides the
inheritors may struggle to fully                                                   Sprint Talent.
understand.



                                                                                                                         177
             bioniC loComotion (legs, etC.)                                        Table 5–21: Cybernetic                       Replacement
                                                                                   Craftsmanship
             Common locomotion bionics must be fully integrated into the
             spine and nervous system to function properly; basic models            Renown Rating Craftsmanship
             accomplish this while retaining complete motor function.                                      Common: A high quality, rugged
                                                                                    Initiate               replacement that is functionally
             Exceptional versions of these systems grant the owner the
                                                                                                           equivalent to the replaced body part.
             Sprint Talent. In addition, they add a +20 bonus to Tests
                                                                                                           Exceptional: An advanced system
             made to jump or leap.
                                                                                    Respected,             that not only replaces the lost body
                                                                                    Distinguished          part, but also possesses additional
             bioniC RespiRatoRy system                                                                     utility.
V: Armoury




                                                                                                           Master-Crafted: The cybernetic has
             Common bionic lungs and implanted respiratory systems                                         been crafted by master artisans. It is
             mimic the action of human lungs and keep the body supplied             Famed, Hero
                                                                                                           exceptionally functional and striking
             with oxygen. Characters with such a system installed gain a                                   in design.
             +20 bonus to Toughness Tests made to resist airborne toxins
             and gas weapons.
                 Exceptional bionic lungs count as a full life support system;   implant involves a single spinal or cortex connector, while
             if for any reason the user’s power armour loses integrity or        advanced variants include wrist connector probes—and
             his own respiratory system fails, his bionic lungs keep his         possibly mechadendrite connectors—in addition to the
             blood oxygenated. If desired, Exceptional bionic lungs may          spinal plug.
             be designed to go undetected by scans.                                 Common models give no modifiers to machine spirit
                                                                                 communication and add a +10 bonus to the Tech-Use, Pilot, or
                                                                                 Drive Tests used in conjunction with devices capable of MIU link.
             CybeRnetiC senses                                                   Exceptional models grant a +10 bonus to communicate with
             Sight, hearing, touch, and taste may all need to be duplicated      machine spirits, and for Tech-Use, Pilot, Drive, Logic, Inquiry,
             artificially when nerves or organs are damaged. Followers of        and Ballistic Skill Tests when interfaced with MIU systems.
             the Machine God sometimes add more esoteric senses.
                Common systems, while usually very obviously artificial,
             duplicate the approximate range of normal senses adequately
             and have no further game effects.                                                 Servitors
                Exceptional cybernetic senses grant the Heightened Senses


                                                                                 A
             Talent for that particular sense, and a +20 bonus to Tests                   servitor is an automaton whose controlling
             made to resist attacks on the sense itself, such as deafening                components are organic and mostly human in origin.
             noises or blinding flashes. Basic and advanced cybernetic                    Some are grown in vats, while others are formed from
             eyes may also incorporate magnifying lenses (duplicating the        failed recruits or civilian criminals whose sentence is an un-life
             effect of a telescopic sight for any ranged weapon used, a          of service to the Imperium’s heroes. The process of creating a
             full photo-visor, and/or a system duplicating the Dark Sight        servitor purges higher brain functions and psychic patterns of
             Trait. Likewise, basic or advanced cybernetic hearing may           the subject, rendering him a blank slate for reprogramming.
             also include an internal micro-bead system.                             Like all machines, Servitors fall into the domain of the
                                                                                 Techmarines to oversee. The most common form of servitor
                                                                                 are mindless labour drones, dedicated to the most menial
             mind impulse unit (miu)                                             tasks needed to maintain a Chapter’s equipment and fitted
             These devices, also known as sense-links, allow the owner           with the devices necessary to their toil. Other varieties can be
             to directly interface with a machine or technological device.       found serving the Space Marines and the rest of the Imperium
             MIUs see widespread use among Techmarines. A basic MIU              as pilots, heavy lifters, veritable guns on legs, and in countless
                                                                                 other roles where little thought is required, or given. The
                                                                                 right programming and equipment makes servitors and servo-
               Table 5–20: Cybernetics
                                                                                 skulls effective as cyber-familiars, medical assistants, scribes,
                Name                           Req Renown                        proclaimers, scroll-carriers, or virtually any other task where a
                Astartes Servo-Arm             30    –                           light hand and simple, obedient mind is all that is required.
                Astartes Servo-Harness         50    Famed
                Auger Array                    15    –
                Bionic Arm                     15    –                             Table 5–22: Servitors and Familiars
                Bionic Heart                   15    –                              Name                     Req                   Renown
                Bionic Locomotion (Legs etc)   15    –                              Servitor (Battle)        20                    Distinguished
                Bionic Respiratory System      10    –                              Servitor (Monotask)      15                    Distinguished
                Cybernetic Senses              15    –                              Servo-skull              15                    Distinguished
                MIU                            15    –                             For the profiles of the above Servitors, see page 376.


                        178
Psykers in The
   imPerium
       •
 sPace marine
  Librarians
       •
Psychic Powers
in DeaThwaTch
       •
 p

       •
 coDex Psychic
    Powers
       •
chaPTer Psychic
    Powers
                       Chapter VI:  Psykers in the
                                    imPerium
                     Psychic Powers                                                           “Human minds are weak and feeble—is it any wonder then that the
                                                                                              Warp confounds and corrupts them?”
                     “As the chainsword rends flesh, so will you rend souls. As the boltgun
VI: Psychic Powers




                     tears bodies, so will you tear minds. The power of the Immaterium is                   –Valash Hex, Arch Heretic of the Scarlet Intent
                     your weapon, and you will use it well.”
                                                                                              Though psykers make up but the tiniest fraction of the
                                 –Cadras, Epistolary of the White Consuls Chapter             Imperium’s population, among an empire of a billion billion
                                                                                              they number in their millions. It falls to the various arms


                     P
                             sykers and psychic powers are a fact of existence in             of the Administratum, the Inquisition, and the Ministorum
                             the Imperium, and the result of man’s exposure and               to find these individuals and decide what use they will be
                             connection to the warp. It is through this connection            to the Emperor of Mankind. For many psykers, this means
                     to the otherworldly realm of warp space, also known as the               death, and they will face either summary execution or a long
                     Immaterium or Ether, that some gifted individuals can channel            journey aboard the Black Ships back to Terra where they
                     energies into the real universe, creating powerful effects and           will experience the ‘honour’ of feeding the Golden Throne
                     shaping the face of reality itself. Collectively these feats are         with their souls. Some, however, exhibit enough strength and
                     known as psychic powers, though they may be branded as                   talent to be spared this fate, and are sent to the Scholastica
                     spells, sorcery or feats of will depending on the practitioner           Psykana to be trained to serve either as Astropaths or as battle
                     and where they hail from in the Imperium.                                psykers in the armies of the Emperor.
                         Within the Imperium, the most important function that
                     psykers have is to allow Mankind to communicate over vast
                     distances and guide Humanity’s ships through the Immaterium,
                     making travel between far flung systems possible. Without
                     them the Imperium could not exist and would splinter and
                     fall into a million isolated warring worlds. It is ironic then
                     that psykers also present the Imperium with one of its most
                     dangerous foes - a horde of living conduits to the Warp, from
                     which Daemons and dark powers hunger to bring fire and
                     ruin to Humanity. For this reason, the Imperium takes the
                     handling and rearing of psykers very seriously, and those
                     with the gift are watched very closely indeed.
                         This is as true for the Space Marines as it is for anyone
                     else, and in the ranks of the Adeptus Astartes those trained
                     and implanted with the Chapter’s gene-seed are constantly
                     screened for signs of the gift. When a Battle-Brother is found
                     to exhibit indications of psychic talent, he is given over to
                     the Librarium and the Chapter’s Chief Librarian, who will
                     determine whether or not he can master his powers and serve
                     as a Space Marine Librarian, the Adeptus Astartes’ potent
                     battle psykers, keepers of lore and shields against the worst
                     the Warp has to offer. Those that pass the trials will learn to
                     turn their gifts into deadly weapons and take an honoured
                     place among their Battle-Brothers in the constant war to
                     preserve the Imperium from its enemies.
                         In Deathwatch, players can take on the role of these
                     Space Marine Librarians, powerful Battle-Brothers trained
                     in the use of psychic powers. A Librarian character and the
                     powers he wields offer a Kill-team a wide variety of game
                     options and a number of unique ways to complete missions
                     or overcome foes. Primarily, however, a Librarian’s powers
                     are centred around combat and influencing or enhancing the
                     Kill-team’s abilities on the battlefield, and are mostly used to
                     tip the scales of war in the PCs’ favour. In this chapter the
                     GM and players will find the core rules for using Psychic
                     Powers in their games of Deathwatch as well as a broad
                     collection of powers for the Librarian character.


                                 180
schoLasTica Psykana                                                Astropaths are perhaps the most important of all Imperial
                                                                   psykers and worth more than any number of Imperial Guard
Only psykers sanctioned by the Imperium and properly trained       mind-blades or Inquisitorial bloodhounds.
to use their abilities are allowed to serve the Emperor. Those         Part of an Astropath’s initiation involves undergoing the
without control or without the ability to learn control are        ritual of Soul Binding, a kind of spiritual gelding that binds
destroyed, as it is far too dangerous to allow them to live. The   the psyker’s mind to the Emperor’s greatness and helps him
great training institution of the Scholastica Psykana shapes       to better ‘see’ the Astronomican (the great warp beacon that




                                                                                                                                       VI: Psychic Powers
the raw recruits into productive servants of the Emperor, and      shines from Terra, guiding all ships through the Immaterium).
tames their gifts for the good of both themselves and those        It does, however, come at a price: Soul Binding inevitably
around them. Gathered from across the Imperium by the              strips the Astropath of his mortal senses rendering him
sinister Black Ships of the Inquisition, psykers are brought       sightless (though not unseeing) as his psychic senses are
daily to the Scholastica in their thousands. For many, the         sharpened.
great doors of the Psykana are the last things they ever see,
for a large proportion are fated to die alone and in agony
during their trials, or are swiftly executed when their power
                                                                   DisciPLes of The Dark GoDs
overcomes them. Those that survive, however, are sanctioned        Not all human psykers serve the Emperor, and many manage
and given the chance to serve the Emperor with honour.             to slip the grasp of the Administratum to become a blight
                                                                   upon the Imperium. These damned souls are known by the
                                                                   Inquisition, and the righteous, as rogue psykers, unsanctioned
sancTioneD Psykers                                                 by the Imperium and a danger to all who cross their path.
The Imperium uses psykers in a variety of ways and those           Such cursed individuals will often make pacts with dark gods,
trained in the Scholastica Psykana will be farmed out to           or foul alien lords to further their talents, driven onwards by
various Imperial agencies and institutions, which will use         an unquenchable thirst for power woven deep within their
them to maintain Humanity’s dominance over the stars. Some         connection to the Warp. Daemons are sometimes able to
psykers are trained for war and seconded out to Imperial           use such individuals as gateways to the realm of reality, or
Guard regiments where their talents will be used to aid the        as vessels into which they pour their dark power, inevitably
Emperor’s armies and bring carnage and death to His foes.          leading to ruin, blood, and fire on a horrific scale. Fortunately
Such a life is harsh, however, with most such psykers finding      for the Imperium, the frailty of the human mind means that
only death in battle or from a Commissar’s bolt round, if they     most not trained by the Scholastica Psykana will succumb
do not succumb to madness first. A few, however, manage to         to their powers and die long before they master their gifts.
survive, perhaps even rising to the rank of Primaris Psyker.       Those that do not, however, are deadly foes indeed.
    The Inquisition too takes its share of psykers from the
Scholastica Psykana. Often chosen personally for their gifts
by individual Inquisitors, a sanctioned psyker will be plucked
                                                                   xenos Psykers
out of his life to do his new master’s bidding. Understandably     Mankind is far from the only race that uses psykers and tries
the skills of a psyker can be invaluable to an Inquisitor where    to harness the power of the Warp for its own ends. In fact,
peering into minds, uncovering ancient lore, and warding           among the ancient races of the galaxy, man is often seen as a
against daemonic power are all part of the job. In fact many       child in such matters, struggling to understand a connection
Inquisitors are themselves psykers, having developed talents       that has existed long before his own existence. Of the races
either as part of their long training to wield the Rosette or      a Librarian will face in his service to the Emperor, most will
from their exposure to the Warp and its forbidden knowledge.       employ psychic warriors to oppose him. Whether it is the
A psyker that serves the Inquisition can perhaps hope for          arcane and enigmatic powers of the Eldar Warlocks, the
a chance to rise above his station. However, such a chance         instinctive and brutal abilities of a Tyranid Zoanthrope or
comes at the cost of dealing with some of the worst horrors        the insidious and cunning spells of a Chaos Sorcerer, all are
the galaxy has to offer.                                           extraordinarily dangerous foes. When combating such vile
                                                                   alien threats, the presence of a Librarian becomes invaluable,
                                                                   not just for his ability to quell enemy psychic powers or cast
asTroPaThs                                                         back warp energies of his own, but for his deep understanding
In addition to those sent to the Imperial Guard or the             of the Warp and the ways of the alien mystics that use it.
Inquisition, many psykers eventually become Astropaths—
living links across the void who allow communication
between ships and worlds across thousands of light years.
Only the strongest in the arts of telepathy can hope to become
Astropaths, and even these are carefully chosen by the Coven
Masters of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica for their skill and
control. They are then put through many further trials and
training regimes that help them develop their command
of their gifts beyond that of other psykers. Because of the
role they play in the continued existence of the Imperium,


                                                                                                                   181
                          Space Marine                                                      selection and training
                                                                                            The selection and training of a Librarian is long and arduous,

                           Librarians                                                       doubly so as aspirants to the Librarium must simultaneously
                                                                                            complete their induction into the ranks of the Chapter and the
                                                                                            melding of the Chapter’s gene-seed with their own DNA. Each
                     “We often say that the mind of man is his greatest weapon. Think       Chapter selects its candidates for the Librarium in a variety of ways,
VI: Psychic Powers




                     how much greater then the mind of a Space Marine must be?”             depending on its methods of recruiting. The majority of Chapters
                                                                                            ensure that new recruits are screened by the Chapter’s Librarians
                                                     –Attributed to Magnus the Red          for signs of psychic potential, and those that show psychic abilities
                                                                                            are chosen as candidates to join the Librarium. Other Chapters,


                     A
                               mong the vast legions of psykers that serve the Imperium,    however, actively recruit those with psychic talent and sometimes
                               none exhibit such strength of will or raw ability as that    even draw them from the Scholastica Psykana, choosing those
                               of a Space Marine Librarian. Even the ancient Inquisitor     with the most potential and then subjecting them to gene-seed
                     Lords of the Holy Ordos are often in awe of the Librarians’ brutal     implantation and Adeptus Astartes training. Becoming a Librarian
                     power with which they hammer their foes with psychic energy.           is perhaps the hardest path to tread within the Adeptus Astartes
                     This power is in part the result of their training and in part a       and requires absolute dedication from those that embark upon it.
                     reflection of their superior will and physiology, granted them by      A Battle-Brother who desires to wear the mantle of the Librarian
                     their Chapter’s gene-seed. The result is a focus of power unlike       must undergo numerous trials and tests, each designed to test his
                     that possessed by any other kind of psyker, and an ability to          mental strength and dedication to the Chapter.
                     shape the energies of the Immaterium into effects and weapons of           However a Chapter selects and trains its Librarians, all
                     extraordinary potency. To reach the ranks of Librarian, however,       Adeptus Astartes commanders constantly have their Apothecaries
                     is no easy task, even for the hardened mind and body of a Space        test the purity of the Chapter’s gene-seed and the strength of
                     Marine. Few psykers are deemed stable and safe enough to enter         the gene-structure of all their Battle-Brothers. While a degree of
                     into the training, and fewer still survive the agonising trials they   psychic mutation is accepted, and even welcomed, anything that
                     must endure before becoming inducted into the Librarium. Those         falls outside the strict boundaries for Librarian aspirants is dealt
                     that do, however, are destined to become among the Chapter’s           with harshly, lest it pollute the Chapter or bring the unwanted
                     most valuable soldiers, and take their rightful place as some of the   attention of the Inquisition. For this reason, many of those that
                     Imperium’s most deadly warriors.                                       exhibit signs of psychic power are killed and their gene-seed
                                                                                            stored for later examination. This screening and record keeping is
                                                                                            overseen by the Chapter’s Chief Librarian, and over time he will
                                                                                            amass a vast sum of data concerning the likelihood of mutation
                                                                                            within the gene-seed, as well as data on each new Battle-Brother’s
                                                                                            predisposition towards psychic mutation.


                                                                                            roLe wiThin The chaPTer
                                                                                            Librarians are an essential part of a Space Marine Chapter, as
                                                                                            both its keepers of lore, and as its counsellors and diviners.
                                                                                            Since the time of the Horus Heresy and the creation of the
                                                                                            Codex Astartes, it has been the Librarians’ role within the
                                                                                            Chapter to keep its history and guide its leaders, compiling vast
                                                                                            amounts of information on the ways of the Adeptus Astartes
                                                                                            and the nature of its foes. This information is then stored,
                                                                                            catalogued and researched by the Librarians to be called upon
                                                                                            in times of need. The Chapter Master also turns to Librarians
                                                                                            to divine the future, as all Librarians are trained in such arts
                                                                                            and can read the Emperor’s Tarot. In fact the Librarians’ role
                                                                                            as warrior mystics and sources of intelligence and divination
                                                                                            is perhaps their most vital one. Equally as important is their
                                                                                            ability to communicate over vast distances (much in the same
                                                                                            way as Astropaths), connecting the Chapter even if it is spread
                                                                                            out over the breadth of a system or sector. In addition to these
                                                                                            important tasks and abilities, Librarians are often called upon to
                                                                                            serve the Chapter Master in battle, where their potent abilities
                                                                                            can devastate foes. While such a crude application of their gifts
                                                                                            is not their primary function, or even considered their most
                                                                                            valuable contribution to the Chapter, their effectiveness as
                                                                                            psychic warriors cannot be doubted.


                                 182
                                                                      lexicanium
   armour anD markinGs                                                This is the lowest rank among a Chapter’s Librarians, awarded
                                                                      to those who have passed their trials and are deemed fit to
   Space Marine Librarians decorate their power armour with
                                                                      serve the Chief Librarian. Reporting to the Codiciers, it is the
   distinctive markings that set them apart from their other
                                                                      Lexicaniums’ role to aid in the endless task of maintaining,
   Battle-Brothers and make them instantly recognisable .
                                                                      studying and cataloguing the vast amount of texts within
   As dictated by the Codex Astartes, a Librarian’s armour
                                                                      the Librarium. In time of conflict, however, Lexicaniums will
   is painted blue (sometimes a deeper or lighter blue if he




                                                                                                                                          VI: Psychic Powers
                                                                      leave the Librarium and take to the battlefield alongside their
   belongs to a Chapter whose armour is already blue). He
                                                                      Battle-Brothers, using their powers to smite their foes. In time,
   has the markings of his Chapter emblazoned on his left
                                                                      and with training and study, a Lexicanium will eventually rise
   shoulder pad, while on his right one he has the Horned
                                                                      in rank and take a more active role within the Chapter as
   Skull or Open Book of the Librarium - ancient and potent
                                                                      a Codicier.
   icons symbolising the power and knowledge that the
   Librarian possesses. He will often wear a tabard or cloak
   of yellow bearing a black band, which is embellished               codiciers
   depending on his rank. A Lexicanium’s band is untouched,
                                                                      Codiciers, like Lexicaniums, spend much of their time within
   while a Codicier’s has spikes or lightning bolts added to
                                                                      the Librarium. They are tasked with organising and overseeing
   it, and an Epistolary has both spikes or lightning bolts
                                                                      the efforts of the Lexicaniums, while reporting to the higher
   and the addition of a skull placed below the band. Chief
                                                                      ranking Librarians. By the time a Librarian reaches the rank
   Librarians are a special case and often display symbols
                                                                      of Codicier, his command of his powers is almost fully
   that reflect their own personal powers or honours dictated
                                                                      realised and only the truly gifted will advance beyond this
   by their service to the Chapter.
                                                                      point. However, a Codicier’s powers far outclass almost any
                                                                      other kind of psyker within the Imperium, and their psychic
The Librarium                                                         abilities are more than sufficient for the Chapter’s purposes.
At the centre of a Chapter’s fortress monastery there
usually resides a vast sealed chamber, filled from floor to           epistolaries
ceiling with books, scrolls, and data crystals known as the
Librarium. Overseen by the Chief Librarian and maintained             While most Librarians never rise above the rank of Codicier, a
by Lexicaniums and Codiciers (supported by a small army of            few continue to develop their gifts and grow in strength until
servitors and scribes working ceaselessly), this is the repository    they attain the rank of Epistolary. Epistolaries fulfil two main
of all the Chapter’s knowledge and history. Even within the           roles within the Chapter: firstly as potent battle psykers who
Chapter, few are given access to this chamber and fewer still         can combat the deadliest of foes, and secondly as psychic
have the chance to study its texts. Even the most well-read           communications officers for their Chapter’s fleet. In this role
Imperial scholar or Administratum Adept can only guess at             they form the basis of the Chapter’s strategic command and
the secrets and lore contained within one of the fabled Space         control, directing fleets, coordinating mass planet-drops, and
Marine Librariums. This repository is a wealth of knowledge           providing vital intelligence during invasions and assaults.
that the Chapter Master guards well, knowing that in times
of need he may have to call upon the counsel of his Librarians        the chief librarian
and the lore they possess to guide him in battle.
    In the heart of the Librarium there is also a smaller             Few if any within the Chapter will ever become Chief
inner chamber, carefully sealed and protected, known as               Librarians. So rare are these psychic lords that many Chapters
the Librarius. This is where the Chapter stores its artefacts,        have but one or only a handful of these mighty warriors.
trophies, and proscribed texts, many of which are taken from          The Chief Librarian is the Master of the Librarium and the
the corpses of heretics and aliens—unfit or too dangerous for         keeper of his Chapter’s lore, with encyclopaedic knowledge
the eyes of any but the Chief Librarian. It is often a point of       of his Chapter, its enemies, and the Imperium. The Chief
friction between the Ecclesiarchy and the Adeptus Astartes            Librarian resides over the training and selection of all new
that the Chapters possess such items or take them from their          Librarians, as well as the cultivation of psykers within the
foes in battle. Of course, not even the most reckless Imperial        Chapter’s ranks. He is also the closest of the Chapter Master’s
Cardinal would dare consider confronting any Space Marine             advisors, providing him with wisdom and knowledge. His
Chapter about this matter.                                            abilities to divine the future are vital to his lord’s decisions.
                                                                      Chief Librarians very seldom take to the field of battle, as
                                                                      their abilities are far more valuable to the Chapter in other
Librarian ranks                                                       ways. However, when they do take part in a battle, it is a
Within the Chapter, all Librarians hold a rank based on their         glorious and terrifying sight to behold as, with the power
level of training and their standing among their peers. In part       of their mind, they level fortresses, reduce entire armies
these ranks indicate their principal role, be it on the battlefield   to rivers of molten flesh, and split the very sky with fire
or in the Librarium, but they are also used to establish a clear      and lightning.
chain of command from the Chief Librarian down to the
lowest Lexicanium.


                                                                                                                      183
                     codex librarians
                     Each Chapter selects its Librarians in its own way, either from
                                                                                          Psychic Powers
                     seed worlds, as it does with the bulk of its Battle-Brother
                     initiates, or from the ranks of gifted psykers brought to the
                     Scholastica Psykana. Most Chapters train and test chosen
                                                                                          in Deathwatch
                     psykers following the ancient ways laid out in the Codex             Psychic powers are the physical manifestation of a psyker’s
VI: Psychic Powers




                     Astartes. Librarians of the Ultramarines, Blood Angels, Dark         abilities, and mark him as distinct from any other kind of
                     Angels, and Storm Wardens are all trained in this way, and,          character. In Deathwatch, Psychic Powers are the purview
                     with few minor traditional variances, have been taught to live       of Librarian characters and unique to those members of the
                     by the word of the Codex. There are, however, a few notable          Kill-team with psychic ability. However, during the course
                     Chapters that do not follow the Codex Astartes and its laws          of their adventures, Battle-Brothers may encounter numerous
                     regarding the treatment and control of psykers.                      foes with Psychic Powers and abilities. In both cases, the GM
                                                                                          and the players can use the rules presented here to represent
                                                                                          a psyker’s deadly effects.
                     bLack TemPLars
                     Deeply religious and reverent of the Emperor, the Black
                     Templars are zealots with a deep and abiding hatred of the           Psy ratings
                     witch. Such is their disdain of those with psychic powers that       Psy Rating (PR) is a raw measure of a psyker’s power and his
                     they count no Librarians among their number lest they foul the       ability to draw power from the Warp. The higher a psyker’s
                     Chapter’s pristine gene-seed. The tasks of the Librarian, such       PR, the more powerful he will be. PR usually ranges between
                     as record keeping and the study of lore, are divided among           1 (a fledgling Sanctioned Psyker) to 10 (an ancient Chief
                     scholarly Battle-Brothers within the Black Templars. Often an        Librarian or fearsome Xenos Witch), though in some special
                     individual Space Marine or Chapter Master will be responsible        cases it may go higher. PR is used to determine the strength
                     for maintaining a record of his own deeds—inscribing them on         of all Psychic Powers, such as their area of effect, range or
                     his armour so that nobody may doubt his courage or lineage.          damage. To have any access to Psychic Powers, a character
                                                                                          must have a PR of at least 1.
                                                                                             A Librarian starts with a Psy Rating of 3. Unlike other
                     sPace woLves                                                         characteristics, however, Psy Rating is increased by spending
                     There are few things that are ‘standard’ about the sons of           Experience Points in a similar manner to gaining Talents. This
                     Leman Russ, and so it is no surprise that they treat their psykers   represents the Librarian’s training and natural potential (see
                     differently to the rest of the Adeptus Astartes. The Space           Chapter II: Specialities).
                     Wolves do not have Librarians or even a Librarium, scorning
                     such dusty and lifeless collections of knowledge. Instead they
                     adhere to the ancient Fenrisian traditions of their ancestors,
                     and those with psychic gifts become Rune Priests—skalds and
                     storytellers who keep the Chapter’s practices and history alive
                     through millennia-old oral tradition. While Rune Priests use
                     their own powers and train in their own way, they function in
                     much the same way as other Space Marine Librarians, tapping
                     into the Warp and drawing forth power to create effects and
                     shape reality.


                        Librarian TiTLes
                        anD sPeciaLiTy ranks
                        A Librarian’s title within his Chapter is usually not just
                        a measure of his raw psychic power. This is especially
                        true for PC Librarians who have been chosen for
                        the Deathwatch because of their unique abilities and
                        potential rather than their title. In game terms, this
                        means that most player Librarians will be Lexicanums,
                        regardless of their Speciality Rank or Psy Rating. The
                        higher ranks are reserved for those more closely tied
                        to their Chapter’s command structure. At the GM’s
                        discretion, however, PC Librarians may attain (or
                        come from) higher ranks, but with such powerful titles
                        always comes much greater responsibility...


                                 184
usinG Psychic Powers                                                   • Unfettered: The psyker puts the full weight of his
                                                                         ability into the power and embraces the raging powers of
When a psyker, such as a Librarian, wishes to use a psychic              the Warp. When a psyker uses a power at the Unfettered
ability he must first choose how much power he is pouring                level, he uses his full PR when determining the power’s
into the ability. Then he must make a Focus Power Test (a                final effects, and he must also make a Focus Power Test
Willpower Test modified by the level of power) to see if it              to see if the power manifests. In addition, when making
manifests. Finally, if the test is successful, the power will take       his Focus Power Test, if he rolls a double (both the tens




                                                                                                                                              VI: Psychic Powers
effect. Depending on how much energy the psyker used,                    dice and the units dice come up with the same number),
there may also be unforeseen consequences. The step-by-step              he will suffer from an unexpected warp event and must
process for using a Psychic Power is described below.                    roll on Table 6–1: Psychic Phenomena. Note that it
  • Choose the Power Level (Fettered, Unfettered or                      is possible for the psyker to successfully pass his Focus
     Push): The power level at which the psyker uses his                 Power Test (thus activating his power) and still invoke
     power (reflecting how deeply he is drawing from the                 Psychic Phenomena.
     Warp) influences the likelihood of the psyker successfully        • Push: The psyker draws deep from the well of the Warp
     manifesting the power, and also determines whether                  and hurls power into his ability in an attempt to manifest
     there are any unwanted side effects such as Psychic                 truly terrifying and wondrous effects. When using a power
     Phenomena.                                                          at the Push level, the psyker throws caution to the wind
  • Make a Focus Power Test: This is a Willpower Test, the               and may add +3 to his Psy Rating when determining the
     difficulty of which depends on the power level chosen. In           power’s final effects. He must make a Focus Power Test.
     some cases, the target may Oppose this test (see page 203           However, regardless of this test’s result, the psyker will
     for Opposed Tests). Whether or not a Focus Power Test               automatically generate a disturbance in the Warp and
     is an Opposed Test is noted in the power description.               must roll on Table 6–1: Psychic Phenomena. Finally,
  • Apply the Effects: Depending on the psyker’s final Psy               Pushing a power is taxing-if a psyker using this level of
     Rating (as determined by the power level he has chosen),            power rolls a double on the Focus Power Test, he suffers
     the power will have variable effects such as increased              a level of Fatigue from the effort.
     range, area of effect or damage. Depending on the factors
     described above, the power may also generate Psychic
     Phenomena or even Perils of the Warp.                           examPLe
                                                                     Brother-Librarian Varis is using his Smite power on a particularly
                                                                     unlucky Ork. Because he wishes to make sure that the foul creature is
l                                                                    destroyed, he chooses to Push the power, adding +3 (his WP Bonus)
Whenever a psyker uses a power, he is drawing energy from            to his PR of 4. He makes a Focus Power Test (an Ordinary (+10)
the Warp and channelling it into physical effects. However,          Willpower Test) to manifest the power, he works out the power’s
opening such a conduit to the Warp is always dangerous, and          effects (such as range and damage) using his adjusted PR of 7.
the psyker incurs a chance of causing disturbances in the Warp       Because he is using the Push power level, he will also have to roll on
that can have undesired side effects. In extreme cases, these        Table 6–1: Psychic Phenomena to determine what manner
disturbances may even lead to the opening an uncontrolled            of warp disturbances his brutal slaying of the Ork has conjured.
rift between reality and warp space with potentially fatal
consequences. By minimising the amount of power he draws,
a psyker can reduce or eliminate the chance of side effects
                                                                     t
such as Psychic Phenomena or Perils of the Warp (see pages           A Focus Power test is a Willpower Test that determines
187-188). Equally, he can draw deeper from the well of the           whether a functions successful. The amount of time it takes
Warp to boost his powers beyond his normal capabilities.             to make this test is determined by the power being used and
Of course, such power always comes with a greater risk of            may be a Free Action, Half Action, Full Action or Reaction.
unleashing unintended effects or even summoning unwanted             In most cases, passing a Focus Power Test simply means that
visitors from the beyond.                                            the power has manifested, while failing the test means that it
    When a psyker uses a power, he has a choice of using it at       has not. However, degrees of success or failure may also play
three different levels:                                              a part depending on the type and nature of the power being
   • Fettered: The psyker holds back his full power and              used. Many powers also indicate an Opposed Willpower Test,
     carefully channels energy from the Warp, hopefully using        especially when used against an unwilling foe. In these cases,
     just enough to manifest the psychic power but not enough        the Opposed Test is also the Focus Power Test, and even
     to trigger unnatural or dangerous effects. When a psyker        if the psyker scores better than his opponent but does not
     uses a power at the Fettered level, he must make a Focus        roll under his Willpower, the power will still fail. You may
     Power Test as normal (see below) to manifest the power.         add a bonus to your Focus Power Test equal to 5 times the
     However, regardless of the results of the roll, there is no     Psy Rating used for the power. A Focus Power roll of 91-00
     danger of triggering Psychic Phenomena. The limited             always fails.
     power involved means that the psyker must halve his PR
     (rounding up) when determining the power’s final effects.



                                                                                                                          185
                     examPLe                                                               oPPoseD TesTs anD muLTiPLe TarGeTs
                     Brother-Librarian Varis has turned his attention to the rest of the   When a Psychic Power is being used against multiple targets,
                     Ork’s warband and decides to rend the flesh from their bones and      each target may make an Opposed Test against the power’s
                     send them screaming into the Warp by summoning up a Vortex of         effects. Roll once for the psyker. All those opposing him must
                     Doom. He chooses to use the power at the Unfettered level, and so     individually test against this single result. For simplicity’s
                     uses his PR of 4 to determine its effects. Varis must then make a     sake, when there are large numbers of similar minor NPCs,
VI: Psychic Powers




                     Challenging (+0) Willpower Test to manifest the power, as             it may be more convenient to roll once for all these NPCs to
                     he is using it Unfettered.                                            speed things up.


                     susTaininG Psychic Powers                                             DeTecTinG Psychic Powers
                     Some Psychic Powers can be sustained beyond a single round            Psykers are attuned to the Warp, including the currents
                     as noted in their description. A psyker may sustain such powers       and eddies caused by other psykers dipping into the flow
                     without the need to make further rolls. However, he must use          of the Immaterium. When psychic powers are in effect in a
                     a Half Action each turn to maintain concentration. Should the         psyker’s presence, he can make a Psyniscience test in order
                     psyker be unable to expend a Half Action, fall unconscious,           to determine their source (see page 103 for details on the
                     die or otherwise be unable to maintain the power, it will end.        Psyniscience skill and its uses).
                         It is also possible (but taxing) for a psyker to sustain
                     multiple powers at once. Such a feat still only requires the
                     psyker to expend a Half Action each turn. However, each
                     additional power reduces each power’s PR and thus their                    Perils of the
                     overall effectiveness. Maintaining two powers at the same
                     time reduces the effective Psy Rating of both powers by 2.
                     Maintaining three powers reduces the Psy Rating of all powers                  Warp
                     by 3, and so on. If the Psy Rating of a given power drops to 0,


                                                                                           W
                     it is no longer maintainable and ends.                                            hen a psyker reaches deeper into the Warp to
                         If a character suffers Psychic Phenomena while maintaining                    power his abilities, there is always the chance
                     multiple active powers, the additional energy he is channelling                   of the Empyrean bleeding into reality, a factor
                     is likely to go out of control or otherwise worsen matters,           that is invariably destructive and damaging. Sometimes this
                     adding +10 to the result rolled on Table 6–1: Psychic                 manifestation of the Warp is unique to the psyker, but in
                     Phenomena for each power he has active.                               general it is as unpredictable as the Warp itself. Some effects
                                                                                           can include a dramatic drop in temperature, ghostly voices,
                                                                                           feelings of unease, or nearby vegetation shrivelling and dying.
                     cumuLaTive effecTs                                                    In very rare instances, full-scale warp breaches with the direst
                     Modifiers, characteristic bonuses, and other benefits generated       of consequences can occur.
                     by psychic powers do not stack—only the highest applies.                 When a psyker uses his power at the Unfettered level or
                                                                                           Push level, he risks generating such a disturbance in the Warp.
                                                                                           Any Unfettered Focus Power test that results in a double on
                     t                                                                     the dice, or any power used at the Push level, means that
                     Unless noted in its description, a Psychic Power that directly        the psyker must roll on Table 6–1: Psychic Phenomena.
                     targets an individual or thing requires a psyker to have line         Particularly high rolls on this table can result in the psyker
                     of sight towards (or otherwise be ‘aware’ of ) the target. The        having to roll on Table 6–2: Perils of the Warp.
                     target must also be within the power’s stated range.




                        unnaTuraL characTerisTics
                        anD Psychic Powers
                        Creatures and Characters with Unnatural Willpower can
                        make for shockingly powerful psykers. Characters with
                        Unnatural Willpower may add the multiplier to their
                        Psy Rating and any successes on opposed tests as part
                        of psychic powers (both to enact and resist them).



                                186
Table 6–1: Psychic Phenomena
d100 Roll   Effect
            Dark Foreboding: A faint breeze blows past the psyker and those near him, and everyone gets the feeling that
01-03
            doom is about to befall them.
04-05       Warp Echo: For a few seconds, all noises cause sinister echoes, regardless of the surroundings.
06-08       Unholy Stench: The air around the psyker becomes permeated with a bizarre and foul smell.




                                                                                                                                       VI: Psychic Powers
            Mind Warp: The psyker suffers 1 Insanity Point as his own inherent phobias, suspicions, and hatred surge to the
09–11
            surface of his mind in a wave of negative emotion.
            Hoarfrost: The temperature plummets for an instant and a thin coating of frost covers everything within 3d10
12–14
            metres of the psyker.
            Aura of Taint: All animals within 1d100 metres of the psyker become spooked and agitated. Characters with
15–17
            Psyniscience can pinpoint the psyker as the cause.
18–20       Memory Worm: All people within line of sight of the psyker forget something trivial.
21–23       Spoilage: Food and drink go bad within 5d10 metres of the psyker.
            Haunting Breeze: Winds whip up around the psyker for a few seconds, blowing light objects about and guttering
24–26
            fires within 3d10 metres of him.
            Veil of Darkness: For a brief moment (effectively the remainder of the Round), an area within 3d10 metres of the
27–29
            psyker is plunged into immediate darkness.
30–32       Distorted Reflections: Mirrors and other reflective surfaces within 5d10 metres of the psyker distort or shatter.
            Breath Leech: Everyone (including the psyker) becomes short of breath for 1 Round and cannot make any Run or
33–35
            Charge actions.
            Daemonic Mask: For a fleeting moment the psyker takes on a Daemonic appearance and gains a Fear rating of 1
36–38
            for the rest of the Round. He also gains 1 Corruption Point.
39–41       Unnatural Decay: All plant life within 3d10 metres of the psyker withers and dies.
            Spectral Gale: Howling winds erupt around the psyker. The psyker and anyone within 4d10 metres of him must
42–44
            make an Easy (+30) Agility or Strength Test to avoid being knocked to the ground.
            Bloody Tears: Blood weeps from stone and wood within 3d10 metres of the psyker. If there are any pictures or
45–47
            statues of people within this area, they appear to be crying blood.
            The Earth Protests: The ground suddenly shakes and everyone (including the psyker) within 5d10 metres of the
48–50
            psyker must make a Routine (+10) Agility Test or be knocked down.
            Psy Discharge: Static Electricity fills the air within 5d10 metres of the psyker, causing hair to stand on end and
51–53
            unprotected electrics to short out. The psyker is illuminated by eldritch light.
            Warp Ghosts: Ghostly apparitions fill the air within 3d10 metres of the psyker, flying around and howling in pain
54–56
            for a few brief moments. Everyone within this area must test against Fear (1).
            Falling Upwards: Everything within 2d10 metres of the psyker (including the psyker himself ) rises 1d10 metres
57–59       into the air as gravity briefly ceases. After a second or two, everything crashes back to earth. (See page 261 for rules
            on Falling Damage).
            Banshee Howl: A shrill keening rings out across the immediate area, shattering glass and forcing every mortal
60–62       creature able to hear it (including the psyker) to make a Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or be deafened for
            1d10 rounds.
            The Furies: The psyker is assailed by unseen horrors. He is slammed to the ground and suffers 1d5 Wounds in
63–65
            damage (Toughness protects, but armour, unless warded does not). The psyker must test against Fear (2).
            Shadow of the Warp: For a split second the world changes in appearance and everyone within 1d100 metres of
66–68       the psyker has a mercifully brief glimpse of the shadow of the Warp. Everyone in the area (including the psyker)
            must make a Difficult (–10) Willpower Test or gain 1d5 Insanity points.
            Tech Scorn: The machine spirits reject you’re the psyker’s unnatural ways. All unwarded tech devices within
69–71       5d10 metres of the psyker malfunction momentarily, and all ranged weapons within this area Jam (see page 249).
            Characters with cybernetic implants must pass a Routine (+10) Toughness Test or suffer 1d5 damage.
            Warp Madness: A violent ripple of tainted discord causes all creatures within 2d10 metres of the psyker (with the
72–74       exception of the psyker himself ) to become Frenzied for 1 Round. Affected creatures gain 1d5 Corruption Points
            unless they can pass a Difficult (–10) Willpower Test.
            Perils of the Warp: The Warp opens in a maelstrom of energy. Immediately make a roll on Table 6–2: Perils of
75+
            the Warp.




                                                                                                                      187
                     Table 6–2: Perils of the Warp
                     d100 Roll Effect
                                   The Gibbering: The psyker screams in pain as uncontrolled warp energies surge through his unprotected mind. He
                     01-05         must make a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test to avoid gaining 1d5+1 Insanity Points and becoming Stunned for
                                   1d5 rounds.
                                   Warp Burn: A violent burst of energy from the Warp smashes into the psyker’s mind, sending him reeling. He suffers
                     06-09
                                   1d5 Wounds (not reduced by armour or Toughness) and is Stunned for 1d5 Rounds.
VI: Psychic Powers




                                   Psychic Concussion: With a crack of energy, the psyker is knocked unconscious for 1d5 Rounds. Everyone within
                     10–13
                                   3d10 metres of the psyker must make a Routine (+10) Willpower Test or be Stunned for 1 Round.
                                   Psy-Blast: There is an explosion of power and the psyker is thrown 1d10 metres into the air, falling to the ground.
                     14–18
                                   (See page 261 for rules on Falling Damage).
                                   Soul Sear: Warp power courses through the psyker’s body, scorching his soul. The psyker cannot use any powers for
                     19–24
                                   1 hour and gains 5 Corruption Points.
                                   Locked In: The power cages the psyker’s mind in an ethereal prison. The psyker falls to the ground in a catatonic
                     25–30         state. Each Round thereafter, he must spend a Full Action and make a Difficult (–10) Willpower Test. On a success,
                                   his mind is freed and restored to his body.
                                   Chronological Incontinence: Time warps around the psyker. He winks out of existence and reappears in 1d10
                     31–38         Rounds (or in 1 minute in narrative time). The psyker suffers 1d5 Insanity Points and 1d5 permanent Toughness
                                   damage.
                                   Psychic Mirror: The psyker’s power is turned back on him. Resolve the power’s effects as normal, but the power
                     39–46         targets the psyker instead. If the power is beneficial, it instead deals 1d10+5 Energy Damage to the psyker and the
                                   beneficial effect is cancelled. Armour is ignored by the damage unless it is warded.
                                   Warp Whispers: The voices of Daemons fill the air within 4d10 metres of the psyker, whispering terrible secrets and
                     47–55         shocking truths. Everyone in the area (including the psyker) must make a Hard (–20) Willpower Test or gain 1d10
                                   Corruption Points.
                                   Vice Versa: The psyker’s mind is thrown out of his body and into another nearby creature or person. The psyker
                                   and a random being within 50 metres of him (note that this cannot be a Daemon, Untouchable or other ‘soulless’
                                   creature) swap consciousnesses for 1d10 Rounds. The affected being may be an ally or even an enemy combatant.
                                   Each individual retains his Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, Intelligence, Perception, Willpower, and Fellowship during the
                     56–58
                                   swap, but all other Characteristics are the same as those of the new host body. If either body is slain, the effect ends
                                   immediately. Both affected individuals gain 1d5 Insanity Points from the experience. If there are no beings within
                                   range, the psyker must make a Willpower Test or become catatonic for 1d5 Rounds while his mind wanders the Warp.
                                   He gains 2d10 Insanity Points from this journey.
                                   Rending the Veil: The air vibrates with images of cackling Daemons, and the kaleidoscopic taint of the Warp is
                     59–67         rendered visible. All sentient creatures (including the psyker) within 1d100 metres of the psyker must test against Fear
                                   (3). This effect lasts for 1d5 rounds.
                                   Blood Rain: A psychic storm of howling winds erupts, and a torrential rain of blood covers an area within 5d10
                                   metres of the psyker. Anyone within this area (including the psyker himself ) must pass a Challenging (+0) Strength
                     68–72
                                   Test or be knocked to the ground. If anyone uses Psychic Powers within this area, they automatically invoke a Perils
                                   of the Warp Test. The storm lasts for 1d5 Rounds
                                   Cataclysmic Blast: The psyker’s power overloads, arcing out in great bolts of warp energy. Anyone within 1d10
                     73–78         metres of the psyker (including the psyker himself ) takes 1d10+5 Energy Damage. The psyker may use no further
                                   powers for 1d5 hours after this event.
                                   A Hole in the World: A Vortex of Doom with a PR of 2d10 (see page 195) springs into existence within 1d10
                     79–82         metres of the psyker. It then begins to move randomly (roll 1d10 for the number of metres it moves and use the scatter
                                   diagram on page 248 for direction), devouring all in its path. The Vortex lasts for 1d5 Rounds and then vanishes.
                                   Lost to the Warp: The psyker must make an immediate Very Hard (–30) Willpower Test. If he fails, he is
                                   immediately dragged into the Warp by a Daemon, which possesses him and uses his body for vile purposes. The
                                   psyker appears on an inhabited planet 1d10 weeks later with dim memories of the horrific acts he has performed while
                     83–86
                                   possessed. He gains 4d10 Corruption Points, and may experience complications caused by his actions while possessed.
                                   He may receive a visit from the Inquisition if his fate becomes known to that organisation. From now on, the psyker
                                   must adjust all Perils of the Warp checks by +10 due to his body serving as a conduit for blasphemous forces.
                                   Reality Quake: Reality buckles around the psyker, and an area within 3d10 metres of him is sundered. Solid objects
                     87–90         alternately rot, burn, and freeze, and everyone and everything in the area takes 2d10 Rending damage. Warded objects
                                   and Untouchables suffer half the damage rolled.
                                   Something is Coming...: With a blood curdling howl, a Daemon Prince (see Chapter XIII: Adversaries) rips into
                     91–99         existence within 3d10 metres of the psyker. It detests the psyker and trains its attacks on the fool that unwittingly
                                   summoned it. Only its destruction or the death of the psyker will send it back to the Warp.
                                   Destruction: The psyker is immediately and irrevocably destroyed. He is either sucked screaming into the Warp, never
                     00            to be seen again, or consumed utterly by hellfire. The GM may rule that there is a 50% chance that a Daemon Prince
                                   appears in the psyker’s place.



                             188
Psychic Powers c                                                       haPTer DisciPLines

                                                                     Just as the Adeptus Astartes have stored the teachings of
The power of a psyker is darkness, fire, and death, given life and   Librarians past, so too do many Chapters develop their own
purpose to rend souls and break minds.                               forms of psychic disciplines. Calling on their own style of
                                                                     warfare and the inherent strengths of their gene-seed, they
                     –First line of the Litany of Lies and Truths    have learnt to shape powerful and terrible effects for their




                                                                                                                                        VI: Psychic Powers
                                                                     Librarians to wield. Chapter Disciplines are only available to


P
        sychic powers work in much the same way as Talents           Librarians of the Chapter they represent, reflecting both their
        or Skills and allow a psyker character to manifest           unique training and Primarch-given gifts of blood and spirit.
        effects and abilities. Librarians are battle psykers and
do not study subtle trickery or a range of minor powers as the
psykers of the Scholastica Psykana might, but rather focus
                                                                     GaininG Psychic Powers
on turning their talents to the mastery of powerful attacks or       As a Librarian advances in Rank, he can spend Experience
potent defences. As a result, they often only learn a handful of     Points to acquire Psychic Powers in the same manner as
powers, each of which would be far beyond the stamina and            he might acquire new Talents. The number of powers the
skill of a normal human psyker to master. All Librarians do,         character may acquire at each Rank is detailed on the Librarian
however, have access to Telepathy and Divination, two of the         Advancement Table in Chapter II: Specialities.
most ‘commonly’ used psychic abilities.                                 A Librarian character may choose powers from the
   Psychic powers are divided into four major disciplines:           Telepathy, Divination, and Codex Disciplines, as well as from
                                                                     the Chapter Discipline of his own Chapter without restriction,
                                                                     provided he meets the power’s prerequisites.
TeLePaThy DisciPLine
Telepathy is the ability to communicate over long distances
directly into the minds of others. It is a vital part of a
                                                                     t
Librarian’s role within his Chapter as it allows him to              Each Psychic Power is presented using the following format:
maintain lines of command and relay orders instantly across a            Name: The power’s name.
battle-zone. Telepathy also allows a psyker to read thoughts             Action: The Focus Power Action (see page 239) required
and intentions and steal secrets from the minds of others. At        to active the power. This is usually a Free Action, Half Action,
higher levels this can lead to its use as a weapon, breaking a       Full Action, Reaction or an Extended Action. In the case
person’s psyche or even changing the way he thinks entirely.         of Extended Actions, the number of Full Actions required
                                                                     to activate the power is indicated by a number in brackets
                                                                     (details on Extended Actions can be found on page 236).
DivinaTion DisciPLine                                                    Opposed: This states whether or not the power’s Focus
Many psykers are gifted with the ability to see into the future      Power Test (see page 185) is Opposed by those targeted by
or divine the effects of actions before they are undertaken.         its effects. Unless stated otherwise, such Opposed Tests are
Librarians study the discipline of divination so that they           always made using the target’s Willpower. Unless otherwise
might better guide their Battle-Brothers in combat or to             noted, a target that wins an Opposed Test against the psyker
read and understand the Emperor’s Tarot, allowing them to            is completely unaffected by the power.
fathom the meaning of sweeping events. Divination allows a               Range: The range at which the power can be used is
psyker to discover hidden truths and grant his allies additional     usually expressed in metres or kilometres multiplied by the
protection by glimpsing into the near future.                        PR at which the power was used. If the range is a radius, this
                                                                     is always measured with the psyker at its centre. Radius is also
                                                                     considered a sphere around the psyker and so will extend up
coDex DisciPLine                                                     and down as well as out.
Over the millennia the Adeptus Astartes Chapters have                    Sustained: This states whether or not the power can be
developed and refined the role of the Librarian. Unimaginable        sustained (see page 186). Powers that cannot be sustained will
amounts of lore have been added to their Librariums, and             last only an instant, occurring during the psyker’s turn.
extensive study has been made concerning the use of a                    Description: This details the power’s game effects,
Librarian’s power. When a Librarian is first inducted into the       including any variable effects that the psyker’s Psy Rating has
order, these are the powers that he will learn. The Codex            on the power’s final strength. Whenever a power’s description
Discipline is all about battle and smashing foes or protecting       refers to the Librarian or Psyker’s PR, it means the PR at
allies, and it counts among its teachings some of the most           which he manifests the power (including modifiers for
potent powers known to the Imperium.                                 Fettered, Unfettered, and Push) and not his base PR.




                                                                                                                    189
                     telePathy Powers
                                                                                           sTarTinG Psychic Powers
                     Telepathy powers may be purchased with Experience Points,
                                                                                           A Rank 1 Librarian begins play with any three Psychic
                     provided the Librarian meets the power’s Prerequisites and
                                                                                           Powers chosen from the following list:
                     XP Cost as detailed on Table 6–3: Telepathy Powers.
                                                                                            Augury                    Reading
                       Table 6–3: Telepathy Powers                                          Avenger                      Short-Range Telepathy
VI: Psychic Powers




                       Power                  XP Cost Prerequisites                         Inspire                      Smite
                                                         One or more Telepathic
                       Astrotelepathy         500                                           Iron Arm
                                                         powers
                       Compel                1000        WP 40+                               These powers are gained as part of character creation
                       Dominate              1000        Compel, WP 50+                    and do not the cost the Librarian any Experience Points
                       Inspire               500         —                                 to acquire.
                       Long-range Telepathy 750          WP 40+
                       Mind Probe            750         Mind Scan
                                                                                        l
                       Mind Scan             500         Long-range Telepathy
                       Short-range Telepathy 500         —                              Action: Full
                                                                                        Opposed: Yes
                     asTroTeLePaThy                                                     Range: 5 metres x PR
                                                                                        Sustained: No
                     Action: Full (see below)                                           Description: This power allows the psyker to force others
                     Opposed: No                                                        to briefly act against their will. This power can affect a
                     Range: See Below                                                   number of targets equal to the psyker’s PR. Those affected
                     Sustained: No                                                      must follow a simple command given by the psyker. Some
                     Description: Librarians can use their gifts to send psychic        examples include “Flee”, “Fall”, “Attack your friend.” If the
                     messages and communications across the vastness of the void in     command is a potentially suicidal act, the target gets a +20
                     the same manner as an Astropath. It is however a task which is     to his Willpower Test. In all cases the command must be
                     undertaken sparingly, as like much of the rest of the Imperium’s   achievable in a single round.
                     forces Space Marines make extensive use of Astropaths,
                     reserving their gifted Battle-Brothers for more vital tasks.
                        Any Librarian can use Astrotelepathy, provided he has
                                                                                        DominaTe
                     enough time and skill—sending a message across the stars           Action: Full
                     though is a far cry from communicating with someone on the         Opposed: Yes
                     same world or even a vessel in orbit. To send a message the        Range: 10 metres x PR
                     Librarian must have at least one power from the Telepathy          Sustained: Yes
                     Discipline. It requires one full round to activate for every 10    Description: The psyker may take over the mind of another,
                     words or one image it contains and uses Willpower for its          controlling his victim with his will. This power only affects a
                     Focus Power Test. The range is based on the Librarian’s Psy        single target and only if his total Wounds are less than 3 times
                     Rating (see below).                                                the psyker’s PR. An affected target is controlled by the psyker
                        Typically only other Astropaths or Librarians will be able      as if he was a puppet. For as long as the psyker maintains the
                     to receive the message and unless the Librarian has a specific     power, he can divide his Actions between himself and the
                     recipient in mind the GM may have a chance of it reaching          target. The dominated target uses its own Characteristics, but
                     the wrong ears...                                                  at –10 due to the crudity of the control. Any action deemed
                                                                                        suicidal allows the target an Opposed Willpower Test to try
                                                                                        and break the hold.


                                                                                        insPire
                        Psy Rating       Result                                         Action: Half
                                       The message can reach out to a recipient in      Opposed: No
                        Psy Rating 1–3                                                  Range: 5 metre radius x PR
                                       the same system.
                                       The message can reach out to a recipient in      Sustained: Yes
                        Psy Rating 4–6                                                  Description: The psyker can bolster his comrades by sending
                                       the same sub-sector.
                                       The message can reach out to a recipient in      out waves of reassurance and calm. A number of targets equal
                        Psy Rating 7–9                                                  to the psyker’s PR immediately overcome the effects of
                                       the same sector.
                                       The message can reach out to a recipient in      Pinning and gain a +10 resistance against Fear. This effect
                        Psy Rating 10+
                                       an adjacent sector.                              lasts as long as the targets stay within range of the psyker, and
                                                                                        the psyker maintains the power.


                                190
LonG-ranGe TeLePaThy                                               speed for force), to a minimum of 1 Round. For instance,
                                                                   a Librarian with a Psy Rating of 8 could use 4 of his Psy
Action: Free                                                       Rating to reduce the time required to a single Round, and
Opposed: No                                                        he would then gain information from Table 6–4 as if his Psy
Range: 50 kilometres x PR                                          Rating was 4 (8 –4 = 4).
Sustained: Yes
Description: This functions just the same as Short-range
                                                                   minD scan




                                                                                                                                       VI: Psychic Powers
Telepathy, but with an extended range. In addition, once the
psyker learns this power, such is his mastery of telepathy that    Action: Half
he no longer incurs a chance of invoking Psychic Phenomena         Opposed: No
when using either Short- or Long-range Telepathy unless used       Range: 200 metres x PR
at the Push power level. Sustaining this power is a Free Action.   Sustained: No
                                                                   Description: The psyker extends his mind to contact and
                                                                   identify other sentient minds within range, even if they are out
minD Probe                                                         of sight, enabling him to garner impressions and information
Action: Extended (5)                                               about the consciousnesses. The level of information gathered
Opposed: Yes                                                       depends on PR as detailed on Table 6–5: Mind Scan.
Range: 1 metre x PR                                                   Untouchables and other psychically inert creatures are
Sustained: Yes                                                     invisible to Mind Scan. Individuals with psychic resistance
Description: This power allows the psyker to peel back the         or similar protections may also be hidden (the GM may make
layers of another’s mind to read the basic surface thoughts        secret Opposed Willpower tests against the psyker to see if
and beyond. This power works only against a single target,         they remain hidden from him).
and if the psyker wants to perform the Probe without the
target’s knowledge, then the psyker takes a –20 penalty to his
Focus Power Test and cannot Push the power. The amount of            Table 6–5: Mind Scan
information the psyker gains from the probe depends on his            PR     Results
PR as detailed on Table 6–4: Mind Probe. The Librarian                       The psyker gains a crude impression of the number
has the option of using some of his Psy Rating to reduce the          1–2    of conscious minds within range of the power, and
number of rounds required to use this power instead (trading                 their general position in relation to him.
                                                                             As above, plus the psyker knows the number, general
                                                                             location, and relative ‘strength’ of conscious minds
                                                                      3–4
  Table 6–4: Mind Probe                                                      within range of the power, and can determine if these
   PR    Results                                                             minds have any psychic ability.
       The psyker makes initial contact and learns basic                     As all the above, plus the psyker may attempt to
   1–3 information about the target such as his name, mood,           5–7    initiate telepathic communication with any of the
       Insanity level, and the state of his physical health.                 minds he has discerned.
       As above, plus the psyker can sense the thoughts                      As all the above, plus the psyker may attempt to
       uppermost in the target’s mind such as immediate               8+     carry out a Mind Probe on one of the minds he has
   4–5                                                                       contacted.
       fears/concerns, conscious lies, etc. The psyker also
       learns the target’s Corruption Level.
       As all the above, plus the psyker can sort through the
       target’s memories over the last 12 hours. The psyker
   6–7 can also glean less casual information that the subject     shorT-ranGe TeLePaThy
       hides, such as simple passwords or recent secret
       experiences.                                                Action: Free
       As all the above, plus the psyker gains detailed            Opposed: No
       information about people, places or objects that the        Range: 50 metres x PR
       target considers important, as well as how these all        Sustained: Yes
       relate to each other. The psyker learns about the           Description: The psyker can send his thoughts into the
   8–9 target’s beliefs, motivations, and personal goals, as       minds of those around him, touching a number of targets
       well as any contacts or complicated hidden ciphers          equal to his PR. The targets can be a select group, either
       the target might know about. The psyker also                individuals the psyker can see or minds he is familiar with
       becomes aware of the pivotal moments in the target’s
                                                                   within the power’s range. Alternatively, the psyker can choose
       life.
                                                                   to make a generalised broadcast to every mind within range
       As all the above, plus the psyker may plunder the
       target’s mind at will. Any information contained in
                                                                   indiscriminately. An affected mind’s processes are still affected
       the target’s psyche is an open book for the psyker.         by the structure of language, and if telepathy is attempted
   10+                                                             without a shared language, the power suffers a –20 penalty.
       The psyker can also use this technique to break
       down implanted memories or personalities within the         Targets who do not wish to be open to such a communication
       target.                                                     can resist with an Opposed Willpower test. Sustaining this
                                                                   power is a Free Action.


                                                                                                                    191
                     divination Powers                                                          As with all forms of divination, the GM may decide how
                                                                                             much or how little information the psyker can garner. The
                     Divination powers may be purchased with Experience Points,              Warp is a capricious thing and seldom gives straight answers,
                     provided the Librarian meets the power’s Prerequisites and              often wrapping truths in riddles and lies.
                     XP Cost as detailed on Table 6–6: Divination Powers.

                       Table 6–6: Divination Powers
                                                                                             DivinaTion
VI: Psychic Powers




                        Power                XP Cost     Prerequisites                       Action: Extended (3)
                        Augury               500         —                                   Opposed: No
                        Divination           750         WP 40+
                                                                                             Range: Special
                                                                                             Sustained: No
                        Lifting the Veil     1000        Psychometry, WP 40+
                                                                                             Description: The psyker can use this power to locate and
                        Possibility Shield   1000        WP 40+
                                                                                             track down a single object or person in his immediate vicinity.
                        Psychometry          500         Augury
                                                                                             The psyker can find anything, but there must be some degree
                        Reading              500         —
                                                                                             of familiarity. Touching a lock and trying to find the key to
                                                                                             that lock is fine, but just thinking “I want a key” without a
                     auGury                                                                  corresponding lock won’t work. In the same vein, the psyker
                                                                                             must have seen the person he wants to find, or the subject’s
                     Action: Extended (10)                                                   true name. The psyker’s Focus Power Test is modified as
                     Opposed: No                                                             follows:
                     Range: Special                                                             • The psyker is intimately familiar with target (e.g., he
                     Sustained: No                                                                 knows the subject well, or has an item that has been
                     Description: By reading the Emperor’s Tarot for a specific                    with the subject for a long time): +10
                     individual, the psyker can grant insight into what troubles lay            • The psyker possesses a portion of the subject (e.g., a
                     ahead. During the reading both the psyker and the subject must                fragment from the item, a lock of hair from a person,
                     remain in contact and no other actions may be taken by either of              etc.): +5
                     them. The psyker must then ask a specific question. It can be as           • The subject is surrounded by others of its kind (e.g., a
                     detailed as “What must my Battle-Brothers overcome if they are                coin in a purse of coins, a person in a crowd, etc.): –10
                     to enter the Patriarch’s lair?” or as broad as “What dangers face the      • The subject is within 50 metres x PR of the psyker: +5
                     Chapter?” After that, the psyker reads the Emperor’s Tarot for the         • The subject is over 2 km away from the psyker: –10
                     subject as they both concentrate on the question asked. At the end          If the psyker successfully manifests the power, and the
                     of this time the psyker interprets the Tarot and garners the results    subject is within a number of kilometres equal or less than
                     depending on his PR as detailed on Table 6–7: Augury.                   the psyker’s PR rating, he will get a rough idea of where the
                                                                                             subject is located, based on his PR as detailed on Table 6–8
                                                                                             Divination.
                       Table 6–7: Augury
                        PR     Results
                               The psyker determines the most dangerous
                        1–3
                               opposition that the subject will face.
                               As above, plus the psyker also determines other
                        4–6    negative forces that may be present. The psyker can             Table 6–8: Divination
                               determine as many forces as his PR.
                                                                                                PR    Results
                               As all the above, plus the psyker determines the best
                        7–8    advantage or tool that the subject can use for the               1–3   The psyker knows the rough direction of the subject.
                               situation.                                                             The psyker knows the specific direction of the
                                                                                                4–6
                               As all the above, plus the psyker may offer a single                   subject, and roughly how far away it is.
                        9+     sentence of advice to the subject concerning the                       The psyker knows the specific direction of the
                                                                                                7+
                               clearest path to their answer.                                         subject, and exactly how far away it is.



                        nPc anD enemy Psykers
                        The majority of the powers presented in this chapter are intended for use only by Space Marine Librarians, most notably
                        those of the Chapter and Codex Disciplines. However, during their adventures the Battle-Brothers are almost certain to
                        come into contact with enemy psykers such as foul Chaos Sorcerers or Xenos witches, and may even make use of psychic
                        allies such as Imperial Primaris Psykers or Astropaths. In both cases the Telepathy and Divination Disciplines (powers that
                        most psykers have access to) can be used as a basis for the powers of these characters. Particularly powerful or notable
                        enemies may then have their own unique powers as part of their statistics (see Chapter XIV: Enemies and Adversaries
                        for more details) or the GM may adapt Space Marine Psychic Powers for enemy use.



                                 192
l                                                                   of clothing or weapon. The level of information he gains depends
                                                                    on his PR as detailed on Table 6–10: Psychometry.
Action: Extended (5)
Opposed: No                                                           Table 6–10: Psychometry
Range: 10 metres radius x PR
                                                                       PR Results
Sustained: No
                                                                           The psyker detects the strongest emotion associated
Description: Lifting the Veil is an extension of the art of            1–3
                                                                             ith the area or object.




                                                                                                                                          VI: Psychic Powers
Psychometry and allows the psyker to look beyond individual
                                                                           As above, plus the psyker can discern the general
psychic traces and relive the past of a place or item. As with         4–5
                                                                           features of the person who experienced the emotion.
Psychometry, the psyker can gain rough impressions from an                 As all of the above, plus the psyker gets a clear image
object or a general area as long as it falls within the power’s        6–7
                                                                           of the person who experienced the emotion.
radius. The level of information gained is dependent on the level          As all of the above, plus the psyker can identify the
of power used, as detailed on Table 6–9: Lifting the Veil.             8–9
                                                                           person’s occupation (e.g. Career and Rank).
                                                                           As all of the above, plus the psyker can determine the
                                                                       10+
  Table 6–9: Lifting the Veil                                              person’s name.
   PR     Results
          The psyker detects the strongest emotion associated
   1–3                                                              g
            ith the area or object.
                                                                    Action: Full
          As above, plus the psyker sees the general features
   4–5    of the people who experienced the emotion, and a
                                                                    Opposed: No
          rough impression of the events that transpired.           Range: 5 metres x PR
          As all of the above, plus the psyker gets a clear image   Sustained: Yes
   6–7    of the events from the area that left the strongest       Description: Diviners can read a person’s aura, the unconscious
          psychic impressions.                                      projection of his being in to the Warp. This is a very pale shadow,
          As all of the above, plus the psyker can identify all     unnoticed by most beings, but a diviner can study this aura to
   8–9    participants from that strongest event, including their   learn about the person. When the psyker activates divination,
          careers, ranks, and names.                                he can attempt to read the aura of any person he can see. The
          As all of the above, plus the psyker determines other     level of information he gains depends on the PR at which he
          events that may have occurred in the area, in order       manifests the power as detailed on Table 6–11: Reading.
   10+
          of the relative strength of their psychic impressions,       A psyker can only maintain this power on one target. If he
          and gets a clear image of each event.                     wishes to divine the well-being of a different person, he must
                                                                    activate the power again.

ld
Action: Half                                                          Table 6–11: Reading
Opposed: No                                                            PR Results
Range: 5 metre radius x PR                                                 The psyker gains superficial impressions about the
Sustained: Yes                                                             target person. This includes the three strongest
Description: Using his understanding of future events and                  emotions that the subject is currently experiencing, his
his perception of the flow of time, the psyker surrounds               1–3 race, whether or not he has any psychic powers, and
                                                                           a rough idea of his state of mental and physical well-
himself and nearby allies in a possibility shield. While this
                                                                           being. Lastly, the psyker determines whether the target
power is active, the psyker and a number of allies equal to
                                                                           is an Untouchable.
his PR within range of the psyker gain a +10 bonus to one
                                                                           As above, plus the psyker gets a deeper insight into
roll each Round. In addition, due to his ability to see attacks            all of the target’s feelings, and gains +10 to all
before they are coming the psyker himself adds +5 x PR to                  Fellowship Tests he makes against the target while
all Dodge and Parry Tests.                                                 Reading is active. The psyker also gets a better idea
                                                                       4–5
                                                                           about the target’s physical state, including his current
                                                                           Wounds and Fatigue levels. Finally, if the target has
PsychomeTry                                                                psychic abilities, the psyker can sense his power and
Action: Extended (10)                                                      find out his Psy Rating.
Opposed: No                                                                As all of the above, plus the psyker determines how
Range: Touch                                                               many Insanity points the target has, as well as which
                                                                       6–7 addictions or madness he might be suffering from. If
Sustained: No
                                                                           the target has psychic abilities, the psyker determines
Description: Learning to read the Emperor’s Tarot is in part               which discipline(s) he possesses.
the act of learning to divine the Emperor’s word from psychic              As all of the above, plus the psyker determines how
impressions. Refining this skill allows the psyker to learn more           many Corruption points the target has. Also, the
about others from the crude psychic traces they leave behind on        8+
                                                                           psyker can determine if the aura is genuine, or has
objects in the world around them. In this form, the psyker can             been produced by some other means.
gain rough impressions from a personal object such as an article


                                                                                                                      193
                       Codex Powers                                              Description: The Librarian summons up the ancestors of his
                                                                                 Chapter and shapes them into a flaming vengeful avatar of
                                                                                 death. The construct then billows forward to incinerate those


                     C
                          odex powers may be purchased with Experience           in its path. The Avenger power works exactly like a shot from
                          Points, provided the Librarian meets the power’s       an Adeptus Astartes heavy flamer (see page 145), with all the
                          Prerequisites and XP Cost as detailed on Table 6–12:   usual chance to hit and set targets on fire. However, due to the
                     Codex Powers.                                               horrific nature of the psychic flames, the Penetration of the
VI: Psychic Powers




                                                                                 attack is equal to 2 x PR.
                       Table 6–12: Codex Powers
                       Power                   XP Cost Prerequisites             force Dome
                       Avenger                 500      —
                                                                                 Action: Full
                       Force Dome              1500     WP 40+
                                                                                 Opposed: No
                       The Gate of Infinity    2000     Rank 5, WP 50+
                                                                                 Range: 5m x PR radius
                       Iron Arm                500      —
                                                                                 Sustained: Yes
                       Machine Curse           1000     WP 45+                   Description: Summoning up a shimmering field of force, the
                       Might of the Ancients   1000     —                        Librarian fashions a shell around himself and nearby allies.
                       Smite                   500      —                        The shell is a sphere extending up to the radius around, above,
                       Veil of Time            1500     Rank 3, WP 40+           and below the Librarian and protecting him and any within
                       Vortex of Doom          2000     Rank 5, WP 50+           it. The shell provides 2 AP x PR against all kinds of ranged
                                                                                 attacks or hazardous environmental effects (this additional
                                                                                 protection stacks with any worn Armour), even trapping air
                     avenGer                                                     and water within it. However, it does not stop melee attacks
                                                                                 or creatures (friend or foe) that may pass through it without
                     Action: Full                                                restriction.
                     Opposed: No
                     Range: 30m
                     Sustained: No
                                                                                 The GaTe of infiniTy
                                                                                 Action: Extended (3)
                                                                                 Opposed: No
                                                                                 Range: Self
                                                                                 Sustained: No
                                                                                 Description: Rending the veil between worlds, the Librarian
                                                                                 creates a rift through which he and his allies might pass. The
                                                                                 Librarian chooses an exit point for the rift at any point within
                                                                                 10 kilometres x PR. The size of the rift depends on the power
                                                                                 used to create it, and it will have a width and height of 2
                                                                                 metres x PR. The rift will remain open for 1 Round x PR or
                                                                                 until the Librarian himself passes through it, at which time it
                                                                                 will instantly close. While it remains open, creatures may pass
                                                                                 through the gate freely provided they can fit.
                                                                                    This power is incredibly taxing and requires at least 12
                                                                                 hours recovery before it may be used again.


                                                                                 iron arm
                                                                                 Action: Half or Reaction
                                                                                 Opposed: No
                                                                                 Range: Self
                                                                                 Sustained: Yes
                                                                                 Description: The Librarian sheathes his arm in an
                                                                                 impenetrable field of energy with the power to ward off
                                                                                 powerful melee attacks. While this power is in effect, the
                                                                                 Librarian gains one additional Reaction each round that may
                                                                                 only be used to parry, with a bonus on the Weapon Skill Test
                                                                                 to parry equal to 3 x PR. Note that this power prevents the
                                                                                 Librarian from using his arm for any other purpose, such as
                                                                                 wielding a weapon, climbing, and so on.



                               194
machine curse                                                           which he may only use for himself. Any re-rolls not used by
                                                                        the beginning of the Librarian’s next turn are lost. Remember
Action: Full                                                            that a re-roll may never itself be re-rolled.
Opposed: No
Range: 20m x PR
Sustained: No
                                                                        vorTex of Doom
Description: The Librarian calls down a terrible curse on               Action: Full




                                                                                                                                              VI: Psychic Powers
nearby machines and vehicles. The Librarian can either target a         Opposed: No
single vehicle (such as a battle tank or landspeeder) or a number       Range: 10m x PR
of mechanical devices (such as guns or servitors) equal to his PR.      Sustained: No
If a single vehicle is targeted then it may not move or fire any of     Description: With an utter disregard for reality, the Librarian
its weapons for a number of Rounds equal to the Librarian’s PR as       opens up a flickering vortex in the fabric of space and time. The
it shorts and sparks alarmingly. If a number of mechanical devices      vortex is 2 metres in diameter and may be placed anywhere
are chosen then they will be rendered useless for the following         within range of the psyker. Once created, however, the Librarian
Round. Guns will jam (see page 249) and must be unjammed                has no more control over it. Each Round after its creation the GM
before they can be used. Warded vehicles and devices may be             should roll a dice for the vortex. On a 1–4 its diameter shrinks by
resistant or even immune to this power at the GM’s discretion.          1 metre, on a 5–8 its diameter grows by 1 metre, and on a 9-0
                                                                        its diameter grows by 2 metres. If the vortex is ever reduced to 0
                                                                        diameter then it vanishes. The GM then rolls a random direction
miGhT of The ancienTs                                                   for the vortex to travel 2d10 metres (use the Scatter diagram from
Action: Half                                                            page 248). Anything that touches the vortex, either when created
Opposed: No                                                             or as it moves, must make a Challenging (+0) Agility Test or
Range: Self                                                             suffer 1d10 Energy damage x PR. Those killed by the vortex are
Sustained: Yes                                                          sucked away into the Warp and lost forever.
Description: Tapping into the deadly powers of the Immaterium,              Having an open rift to Warp is dangerous to the souls
the Librarian infuses himself with psychic energy increasing his        of anyone present. The first time any creature (including
psychical prowess and strength of arms to exceptional levels.           the Librarian) comes within 10 metres of the vortex, it
While this power is in effect, the Librarian’s melee attacks all have   must make a Hard (–20) Willpower Test or gain 1d5
their Damage and Penetration increased by a number equal to             Corruption Points.
his PR.


smiTe
Action: Half
Opposed: No
Range: 10m x PR
Sustained: No
Description: The Librarian conjurers up lethal bolts of
lightning that leap from his hands to burn and blast his
enemies into ash. Smite must be targeted at a single creature.
However, it may effect others nearby depending on its power.
The Librarian does not need to make a BS test to hit the
target. However, his Focus Power Test is modified as if he was
making a ranged attack (using bonuses and penalties for range,
lighting, enemy talents, etc.). Smite deals 1d10 Energy Damage
x PR with a Penetration equal to his PR. Any creatures within
1 metre x PR of the target will also be affected by Smite.


veiL of Time
Action: Half
Opposed: No
Range: 5 metre radius x PR
Sustained: Yes
Description: The Librarian attempts to predict the near
future, seeing the flow of events and the actions of others.
While this power is in effect, the Librarian benefits from this
foreknowledge. . Each Round, the Librarian has a pool of re-
rolls, equal 1/2 to the PR used for this power (rounding up),


                                                                                                                          195
                        Blood Angels                                                   fear The Darkness
                                                                                       Action: Half

                           Powers                                                      Opposed: Yes
                                                                                       Range: 25 metres x PR
                                                                                       Sustained: Yes


                     O
                              nly Blood Angels Librarians have access to Blood         Description: Casting a psychic shadow across the battlefield,
VI: Psychic Powers




                              Angels Psychic Powers. These powers may be               the Librarian fills his foes with intense dread and terror. This
                              purchased with Experience Points, provided the           power affects a number of foes equal to the Librarian’s PR.
                     Librarian meets the power’s Prerequisites and XP Cost as          Those affected by this power count all enemies as having the
                     detailed on Table 6–13: Blood Angels Powers.                      Fear 1 (Frightening) Trait. Enemies that already cause Fear
                                                                                       have their Fear level increased by 1 (to a maximum of Fear 4)
                                                                                       against those affected by this power. If this power is sustained,
                     bLooD boiL                                                        targets may make a Willpower Test with a penalty of –5 x PR
                     Action: Half                                                      at the start of each of their turns to shake off the effects.
                     Opposed: Yes
                     Range: 10 metre x PR
                     Sustained: No
                                                                                       miGhT of heroes
                     Description: With a blast of psychic power, the Librarian         Action: Half
                     superheats the target’s blood, flash-boiling it and causing it    Opposed: No
                     to burst from their eyes, mouth, and ears. This power can         Range: Self
                     only be used against a single target. The target of a Blood       Sustained: Yes
                     Boil will suffer 1d10 Energy damage plus 2 extra points           Description: Focusing his will, the Blood Angels Librarian
                     of damage x PR (to a maximum of 1d10+20) which is not             enhances his strength and summons up a deep well of rage.
                     reduced by armour or Toughness. If the target is killed by this   While this power is in effect, the Blood Angels Librarian adds
                     attack then he explodes in a crimson shower, spattering those     +5 x PR to his Strength (to a maximum of 95), with any
                     nearby with scalding blood. All creatures within 5 metres of      corresponding increase to his Strength Bonus.
                     an exploding target take 2d10 Energy damage to their least
                     armoured location.
                         Manifesting Blood Boil is taxing for a Librarian, and
                                                                                       shackLe souL
                     inflicts 1 level of fatigue upon him, whether or not the          Action: Full
                     target resists.                                                   Opposed: Yes
                                                                                       Range: 10 metres x PR
                                                                                       Sustained: Yes
                     bLooD Lance                                                       Description: Reaching into the soul of his foe, the Librarian
                     Action: Half                                                      binds it in powerful bands of psychic energy. This power
                     Opposed: No                                                       affects a single creature chosen by the Librarian. The Blood
                     Range: 10 metres x PR                                             Angel may choose to prevent those affected by the power
                     Sustained: No                                                     from doing one of the following things on its next turn:
                     Description: The Librarian throws out his arm and hurls a         moving, making a range attack, making a melee attack or
                     blazing crimson lance that impales anything in its path. The      using a Psychic Power. If this power is sustained then the
                     Blood Lances traces a straight line from the Librarian out to     Librarian must win an Opposed Willpower Test each turn to
                     the extent of the power’s range. Any creature (friend or foe)     affect the target, though he may choose a different action to
                     that the lance passes through suffers 1d10 x PR Rending           prohibit from Round to Round. If the target ever wins the
                     damage that is not reduced by Toughness Bonus. Armour and         Opposed Test then the power immediately ends.
                     cover protect as normal.
                                                                                       winGs of sanGuinius
                                                                                       Action: Full
                                                                                       Opposed: No
                       Table 6–13: Blood Angels Powers                                 Range: Self
                        Power                 XP Cost Prerequisites                    Sustained: Yes
                        Blood Boil            1500      Rank 3, WP 40+                 Description: The Librarian sprouts a pair of blood red wings
                        Blood Lance           1000      —                              of psychic energy from his back that can bear him aloft. While
                        Fear the Darkness     1000      WP 40+                         this power is in effect, the Librarian gains the Flyer Trait (see
                        Might of Heroes       500       —                              page 132) with a Movement equal to his PR.
                        Shackle Soul          1000      WP 50+
                        Wings of Sanguinius   2000      Rank 5, WP 50+



                                196
      Dark Angels                                                   him. While this power is in effect, the Librarian is immune
                                                                    to the effects of all Telepathy powers unless created by a
                                                                    psyker with a Willpower greater than his own. In addition,

        Powers                                                      the psyker suffers no ill effects to Cohesion or Willpower as
                                                                    a result of Fear.



O
         nly Dark Angels Librarians have access to Dark
                                                                    minD worm




                                                                                                                                        VI: Psychic Powers
         Angels Psychic Powers. These powers may be
         purchased with Experience Points, provided the             Action: Full
Librarian meets the power’s Prerequisites and XP Cost as            Opposed: Yes
detailed on Table 6–14: Dark Angels Powers.                         Range: 10 metres x PR
                                                                    Sustained: Yes
                                                                    Description: Driving deep into the target’s mind, the
force barrier                                                       Librarian implants the seed of doubt and remorse, crippling
Action: Full                                                        the creature with indecision and guilt. This powers works
Opposed: No                                                         against a single target. Those affected by the power suffer
Range: Self                                                         a –5 x PR to WS, BS, S, Ag, Int, and Fel (all to a minimum
Sustained: Yes                                                      of 05). If this power is sustained then the target may make a
Description: Wrapping himself in a blanket of power, the            new Opposed Willpower Test at the start of each of its turns
Librarian creates a potent but static psychic shell over himself.   to end the effects.
While this power is in effect, and as long as the Librarian does       This power also confers a +30 bonus to the psyker’s
not move, he gains 3 AP x PR to all locations. In addition, if      Interrogation skill.
this power is manifested with a PR of 5 or more, all ranged
attacks count as having a Penetration of 0.
                                                                    True sTrike
                                                                    Action: Half
heLLfire                                                            Opposed: No
Action: Half                                                        Range: Self
Opposed: No                                                         Sustained: No
Range: 50 metres x PR                                               Description: Deadly against those with the psychic gift, the
Sustained: No                                                       effects of a True Strike can smash an enemy psyker’s mind
Description: The Librarian summons a torrent of psychic fire        to pieces. If the Librarian performs a melee attack against a
to burn and char his foes. He may pick a point within range         psyker (an individual Psy Rating of at least 1) within 1 Round
and engulf it in a cloud of flame with a radius of 2 metres x       x PR of activating the power, a successful attack will inflict an
PR. All those within the area will suffer 1d10 Energy damage        additional 2 points of damage x PR which cannot be reduced
x PR. In addition, all those within the area of effect must         by armour or Toughness. In addition, an individual suffering
make Challenging (+0) Agility Tests or be set on fire (see          damage from this power must make a Hard (–20) Willpower
page 260).                                                          Test or lose access to his Psychic Powers for 1 Round.
                                                                       This power has no additional effects on individuals without
                                                                    a Psy Rating of at least 1.
mask of shaDows
Action: Half or Reaction
Opposed: No
                                                                    weaken resoLve
Range: Self                                                         Action: Half
Sustained: Yes                                                      Opposed: Yes
Description: Covering his thoughts in darkness, the                 Range: 5 metres x PR
Librarian hides his mind from sight, confounding the efforts        Sustained: Yes
of enemy psykers or fearsome foes to psychically engage             Description: The Dark Angels Librarian forces his way into
                                                                    the minds of his foes, robbing them of their will to fight and
                                                                    eroding whatever resistance they possess. This power can affect
  Table 6–14: Dark Angels Powers                                    a number of foes equal to the Librarian’s PR. Those affected
   Power              XP Cost Prerequisites                         have their Willpower characteristic temporarily reduced by
   Force Barrier      1500        WP 40+                            –5 x PR (to a minimum of 1). This has corresponding effects
   Hellfire           1000        Rank 3, WP 40+                    on their Willpower Bonus. If this power is sustained, targets
   Mask of Shadows    1000        WP 50+                            are allowed a new Opposed Willpower Test (using their
   Mind Worm          1500        Rank 5, WP 50+                    reduced Willpower) to end its effects on them at the start of
   True Strike        500         —                                 each of their turns.
   Weaken Resolve     500         —



                                                                                                                    197
                        Space Wolves                                                      (+0) Agility Test, he reduces this damage by half (round up).
                                                                                          This power can only be used outside under an open sky.


                           Powers                                                         sTorm caLLer
                                                                                          Action: Full


                     O
                             nly Rune Priests have access to Space Wolves Psychic         Opposed: No
VI: Psychic Powers




                             Powers. These powers may be purchased with                   Range: 5 metre radius x PR
                             Experience Points, provided the Librarian meets              Sustained: Yes
                     the power’s Prerequisites and XP Cost as detailed on Table           Description: The Rune Priest invokes the ancient rites of
                     6–15: Space Wolves Powers.                                           ice and snow, calling up a blizzard of psychic energy around
                                                                                          himself and his allies. While this power is in effect, the Rune
                                                                                          Priest and all allies within the power’s radius become shrouded
                     fury of The woLf sPiriTs                                             in ethereal mist. All ranged attacks they make, or that are made
                     Action: Full                                                         against them, suffer a penalty of –5 x PR. Any ally who moves
                     Opposed: No                                                          outside the range of the power immediately loses its effects.
                     Range: 5 metre radius x PR
                     Sustained: Yes
                     Description: The Rune Priest summons up the spirits of
                                                                                          TemPesT’s wraTh
                     the Thunderwolves, Freki the Fierce and Geri the Cunning,            Action: Full
                     unleashing them upon his foes. As long as this power is sustained,   Opposed: No
                     the Rune Priest is flanked by two spectral wolves that he may        Range: 150 metre radius x PR
                     direct against his foes with a verbal command. The wolves cannot     Sustained: Yes
                     be damaged by attacks nor can they be grappled (though effects       Description: In a fearsome display of power, the Rune Priest
                     that end or disrupt the power will affect them as normal). They      calls upon the spirits of wind, storm, and snow, tearing the
                     also cannot stray outside the range of the power. Each Round         air with gales and tempests. While this power is in effect, any
                     on the Librarian’s Initiative, each wolf may make a single melee     creature with the Hoverer or Flyer trait must pass a Strength
                     attack against any target within range (they move automatically      Test at a penalty of –5 x PR to move through the air. Even
                     into contact with their foe and are not impeded by any kind          those that pass the test have their Movement reduced by half.
                     of terrain). Each attack will automatically hit unless Dodged or     Flying vehicles are also affected, and their pilots suffer a
                     Parried. Freki’s bite inflicts 1d10 x PR Rending damage, while       penalty of –5 x PR on all Skill tests they must make to operate
                     Geri’s Bite inflicts 1d5 x PR Rending damage with a Penetration      their craft. Flying vehicles also have their speed reduced by
                     of 3 x PR. Any target that takes damage from either Freki or Geri    half. Finally, ranged attacks inside, into or out of the radius
                     must make a roll on the Shock Table (unless the target is immune     of effect have their shots fouled by the winds. Thrown and
                     to Fear) adding the damage taken to the result.                      Primitive ranged weapons suffer a penalty of –5 x PR to hit,
                                                                                          while all other ranged weapons suffer a penalty of –2 x PR to
                                                                                          hit. This power may only be used on the surface of a planet
                     g                                                                    with atmosphere, and even then, the power only functions
                     Action: Full                                                         when outside of a building or other confined space.
                     Opposed: No
                     Range: 30 metre radius x PR
                     Sustained: Yes
                                                                                          p
                     Description: The Rune Priest cries out to the sky and calls          Action: Full
                     forth a dancing bolt of sentient electricity arcing down from the    Opposed: No
                     heavens. While this power is in effect, the Rune Priest can direct   Range: 10 metre radius x PR
                     the bolt of lightning against any target within range, changing      Sustained: No
                     targets between turns regardless of how far apart they are. Those    Description: With a word of power and a clap of his mighty
                     struck by the lightning will suffer 1d10 x PR Energy damage          hands, the Rune Priest creates a deafening crack of thunder
                     with the Shocking quality. If the target passes a Challenging        that rolls across the battlefield. All those within range of this
                                                                                          power (friends or foes, though not including the Rune Priest)
                                                                                          suffer 1d5 x PR Impact damage. This damage is reduced by
                       Table 6–15: Space Wolves Powers                                    Toughness as normal. However, only armour worn on the
                        Power                      XP Cost Prerequisites                  head protects against it. In addition, anyone suffering damage
                        Fury of the Wolf Spirits   2000      Rank 5, WP 40+               from this attack must make a Toughness Test with a penalty
                        Living Lightning           1000      WP 40+                       of –5 x PR or be deafened for 1d10 rounds (see page 260
                        Storm Caller               500       —                            for the effects of being deafened). Finally, fragile objects such
                        Tempest’s Wrath            1000      WP 50+                       as mundane glass, crystal or fine ceramics within the power’s
                        Thunderclap                500       —                            range are shattered (though the GM has the final say on
                                                                                          whether an object is affected).


                                 198
Storm Wardens                                                       target. The target suffers 1d10 Energy damage x PR counting
                                                                    as having the Shock Quality (see page 144). If this power is
                                                                    sustained, the target suffers 2d10 Energy damage in each of

   Powers                                                           the Librarian’s turns.


                                                                    hammer of The emPeror
O
        nly Storm Wardens have access to Storm Wardens




                                                                                                                                       VI: Psychic Powers
        Psychic Powers. These powers may be purchased               Action: Extended (5)
        with Experience Points, provided the Librarian              Opposed: No
meets the power’s Prerequisites and XP Cost as detailed on          Range: 1 kilometre x PR
Table 6–16: Storm Wardens Powers.                                   Sustained: No
                                                                    Description: With the power of an orbital barrage, the
ancesTors’ raGe                                                     Librarian calls down a mighty hammer of psychic energy
Action: Full                                                        with the power to lay waste to entire towns. The Librarian
Opposed: No                                                         chooses a point within range and calls down the Hammer.
Range: 1 metre x PR                                                 The Hammer has a radius of 100 metres x PR. Anything
Sustained: Yes                                                      within the area of effect is subjected to a moderate earthquake,
Description: Calling upon the talents of dead heroes, the           inflicting 3d10 x PR damage on all structures, possibly causing
Librarian instils within himself or another exceptional skill at    them to collapse. Creatures within the area must make a Hard
arms. While this power is in effect, the Librarian or a target      (–20) Agility Test to remain standing. This power cannot
of his choosing gains a number of Exotic Melee Weapons              be used Fettered, and does not work indoors. This power is
Talents of his choice equal to his PR, and increases his WS         extraordinary taxing and inflicts 1d5 levels of Fatigue on the
by +5 x PR (to a maximum of 95).                                    Librarian. In addition, the Librarian may not attempt to use
                                                                    the power again for at least 24 hours.
                                                                        At the GM’s discretion, falling buildings and raining debris
caLL To arms                                                        may inflict 3d10 I damage on those in the area of effect who
Action: Extended (2)                                                fail a Challenging (+0) Agility Test.
Opposed: No
Range: 10 metre radius x PR
Sustained: Yes
                                                                    mark of scorn
Description: Plunging his will into the Immaterium, the             Action: Half
Librarian calls forth ancestral spirits to fight on his side, and   Opposed: Yes
summons up a number of ancestral warriors equal to his PR           Range: 5 metres x PR
to fight for him. These warriors use the Imperial Guardsman         Sustained: Yes
profile on page 376 and are armed and armoured as detailed          Description: The Librarian casts a curse upon one of his
there. They will not stray beyond the range of the power nor        foes, marking him for death at the hands of the righteous.
can they be used for anything but combat. When they are             This power only works on a single target. The target becomes
killed, both they and their gear will vanish into smoke.            Marked, and all successful melee attacks against him will gain
                                                                    a bonus to damage equal to the Librarian’s PR. In addition,
                                                                    any instances of Righteous Fury (see page 245) from melee
g                                                                   attacks against him automatically occur without the need to
Action: Half                                                        pass a WS test.
Opposed: Yes
Range: 5 metres x PR
Sustained: Yes
                                                                    ll
Description: The Librarian encases one of his foes in a             Action: Half or Reaction
crackling cage of lightning, searing his flesh and contorting       Opposed: No
his muscles. This power may only be used against a single           Range: Self
                                                                    Sustained: Yes
                                                                    Description: The Librarian covers himself in a fine reactive
  Table 6–16: Storm Warden Powers                                   psychic shield that gets stronger the more force brought
   Power                    XP Cost Prerequisites                   against it. While this power is in effect, all attacks against
   Ancestors’ Rage       500            —                           the Librarian have their Penetration reduced by an amount
   Call to Arms          1500           WP 50+                      equal to his PR (to a minimum of 0). In addition, attacks that
   Crown of Lightning    1000           —                           ignore armour completely have this special ability negated by
   Hammer of the Emperor 2000           Rank 5, WP 60+              this power, instead inflicting normal damage against whatever
   Mark of Scorn         500            —                           armour the Librarian is wearing.
   Thunders Shell        1500           Rank 3, WP 40+



                                                                                                                   199
                         Ultramarines                                                 d

                                                                                      Action: Half

                            Powers                                                    Opposed: No
                                                                                      Range: 10 metre radius x PR
                                                                                      Sustained: Yes


                     O
                              nly Ultramarines Librarians have access to              Description: The Librarian calms the minds of nearby allies
VI: Psychic Powers




                              Ultramarines Psychic Powers. These powers may           and completely dispels their fear and doubt. While this power
                              be purchased with Experience Points, provided the       is active, a number of allies equal to PR, and within range, are
                     Librarian meets the power’s Prerequisites and XP Cost as         immune to the effects of Fear.
                     detailed on Table 6–17: Ultramarines Powers.
                                                                                      ParaGon
                       Table 6–17: Ultramarines Powers                                Action: Full
                        Power                  XP Cost Prerequisites                  Opposed: No
                        Fury of the Ancients   1000      WP 40+                       Range: 5 metre radius x PR
                        Glory of the Emperor   2000      Rank 5, WP 50+               Sustained: Yes
                        Inspiring Word         1000      —                            Description: The Librarian lets his authority shine forth in
                        Paragon                500       —                            a blaze of psychic energy, filling nearby allies with strength
                        War Cry                750       WP 40+                       and resolve to emulate his glory. While this power is in effect,
                        Word of the Emperor    1500      Rank 3, WP 50+               the Librarian can allow a number of allies equal to his PR
                                                                                      within range of the power to use one of his characteristics.
                                                                                      In effect, those benefiting from this power count as having
                                                                                      a characteristic score equal to that of the Librarian, though
                     fury of The ancienTs                                             if their own characteristic is higher they may choose to use
                     Action: Full                                                     that instead.
                     Opposed: No
                     Range: 10 metres x PR
                     Sustained: No
                                                                                      war cry
                     Description: Calling upon the legends of his Chapter, the        Action: Half
                     Librarian summons forth a ravening beast of ghostly flame        Opposed: Yes
                     and psychic energy. The flaming apparition then charges          Range: 5 metres x PR
                     forward from the Librarian in a straight line, moving up to      Sustained: No
                     the extent of the power’s range before vanishing in a burst      Description: With a terrifying cry, the Librarian demoralises
                     of energy. Those touched by the beast will suffer 1d5 x PR       and stuns nearby foes, forcing them to cower before his
                     points of Energy damage and must make a Pinning Test (see        might. This power can affect a number of foes equal to the
                     page 248) with a penalty of –5 x PR.                             Librarian’s PR. Those affected cannot use Reactions from the
                                                                                      end of the Librarian’s turn to the start of his next turn.
                     GLory of The emPeror
                     Action: Half
                                                                                      worD of The emPeror
                     Opposed: No                                                      Action: Full
                     Range: 10 metre radius x PR                                      Opposed: Yes
                     Sustained: No                                                    Range: 10 metres x PR
                     Description: For the briefest of instants the Librarian          Sustained: No
                     channels the light of the Emperor, bathing all those nearby      Description: The Librarian recites a sanctified prayer to the
                     in His glory. The Librarian may affect a number of allies        Emperor, speaking holy words that burn the minds of the
                     equal to his PR within line of sight and range of this power.    unfaithful and cast out the spirits of the Warp. This power
                     Those affected are healed by the divine light and will recover   can affect a number of targets equal to the Librarian’s PR.
                     Wounds equal to the Librarian’s PR. This healing cannot          Those affected will become Stunned (see page 261) for one
                     restore Critical Damage, nor will it take a creature above its   Round. Targets with the Daemonic Trait are affected much
                     starting Wound total.                                            more seriously by this power and will suffer 1d10 Explosive
                        Channelling this power is difficult and draining, and a       damage x PR and must make a Warp Instability Test. Finally,
                     Librarian may only use it a number of times each day (within     creatures targeted by this power suffering from Possession
                     a 24 hour period) equal to his Willpower Bonus.                  (see page 134) may immediately make a Challenging (+0)
                                                                                      Willpower Test to break free.




                                200
     TesTs
       •
The Role of faTe
       •
  t
       •
   Cohesion
       •
squad Mode and
  solo Mode
       •
squad and solo
 Mode abiliTies
       •
   Missions
                                Chapter VII:                                                   Success is more likely to occur in a Skill Test where the
                                                                                            character has Training in the Skill. A Battle-Brother can still
                                                                                            attempt a Skill Test with an Untrained Basic Skill, but in such

                                Playing the                                                 cases, the governing Characteristic is halved (round down).
                                                                                            A character cannot attempt a Skill Test with an Untrained
                                                                                            Advanced Skill.

                                   Game                                                        Many Talents can improve a Battle-Brother’s chances of
VII: Playing the Game




                                                                                            success at a Skill Test, as can Skill Mastery.
                                                                                               It is important to note that, despite their names, both
                        “A Space Marine is not born, but made by the good grace of the      Weapons Skill and Ballistics Skill are Characteristics. See
                        Emperor from flesh, blood, and a will to do the Master of           Characteristic Tests on page 203.
                        Mankind’s bidding.”

                                          –Gyvan Hul, Seneschal of the Rogue Trader         exaMple
                                                                  vessel Frozen Talon       Brother Ulfric is chasing down an Eldar guardian before he can
                                                                                            alert his nearby patrol. The slippery alien scrambles down an incline


                        T
                               his chapter covers the game’s core rules systems and         to escape the charging Space Marine. To climb down the cliff, the
                               how to use them to play games of Deathwatch. It              GM decides that Brother Ulfric must make a Climb test, which is a
                               introduces the main game mechanics and how to make           skill governed by Strength. Ulfric’ Strength is 41, but he doesn’t have
                        tests and set test difficulties. This chapter also covers such      training in Climb. Since Climb is a Basic Skill, Ulfric can still make
                        things as lighting and movement and the effect of both on           the attempt at half his normal Strength, which is 20. Ulfric’s player
                        the player characters. As well as these mechanics, this chapter     makes a percentile roll and gets a 29, which is higher than 20, so the
                        also covers the special rules relating to the characters’ Kill-     test fails and Ulfric falls instead.
                        team, such as Cohesion, Support, and Squad Mode actions                 Undaunted by his fall and still in pursuit of the Eldar, Ulfric
                        and abilities. Finally the chapter ends with information on         plunges after the xenos into a fast-flowing stream. This calls for Ulfric
                        Missions and how they can be used to structure adventures           to make a Swim Test. Swim is a Basic Skill governed by Strength, and
                        for the Kill-team.                                                  Ulfric has Training in Swim, so he gets to use his full Strength score
                                                                                            for the test, which is 41. Ulfric’s player makes a percentile roll and


                                             Tests
                                                                                            gets a 33—a success! Ulfric manages to catch the alien and drown
                                                                                            him quietly in the river, maintaining his team’s secrecy.




                        T
                               ests are the basic way of determining success or failure
                               in Deathwatch. When a Battle-Brother performs any
                               task that could have dramatic consequences—affecting
                        the story, a character’s health, the Chapter’s honour, the safety
                        of the Kill-team, and so on—a test must be performed.


                        c
                          • Determine the Skill or Characteristic to test.
                          • Add or subtract any relevant modifiers to the Skill or
                            Characteristic.
                          • Make a percentile roll (1d100).
                          • If the percentile roll is less than or equal to the Skill or
                            Characteristic being tested, the test succeeds.
                          • If the percentile roll is greater than the Skill or
                            Characteristic being tested, the test fails.


                        sts
                        The most common type of test a Battle-Brother performs
                        during the game is the Skill Test. Each Skill is governed by
                        a Characteristic. For example, the Dodge Skill is governed
                        by the Agility Characteristic. To make a Skill Test, add any
                        relevant modifiers to the Skill’s governing Characteristic, then
                        make a percentage roll. If the result is equal to or less than
                        the modified Characteristic, the test succeeds. If the result is
                        greater than the modified Characteristic, the test fails.


                                    202
  Table 7–1: Skill Tests                                             exaMple
   Type of Skill                 Effect on Skill Test                Brother Ulfric is clearing a corridor in a space hulk with his Kill-team.
                                 Test at half Characteristic         Seeing shapes moving in the shadowy distance, he opens fire with his
   Untrained Basic Skill
                                 (round down)
                                                                     storm bolter, spraying the dark with incandescing bolt rounds. Ulfric’s
                                 Cannot perform a test with          player makes a roll against his character’s WS of 45, scoring a 23. This
   Untrained Advanced
                                 this Skill
                                                                     beats his Characteristic by 22 indicating 2 Degrees of Success. Ulfric’s




                                                                                                                                                 VII: Playing The Game
                                 Skill Test at full
   Trained Basic or Advanced                                         accurate fire means the bulk of his rounds smash home into his foes.
                                 Characteristic
                                 Skill Test at full
   Mastered Basic or Advanced
                                 Characteristic +10 or +20           exTended TesTs
                                                                     Some tasks are quite complicated and may take extra time to
sts                                                                  finish. In these cases, the GM may decide that it takes more
                                                                     than one successful Skill Test to complete the task. This is
Sometimes a Battle-Brother wants to attempt something                known as an Extended Test. Generally, the Skill in question
not covered by a Skill. In such cases, a Characteristic Test         describes whether it requires an Extended Test, though the
can be used instead of a Skill Test. The GM determines the           GM may adjust the time represented by each test depending
most appropriate Characteristic for the test, then the player        on what is in fact being attempted.
makes a percentage roll. If the roll is equal to or less than the
Characteristic, the test succeeds. If the roll is greater than the
Characteristic, the test fails.
                                                                     opposed TesTs
                                                                     Sometimes a Battle-Brother needs to test himself against an
  Table 7–2: Characteristics Tests                                   opponent. This is known as an Opposed Test. For example, if a
                                                                     character needed to hide from an enemy scout, he could test his
   Characteristic Example Tests
                                                                     Concealment Skill against the scout’s Awareness Skill.
   Weapon Skill      Make an attack with a melee weapon.
                                                                        In an Opposed Skill Test, both participants make tests
   Ballistic Skill   Make an attack with a ranged weapon.
                                                                     normally. Whoever succeeds at his test wins. If both participants
                     Break down a door, restrain a captive,
   Strength
                     push over a grox.
                                                                     succeed, the one with the most Degrees of Success wins. If both
                                                                     Degrees of Success are the same, the highest Characteristic
                     Resist poison or disease, tolerate
   Toughness         temperature extremes, stave off hunger,         Bonus wins. If the result is still a tie, the lowest dice roll wins.
                     resist mutation.                                   Should both parties fail, one of two things occurs. Either
                     Determine Initiative, maintain balance          there is a stalemate and nothing happens or both parties should
   Agility           on a narrow surface, navigate treacherous       re-roll until there is a clear winner.
                     terrain.
                     Recall an important detail, identify a
   Intelligence
                     familiar face, solve a puzzle.                  exaMple
                     Notice a hidden enemy, locate a secret          Ulfric is trying to force open a bunker door while a group of terrified
   Perception
                     door, gauge another person’s attitude.          traitor guardsmen try to hold it closed. The GM decides this is an
   Willpower         Resist a Psychic Power, torture, or Fear.       opposed Strength, and so Ulfric’s player rolls against his character’s
                     Make a good impression or inspire               Strength of 41, while the GM roll against the collective guardsmen
   Fellowship
                     confidence.                                     Strength of 35. Ulfric’ player rolls a 31, passing his test, while the
                                                                     GM rolls a 30 for the guardsmen. As they both passed, the winner is
                                                                     determined by who passed by the most. This is Ulfric, passing by 10
degRees of suCCess and failuRe                                       compared to the guardsmen’s 5. Flinging the door open, Ulfric storms
                                                                     into the bunker to deliver the Emperor’s justice to the traitors.
For most tests, it is enough to know whether a character
succeeded or failed. Sometimes, however, it is useful to know
how well a character succeeded, or how badly he failed. This
                                                                     TesT diffiCulTy
is particularly important with social skills, such as Charm and      Not all tests are equal. Setting a melta bomb on a stationary
Inquiry, as well as certain combat situations, such as firing a      bunker and placing the same bomb on a moving battle tank
gun capable of a semi-automatic or fully automatic burst.            while under fire may both require Demolition Tests, but the
    Measuring Degrees of Success and Failure in a Skill or           latter is clearly harder than the former. But how much harder
Characteristic Test is straightforward. After the percentage         is one from the other? This is where test difficulty and the roll
roll is made, compare the roll with the modified Characteristic      of the GM both come into play.
score. For each full 10 points by which the Characteristic was           In some cases, the difficulty of a test is pre-determined by
exceeded, one Degree of Success is achieved. Conversely, for         the rules; in other cases, the GM should decide the difficulty
each 10 full points by which the test failed, one Degree of          and consult Table 7–3: Test Difficulty, below, to determine
Failure is gained.                                                   the appropriate modifier. The difficulty modifier is applied to
                                                                     the governing Characteristic associated with the test.


                                                                                                                            203
                          Table 7–3: Test Difficulty                                              exaMple
                           Difficulty                       Test Modifier                         Ulfric is trying to get an ancient transponder to work so that his
                           Trivial                          +60                                   Kill-team can call in support. This requires the Tech-use Skill,
                           Elementary                       +50                                   which Ulfric has trained in but is not well versed. Brother Tuteros,
                           Simple                           +40                                   a member of the Kill-team, is also on hand, however, and also has
                           Easy                             +30                                   some training in Tech-use, enabling him to help Ulfric and improve
VII: Playing the Game




                           Routine                          +20                                   their chances of success. The GM declares the normal difficulty for
                           Ordinary                         +10                                   this test is Challenging (+0), but with Tuteros’ Assistance, the test
                           Challenging                      +0                                    becomes Ordinary (+10). Furthermore, if Ulfric succeeds at the test,
                           Difficult                        –10                                   he automatically gains an extra Degree of Success.
                           Hard                             –20
                           Very Hard                        –30
                           Arduous
                           Punishing
                           Hellish
                                                            –40
                                                            –50
                                                            –60
                                                                                                          The Role of
                        exaMple
                                                                                                             Fate
                                                                                                  S
                        Codicier Raeigus is trying to decipher some ancient alien wards on               pace Marines are unusual people, individuals with
                        a tomb wall. Because of the nature of the wards and the age of                   abilities, backgrounds, and experiences well beyond
                        the writing, the GM decides that this is a Hard (–20) Lore:                      those of ordinary citizens of the Imperium. More than
                        Forbidden (Xenos) Test. Normally Raeigus would make this                  anything, the role of Fate in a Battle-Brother’s life is what
                        test against his Intelligence of 47, however as this is a Hard test he    separates him from the masses. All characters begin play with
                        suffers a –20 penalty to his Characteristic for this test. Therefore to   a number of Fate Points, which are determined at character
                        pass the test he must roll 27 or less.                                    creation. For some, these Fate Points represent destiny, a sign
                                                                                                  that the Emperor has marked them for greatness. For others,
                        assistance                                                                Fate represents simple luck.

                        In some situations, multiple characters working together have
                        a better chance of completing the task than if a character                ts
                        attempts it alone. With the GM’s permission, a character can              Fate Points allow a Battle-Brother to manipulate situations
                        assist another character who is performing a test. Only the               by mitigating bad results or turning a mishap into fortune.
                        character who is actually performing the test rolls dice. Each            Among other things, this allows players to take more risks,
                        character assisting reduces the difficulty by one step (see               which makes the game faster and far more exciting. A Battle-
                        Table 7–3). If the test succeeds, the character performing the            Brother has a limited pool of Fate Points, and when a Fate
                        test gains an extra Degree of Success.                                    Point is spent, that pool is reduced by one. Spent Fate Points
                                                                                                  are restored at the beginning of the next gaming session, or
                        Limits on Assistance                                                      possibly under special circumstances in the middle of a game
                                                                                                  session that the GM deems appropriate. A Fate Point can be
                        Characters can assist each other in most tasks, but there are             used at any time, either on the character’s own Turn or in
                        limits:                                                                   reaction to the action of another character. Spending a Fate
                          • To give assistance on a Skill Test, a character must have             Point is a Free Action.
                             training in the skill.                                                  Spending one Fate Point allows a Space Marine to do one
                          • The assisting character must be adjacent to the character             of the following:
                             performing the test.                                                   • Re-roll a failed test once. The results of the re-roll are
                          • Assistance cannot be given for Reactions or Free                           final.
                             Actions.                                                               • Gain a +10 bonus to a test. This must be chosen before
                          • Assistance cannot be given on tests made to resist                         dice are rolled.
                             disease, poison, Fear, or anything else the GM deems                   • Add an extra Degree of Success to a test. This may be
                             inappropriate.                                                            chosen after dice are rolled.
                          • No more than two characters may attempt to assist                       • Count as having rolled a 10 for Initiative.
                             another on a single test.                                              • Instantly remove 1d10 Damage (this cannot affect
                                                                                                       Critical Damage).
                                                                                                    • Instantly recover from being Stunned.
                                                                                                    • Enter Squad Mode without a Cohesion Test.
                                                                                                    • Gain a +1 bonus to your Rank for the benefits of a Solo
                                                                                                       Mode ability.
                                                                                                    • Remove one level of Fatigue.


                                    204
buRning faTe                                                           In some situations, it may be important to note how fast a
                                                                    character can travel in Narrative Time.
Sometimes a re-roll or an extra Degree of Success is not going         Table 7–5: Narrative Time Movement describes the
to be enough to save a Battle-Brother’s life. In these instances,   standard speeds a character can move at a leisurely pace under
the character may choose to burn a Fate Point and permanently       ideal circumstances. Environment (see following) can affect
reduce his Fate Points by one. The result is that the character     these speeds, hindering the characters as they travel.
survives whatever it was that would have killed him, but only




                                                                                                                                        VII: Playing The Game
just. For example, if the character was shot with a lascannon         Table 7–5: Narrative Time Movement
and suffered a Critical Hit that would have killed him, instead
                                                                       AB             Per Minute       Per Hour     Per Day†
he is only hideously burnt and rendered unconscious with
                                                                       0              12m              0.75km       7km
zero Wounds. In more extreme circumstances, such as being
                                                                       1              24m              1.5km        15km
trapped on a spaceship during a warp drive implosion, it is
up to the player and the GM to work out just how the Battle-           2              48m              3km          30km
Brother makes his escape. A Fate Point may be burnt even if            3              72m              4km          40km
it has already been used for that gaming session.                      4              96m              6km          60km
                                                                       5              120m             7km          70km
                                                                       6              144m             9km          90km
gaining addiTional faTe poinTs                                         7              168m             10km         100km
Battle-Brothers are awarded additional Fate Points (or allowed         8              192m             12km         120km
to replenish those that have been burnt) at the GM’s discretion.       9              216m             13km         130km
Such rewards can be given out as the main adventure reaches            10             240m             14km         140km
certain milestones, or for particular acts of heroism, cunning,        †Assumes 10 hours of walking.
or good roleplaying.

                                                                    naRRaTive MoveMenT and TeRRain
          Movement                                                  Terrain conditions affect how fast a character can cover ground
                                                                    during Narrative Time. Obviously, slogging through a waist-
In many game situations, it is unnecessary to worry about           deep death world swamp is far more laborious than strolling
how fast a character can run or how long it takes him to            through the steel corridors of an orbital space station. Halve
walk from the Emperor’s chapel to the proving ground. On            distances when moving through tightly packed foliage, dense
the other hand, there are also many situations that come up         urban areas, or similarly difficult terrain. The Game Master
during a game, such as a combat, where knowing how far              determines what, if any, modifiers apply to Narrative Time
a character can move over a given period of time becomes            caused by the environment.
very important. During a combat Round, a character may
take a specific Action to move at one of four speeds: Half
Move, Full Move, Charge, or Run. The number of metres a
                                                                    huRRying
character travels per Round at these various speeds determined      A character can pick up the pace, moving up to double his
by his Agility Bonus, see Table 7–4: Structured Time                movement in Narrative Time for a number of hours equal to
Movement below for details. Traits can modify some or all           his Toughness Bonus. At the end of this time, he must make a
movement speeds.                                                    Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or take 1 level of Fatigue.
                                                                    In addition, a hurrying character is less likely to pay attention
                                                                    to his surroundings and thus suffers a –10 penalty to all
  Table 7–4: Structured Time Movement                               Perception-based Tests.
  (Metres/Round)                                                       A character may push on, even with these penalties, but he
                                                                    must continue to make progressively more difficult Toughness
   AB Half Move Full Move Charge                  Run               Tests to avoid accumulating additional levels of Fatigue. He
   0     1/2            1            2            3                 suffers a –10 penalty to his Toughness Test after the second
   1     1              2            3            6                 time period, a –20 penalty after the third period, and so forth.
   2     2              4            6            12
   3     3              6            9            18
   4     4              8            12           24
   5     5              10           15           30
   6     6              12           18           36
   7     7              14           21           42
   8     8              16           24           48
   9     9              18           27           54
   10    10             20           30           60



                                                                                                                    205
                        Running and naRRaTive TiMe                                           Climbing
                        Characters can run during Narrative Time, but doing so is            There may be times during a character’s explorations when
                        tiring. When running, a character triples his rate of movement,      he wants to scramble over a low wall, descend into a crevasse,
                        but each hour of sustained running requires the character to         climb to an ideal rooftop sniper position, or shinny up a tree
                        make a Toughness Test, with a cumulative –10 penalty per             to escape the claws of vicious xenos. Climbing is divided into
                        hour after the first, to sustain the pace. On a failed test, the     two general categories: simple climbs and sheer surfaces.
VII: Playing the Game




                        character takes 1 level of Fatigue. Characters moving at this
                        brisk pace are focused on running and watching their steps, so
                        they take a –20 penalty to all Perception-based Tests. As with
                                                                                             siMple CliMbs
                        hurrying, characters can continue running after a failed test, but   Simple climbs can include fences, steep hills, boulders, trees,
                        penalties gained from multiple failed tests are cumulative.          or anything else that requires effort and concentration, but
                                                                                             no real skill to accomplish. Any character with both hands
                                                                                             free can automatically accomplish a simple climb, provided
                        foRCed MaRChing                                                      he takes his time and is not being distracted (such as being
                        There’s nothing stopping characters from pushing themselves          shot at).
                        beyond the standard 10 hours of marching. Characters may                 If a character is trying to climb quickly, is being attacked,
                        safely push themselves for a number of extra hours equal to          or is otherwise distracted, he needs to make a Strength Test
                        their Toughness Bonus. Beyond this, a character must make a          or Climb Test to perform a simple climb. On a success, the
                        Toughness Test, with a cumulative –10 penalty per hour, for          character ascends or descends at a rate of one-half his Half
                        each hour he travels beyond his Toughness Bonus. A failed            Move speed (round up). For each Degree of Success, the
                        test indicates that the character takes a level of Fatigue. It       character climbs an extra metre. On a failed test, the character
                        is possible to march oneself into unconsciousness. Fatigue           falls from his starting climbing position. The GM can adjust
                        taken from forced marching is removed after the character            the difficulty of the test based on the nature of the climb
                        has rested for two hours for each hour he marched beyond             and other conditions, but the default difficulty is Challenging
                        their Toughness Bonus.                                               (+0). Note that some acts of climbing, such as ascending a
                                                                                             sturdy ladder, are so basic that no test should be necessary.
                        t
                        The movement rates for characters described on Table 7–4
                                                                                             sheeR suRfaCes
                        assume a relatively clear battlefield. There may be a few            Many surfaces are beyond the means of ordinary characters to
                        minor obstacles, but characters can still move at their standard     climb. A sheer cliff with overhangs and no visible hand-holds,
                        rates. There are, however, some circumstances that reduce a          an icy crevasse, and the exterior walls of most buildings all
                        character’s speed. These can include rubble-strewn hallways,         require skill to climb successfully. Such efforts always require
                        deep snow, dense fog, thick underbrush, and a variety of             a test. A character may attempt to climb a sheer surface by
                        other conditions that make it tough to navigate. In such             making a Climb Test. On a success, the character ascends or
                        environments, a character’s movement is halved. If a character       descends at a rate of one-half his Half Move speed (round
                        charges or runs, he must succeed at Challenging (+0)                 up). For each Degree of Success, the character climbs an
                        Agility Test or fall prone. The difficulty of this test can be       extra metre. On a failed test, the character falls from his
                        modified based on the terrain. See Table 7–6: Treacherous            starting climbing position. Climbing difficulty varies with the
                        Environment Agility Modifiers (below) for suggestions.               nature of the climbing surface, though most tests should be
                                                                                             Challenging (+0).


                                                                                             abseiling
                          Table 7–6: Treacherous Environment
                                                                                             A character can descend a sheer surface more quickly by
                          Agility Modifiers
                                                                                             abseiling. This requires some kind of climbing gear, such a
                           Condition                     Difficulty                          drop harness, or at the very least some long rope. An abseiling
                           Fog or Smoke                  Ordinary (+10)                      character makes a Challenging (+0) Agility Test. On a
                           Mud                           Challenging (+0)                    success, he descends at a rate of 10 metres per Round. On a
                           Shallow Water                 Challenging (+0)                    failure, he descent rate is only five metres per Round. Failure
                           Darkness                      Difficult (–10)                     by two or more degrees requires to the character to make a
                           Snow                          Difficult (–10)                     Challenging (+0) Strength Test or lose his grip—if he is
                           Underbrush                    Difficult (–10)                     not wearing a drop harness, he falls.
                           Dense Crowds                  Hard (–20)
                           Zero Gravity                  Hard (–20)
                           Rubble                        Hard (–20)
                           Tremors                       Hard (–20)



                                    206
JUmPing and leaPing                                                Running hoRizonTal leaps
A jump is a controlled vertical ascent or descent where a          When performing a Running Horizontal Leap, a character
character attempts to either jump as high as he can, or jump       must move at least four metres in a straight line before
down safely without suffering damage. If a character is pushed     making the Leap. At the end of his movement, he makes a
over an edge, or is otherwise not in control of a descent, he is   Challenging (+0) Agility Test. On a success, he Leaps a
not jumping, but falling (see page 261). A leap is a horizontal    number of metres equal to his Strength Bonus, plus another




                                                                                                                                     VII: Playing The Game
jump where a character attempts to cover as much distance          half metre for each Degree of Success. On a failure, he only
as possible. Both jumping and leaping can benefit from a           Leaps a number of metres equal to half his Strength Bonus
running start. Performing any kind of jump or leap is treated      (round up), and each Degree of Failure further reduces this
as a Full Action.                                                  distance by another half metre (to a minimum of one-half
                                                                   metre). For every four additional metres beyond the first four
                                                                   that a character runs before making a Leap, he receives a
sTanding veRTiCal JuMps                                            +10 bonus to his Agility Test (maximum +30). Should it be
From a standing position, an average character can jump            important, the height attained while leaping is equal to one
about half a metre straight up (measured from the ground to        quarter the distance in metres travelled (round up).
the bottom of his feet). Jumping distance depends as much on
a character’s body mass as it does his Strength and Agility, so
this distance tends to vary only slightly between characters. A
character can jump up to reach an overhead ledge, or similar
object, that is as high as his own height, plus about one
metre for average arm length, plus another half a metre for
an average standing jump. Usually, no test is required to make
such a jump, though pulling oneself up onto a grabbed ledge
requires a Challenging (+0) Strength Test. A character can
attempt to safely jump down a number of metres equal to his
Agility Bonus by making a Challenging (+0) Agility Test.
If he succeeds, he lands on his feet and takes no damage. If he
succeeds, but the jump is a greater distance than his Agility
Bonus, he must take Falling Damage (see page 261) equal to
the distance jumped in metres beyond his Agility Bonus and
ends his Turn prone. If he fails the Agility Test, he suffers
Falling Damage for the entire distance of the jump and ends
his Turn prone.


Running veRTiCal JuMps
If a character gets a running start by moving at least four
metres in a straight line, he can jump higher. At the end of his
movement, he must make a Challenging (+0) Agility Test.
If he succeeds, he can add half his Strength Bonus (rounded
up) in metres to his normal vertical jump distance (see above),
plus an additional half metre for each Degree of Success. If he
fails the test, he stumbles, which ends his Turn. For every four
additional metres beyond the first four that a character runs
before making a Jump, he receives a +10 bonus to his Agility
Test (maximum +30).
                                                                   Swimming
                                                                   A character doesn’t need to make a Swim Test under ideal
sTanding hoRizonTal leaps                                          circumstances, but hazardous conditions such as rough waters,
To make a Standing Horizontal Leap, a character must make a        hands being tied, or swimming whilst fighting all require
Difficult (–10) Agility Test. On a success, he Leaps number        Swim Tests to move. To swim under hazardous conditions,
of metres equal to his Strength Bonus, plus another half metre     a character must make a Challenging (+0) Swim Test as a
for each Degree of Success. On a failure, he only Leaps a          Full Action. A success indicates that the character moves in
number of metres equal to half his Strength Bonus (round up),      any direction up to a number of metres equal to one-half his
and each Degree of Failure further reduces this distance by        Strength Bonus, or simply treads water at his option. A failed
another half metre (to a minimum of one-half metre). Should        Test means that he makes no progress and cannot move. A
it be important, the height attained while leaping is equal to     character can choose to swim underwater, but he must hold
one quarter the distance in metres travelled (round up).           his breath to do so. A character who is unable to swim for some


                                                                                                                  207
                        reason (unconsciousness, paralysis, etc.) automatically goes       Table 7–7: Carrying, Lifting & Pushing
                        underwater. While underwater, a character risks Suffocation        Weights
                        due to drowning (see page 261).
                           Heavy equipment, especially armour, makes swimming               Sum of SB Max                Max            Max
                        extremely difficult. If a character is wearing armour or is         and TB    Carrying           Lifting        Pushing
                        otherwise weighted down, all Swim Tests are Very Hard                         Weight             Weight         Weight
                        (–30) and a failed Swim Test automatically imposes one level        0             0.9kg          2.25kg         4.5kg
VII: Playing the Game




                        of Fatigue.                                                         1             2.25kg         4.5kg          9kg
                                                                                            2             4.5kg          9kg            18kg
                                                                                            3             9kg            18kg           36kg
                        swiMMing and naRRaTive TiMe                                         4             18kg           36kg           72kg
                        Prolonged swimming can be exhausting. A character may               5             27kg           54kg           108kg
                        swim for a number of hours equal to his Toughness Bonus.            6             36kg           72kg           144kg
                        After that point, he must make a Toughness Test each hour           7             45kg           90kg           180kg
                        with a cumulative –10 penalty per hour. On a failed test,           8             56kg           112kg          224kg
                        he takes one level of Fatigue. If a swimming character falls        9             67kg           134kg          268kg
                        unconscious due to Fatigue, he goes underwater and begins to        10            78kg           156kg          312kg
                        Suffocate (see page 261). To determine the distance covered         11            90kg           180kg          360kg
                        for each hour of Swimming, use Table 7–5: Narrative Time            12            112kg          224kg          448kg
                        Movement and swap the character’s Strength Bonus for his            13            225kg          450kg          900kg
                        Agility Bonus.                                                      14            337kg          674kg          1,348kg
                                                                                            15            450kg          900kg          1,800kg

                        cts                                                                 16
                                                                                            17
                                                                                                          675kg
                                                                                                          900kg
                                                                                                                         1,350kg
                                                                                                                         1,800kg
                                                                                                                                        2,700kg
                                                                                                                                        3,600kg
                                                                                            18            1,350kg        2,700kg        5,400kg
                                                                                            19            1,800kg        3,600kg        7,200kg
                        Under normal circumstances, characters in Deathwatch do             20            2,250kg        4,500kg        9,000kg
                        not need to precisely calculate how much they can carry.
                        Common sense can serve as a guide for most purposes. In
                        general, most characters can reasonably carry one main           t
                        weapon (such as a boltgun, lasgun, or flamer), plus one or two   A character’s Lifting Weight represents the maximum amount
                        secondary weapons (such as pistols or melee weapons), plus a     of weight he can pick up off the ground. A character can
                        few clips of extra ammo and several pieces of miscellaneous      attempt to move whilst holding a heavy load, but if the load
                        equipment in a backpack, satchel, or similar container. On the   exceeds his Carrying Weight, he is Encumbered (see below).
                        other hand, it would not be at all reasonable for a character    Lifting a heavy load is treated as a Full Round Action. A
                        (even a very strong one) to be walking around with three         character can attempt to lift more than his usual limit by
                        different heavy weapons and several thousand rounds of           making a Challenging (+0) Strength Test. Each Degree
                        ammo for each, or for a character to have a backpack with        of Success adds a +1 bonus to the sum of the character’s
                        one of everything from the equipment section in Chapter          Strength Bonus and Toughness Bonus for the purpose of
                        V: Armoury. However, there are likely to be instances when       determining limits. If the test is failed by two degrees or
                        it is useful to know how much a character can lift or carry.     more, the character suffers one level of Fatigue.
                        The amount of weight a character can move depends on the
                        sum of his Strength Bonus and Toughness Bonus. Compare
                        the total to Table 7–7: Carrying, Lifting, and Pushing
                                                                                         t
                        Weights to find out the limits of a character’s might. Note      A character’s Pushing Weight represents the maximum
                        that certain Traits may increase these values.                   amount of weight he can shove across a smooth surface, such
                                                                                         as a metal floor. Difficult Terrain can make pushing objects
                                                                                         much more difficult. Pushing a heavy object is treated as a
                        t                                                                Full Round Action. A character can attempt to push more
                        A character’s Carrying Weight is how much he can comfortably     than his usual limit by making a Challenging (+0) Strength
                        carry without suffering and penalties to his movement. If a      Test. Each Degree of Success adds a +1 bonus to the sum
                        character carries more that this weight, he is Encumbered (see   of the character’s Strength Bonus and Toughness Bonus for
                        Table 7–7).                                                      the purpose of determining limits. If the test is failed by two
                                                                                         degrees or more, the character suffers one level of Fatigue.




                                   208
enCuMbeRed ChaRaCTeRs                                                  for every Degree of Success on the test. These rules do not apply
                                                                       to aerodynamic throwing weapons and grenades. Such weapons
If a character attempts to carry more than his normal carrying         have a range given on the weapons tables and have range brackets
limits (but less than his lifting limit), he is Encumbered. An         like other weapons. If the object is being thrown at a specific
Encumbered character takes a –10 penalty to all movement-              target, it is treated as an improvised weapon and the throwing
related tests and reduces his Agility Bonus by one for the             character makes a Ballistic Skill Test instead of a Strength Test. A
purposes of determining movement rates and Initiative. In              character can attempt to throw an object that weighs more than




                                                                                                                                              VII: Playing The Game
addition, after a number of hours equal to his Toughness               half his Lifting Weight, but such tests are Hard (–20).
Bonus have passed while carrying this weight, he must make
a Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or take one level
of Fatigue.                                                            lighTing
                                                                       Many adventures in Deathwatch take place under the cover of
                                                                       night, in the shadowy depths of a space hulk, or in the dank and
ThRowing obJeCTs                                                       fetid underhive. As a result, the oppressive darkness becomes a
Chapter V: Armoury describes several weapons designed to               constant enemy, concealing countless terrors and monstrous threats
be thrown at targets, but a character can attempt to throw just        in its depths. For these reasons, light sources are of paramount
about any object that weighs up to half the character’s normal         importance when exploring the dark places of the Imperium. For
Lifting Weight (as indicated by Table 7–7: Carrying, Lifting,          simplicity, Deathwatch uses three levels of light: Bright, Shadow
and Pushing Weights). To throw an object, a character makes            and Darkness. Bright light is any light that allows normal vision,
a Challenging (+0) Strength Test. A successful test means that         such as sunlight or being within the radius of a torch, glo-
the object flies a number of metres equal to his Strength Bonus.       lantern, and so on. Shadow conditions occurs during pre-dawn
For each Degree of Success, this distance increases by a factor of     and twilight hours on Earth-like planets, whenever a character
one, so one degree means that the character throws the object a        or object is just beyond the range of a normal light source, or
number of metres equal to twice his Strength Bonus, two degrees        when that source is obscured by an effect such as fog. Darkness,
means that the object is thrown a number of metres equal to three      naturally enough, is the absence of light. Aside from the obvious
times his Strength Bonus, and so forth. On a failed test, the object   effects of Darkness and Shadow, areas of Shadow and Darkness
flies a number of metres equal to half his Strength Bonus (round       can interfere with a character’s movement and combat capabilities.
down; a result of 0 means it fell at his feet). If the object hits a   Characters may move through areas of Shadow at no penalty, but
hard surface such as a wall, it takes 1d10+SB Damage plus one          may move at only half speed or less through Darkness. Exceeding




                                                                                                                         209
                        this speed means that the character may drift in a random direction   only when the creature is flying. While flying or hovering, a
                        unless the character succeeds on a Hard (–20) Perception Test.        creature must devote a Movement Action to maintaining its
                        For the effects of lighting on combat, see page 247.                  flight each Turn, or it falls. Half Move, Full Move, Charge, and
                                                                                              Run are all valid Actions for maintaining flight. If the creature
                                                                                              at Hovering Altitude suddenly stops flying (by not devoting a
                        Flying                                                                Move Action or being Stunned, for example), it simply lands
                        This section describes rules for flying creatures, or characters      on the ground unharmed. If it is instead at Low Altitude, it
VII: Playing the Game




                        with specific technology that grants flight capability.               suffers Falling Damage (seepage 261) as if it fell 15 metres. If
                                                                                              it is instead at High Altitude, it suffers Falling Damage as if it
                                                                                              fell 25 metres, or more at the GM’s discretion.
                        alTiTude
                        On a typical Earth-like planet, there are three broad altitude
                        levels: Hovering, Low Altitude, and High Altitude. A flying           The eFFeCTS oF graviTy
                        creature can change altitude by one level (up or down) during         Although the inhabited worlds of the Imperium may vary
                        each Move Action taken. If a creature is using a Charge or            slightly in terms of gravity, the effects on game play are minimal.
                        Run Action, it can change altitudes by two levels.                    Only when characters explore High Gravity or Low Gravity
                                                                                              worlds are movement, lifting and other factors affected.
                        hoveRing alTiTude
                        Hovering means that a creature is skimming just above the
                                                                                              low gRaviTy woRlds
                        ground, no higher than two metres. It can move over low               On worlds of low gravity, all characters increase their Agility
                        obstacles with ease. A hovering creature can both attack and          Bonus by two for the purposes of movement and determining
                        be attacked by other creatures and characters on the ground.          Initiative. In addition, characters add four to the total of their
                        Some creatures are capable of hovering, but incapable of              Strength Bonus and Toughness Bonuses for the purpose of
                        flying at other altitudes. Such creatures have the Hoverer            determining carrying, lifting, and pushing limits. Characters
                        Trait (see page 132). A creature with the Hoverer Trait always        also add two to their Strength Bonus for determining how far
                        stays at the same height above ground (usually within two             they can throw objects. Low gravity doubles all jumping and
                        metres) even if it descends into low terrain, such as a pit.          Leaping distances.
                        Such creatures will not willingly descend into an area they
                        cannot get out of, no more so than any normal creature would
                        willingly jump into a hole in which it could not escape.
                                                                                              high gRaviTy woRlds
                                                                                              On worlds of high gravity, all characters decrease their Agility
                                                                                              Bonus by two (to a minimum of one) for the purposes of
                        low alTiTude                                                          movement and determining Initiative. In addition, characters
                        This altitude indicates that a creature is flying at a height         subtract four (to a minimum zero) from the total of their
                        that is beyond the melee attack range of other creatures or           Strength Bonus and Toughness Bonuses for the purpose of
                        characters on the ground, but is still within the range of            determining carrying, lifting, and pushing limits. Characters
                        most ranged attacks from such creatures or characters. A Low          also subtract two from their Strength Bonus (to a minimum
                        Altitude flier takes no penalties for shooting downwards, but         of 0) for determining how far they can throw objects. Finally,
                        those firing up at it suffer a –10 penalty to their Ballistic Skill   halve all Jumping and Leaping distances.
                        Tests in addition to any normal penalties for range.
                                                                                              zeRo gRaviTy
                        high alTiTude                                                         Battle-Brothers are most likely to encounter zero gravity
                        When a creature is flying at High Altitude, it is far above the       conditions in outer space when there has been a serious
                        ground beyond the range of all attacks, even those coming             technological failure. Zero gravity is considered Difficult
                        from Low Altitude. A High Altitude flier can only attack or be        Terrain, meaning that a character’s movement is halved while in
                        attacked by other creatures flying at High Altitude.                  it, and if he attempts a Charge or Run Action, he must succeed
                                                                                              at a Hard (–20) Agility Test or drift out of control (treat as
                                                                                              falling prone). Additionally, a character beginning a movement
                        t                                                                     action in zero gravity must be adjacent to a floor, wall, ceiling,
                        Flying creatures and characters are broken up into two categories,    or other secure object, so he has something to push off from.
                        each of which is a Trait (see Chapter IV: Talents & Traits).
                        They are Hoverers and Flyers. Hoverers can move through
                        the air, but are incapable of gaining more than two metres of
                        altitude. A Flyer can ascend or descend to any altitude. Each
                        Trait has an associated number in the creature’s description.
                        This number describes the character or creature’s Flying
                        Movement. This works just like regular movement, but applies


                                    210
              Cohesion                                                whaT iS CoheSion?
                                                                      All Space Marines are trained to work as part of a combat unit,
“Shoulder-plate to shoulder-plate the Adeptus Astartes stand as       be it a fire-team, squad, or company, and it is in these settings in
mankind’s wall against the dark.”                                     which they excel and demonstrate their clear superiority over their
                                                                      foes. Cohesion represents a Battle-Brother’s faith in his comrades
     –Arch-Scribe Urtos, Memorite of the Book of Days and             and his connection to the rest of the Kill-team. Generated at




                                                                                                                                             VII: Playing The Game
                                                  Leagues             the start of a Mission, Cohesion is a pool of points that may be
                                                                      spent by the Battle-Brothers during play to allow them to act


B
        attle-Brothers live in a world of martial prowess where       more closely with their Kill-team and perform special battlefield
        loyalty to the Chapter and bravery in battle are revered      manoeuvres known as Squad Mode abilities (see       page 215).
        above all things. They are trained from their initiation
that their faith in their fellow Space Marines should be no less
than their faith in the Emperor. Over years of service and the
                                                                      r
gruelling forge of battle, they form bonds with their brothers        Cohesion is generated at the start of each Mission depending
stronger than ceramite and more lasting than the stars themselves.    on which player-character has taken on the role of the squad
When a Battle-Brother is given the honour of joining the              leader (see page 228 for details on Missions and selection of
Deathwatch, he must re-forge these bonds with a new group             the squad leader). This reflects the leader’s command abilities
of brothers if he is to excel as a warrior and do his duty to         and natural charisma, as well as his Battle-Brothers’ faith in
the Emperor. A Kill-team, however, is a mix of combat styles,         him. To work out the size of the Kill-team’s pool of Cohesion
differing ideologies and ancient Chapter rivalries that can be        points use the squad leader’s Fellowship Bonus as a base
hard to overcome. To be effective in battle and bring down the        modified using Table 7–8: Cohesion Modifiers.
foes of the Imperium, its members must try and recapture the               his score can then be recorded by the squad leader on his
camaraderie and cohesion of their own Chapter. In this way a          Status Mode sheet (see page 399).
Kill-team can act as a single flawless unit in battle, anticipating
each other’s actions and laying waste to all who oppose them.




                                                                                                                        211
                          Table 7–8: Cohesion Modifiers                                             Creatures with the Fear Trait (see page 131) can also cause
                                                                                                Cohesion damage to the Kill-team, but this damage is negated
                           Modifier                        Cohesion Bonus                       if the Kill-team Leader succeeds at a Willpower Test (see page
                           Rank 4+                         +1†                                  277 in Chapter IX: The Game Master for full details on
                           Rank 6+                         +2†                                  Fear and how it affects Cohesion).
                           Command Skill                   +1‡
                           Command Skill +10               +2‡
                                                                                                exaMple
VII: Playing the Game




                           Command Skill +20               +3‡
                           †Only the highest applies                                            Battle-Brother Palarius and his Kill-team are in Squad Mode,
                           ‡Only the highest applies                                            fighting a vicious pitched battle with an ork warband. During a
                                                                                                furious assault, an Ork lobs a stikk bomb into the midst of Palarius’
                                                                                                squad, inflicting 13 points of Damage to Palarius. As Palarius is
                        exaMple                                                                 in Squad Mode and because a stikk bomb has the Blast quality,
                        Andrew’s character is currently in the role of squad leader. He is      and inflicted more than 10 points of Damage, it may also inflict a
                        Rank 1 with a Fellowship Bonus of 3, and he has the Command             point of Cohesion damage, unless Palarius’ squad leader can pass a
                        Skill. This gives his squad a Cohesion of 4 (3+1), which he records     Command or Fellowship Test.
                        on his Status Mode sheet.
                                                                                                ReCoveRing losT Cohesion
                        Cohesion daMage                                                         Cohesion is a resource that must be used wisely by the Kill-
                        In the same way that a Battle-Brother may suffer Damage                 team during the course of a Mission and typically they will
                        to his physical capacities, he may also suffer Damage to his            only have a handful points at their disposal. There is however
                        ability to connect to his squad and combat morale. This often           a few ways in which Cohesion can be recovered during play,
                        comes in the form of some kind of weapon attack, though                 restoring the Kill-team’s pool, strengthening their bonds
                        it can come from other sources such as Psychic Powers or                of brotherhood and allowing them further access to Squad
                        unusual environments. This Damage temporarily reduces the               Mode abilities.
                        Kill-team’s Cohesion in the same way that weapon Damage                     One point of Cohesion will be recovered by the Kill-team if:
                        reduces Wounds. This reflects the fact that weight of enemy                • The Kill-team completes one of their Mission Objectives
                        fire, the chaos of combat, and particularly devastating weapons              (see page 230)
                        can all place strain on the Kill-team and its ability to function          • Any member of the Kill-team spends a Fate Point
                        as an organised battlefield unit.                                          • The GM decides that the Battle-Brothers have completed
                            When a Battle-Brother is in Squad Mode (see page 213),                   a particularly monumental task or roleplayed well the
                        every time his character suffers 10 or more Damage from one                  bonds of brotherhood within their Kill-team.
                        of the following sources (before reduction from armour of
                        Toughness) his Kill-team will lose a point of Cohesion:
                           • A basic ranged weapon with the Accurate quality (such              exaMple
                              as a sniper rifle)                                                Palarius and his Kill-team push back an Ork assault, completing
                           • A weapon with the Blast quality                                    one of their Mission’s Secondary Objectives. By completing the
                           • Any weapon with the Devastating quality                            Objective Palarius’ Kill-team recover a point of Cohesion.
                            This Cohesion damage can however be ignored if the
                        squad leader can pass a Challenging (+0) Command or
                        Fellowship Test, rallying his men under fire. This test is a
                                                                                                Cohesion Challenges
                        Free Action and is taken as soon as the damage occurs.                  Cohesion is not just used to activate Squad Mode abilities but
                            Since damage to Cohesion relies on shock and confusion,             can also be used to quickly enter Squad Mode or maintain
                        there are limits to the amount that a Kill-team can suffer in a         it under certain stresses, or test the Kill-team’s trust in each
                        single combat Round—additional explosions, storms of shells,            other and faith in their leader’s abilities. In both cases this is
                        and artillery have little additional effect. For this reason, a Kill-   know as a Cohesion Challenge. To pass this test, a character
                        team will only ever suffer 1 point of Cohesion damage each              must roll equal or less to his Kill-team’s current Cohesion
                        Turn, with any additional Cohesion damage being ignored.                on 1d10.


                                                                                                exaMple
                                                                                                A potent Psychic Power is assaulting Palarius and his brothers, filling
                                                                                                them with doubt and distrust. The GM decides that each Battle-
                                                                                                Brother must pass a Cohesion Challenge to maintain Squad Mode.
                                                                                                The Kill-team’s current Cohesion is 6, so Palarius and his brothers
                                                                                                must roll 6 or less on 1d10 to pass the Cohesion Challenge.




                                     212
 Squad Mode whaT iS SqUad mode?                                     Squad Mode can only be entered deliberately by a character

and Solo Mode                                                       by using an action or passing a Cohesion Challenge (see page
                                                                    212). While in Squad Mode, a Space Marine is linked to any
                                                                    other members of his team that are also in Squad Mode and
“Stand fast brothers! We are the Emperor’s Fist, closed and ready   may benefit fully from Squad Mode actions and abilities.




                                                                                                                                       VII: Playing The Game
to strike!”                                                         A character in Squad Mode can also initiate Squad Mode
                                                                    actions and abilities for the benefit of other team members
       –Brother-Captain Heledorn of the Imperial Fists at the       also in this mode.
                                  Battle of Broken Scythes



N
          o Space Marine ever stands alone. Though likened to
                                                                    t
          a one-man army, and with the might and strength to        To help keep track of which mode a Battle-Brother is in, as
          best scores of lesser foes in single combat, a Battle-    well as which mode abilities he has access to, players should
Brother is trained to be part of a team, a combat unit that         use the Status Mode Sheet. This sheet is divided into two
is greater than the sum of its parts and works flawlessly to        halves (see page 399) with one half detailing Solo Mode
smite its enemies. While other military organisations within        abilities and the other half detailing Squad Mode abilities.
the Imperium teach squad tactics and company cohesion,              To make things easier for both the GM and other players, the
none are as united in battle as the Adeptus Astartes. Born          sheet can be placed on the table next to the owning player’s
from a common genetic heritage, a Space Marine squad is             character sheet, positioned so that his current mode is on top.
tied together by more than mere bonds of discipline and             Then when the player changes the mode of his character, the
duty. They are truly brothers, sons of their Primarch and           sheet can be flipped. In this way, everyone at the table can
bound by blood. When a Space Marine joins the Deathwatch,           instantly see which mode each character is in and each of the
however, he must often re-learn these bonds and re-forge            players can at a glance see the effects of their current mode as
his connection to warriors not of his Chapter, who might            well as the mode actions and abilities they have access to.
be descended from strange and unusual orders with diverse              As an alternative, players can use other ways to denote the
traditions and tactics. This is where a Battle-Brother’s natural    mode of their character (if for instance the game is not taking
training is imperative, and he must reach deep within himself       place around a table or table space is at a premium). These
to find those distant genetic links that tie all Adeptus Astartes   could include things such as placing a coin on their character
together as the grandsons of the Emperor himself.                   sheets (each face denoting a different mode), putting scraps
     his section details two very important aspects of being a      of coloured paper under their miniatures (if they are using
Space Marine, known as Solo Mode and Squad Mode. These              gaming figures) or even rolling up their sleeves or putting
rules represent both a Space Marine’s heritage (the gifts           their hats on backwards.
bestowed on him by his Chapter), as well as his exceptional              he Status Mode Sheet can be found on page 399.
degree of military training and ability to work with his
Battle-Brothers in ways lesser soldiers can only aspire to. All
characters begin play with access to both Solo Mode and
                                                                    suppoRT Range
Squad Mode abilities, as determined by their Chapter, Rank,         Squad Mode abilities can only be used when the character has
and Speciality. As play progresses and they grow in power,          his fellow Battle-Brothers nearby to aid him. The distance at
their squad mates (the group of characters) form stronger           which a Battle-Brother can affect other members of his Kill-
bonds, allowing them to unlock new abilities and upgrade            team with a Squad Mode ability is known as Support Range
existing ones. Skillful use of both Solo Mode and Squad             and is determined by a Battle-Brother’s Rank, as detailed on
Mode can make a significant difference on the battlefield and       Table 7–9: Support Range, and should be recorded on his
may even mark the difference between victory or defeat.             Status Mode sheet. Support Range is always measured from the
                                                                    Battle-Brother using the Squad Mode ability.
                                                                       Visual distance means that the Battle-Brothers must be able
whaT iS Solo mode?                                                  to see each other in order to be in Support Range. This visual
Solo Mode is the default mode of play for all characters.
Unless otherwise indicated by the rules, a Battle-Brother is in
this mode. While in Solo Mode, a Space Marine is not linked           Table 7–9: Support Range
to the rest of his squad in any special way and cannot benefit         Rank                         Support Range
from Squad Mode actions or abilities used by his Battle-                                            Visual distance, no more than
Brothers. He has access to all of his Solo Mode actions and            1–3 (Close)
                                                                                                    30 metres away.
abilities and may use these freely.                                                                 Vocal distance, no more than
                                                                       4–6 (Medium)
                                                                                                    60 metres away.
                                                                                                    Vocal distance, no more than
                                                                       7–8 (Extended)
                                                                                                    120 metres away.



                                                                                                                   213
                        contact can, however, be very minimal, and should function            that a Space Marine can take at any time during his turn. To
                        in near-darkness, heavy rain, and the chaos of combat, where          enter Squad Mode, a Battle-Brother must adjust his tactics,
                        friends and foes can only be glimpsed through the swirl of            note the positions of his Kill-team, and prepare for close unit
                        smoke and the flash of bolter fire.                                   actions—all of which requires an effort on the part of the
                            Vocal distance means that the Battle-Brothers no longer           Space Marine, one that comes easier with experience and the
                        need to be able to see each other to work as a team but               support of a loyal and trusted squad. Before a Battle-Brother
                        must be in close vox communication. If there is no means of           can enter Squad Mode, however, he must meet the following
VII: Playing the Game




                        communicating via vox or other remote means (perhaps because          requirements:
                        of enemy jamming signals), or normal vocal communication is              • He must be in Support Range of at least one other
                        impossible (due to excessive noise and the like), then the Battle-         member of his Kill-team.
                        Brothers must be able to see each other as detailed above.               • His Kill-team must have at least 1 point of Cohesion.
                                                                                                  He can then use a Full Action (effectively missing a Turn)
                                                                                              and enter Squad Mode. No tests are required and the Battle-
                        exaMple                                                               Brother is in Squad Mode effectively from the start of his
                        Andrew wishes his character to use a Squad Mode ability. His          next Turn.
                        character is Rank 3, so he can only affect other members of his           Alternatively a Battle-Brother can try to enter Squad Mode
                        Kill-team if they are within 30 metres and visible to him. Checking   as a Free Action or Reaction by passing a Cohesion Challenge
                        the position of his Kill-team, there are two Battle-Brothers within   (see page 212). If the Cohesion Challenge is failed, then the
                        30 metres, one Battle-Brother within 30 metres but out of sight and   Battle-Brother loses his current Turn or his next Turn (if he
                        one Battle-Brother more than 30 metres away. This means that when     tried to enter Squad Mode as a Reaction) and enters Squad
                        Andrew uses his Squad Mode ability, only two members of his squad     Mode from the start of his following Turn.
                        will be able to benefit from it.
                                                                                              exaMple
                        Changing Modes                                                        One of Palarius’ squad members has activated a Squad Mode ability
                        By default all characters start play in Solo Mode and need            and he wishes to enter Squad Mode so as to benefit from it. As it is not
                        to actively enter Squad Mode by using an action or making             his Turn, he must spend his Reaction and pass a Cohesion Challenge.
                        a Cohesion Challenge. Entering Solo Mode is a Free Action             Unfortunately for Palarius he fails the test. This means he does not
                                                                                              benefit from the Squad Mode ability of his Battle-Brother and he
                                                                                              loses his next Turn as he enters Squad Mode anyway. From the start
                                                                                              of his following Turn, however, he is in Squad Mode and is able to
                                                                                              make and benefit from Squad Mode actions as normal.


                                                                                              MainTaining squad Mode
                                                                                              Squad Mode can be maintained as long as the Battle-Brother’s
                                                                                              Kill-team has at least 1 point of Cohesion. Activating abilities
                                                                                              reduces Cohesion, as do some kinds of damage (see Cohesion
                                                                                              Damage on page 212). A Battle-Brother drops out of Squad
                                                                                              Mode—and returns to Solo Mode—at the start of his Turn if:
                                                                                                • He falls unconscious or dies.
                                                                                                • His Kill-team’s Cohesion is reduced to 0.
                                                                                                • He is no longer in Support Range of at least one other
                                                                                                   member of his Kill-team.
                                                                                                • He chooses to return to Solo Mode.
                                                                                                 In certain circumstances he may also lose Squad Mode if
                                                                                              he fails a Cohesion Challenge (see page 212).


                                                                                              exaMple
                                                                                              While in Squad Mode, Palarius has advanced ahead of his Kill-
                                                                                              team hunting for an Ork boss in the ruins of an old Imperial
                                                                                              chapel. Unexpectedly, he falls through a weakened part of the floor
                                                                                              and into a deep cellar out of sight of his Battle-Brothers. As he is
                                                                                              Rank 3, he must be in visual contact with his Kill-team to count as
                                                                                              being in Support Range, so at the start of his next turn he reverts
                                                                                              to Solo Mode, losing any benefits from currently active Squad
                                                                                              Mode abilities.



                                    214
         Solo Mode                                                      gaining solo Mode abiliTies
                                                                        A character begins play with access to his own Chapter’s

          Abilities                                                     Solo Mode abilities as well as any Codex abilities for which
                                                                        he meets the requirements. The requirements for Solo Mode
                                                                        abilities are based on Rank; the level of experience attained
“Brothers, there are moments where only the fury of a true Son of       by the Battle-Brother (see Chapter II: Specialities for details




                                                                                                                                          VII: Playing The Game
Sanguinius will serve. This is such a moment.”                          on Ranks). This required Rank represents the minimum Rank
                                                                        needed to gain and use the ability. However, unlike other
                        –Brother Nocturne of the Blood Angels           abilities such as Talents and Skills, a character does not need
                                                                        to spend Experience Points to gain a Solo Mode ability, and


A
          s a chosen warrior of the Emperor, a Space Marine             once he meets the Rank requirements he can use the ability.
          brings many advantages with him to the battlefield.
          On the surface these include his suit of power armour
and his boltgun, potent weapons against his foes and tools
                                                                        using solo Mode abiliTies
with which to smite the alien, daemon, or heretic. Added to             Solo Mode abilities function much like other special abilities
these ancient implements of war, he also carries with him the           such as Talents and Skills in that they either influence the
benefits of a genetically enhanced physique built for war and           actions of the Battle-Brother or give him new options in
designed to survive all but the most terrible of wounds. Like his       combat. Provided that the Battle-Brother is in Solo Mode,
weapons and armour, a Space Marine’s body is a great artefact           he can use his Solo Mode abilities freely. The exact game
of a forgotten time, layered with redundant organs, enhanced            effects, as well as the actions required to activate them, can
senses, and hardened bones. His greatest asset however is his           be found in the individual descriptions of each of the Solo
training, his lifelong quest for martial perfection that shames         Mode abilities.
all others who aspire to the title of warrior. It is this exceptional
skill at arms and in battle that marks him out as an elite warrior
of the Imperium and part of the Emperor’s finest.
    Solo Mode abilities are special abilities that can be used
by a Battle-Brother when in Solo Mode and represent part
of the specialised training and benefits that come with being
a member of the Adeptus Astartes. Solo Mode abilities are
divided into two categories: Codex abilities and Chapter
abilities. The first represent the Battle-Brother’s own personal
combat style-often honed over many years of bloody combat
and born from both experience on the battlefield as well as the
sacred teaching of the Codex Astartes. The second incorporates
a Battle-Brother’s heritage in the form of Chapter abilities, the
result of both genetics and training passed down to him by the
teaching of his Primarch. Chapter abilities are unique to each
Chapter and can only be used by members of that Chapter
who possess the special skills or genetic gifts to utilise them.
Solo Mode abilities are always available to the Battle-Brother
once he has met the requirements to attain them and can be
used to enhance his other abilities such as those gained from
Talents, Skills, or special equipment.
    Solo Mode abilities are presented in the following way:
    Title: The name of the ability.
    Required Rank: The minimum Rank that must be attained
before the ability can be accessed. In the case of Codex
abilities, as long as a Battle-Brother has the required Rank, he
can use the ability. In the case of the Chapter abilities, Battle-
Brothers can use their own Chapter abilities but not those of
other Chapters.
    Effects: A detailed description of how the ability works
in game, including how the Battle-Brother can activate and
benefit from it.
    Improvement: Most abilities improve as a Battle-Brother’s
Rank increases. This section describes how increases in Rank
enhance the ability and boost its effects.



                                                                                                                       215
                        s                                                                    exTReMe enduRanCe
                        These abilities are the result of hard training and the Emperor-     Required Rank: 5
                        given gifts of being a Space Marine. All Battle-Brothers can         Effects: Battle-Brothers are born tough. Even before being
                        learn them, but only the mightiest will ever master them.            gifted with their Chapter’s gene-seed, they are selected for their
                        Codex abilities are also those most frequently used by the           endurance and physical stamina, a trait that only strengthens over
                        Adeptus Astartes, many reflecting their dire reputation in           time. Once per game session, a Battle-Brother may use his Extreme
VII: Playing the Game




                        combat as well as their natural affinity for war. As with all        Endurance to fortify his constitution, granting him a re-roll on all
                        other aspects of a Battle-Brother, these abilities are tied to his   Toughness Tests for a number of hours equal to his Rank.
                        Rank and greatly increase in power as he gains experience.           Improvement: At Rank 7 the Battle-Brother may add +20
                                                                                             to the result of the re-roll.
                          Table 7–10: Codex Solo Mode Abilities
                                               Required                                      feaT of sTRengTh
                           Name                Rank     Effects                              Required Rank: 1
                           Burst of Speed      1              Increases Movement             Effects: Space Marines are genetically gifted with great strength
                                                              Roll to recover spent          far exceeding. that or normal men. In times of need, a Battle-
                           Emperor’s Grace     7
                                                              Fate                           Brother can push this great brawn to its limits to perform truly
                           Extreme Endurance 5                Re-roll Toughness Tests        impressive feats. Once per day of game time, a Battle-Brother
                           Feat of Strength  1                Increase Strength Bonus        may perform a Feat of Strength. This ability effectively increases
                                                              Re-roll failed Willpower       his Unnatural Strength Trait (see page 136) by one level, so for
                           Mental Fortress     5
                                                              Tests                          instance Unnatural Strength x2 becomes Unnatural Strength
                                                              Ignore Critical Hit            x3. This effect lasts for a number of Rounds equal to his Rank.
                           Renewed Vigour      3              effects and restore            Improvement: At Rank 3 and above Feat of Strength also
                                                              Wounds                         adds +10 to all Strength Tests and Strength-based Skill Tests
                                                                                             for its duration. At Rank 5 and above Feat of Strength last for
                                                                                             a number of Rounds equal to twice the character’s Rank. At
                                                                                             Rank 7 and above Feat of Strength increases the character’s
                        buRsT of speed                                                       Unnatural Strength Trait by two levels.
                        Required Rank: 1
                        Effects: A Battle-Brother can call on reserves of speed when
                        needed, crossing great distances to close with the foe. Once
                                                                                             MenTal foRTRess
                        per game session, a Battle-Brother can perform a Burst of            Required Rank: 5
                        Speed. This ability increases the character’s Agility Bonus by       Effects: The Adeptus Astartes are as strong of mind as they
                        2 with all the usual associated benefits for a number of             are of body, their training and devotion to the Emperor
                        Rounds equal to his Rank.                                            hardening their wills against the perils of a deadly universe.
                        Improvement: At Rank 3 and above Burst of Speed also                 Once per game session, a Battle-Brother may use the Mental
                        adds a +10 to all Agility tests based on movement. At Rank           Fortress ability to re-roll a failed Willpower Test to resist a
                        5 the bonus to Agility Bonus increases to +4. At Rank 7 this         Psychic Power or an attempt to subvert his will.
                        ability allows the Battle-Brother to ignore the need to make         Improvement: At Rank 7 the Battle-Brother may add +20
                        Agility Tests when running or charging in difficult terrain          to the result of the re-roll.
                        (see page 206).
                                                                                             r
                        eMpeRoR’s gRaCe                                                      Required Rank: 3
                        Required Rank: 7                                                     Effects: A Space Marine’s physiology and his training give him an
                        Effects: A Battle-Brother is touched by the divine will of the       incredible tolerance to pain, injury, and wounds. Once per game
                        Emperor, a piece of the Master of Mankind passed down to             session, a Battle-Brother may call upon his Renewed Vigour. This
                        him through his Primarch and the teachings of his Chapter.           is a Free Action that can be done at the start of any of his Turns.
                        Once per game session, a Battle-Brother can call on the              For a number of Rounds equal to his Rank, he can ignore the
                        Emperor’s Grace to recover spent Fate Points. For a number           effects of a single critical hit, such as Stunning, levels of Fatigue,
                        of Rounds equal to his Rank, whenever the Battle-Brother             or unconsciousness. Note, however, this does not allow the use
                        spends a Fate Point, he should roll 1d10. If he scores equal or      of limbs that have been completely blown off or critical hits that
                        less than his Rank, the Fate Point is immediately recovered.         result in death. Also, any new critical hit effects suffered during
                        This ability cannot restore Fate Points that have been burnt         the Renewed Vigour affect the Battle-Brother as normal.
                        (see page 205).                                                      Improvement: At Rank 5 the Renewed Vigour also restores a
                        Improvement: This ability does not improve with Rank.                number of Wounds to the Battle-Brother equal to his Rank. At
                                                                                             Rank 7 the Battle-Brother can ignore all of the critical hit effects
                                                                                             he is currently suffering from for the duration of the ability.


                                    216
s                                                                      blood fRenzy (blood angels)
Every Chapter is unique, with its own set of genetic gifts and         Required Rank: 1
subtle (or sometime not so subtle) variances to the Codex              Effects: Blood Angels possess a savagery in combat that has
Astartes. These are the combat doctrines that often shape a            its roots deep in the history of their Chapter. It is, however,
Battle-Brother’s fighting style, his weapons of choice, and his        a trait that can serve them well in close quarters combat
actions on the field of battle. When a Battle-Brother joins the        where strength and speed are vital. Once per combat, a




                                                                                                                                         VII: Playing The Game
Deathwatch, he also brings these favoured skills with him,             Battle-Brother of the Blood Angels Chapter may summon up
influencing his way of waging war. Remember that only a                a Blood Frenzy. While under the effects of this ability, the
Battle-Brother of the appropriate Chapter can gain access              Battle-Brother may re-roll Damage dice with melee weapons.
to—or benefit from—Chapter Solo Mode abilities.                        In the case of melee weapons that inflict multiple dice of
                                                                       Damage, all dice or none must be re-rolled. In addition, such
  Table 7–11: Chapter Solo Mode Abilities                              is the brutality of his attacks that he scores Righteous Fury
                                                                       (see page 245) on a dice result of 9 or 10 rather than just
                                      Required
                                                                       10. This ability lasts a number of rounds equal to the Battle-
   Chapter          Name              Rank     Effects
                                                                       Brother’s Rank, divided by 2 (rounding up).
                                                   Bonuses
   Black Templars Righteous Zeal 1                 to attack           Improvement: At Rank 3 and above the Penetration of any
                                                   Daemons             melee weapon attacks by the Battle-Brother are increased
                                                   Bonuses             by +2. At Rank 5 and above this additional melee weapon
   Blood Angels     Blood Frenzy      1            in Melee            Penetration rises to +4. At Rank 7 and above the chance
                                                   Combat              of scoring Righteous Fury increases to a dice result of 8, 9,
                                                   Bonus               or 10.
                                                   Wounds if
   Dark Angels      Stoic Defence     1
                                                   you don’t
                                                   move                sToiC defenCe (daRk angels)
                                                   Re-roll             Required Rank: 1
                                                   failed              Effects: Dark Angels are stubborn in attack and intractable in
   Space Wolves     Wolf Senses       1
                                                   Perception-         defence, holding their ground against even the most furious
                                                   based Tests
                                                                       of assaults. Once per combat a Battle-Brother of the Dark
                                                   One enemy
                                                                       Angels Chapter may enact a Stoic Defence. The Space Marine
                                                   gains
   Storm Wardens Thunder’s Call 1                  penalties           gains 6 Temporary Wounds and his maximum Movement
                                                   to attack           Rate is reduced to 1/2 his Agility Bonus, rounding up (most
                                                   others              Space Marines with this ability hold their chosen position
                                                   Bonuses to          and do not advance or retreat!). Unlike normal Wounds, these
   Ultramarines     Favoured Son      1                                bonus Wounds are removed when affected by the Damage
                                                   Cohesion
                                                                       of any successful attack, and are always removed first before
                                                                       applying Damage to the Battle-Brother’s normal Wounds.
                                                                       These bonus Wounds will also be lost if the Battle-Brother
RighTeous zeal (blaCk TeMplaRs)                                        leaves his chosen location either by his own choice or
Required Rank: 1                                                       involuntarily.
Effects: The Black Templars are well known for their fanatical         Improvement: At Rank 3 and above the temporary Wounds
devotion to the Emperor and their burning hatred for psykers,          increase to 12. At Rank 5 and above the Battle-Brother may
witches, and warp spawn. Once per combat, a Battle-Brother of          move a number of metres equal to his Agility Bonus each
the Black Templars Chapter may call upon Righteous Zeal as a           round without losing the effects of the ability. At Rank 7 and
Free Action at the start of his Turn. While under the effects of the   above the temporary Wounds increase to 18.
Righteous Zeal, Damage inflicted by the Battle-Brother’s melee
attacks against creatures with the Daemonic Trait is not reduced
by Toughness Bonus. In addition, the Battle Brother’s own
                                                                       wolf senses (spaCe wolves)
Toughness Bonus is increased by +4 when reducing Damage                Required Rank: 1
from attacks by creatures with the Daemonic Trait or Damage            Effects: As part of the genetic gifts of their Primarch Leman
from Psychic Powers and weapons. Righteous Zeal lasts for a            Russ, the Space Wolves have almost preternatural senses
number of Rounds equal to the Battle-Brother’s Rank.                   that exceed even those of other Space Marines. Whenever a
Improvement: At Rank 3 and above the Battle-Brother                    Battle-Brother of the Space Wolves Chapter is in Solo Mode
gains an additional +10 to hit and +2 to Damage rolls                  he may re-roll any failed Perception-based Tests and counts
when making melee attacks against any creature with psychic            as possessing the Dark Sight Trait. However, it is important
abilities. At Rank 5 and above, the increase to Toughness              to note that none of these bonuses apply if the Space Wolf
Bonus rises to +8. At Rank 7 and above the Warp Weapons                is wearing a helmet for a sealed set of armour (e.g., Power
Trait no longer has any effect on the Battle-Brother. All of           Armour, Artificer Armour, or Terminator Armour).
these improvements only apply during Righteous Zeal.


                                                                                                                      217
                        Improvement: At Rank 3 and above the Battle-Brother adds
                        +10 to all Perception-based Tests. At Rank 5 and above, he
                        gains the Unnatural Perception (x2) Trait while using this
                        ability. At Rank 7 and above the Battle-Brother’s senses are
                        such that once per game session he can automatically pass any
                        test based on Perception (for purposes of Opposed Tests the
                        Battle-Brother is considered to have rolled a 01).
VII: Playing the Game




                        ThundeR’s Call (sToRM waRdens)
                        Required Rank: 1
                        Effects: Storm Wardens often choose to prove their honour
                        and bravery by facing foes in single combat and duelling to
                        the death. Once per combat as a Free Action, a Battle-Brother
                        of the Storm Wardens Chapter may issue a Thunder’s Call
                        against any single enemy which can both see and hear him
                        (though it need not be able to understand his language). As
                        long as the Battle-Brother takes no Actions other than melee
                        attacks against the target or moving him into melee with the
                        target, and none of his allies attack the target, he gains +10
                        to Weapon Skill Tests against it. In addition, as long as the
                        Battle-Brother is engaged in melee combat with the target,
                        it suffers –10 to make attacks against anyone but the Storm
                        Warden and must pass a Challenging (+0) Agility Test to
                        move away.
                          his ability lasts until either the target is dead or withdraws
                        from combat (i.e. it retreats and combat ends) or the Battle-
                        Brother withdraws from combat.
                        Improvement: At Rank 3 and above the Battle-Brother’s
                        duelling skills mean that he may re-roll both Parry and
                        Dodge Tests against attacks from the target of his Thunder’s
                        Call. At Rank 5 and above the target’s penalties to attack
                        anyone other than the Storm Warden increase to –20 and the
                        Agility Test to move away becomes Hard (–20). At Rank 7
                        and above he may issue the Thunder’s Call to a group of foes
                        up to his Rank in number.


                        favouRed son (ulTRaMaRines)
                        Required Rank: 1
                        Effects: The Ultramarines consider themselves a pure
                        expression of the Codex Astartes and among the truest of
                        the Emperors sons. This pride and unshakable personal belief
                        often manifests itself in their leadership abilities and the
                        example they set to other members of the Adeptus Astartes.
                        While in Solo Mode, a Battle-Brother of the Ultramarines
                        Chapter may re-roll any Fellowship Tests when dealing with
                        either Space Marines or members of the Imperial armed forces
                        (i.e. Imperial Guard, Imperial Navy, etc.).
                        In addition, their strength of leadership means that the
                        Battle-Brother adds +1 to the Kill-team’s Cohesion if he is
                        the squad leader. This bonus to Cohesion remains active even
                        when the Battle-Brother is not in Solo Mode.
                        Improvement: At Rank 3 and above once per combat the Battle-
                        Brother may automatically pass one Command Skill Test. At Rank
                        5 and above the Dispositions (seepage 276) of all Imperial forces
                        and agents are improved favourably by one step when dealing
                        with the Battle-Brother. At Rank 7 and above the Battle-Brother
                        adds +2 to his Kill-team’s Cohesion rather than +1.


                                   218
       Squad Mode                                                         s

         Abilities                                                        Squad Mode abilities are gained as a result of the Kill-team’s
                                                                          choice of squad leader (see page 228). Depending on the
“With me, Brothers! Let us show them the wrath of the Angels of Death!”   squad leader’s Speciality and Chapter, he will have access to




                                                                                                                                                   VII: Playing The Game
                                                                          a different selection of abilities which his Kill-team may then
                           –Captain Aphael of the Blood Angels            use during the course of the Mission. Part of preparing for a
                                                                          Mission is choosing a leader that will provide the most useful


W
              hile a lone Space Marine is a force to be reckoned          set of abilities for the Kill-team and their current objectives.
              with, a squad of Space Marines is an almost peerless
              military force and a true horror on the battlefield for
the foes of the Emperor. By any measure, the Adeptus Astartes
                                                                          using squad Mode abiliTies
rank as the Imperium’s finest fighting arm and easily the equal           Squad Mode abilities function just like other Actions and can
of any xenos, Chaos, or heretic foe. While this superiority is in         be activated by a Battle-Brother in his Turn. There is no test
part the result of their genetic heritage, potent arms and armour,        to active these abilities; however the Battle-Brother must spend
and indomitable will, it is also due largely to their training and        the required amount of Cohesion (as indicated by the ability)
combat tactics. The bond between Battle-Brothers, combined                and he must be in Squad Mode. He only needs spend this
with a constant training regime, hones a Kill-team’s skills to a          cost once, however, and once an ability has been activated, it
razor’s edge and makes them capable of preternatural combat               remains so for the remainder of the Mission (if the ability is
feats. A Space Marine lives and dies by the strength of his               Sustained) or for the duration of a single combat (if the ability
Battle-Brothers.                                                          is not Sustained) and may be used by either him or any other
    Squad Mode abilities represent specialised Kill-team training         members of his Kill-team in Squad Mode.
and the superior skill at arms that all Space Marines possess. These          Both the Battle-Brother using the action and any other
are the abilities and special actions that truly allow the player’s       members of his Kill-team within his Support Range may then
Kill-team to shine on the field of battle and enjoy a significant         benefit from the effects of the Squad Mode ability. Full details
superiority over their foes. More than their thick power armour           on the effects of each Squad Mode ability can be found in the
or the devastating effectiveness of their weapons, Squad Mode             individual ability descriptions below.
abilities allow a Kill-team to perform specialised combat actions,
coordinated attacks, and cooperative defences in ways unavailable
to lesser warriors. Most typically Squad Mode abilities grant             exaMple
access to free actions for the Kill-team, so that when one of the         In his Turn, Andrew’s character Palarius uses the Squad Advance
members of squad triggers a Squad Mode ability, other members             Squad Mode Action. Squad Advance costs 1 point of Cohesion to
of the squad may benefit from it, be it either with free movement,        activate, which Palarius spends from his Kill-team’s Cohesion pool.
additional attacks, or combinations of the two.                           Both Jim and Damien’s characters are also in Squad Mode and in
    Squad Mode abilities are divided into two categories: Attack          his Support Range. Jim decides that he wants his character to join the
Patterns and Defensive Stances. These are also further divided            Squad Advance and so is affected by the ability. Damien however is
into Codex abilities and Chapter abilities. As with Solo Mode             happy where his character is and decides not to use its effects.
abilities, some abilities are available to all Battle-Brothers, while
other are Chapter-specific and may only be used by members of
that Chapter.
                                                                          using ChapTeR speCifiC abiliTies
    Squad Mode abilities are presented in the following way:              Some Squad Mode abilities are Chapter specific, available only
    Title: The name of the ability.                                       to Battle-Brothers of the indicated Chapter and only useable
    Action: The Action required to use the ability; either a Free         by them. In addition, such is the nature of these abilities that
Action, Half Action, Full Action, or Reaction.                            when they are used only Battle-Brothers of the same Chapter
    Cost: The ability’s cost in Cohesion. The Battle-Brother must         as the Chapter ability may benefit from their effects, while all
pay this cost from his Kill-team’s pool of Cohesion points to             other members of the Kill-team will be unaffected regardless
activate the ability during the course of the a Mission. However          of their Mode or if they are in Support Range.
this cost need only be paid once per Mission.
    Sustained: This indicates whether or not the ability can be           squad aCTions
sustained (seepage 220)                                                   Many Squad Mode abilities allow Battle-Brothers to take
    Effects: A detailed description of how the ability works in           Actions outside of their normal Turn, such as moving,
game, including how the Battle-Brother and his Kill-team can              shooting, or making close combat attacks. In all these cases, if
activate and benefit from it.                                             a Battle-Brother takes a Squad Mode Action or benefits from
    Improvement: Most abilities improve as the Battle-Brother’s           one taken by another member of his Kill-team, he cannot
Rank increases. This section describes how increases in Rank              benefit or take another Squad Mode Action until at least the
enhance the ability and boost its effects. Rank is based on the           start of his next Turn. Unless otherwise stated, all benefits of
Battle-Brother which uses the Squad Mode action.                          Squad Mode Abilities are Squad Actions.


                                                                                                                               219
                        exaMple
                                                                                                 keeping TRaCk of squad Mode
                        Andrew’s character Palarius uses the Bolter Assault Squad Mode
                        ability to rush the enemy. Palarius and two of his Kill-team members
                                                                                                 abiliTies
                        break cover and charge at the enemy. Later in the Round, the other       As may be apparent, it is possible for a Battle-Brother
                        member of the Kill-team, still in cover, uses the Fire Support Squad     to use numerous Squad Mode abilities during a single
                        Mode ability to give Palarius and his Battle-Brothers cover. Even        combat. Within a single Kill-team there might also be
VII: Playing the Game




                        though they are still in Support Range, neither Palarius nor the         several Squad Mode abilities being sustained at any
                        Battle-Brothers who joined him in his Bolter Assault can benefit         one time, and players may wish to jump from one to
                        from this ability.                                                       the next as the tactical situation dictates. This is where
                                                                                                 the Status Mode sheet can be used to keep track of
                                                                                                 a Battle-Brother’s current Squad Mode ability and its
                        susTaining squad Mode abiliTies                                          effects. Players should either make a mark, or place a
                        Many Squad Mode abilities can be maintained indefinably                  marker (such as a dice or coin) on their Status Mode
                        provided that the Battle-Brother remains in Squad Mode. This             sheet next to the Squad Mode ability they are using or
                        is indicated in each ability’s description under the Sustained           benefiting from. This mark can then be moved as their
                        heading. To sustain an ability the Battle-Brother simply declares        ability changes or removed completely if the sheet is
                        he is sustaining the ability and then may keep it active from Round      ‘flipped’ and they return to Solo Mode.
                        to Round provided he is in Squad Mode and does not active any
                        new Squad Mode abilities. The Battle-Brother may choose to stop
                        sustaining an ability (possibly to active a new Squad Mode ability)
                        as a Free Action at the start of any of his Turns.
                            A Battle-Brother benefiting from an ability sustained by
                        another Battle-Brother loses its effects should he move out of
                        Support Range or leave Squad Mode.


                        exaMple
                        Andrew, Jim, and Damien’s characters are all benefiting from the
                        Squad Advance Squad Mode ability which is being sustained by
                        Andrew’s character. At the start of his character’s Turn, Damien
                        decides to have his character return to Solo Mode, losing the benefits
                        of the Squad Advance for himself. Both Andrew and Jim, however,
                        continue to benefit from the Squad Advance, as Andrew is sustaining
                        it and they are still within Support Range. In Andrew’s turn however
                        he chooses to end the ability. This means that both his character and
                        Jim’s character both immediately lose its benefits.


                        Joining susTained squad Mode
                        abiliTies
                        It is also possible for a Battle-Brother to join in on a Squad
                        Mode ability that is already being sustained. As long as he is
                        in Squad Mode, not using or benefiting from another Squad
                        Mode ability, and within Support Range of the Battle-Brother
                        sustaining the ability, he can join as a Free Action at the start of
                        any of his Turns, immediately gaining the ability’s benefits.


                        exaMple
                        Jim is sustaining the Fire for Effect ability with Andrew’s character
                        also gaining the benefit. Having switched back into Squad Mode,
                        Damien’s character wishes to join in the effects. Since he is neither
                        benefiting from another Squad Mode ability nor outside of Support
                        Range, he simply uses a Free Action at the start of his Turn and
                        gains its effects.




                                    220
s                                                                   Table 7–12: Codex Attack Patterns
All squads train in ways of working together to bring down           Name             Action          Cost           Sustained
their targets, be it cracking an enemy strongpoint, crossing         Bolter Assault Free              3              No
open ground under fire, or bringing down enemy armour.               Fire for Effect Half             2              Yes
Attack Patterns are Squad Mode abilities that cover these            Fire Support    Half             1              Yes
methods of attack and are most suited to aggressive tactics          Furious Charge Free              3              No




                                                                                                                                         VII: Playing The Game
and assaults.                                                        Squad Advance Half               1              Yes
                                                                     Tank Buster     Free             1              No

s
The following attack patterns are suitable for Space Marines
                                                                  fuRious ChaRge
from any Chapter:                                                 Action: Free Action
                                                                  Cost: 3
                                                                  Sustained: No
t                                                                 Effects: Often the only way to break a foe is to charge into
Action: Free Action                                               their midst and hack them down. Using this ability, the Battle-
Cost: 3                                                           Brother and those in Support Range of him may make an
Sustained: No                                                     immediate Charge Move and a Standard Attack with a melee
Effects: Space Marines are shock troops and excel at closing      weapon. In addition, such is the fury of such an attack that all
rapidly with the enemy, annihilating them in a storm of bolter    Battle-Brothers involved may re-roll Damage for their attacks.
fire. When the Battle-Brother calls a Bolter Assault, both he     Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 5 or more then
and those in Support Range may make an immediate Charge           both he and the Kill-team can make Multiple Attacks instead
Move and a Standard Attack with a bolter, bolt pistol, or storm   of a Standard Attack with their melee weapons.
bolter (including variants of these weapons). Alternatively,
they may use their Standard Attack to throw a grenade.
Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 4 or more, both
                                                                  squad advanCe
he and the Kill-team can make Semi Auto Bursts and Full Auto      Action: Half Action
Bursts instead of a Standard Attack with their bolt weapons.      Cost: 1
                                                                  Sustained: Yes
                                                                  Effects: Kill-teams move with a deadly precision across the
ct                                                                battlefield, covering each other as they advance and crossing
Action: Half Action                                               ground swiftly from cover to cover. While this ability is
Cost: 2                                                           in effect, the Kill-team may use their Reactions to make a
Sustained: Yes                                                    Tactical Advance (see page 243).
Effects: Working as a single well-oiled machine, the Kill-        Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 3 or more,
team can snap off shots at targets as they appear. While this     calling for a Squad Advance becomes a Free Action.
power is in effect, the Kill-team may use their Reactions to
make a Standard Attack with a ranged weapon.
Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 4 or more,
                                                                  Tank busTeR
both he and the Kill-team can make Semi Auto Bursts and           Action: Free Action
Full Auto Bursts instead of a Standard Attack with their          Cost: 1
ranged weapons.                                                   Sustained: No
                                                                  Effects: As small elite infantry squads, Kill-teams are well versed
                                                                  in the methods of dealing with large, hardened threats like
fiRe suppoRT                                                      armour and bunkers. When attacking such enemies, the squad
Action: Half Action                                               will typically use some members to draw fire while the others
Cost: 1                                                           dispatch it with heavy weapons or demo-packs. The Battle-
Sustained: Yes                                                    Brother may nominate a member of the Kill-team armed with
Effects: All combat squads train in concentrating their fire      either a heavy weapon or an explosive (this could be himself )
and working as a team to achieve fire superiority over their      to initiate a Tank Buster manoeuvre as part of an Attack Action
foes. While this ability is in effect, the Kill-team does not     against an armoured vehicle or fortification. For every member of
suffer the normal –20 to hit when using the Suppressing Fire      the Kill-team in Support Range, the nominated Battle-Brother
and Overwatch actions (see page 241).                             may add either +5 to his Ballistic Skill to attack or move 2 metres
Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 3 or more,             closer to his target (if he is trying to plant a charge or grenade).
calling for Fire Support becomes a Free Action.                   Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 4 or more, the
                                                                  nominated Battle-Brother may add +10 to his Ballistic Skill
                                                                  or move 5 metres closer to his target for every member of the
                                                                  Kill-team in Support Range.


                                                                                                                    221
                        s                                                                        Table 7–13: Chapter Attack Patterns
                        The following attack patterns are limited to Space Marines of             Chapter       Name           Action      Cost Sustained
                        a particular Chapter.                                                     Black        Holy
                                                                                                                               Half        2      No
                                                                                                  Templars     Vengeance
                                                                                                  Blood        Fury of
                        holy vengeanCe                                                            Angels       Sanguinius
                                                                                                                               Free        3      No
VII: Playing the Game




                                                                                                               Sustained
                        Chapter: Black Templars                                                   Dark Angels                  Free        2      Yes
                                                                                                               Suppression
                        Action: Half Action
                                                                                                  Space        Tooth and
                        Cost: 2                                                                   Wolves       Nail
                                                                                                                               Free        2      Yes
                        Sustained: No
                                                                                                  Storm        Lightning
                        Effects: The holy fury of the Emperor lives in the hearts of all                                       Reaction 2         No
                                                                                                  Wardens      Strike
                        Black Templars, awaiting the time when it will be unleashed                            Lead by
                        upon his foes. Until the start of his next Turn, whenever the             Ultramarines                 Free        2      Yes
                                                                                                               Example
                        Battle-Brother and those in Support Range of him make a
                        successful Standard Attack with a melee weapon (whether
                        or not Damage is inflicted) they may immediately make an               TooTh and nail
                        additional Standard Attack with that same weapon, against              Chapter: Space Wolves
                        the same foe, as a Free Action. If this blow also hits, then they      Action: Free Action
                        may make an additional Standard Attack and so on, up to a              Cost: 2
                        total number of extra attacks equal to their Agility Bonus.            Sustained: Yes
                        Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 4 or more,                  Effects: The animalistic nature and fighting style of the Space
                        summoning the Holy Vengeance is a Free Action.                         Wolves often gives them an edge in close combat where they may
                                                                                               unleash their inner beast against their enemies. While this ability
                                                                                               is in effect, the Battle-Brother and those in Support Range of
                        fuRy of sanguinius                                                     him may re-roll all Opposed Tests in grapples, add an additional
                        Chapter: Blood Angels                                                  +10 to any bonuses for outnumbering foes in hand-to-hand,
                        Action: Free Action                                                    and add +10 to Dodge and Parry rolls against melee attacks.
                        Cost: 3                                                                Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 4 or more, the
                        Sustained: No                                                          bonus to outnumbering and to Dodge rolls increases to +20.
                        Effects: The Blood Angels possess a fury on the battlefield
                        that can turn them into wild beasts intent only on rending
                        their foes limb from limb. A Battle-Brother of the Blood
                                                                                               lighTing sTRike
                        Angels Chapter may call out to his Primarch Sanguinius to              Chapter: Storm Wardens
                        strengthen his arm and fill him with rage against his foes.            Action: Reaction
                        Until the start of his next Turn, the Battle-Brother and those         Cost: 2
                        in Support Range of him add +10 to their Weapon Skill,                 Sustained: No
                        Strength, and Toughness, including any corresponding                   Effects: The Storm Wardens know well the doctrine of strike
                        increases in Strength Bonus and Toughness Bonus.                       first, strike fast and practise this both in personal duels and
                        Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 4 or more                   their squad tactics. A Battle-Brother of the Storm Wardens
                        the bonuses to Weapon Skill, Strength, and Toughness are               Chapter may order a Lightning Strike at the start of any combat
                        increased to +20.                                                      where neither side is Surprised (see page 235). The Battle-
                                                                                               Brother and those in Support Range of him immediately gain
                                                                                               a Surprise Round just as if they had Surprised their foes.
                        susTained suppRession                                                  Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 3 or more, in
                        Chapter: Dark Angels                                                   addition to gaining a Surprise Round, both he and those
                        Action: Free Action                                                    supporting him may roll two dice and choose the highest
                        Cost: 2                                                                when determining their Initiative for the following combat.
                        Sustained: Yes
                        Effects: Dark Angels are masters of holding their ground and
                        have a keen understanding of the tactics of overlapping fields
                                                                                               lead by exaMple
                        of fire and kill zones. While this ability is in effect, the Battle-   Chapter: Ultramarines
                        Brother and those in Support Range of him may take actions             Action: Free Action
                        normally while maintaining Overwatch (see page 241), such              Cost: 2
                        as moving and making attacks.                                          Sustained: Yes
                        Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 4 or more, the              Effects: Of all the Chapters, the Ultramarines pride themselves
                        test to avoid Pinning when caught in a kill zone created by            as among the most loyal and bravest of all the Emperor’s
                        him or those supporting him increases from Hard (–20) to               chosen, a fact that they like to impress upon their fellow Battle-
                        Very Hard (–30).                                                       Brothers. While this power is in effect, all Battle-Brothers


                                    222
within Support Range of the Battle-Brother (including the            go To gRound
Battle-Brother himself ) gain a bonus on all tests equal to the
Battle-Brother’s Fellowship Bonus. In addition, each Round           Action: Reaction
the Battle-Brother may single out one member of his Kill-team        Cost: 1
and grant that character a re-roll on any one test (this re-roll     Sustained: No
includes the bonus provided by his Fellowship).                      Effects: When subjected to heavy, accurate, and effective fire,
Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 4 or more, the            a well-trained squad knows to take cover. As a Reaction, the




                                                                                                                                        VII: Playing The Game
bonus to tests increases to twice his Fellowship Bonus.              Battle-Brother may issue a Go to Ground order when he or
                                                                     another member of his Kill-team within his Support Range has
                                                                     been hit by a ranged attack. Both the Battle-Brother and those
s                                                                    in Support Range of him may immediately make a free move
Just as important as aggressive tactics are defensive unit actions   up to their Agility Bonus in metres to find cover. Note that the
to limit exposure to enemy fire, lay down withering suppressing      effects of the hit are worked out before any Battle-Brothers
fire, and fall back in an orderly fashion to regroup and counter-    may move. In the case of hits from semi or full auto weapons,
attack. Defensive Stances are Squad Mode abilities which cover       only the first hit is worked out before the Battle-Brothers move
these methods of defence and can be used to safeguard the            and the remaining hits after they have gone to ground.
well-being and integrity of the player’s Kill-team.                  Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 4 or more, the
                                                                     free move to cover may be up to twice the Battle-Brother’s
                                                                     Ability Bonus.
s
                                                                     RegRoup
The following defensive stances are suitable for Space Marines       Action: Full Action
from any Chapter.                                                    Cost: 2
                                                                     Sustained: No
  Table 7–14: Codex Defensive Stances                                Effects: A Kill-team stands united and is always stronger
                                                                     supporting each other against their foes. As a Full Action,
   Name             Action          Cost          Sustained          the Battle-Brother may order a Regroup to allow himself and
   Dig In           Full            3             Yes                those in Support Range of him to move up to twice their
   Go to Ground Reaction            1             No                 Agility Bonus in any direction, just as if they had made a Full
   Regroup          Full            2             No                 Move Action. In addition, Regroup move does not trigger
   Soak Fire        Reaction        2             No                 enemy Overwatch or Suppression Fire.
   Strongpoint      Full            3             Yes                Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 4 or more, in
   Tactical Spacing Full            1             Yes                addition to this free movement, Battle-Brothers may reload
                                                                     any weapons they are currently carrying, provided doing so
                                                                     would only be a Half Action or a Free Action.
dig in
Action: Full Action
Cost: 3
                                                                     soak fiRe
Sustained: Yes                                                       Action: Reaction
Effects: Against fearsome weapons like plasma cannons                Cost: 2
and meltaguns, even Space Marines will use cover to their            Sustained: No
advantage. A Battle-Brother may order his squad to Dig In,           Effects: While a good formation covers all angles of attack,
seeking out the most defensible firing positions. While this         it also shields the squad from directed fire. This is especially
ability is in effect, the Battle-Brother and those in Support        true of Space Marines, who use their bulk and armour to shrug
Range of him can double the Armour Points provided by any            off hails of bullets, bolts, and beams. A Battle-Brother may use
cover (see page 246) they are currently using. This bonus to         the Soak Fire ability whenever another member of his squad
cover only applies to each individual Battle-Brother so long         currently within his Support Range is hit by a Semi or Full
as they remain stationary.                                           Auto fire attack and would be eligible to make a Dodge Test to
Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 5 or more, both           avoid the attack. These hits are then divided evenly between the
he and those supporting him may move freely. The benefits            original target, the Battle-Brother, and those supporting him,
of doubled Armour Points applying to all cover they use for          provided they would normally be eligible targets for the attack.
the duration of the ability.                                         Regardless of the number of Battle-Brothers soaking fire, the
                                                                     original target always takes at least one hit. Note that Battle-
                                                                     Brothers soaking fire cannot Dodge attacks allocated to them.
                                                                     Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 4 or more, both
                                                                     he and those supporting him may soak single-attack ranged
                                                                     weapons, such as a blast from a lascannon or a sniper’s bullet,
                                                                     dividing the Damage evenly between those involved.


                                                                                                                    223
                        sTRongpoinT                                                       s
                        Action: Full Action
                        Cost: 3
                        Sustained: Yes                                                    The following defensive stances are limited to Space Marines
                        Effects: Sometimes a Space Marine squad needs to hold             of a particular Chapter.
                        a position at all costs, setting up fields of overlapping fire
VII: Playing the Game




                        and holding the enemy back with a hail of bolt shells. A            Table 7–15: Chapter Defensive Stances
                        Battle-Brother can establish a Strongpoint, nominating either
                        himself or a member of his Kill-team within Support Range            Chapter        Name         Action Cost      Sustained
                        as the Centre of the Strongpoint. The Centre must remain                            Armour of
                                                                                             Black Templars              Free     2       Yes
                                                                                                            Faith
                        stationary for the ability to remain in effect. The Centre may
                                                                                                            Feel No
                        then Call Targets either as a Free Action in his turn or as          Blood Angels                Free     3       No
                                                                                                            Pain
                        a Reaction. Battle-Brothers in Support Range of the Centre
                                                                                                            Immovable
                        (including the Centre himself ) then gain a +20 to Ballistic         Dark Angels                 Full     2       Yes
                                                                                                            Defence
                        Skill and Weapon Skill Tests against a Called Target, may re-
                                                                                                            Pack
                        roll Damage against it, and may use their Reactions to make          Space Wolves                Free     2       No
                                                                                                            Tactics
                        Standard Attacks against it. A target remains marked in this                        Shield and
                        way until either the Centre moves (ending the Strongpoint)           Storm Wardens               Free     2       Yes
                                                                                                            Sword
                        or the Centre marks a new target.                                    Ultramarines   Rally Cry    Free     0       No
                        Improvement: This ability cannot be improved.


                        TaCTiCal spaCing                                                  aRMouR of faiTh
                                                                                          Chapter: Black Templars
                        Action: Full Action                                               Action: Free Action
                        Cost: 1                                                           Cost: 2
                        Sustained: Yes                                                    Sustained: Yes
                        Effects: Formation and spacing are an important part of a         Effects: Black Templars are among the most zealous and devoted
                        squad’s function on the battlefield and influence their ability   of the Emperor’s chosen, turning aside even the powers of the
                        to warn each other of danger and defend themselves against        warp with their faith. A Battle-Brother of the Black Templars
                        attack. While this ability is in effect, the Battle-Brother and   Chapter may cloak himself and those around him in an Armour
                        those in Support Range of him can share their Reactions. For      of Faith, usually by chanting prayers to the Emperor or singing
                        example, one member of the Kill-team could give his Reaction      battle hymns. While this power is in effect, the Battle-Brother
                        (losing it for himself for the turn) to another member of the     and those in Support Range of him add +10 to all tests made
                        Kill-team to use. If the Space Marine has extra reactions (such   to resist Psychic Powers and add +4 to their Toughness Bonus
                        as the bonus reactions granted from the Step Aside Talent),       when reducing Damage from physical attacks from creatures
                        these may also be shared.                                         with the Daemonic Trait and from Psychic Powers.
                        Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 5 or more, in          Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 5 or more, the
                        addition to being able to share Reactions within the group,       bonus to resistance tests increases to +20 and the bonus to
                        all members gain an additional Reaction while this ability is     Toughness Bonus increases to +8.
                        in effect.
                                                                                          feel no pain
                                                                                          Chapter: Blood Angels
                                                                                          Action: Free Action
                                                                                          Cost: 3
                                                                                          Sustained: No
                                                                                          Effects: Blood Angels often fight on regardless of the damage
                                                                                          dealt to them. Until the start of his next Turn, the Battle-
                                                                                          Brother and those in Support Range of him use their training
                                                                                          and the fiery will of the Blood Angel to ignore their wounds
                                                                                          and focus on the attack, halving all Damage (round up) after
                                                                                          reduction for Armour Points and Toughness Bonus. While
                                                                                          using this ability, however, such is the Battle-Brothers’ rage
                                                                                          that they may not use their Reactions to Parry or Dodge and
                                                                                          must use an Action with the Attack subtype (see page 236).
                                                                                          Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 5 or more,
                                                                                          the restrictions on using Reactions to Parry or Dodge can
                                                                                          be ignored.


                                   224
iMMovable defenCe                                                 Rally CRy
Chapter: Dark Angels                                              Chapter: Ultramarines
Action: Full Action                                               Action: Free Action
Cost: 2                                                           Cost: 0
Sustained: Yes                                                    Sustained: No
Effects: Stubbornness is a valued trait among the Dark            Effects: Ultramarines are natural leaders and the embodiment




                                                                                                                                   VII: Playing The Game
Angels, especially in battle where they seldom give ground to     of the Codex Astartes. In battle their purity and natural
their foes even in the face of overwhelming odds. While this      authority is a power force, able to rally their fellow Battle-
ability is in effect, the Battle-Brother and those in Support     Brothers and reinforce their will to fight. When a Battle-
Range of him gain a +10 to all Ballistic Skill Tests, a +10 to    Brother uses this ability, it instantly restores a number of
all Dodge Tests, and an additional +4 Armour Points to all        Cohesion equal to his Fellowship Bonus. The reverence the
locations as long as they remain stationary.                      Ultramarines hold for their Primarch and the strength of will
Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 4 or more, the         required to make a Rally Cry is such that a Battle-Brother
bonus to Ballistic Skill Tests and Dodge Tests is increased       may only use this ability once per game session.
to +20.                                                           Improvement: This ability cannot be improved.


paCk TaCTiCs
Chapter: Space Wolves
Action: Free Action
Cost: 2
Sustained: No
Effects: Space Wolves are skilled at baiting an opponent or
distracting an enemy at a critical time so that another Space
Wolf can attack unhindered. When a Space Marine attacks a
single target, another Space Marine within support range may
voluntarily give up an unused reaction to distract the target.
If he does so, the first Space Marine’s melee or ranged attacks
against that target may not be parried or dodged this turn.
Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 3 or more,
Melee attack rolls against the target affected by this ability
gain a +10 bonus.


shield and swoRd
Chapter: Storm Wardens
Action: Free Action
Cost: 2
Sustained: Yes
Effects: Many Battle-Brothers of the Storm Wardens Chapter
favour storm shields and power swords and train to fight side
by side with these heavy weapons. The Storm Wardens have
adapted this tactic to other forms of melee combat. While this
ability is in effect, the Battle-Brother and those in Support
Range of him can Parry attacks directed against those by their
side (allies within 2 metres). In addition, any time a Battle-
Brother benefiting from this ability is struck in melee, he may
use his Reaction to make a Standard Attack with a melee
weapon back at the creature that attacked him.
Improvement: If the Battle-Brother is Rank 5 or more,
all those affected by this ability gain a +20 bonus to
Parry Tests.




                                                                                                                225
                                       Missions                                                overview
                                                                                               Missions are broken down into the following three broad steps:
                        “The forward Tau command centre is too heavily shielded for an
                        orbital strike, and too far behind the front lines for a push by the
                        Stygian 5th Armoured Division. However, intelligence suggests
                                                                                               pRepaRaTion
                        that there is at least one of these so-called Ethereals coordinating   This initial step occurs often in downtime before actual play
VII: Playing the Game




                        operations from the base, making it a vital target. It is my           begins and represents the players preparing their characters
                        recommendation that we deploy the Deathwatch Kill-team available       for the trials ahead. It covers the actions undertaken by the
                        to us and consider the matter closed...”                               Kill-team and Battle-Brothers which include such things
                                                                                               as taking oaths, selecting their weapons and armour, and
                                 –High Tactician Favius at the Battle of Blood Moon            choosing a mission leader from among their Kill-team.
                                                                                                   Briefing: The first part of a Mission is the briefing in


                        T
                                he Adeptus Astartes are the surgical strike force of the       which the GM gives the players an overview of their Mission,
                                Imperium’s military might, and their use on the field          its objectives, and any other information they are likely to
                                of battle reflects this status. No commander would             have access to. The briefing allows the players to get an idea
                        consider using the much-feared Space Marines for simple                of the kind of things they will be facing and the kind of tasks
                        battlefield tasks such as frontline cannon fodder or garrison          they will be required to complete. With this information, they
                        duties. Such menial tasks fall to the far more numerous Imperial       can prepare themselves accordingly by choosing appropriate
                        Guard, while the Adeptus Astartes focus solely on specialised          weaponry and armour or undertaking additional training.
                        missions of critical importance to the Imperium’s success or               Selecting a Leader: At the start of every Mission, the
                        failure in its local theatre of operations. Typically, when a Space    players must select a Battle-Brother to lead their squad and act
                        Marine force is called in to assist in some aspect of an Imperial      as its commander for the duration of their combat assignment.
                        campaign, it is to achieve high profile, high risk missions, such      There are a number of ways this leader can be chosen, but
                        as the elimination of powerful enemy commanders, destruction           ultimately the choice rests with the players. It is the leader’s job
                        of vital enemy weapons, or to lead the vanguard in brutal and          to make command decisions during the Mission and break the
                        bloody assaults.                                                       deadlock should the Kill-team become divided in its choice of
                             he Deathwatch operates in much the same fashion and               how best to proceed. The choice of leader will also determine
                        exists to perform the most difficult of combat missions, those         which oaths the Kill-team may take.
                        missions that could not be entrusted to lesser forces with any             Oath-taking: Before every battle Space Marines take
                        Degree of Success. Unlike the bulk of Space Marine Chapters,           oaths to their Chapter, their Primarch, the Deathwatch, and
                        however, the Deathwatch is an even smaller and more                    the Emperor. This part of preparation covers the specific oath
                        specialised force, and their deployment reflects their specialised     the Kill-team takes before their Mission, and can include such
                        nature. For the Deathwatch, a mission often only involves              things as reaffirming their bonds of loyalty to their Battle-
                        committing a single Kill-team (usually enough to get the job           Brothers, praying at the shrine of the Emperor or studying
                        done) to complete a vital battlefield objective in the midst of a      the Codex Astartes. Oaths grant both a bonus for the coming
                        much larger engagement. While the bulk of the Imperial armies          Mission as well as access to Squad Mode abilities.
                        struggle over worlds and sectors, these autonomous Kill-teams              Arming: Once the players have been briefed, have chosen
                        move through the fog of war unseen by their foes, striking             a squad leader, and have taken their oaths, the final step is
                        fast and hard against key targets and paving the way for the           to select their weapons. Because a Space Marine’s equipment
                        lumbering Imperial war machine to continue its advance.                is provided by his Chapter, he has access to a great range of
                            Missions provide a framework for the GM to create                  some of the most destructive and potent weaponry known
                        adventures for his players and capture the military nature at          to the Imperium. Choosing the right weapons for a given
                        the heart of being a member of the Deathwatch. In essence, a           task, however, is a vital part of the Mission and can make the
                        Mission represents the kinds of operations and adventures that         difference between success and failure.
                        a Kill-team, and by extension the players, typically undertake.
                        Because Space Marines are not simple adventuring vagabonds
                        or roving brigands, the kinds of adventures they have will
                                                                                               exeCuTion
                        usually be of a military nature, defeating foes on the battlefield     This section covers the Mission proper and the bulk of
                        and completing vital combat objectives for their commanders.           actual play. Once all the preparation has been completed, the
                        A Mission is a template for these kinds of adventures and              Battle-Brothers are thrown into the cauldron of battle and
                        provides the GM with a collection of obstacles for his                 must complete their objectives to successfully execute their
                        players to overcome and rewards for successfully completing            Mission orders. In addition to objectives, Missions also often
                        their objectives.                                                      include complications which can change the field of battle in
                                                                                               unexpected ways.
                                                                                                   Primary Objectives: These are the key tasks that must be
                                                                                               performed by the Kill-team to complete its Mission. Only when
                                                                                               all Primary Objectives have been fulfilled can their Mission
                                                                                               be considered a success. As a result, Primary Objectives are


                                    226
often significant undertakings such as the destruction of vital
enemy hardware, the assassination of enemy commanders, or
the clearing of landing zones for successive waves of troops.
                                                                           Preparation
    Secondary Objectives: Not as vital to the success of           He who does not plan, plans to fail.
the Mission as Primary Objectives, Secondary Objectives are
still important to the Imperium’s war effort. By completing                                                     –Ancient Proverb
Secondary Objectives, a Kill-team typically reinforces




                                                                                                                                      VII: Playing The Game
                                                                   T
the success of their Primary Objectives, such as not only                  he first part of any Mission is known as the preparation
destroying a powerful enemy orbital cannon but also the                    stage, and it allows the GM to lay down the foundations
munitions dump supplying it. Completing both Primary and                   of the Mission to his players and the players to have
Secondary Objectives increases the overall success of the          their characters undertaking certain pre-mission activities to
Mission and increases rewards.                                     help bolster their resolve and improve their chances of success.
    Tertiary Objectives (Targets of Opportunity): As well          All of these actions are considered to take place in downtime
as both Primary and Secondary Objectives, many Missions            and don’t need to be roleplayed out. If the players or GM so
also include Tertiary Objectives, commonly known as Targets        choose, they can expand on any aspect of Mission preparation
of Opportunity. These are objectives not vital to the success or   and work through the interactions between the Kill-team
failure of the Mission but which are still considered important    or with the Deathwatch Chapter. However it plays out, the
to the Imperium. These can include such things as killing          GM should make sure that each part of the preparation stage
officers, destroying communications equipment, or capturing        has been touched on before the Battle-Brothers begin their
enemy intelligence.                                                Mission in earnest.
    Complications: No Mission ever turns out exactly as the
players expect. Complications are present in all Missions, and
the GM can use them to alter the field of battle and force         brieFing
the players to think on their feet. Typical Complications can      The first step before embarking on a Mission is the Mission
be things such as bad intelligence, misdrops, or equipment         Briefing. This is an overview of the Mission, outlining its
malfunctions. Complications add an element of the unknown          objectives and any other relevant data that would be available
to a Mission and help to create the fog of war into which the      to the Battle-Brothers. This is important as it signals to the
players are being dropped.                                         players that they are about to embark on a new Mission and
                                                                   just what is expected of them. When formulating a Mission
                                                                   Briefing, the GM should be careful only to give the players
RewaRds                                                            information that they would be likely to have, which could be
Finally, when a Mission has been completed, the Kill-              complete and comprehensive or vague and sketchy depending
team garners rewards for its efforts, usually in the form of       on the kind of Mission they are undertaking. In either case,
Experience and Renown. Rewards are almost always directly          a Mission Briefing does not need to be exhaustive and can
tied to the Kill-team’s performance on the battlefield, the        be as simple as “go here, kill this.” The important part of this
number of objectives they managed to complete, and any             step is that it lets the players know that orders have come
other outstanding efforts made by either the squad as a whole      down directing them to do the work of the Emperor and
or individual Battle-Brothers.                                     the Chapter.
                                                                       Alternatively if the players are working on their own
                                                                   recognisance and setting their own mission objectives (as
                                                                   can happen in the field), the briefing might be a request
                                                                   for intelligence on their targets. The GM can then proceed
                                                                   much in the same way as if these were direct orders from the
   open advenTuRes                                                 Kill-team’s commander—be it the Chapter Master, an Ordo
   While Missions provide solid guidelines for creating            Inquisitor, or other ranking member of the Imperium—and
   adventures based on military actions and Deathwatch             lay out an overview of the Mission and define any or all current
   assignments, some GMs may find them too restrictive for         objectives. Players should remember that their commander’s
   the kind of campaign he wishes to run. For this reason,         knowledge may be limited or he may simply not pass on
   the Mission framework has been left purposefully flexible       certain information depending on his own motive or style of
   and open so that it can be altered to suit the needs of the     command. However a briefing occurs, the GM should make
   GM’s group. While being a member of the Deathwatch              sure it includes the two key elements mentioned here:
   does mean a life dedicated to service of the Emperor               • What is the nature/foe/location of the Mission?
   and glory on the field of battle, there is also great              • What are its known primary/secondary/tertiary
   scope within this for different kinds of adventures and              objectives?
   freedom for the players from the rigid military structure
   of the Deathwatch. For more information on alternate
   Deathwatch adventures and even alternate kinds of
   campaigns see Chapter X: The Game Master.



                                                                                                                  227
                        SeleCT a leader                                                     r

                        Once the nature of the Mission has been established, the next       In addition to the responsibilities of command, the squad leader
                        step is for the players to choose a squad leader for their Kill-    is also useful in that he can use his position to improve the Kill-
                        team. Having a leader is an essential part of operating as a        team’s Cohesion through his natural charisma and leadership.
                        Deathwatch squad and vital to functioning as an effective           This has the following game effects:
                        combat unit. A leader is also important for making group               • The leader can use his Fellowship or the Command skill to
VII: Playing the Game




                        decisions when the squad is divided on which course of                    rally his squad and repair Cohesion Damage (see page 96
                        action to take, and in this way provides a way of moving                  for details on the Command skill and its uses).
                        things forward or breaking deadlocks between members of                • Once during the Mission, the leader and any Battle-
                        the Kill-team.                                                            Brothers within his Support Range (see page 213) can
                           Choosing a leader should be up to the players, and                     automatically enter Squad Mode without the need to make
                        typically each player should take turns to play the role of the           a test. This can be either at the start of the leader’s turn as a
                        leader at the start of each new Mission. In this way, each of             Free Action, or at any point by the leader as a Reaction.
                        the players can experience the benefits and duties of being             In addition to these advantages the GM can also designate
                        the leader as well as the responsibility that it brings. If the     the leader to carry any special mission-specific equipment or
                        players cannot, or do not want, to choose a Battle-Brother          intelligence. So for instance, if the Mission required special pass
                        then each player should roll 1d10 (rerolling ties) with the         codes, or an experimental auspex scanner, the leader is typically
                        highest scoring player taking on the role for the duration of       entrusted with such items.
                        the Mission.
                           Alternately the GM may nominate the leader (but only if
                        the players cannot choose their own). This may be especially        oaTh-Taking
                        appropriate if the nature of Mission is connected to one of the     The Adeptus Astartes hold their oaths to their Primarch, the
                        player-character’s specialities (see Chapter II: Specialities for   Emperor, and their brothers above all other things in the
                        details on these roles); it makes sense for a Mission involving     galaxy. Such pledges of valour given to their Primarch, Battle-
                        a piece of ancient technology to be led by a Techmarine.            Brothers, and the Emperor are a common part of a Battle-
                        The important thing to remember—and a point that the GM             Brother’s existence and often take place before embarking
                        should clearly spell out to the players—is that the leader does     on a Mission. Oaths can come in many forms, and different
                        not tell the other players what to do or order them around,         Battle-Brothers may make different oaths before a battle
                        but rather helps to move the game forward when the squad            depending on their focus for that Mission.
                        needs to make a unanimous decision.                                    Before embarking on a Mission, the players may choose
                                                                                            one oath for their Kill-team which will last for the duration
                                                                                            of the Mission. All oaths have a prerequisite Career Path and
                        r                                                                   may only be chosen by the Kill-team if their current leader
                        The mantle of squad leader is one that the players should not       meets this requirement. An oath will then provide the Kill-
                        take lightly. In the eyes of the Deathwatch, it is the squad        team with a group benefit as well as a selection of Squad
                        leader who is responsible for the success or failure of the Kill-   Mode abilities, any or all of which may be activated during
                        team and the completion of their Mission. In this capacity,         the course of the mission. In addition to the listed Codex
                        the player chosen to be the leader for a particular Mission has     Squad Mode abilities the Kill-team will also have access to
                        two key responsibilities for that Mission:                          their leader’s Chapter Squad Mode abilities.
                          • If at any point the Kill-team needs to make a decision
                             on how to proceed with their Mission and they cannot
                             reach an accord, then it falls to the squad leader to make
                                                                                            oaTh of The asTaRTes
                             the choice. He should listen to the other players and          A Battle-Brother’s loyalty to his Chapter and Primarch is
                             make a decision based on the majority. It is important         second only to his loyalty to the Emperor. Those who serve in
                             to remember that making these calls does not mean that         the Deathwatch are no different. These Space Marines learn
                             the leader is allowed to boss the other players around.        to share this loyalty with their newfound brothers in arms.
                             Rather, he is there to guide the actions of the group.         Taking the Oath of the Astartes means studying the Codex
                          • The responsibility for the Mission and contact with the         Astartes and drilling with squad tactics until the Battle-
                             Deathwatch or the Kill-team’s commanders falls to the          Brother’s skills are honed to a fine edge.
                             leader. He becomes the link in the chain of command            Prerequisite: Tactical Marine, Assault Marine or Devastator
                             that ties the squad into the greater Imperial efforts in       Marine
                             their theatre of operations, receiving orders and sending      Effect: Those who take this oath have added faith in their
                             vox messages to appraise the higher-ups as to the              Battle-Brothers and a keener understanding of the strength
                             squad’s progress.                                              of their squad. A Kill-team which takes this oath before a
                                                                                            Mission may add +2 to their Cohesion for the duration of
                                                                                            that Mission.
                                                                                            Squad Mode Abilities: Squad Advance, Bolter Assault and
                                                                                            Tactical Spacing.


                                   228
r                                                                   oaTh of knowledge
A Battle-Brother’s loyalty to the Emperor is a vital part of        Knowledge is power, and on the battlefield it can mean the
his existence, a value instilled in him since his induction and     difference between anticipating a foe’s attacks and being
a shield he carries with him wherever he goes. Often before         caught off guard. Many Battle-Brothers study the Imperium’s
battle, Space Marines gather in the Watch Fortress’ grand           foes to learn their strengths and weaknesses so they may
shrine to the Emperor and reaffirm these oaths of loyalty,          better kill them in combat. However, the Imperium’s foes are




                                                                                                                                      VII: Playing The Game
giving themselves a greater sense of purpose and renewing           near infinite and a Battle-Brother’s time is not.
their fervour for defending the Imperium.                           Prerequisite: Librarian or Apothecary
Prerequisite: Tactical Marine, Librarian or Apothecary              Effect: Those who take the Oath of Knowledge endeavour to
Effect: Those who take the Oath to the Emperor before battle        learn all they can of their foes. A Kill-team which takes this
have spent long hours praying to the Emperor and are filled         oath may choose a single kind of foe (i.e. Ork, Tau, Tyranid),
with his righteous zeal. All members of the Kill-team may           and for the duration of the Mission all members of the team
add +10 to Willpower Tests for the duration of the Mission.         will gain a +10 to Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill Tests
Squad Mode Abilities: Fire for Effect, Regroup and                  against this chosen enemy with ranged or melee weapons.
Strongpoint.                                                           Alternatively a Librarian who takes the Oath of Knowledge
                                                                    (or is part of a Kill-team which selects it) may instead choose
                                                                    to study their powers more exhaustively and steel himself
oaTh of gloRy                                                       against the perils of the warp. This grants the Librarian
The Adeptus Astartes relentlessly seek glory in the Emperor’s       the ability to re-roll the results of any rolls on Table 6–1:
name, often pushing themselves to feats of greatness (even by       Psychic Phenomena (see page 187) for the duration of the
the high standards of the superhuman Space Marines) against         Mission.
the Imperium’s foes. Such feats become the tales of glory told      Squad Mode Abilities: Go to Ground, Dig In and
within a Chapter and can earn those responsible great respect       Strongpoint.
and standing amongst their peers.
Prerequisite: Tactical Marine or Assault Marine
Effect: Those that take the Oath of Glory pledge to the
                                                                    oaTh of loyalTy
Emperor, their Chapter, their Primarch, and their Battle-           As important as loyalty to the Chapter is loyalty to one’s
Brothers to prove themselves in battle above and beyond their       comrades. Knowing they can be relied upon in combat to
duty. All members of a Kill-team which take this oath will          watch a Battle-Brother’s back and support his attacks is key to
gain an additional point of Renown for each Primary and             the squad’s strength and effectiveness. An Oath of Loyalty is a
Secondary Objective that the Kill-team completes, as long as        way of strengthening that faith within the squad and boosting
they are personally involved.                                       a Battle-Brother’s own connection with his Kill-team.
Squad Mode Abilities: Squad Advance, Bolter Assault and             Prerequisite: Tactical Marine or Apothecary
Furious Charge.                                                     Effect: Those who take the Oath of Loyalty spend time with
                                                                    their Battle-Brothers to strengthen their camaraderie. A Kill-
                                                                    team which takes this oath gains a +1 bonus on Cohesion
                                                                    Challenge rolls and their leader may add +10 to all tests to
                                                                    resist Cohesion damage.
                                                                    Squad Mode Abilities: Tactical Spacing, Regroup and
                                                                    Soak Fire.

  Table 7–16: Oaths
   Oath                           Prerequisite                    Benefit                         Squad Mode Abilities
                                  Tactical Marine, Assault Marine,                                 Tactical Advance, Bolter
   Oath of the Astartes                                            +2 Cohesion
                                  or Devastator Marine                                             Assault, Tactical Spacing
                                  Tactical Marine, Librarian, or                                   Fire for Effect, Regroup,
   Oath to the Emperor                                             +10 to Willpower Tests
                                  Apothecary                                                       Strongpoint
                                  Tactical Marine or Assault                                       Tactical Advance, Bolter
   Oath of Glory                                                   +1 Renown per objective
                                  Marine                                                           Assault, Furious Charge
                                                                   +10 to WS and BS vs. a
                                                                                                   Go to Ground, Dig In,
   Oath of Knowledge              Librarian or Apothecary          chosen enemy or re-roll Psychic
                                                                                                   Strongpoint
                                                                   Phenomena
                                                                   +10 to all Tests to resist
                                                                                                   Tactical Spacing, Regoup, Soak
   Oath of Loyalty                Tactical Marine or Apothecary Cohesion Damage, +1 to
                                                                                                   Fire
                                                                   Cohesion Challenges
                                  Devastator Marine or             Ignore jams, re-roll tests to   Fire Support, Fire for Effect,
   Oath of the Weapon
                                  Techmarine                       confirm Righteous Fury          Tank Buster



                                                                                                                    229
                                                                                                        Execution
                                                                                           “They dropped from the sky like angels of death destroying all in
                                                                                           their path and bringing the Emperor’s justice to that wicked world.”

                                                                                                         –From the Remembrances of the Grand Crusade
VII: Playing the Game




                                                                                           s
                                                                                           All missions have one or more objectives that the players
                                                                                           must achieve in order for the Mission to be completed. An
                                                                                           objective is a way of quantifying the success of a Mission and
                                                                                           giving the players a set of clear goals for their characters to
                                                                                           achieve. In keeping with the military nature of Deathwatch,
                                                                                           objectives are typically set by the GM when the Mission is
                                                                                           created and passed on to the characters during the Mission
                                                                                           briefing. However, such is the fickle nature of war that
                                                                                           objectives can often change during the course of a Mission,
                                                                                           and the players can even come up with their own objectives.
                                                                                           There are three kinds of objectives, some or all of which may
                                                                                           be present in a Mission.


                                                                                           pRiMaRy
                                                                                           These are the key objectives to the Mission that are vital for
                                                                                           its completion. If the players do not complete their primary
                                                                                           objectives, then the Mission is considered a failure. For this
                                                                                           reason, when the GM sets the Mission’s primary objectives,
                        oaTh of The weapon                                                 he should keep them as simple and as broad as possible. For
                        Space Marines drill constantly, and when they are not fighting.    instance, a primary objective could be to destroy an enemy
                        they are training for combat. Some Battle-Brothers take this a     base, leaving the method of its destruction up to the players.
                        step further and take oaths to ensure their weapons do not fail    The players should be aware, however, that to complete their
                        them in combat, blessing bolters and chainswords so that the       Mission, and reap any rewards as a result, they must complete
                        Emperor might ensure their effectiveness against His enemies.      their primary objectives.
                        Prerequisite: Techmarine or Devastator Marine
                        Effect: Those taking the Oath of the Weapon pray over their
                        weapons before battle and strive to extinguish even the smallest
                                                                                           seCondaRy
                        element of chance in their function. A Kill-team which takes       Most Missions have additional objectives attached to the
                        this oath may ignore the effects of Jams (see page 249) with       primary objective that reinforce the Mission’s success. For
                        their personal weaponry and re-roll Weapon Skill Tests to          instance, if the primary objective is to destroy an enemy base,
                        confirm Righteous Fury (see page 245) with melee weapons           it might also come with a secondary objective to destroy
                        for the duration of the Mission.                                   the nearby enemy landing platform. Typically, secondary
                        Squad Mode Abilities: Fire Support, Fire for Effect and            objectives are smaller and easier to complete than primary
                        Tank Buster.                                                       objectives, though they nonetheless require a degree of daring
                                                                                           and effort on the part of the Kill-team. While completing
                                                                                           secondary objectives does not govern the success or failure of
                        arming                                                             the Mission in the same way as primary objectives do, their
                        This is the final stage of preparation before the Mission begins   completion reinforces the Mission’s success and increases the
                        and involves each Battle-Brother choosing his weapons for battle   players’ rewards.
                        from the Deathwatch armoury. Which weapons and armour
                        are available to a Battle-Brother depends on his Renown and
                        standing within the Deathwatch, while the amount of weapons
                                                                                           TeRTiaRy—TaRgeTs of oppoRTuniTy
                        and armour that can be chosen for the whole Kill-team is based     After primary and secondary objectives come tertiary
                        on its set Requisition. Full details on setting Requisition can    objectives, also known as targets of opportunity. These are not
                        be found in Chapter IX: The Game Master, while for more            objectives in the strictest sense and do not directly influence
                        information on Renown and its effects on a Battle-Brother’s        the completion of the core Mission. They do, however,
                        access to weapons and armour see Chapter V: Armoury.               present the Kill-team with a chance to earn more glory for


                                   230
themselves and further enhance their standing within the           Table 7–17: Mission Complications
Chapter by proving their skill on the battlefield. A typical
target of opportunity could be an enemy commander, a                Dice Roll Complication
munitions supply dump, or Imperial captives. The GM should          1             A Bad Beginning
only give limited information about the Mission’s targets of        2             Bad Intelligence
opportunity during the mission briefing, leaving it up to the       3             Cut Off
players to identify them during the game.                           4             Friendly Fire




                                                                                                                                       VII: Playing The Game
                                                                    5             Logistical Failure
                                                                    6             Misdrop
playeR CReaTed obJeCTives                                           7             Race Against Time
Neither the GM nor the players should feel that Mission             8             Rivalry
objectives are set in stone and prohibit the characters from        9             They Knew We Were Coming...
the freedom to change or alter the Mission in some way. To          10            Unexpected Enemies
this end, the GM can allow the players to come up with their
own primary, secondary, or tertiary objectives during play if
their planning and reasoning is good. For instance, if when      is required, the GM can roll a die on Table 7–17: Mission
sent to destroy an enemy spaceport the players decide that it    Complications to see what has gone wrong for the players.
would be viable to plant an explosive on a cargo lighter, thus
delivering the bomb up into orbit, the GM can then create a
new objective to accommodate it. The GM should be careful
                                                                 a bad beginning
to make sure that all player created objectives remain within    Some missions almost end before they begin, with misfortune
the general nature of their mission (such as attacking the       striking right from the start. This complication indicates that
enemy, securing a beachhead, or relieving a friendly force).     one of the Kill-team has been wounded during deployment,
                                                                 either as a result of a bad drop pod landing or perhaps hitting
                                                                 a mine when leaving their Rhino. The GM should have all the
s                                                                players roll a dice. The player (or players in the case of ties)
No Mission goes according to plan, even for the elite warriors   with the lowest roll suffers 1d5 points of Critical Damage
of a Deathwatch Kill-team. Drop zones can be missed,             (not reduced for armour or Toughness Bonus) to a random
intelligence can prove false, and support troops can fail to     body location.
arrive. These Mission complications are ways in which the
GM can keep the players off balance and make the mission
more interesting by adding the fog of war. In addition to
                                                                 bad inTelligenCe
forcing the players to adapt to difficult situations and think   Frequently the Imperium’s intelligence about its foes is just
on their feet, complications also increase the difficulty of a   plain wrong. Commanders base decisions on unfounded
mission and as a result the rewards the players gain from it.    information and send soldiers to pay for their ignorance.
Here are 10 typical complications that the GM can use to         While the Deathwatch is more careful than most of the
alter the nature of his missions, though he should feel free     Emperor’s forces, they too can suffer from this fate. The GM
to come up with more of his own. If a degree of randomness       should change one of the Mission’s primary or secondary
                                                                 objectives without the knowledge of the players. This change
                                                                 should, however, become quickly apparent, such as arriving
   inseRTion and exTRaCTion                                      to destroy a bridge to discover it does not exist. It is then
   How the Kill-team reach the battlefield and how they          up to the players to discover the new objective and try to
   leave it depends on the nature of the Mission. This could     complete it.
   include such things as deployment by drop pod from
   low orbit, direct assault via Thunderhawk gunships,
   or even land-based assaults in Rhinos or Land Raiders
                                                                 CuT off
   from a forward base. Ultimately it falls to the GM, in        As can often happen in the chaos of war, a forward unit can
   the role of the characters’ commanders, to decide how         discover its supply lines cut off as the frontlines shift suddenly.
   they should be deployed. In certain circumstances, the        With this complication, any reserves or outside support for
   players may be able to choose for themselves depending        the Kill-team is unavailable. This could mean vox channels
   on the level of freedom their Mission allows. In either       have been jammed or a supporting orbital defence platform
   case, the strengths and weaknesses of each method can         has come under attack and cannot assist.
   have a big effect on the Mission. For instance, arrival by
   drop pod can place a Kill-team deep behind enemy lines
   with limited chance of extraction, while arriving as part
                                                                 fRiendly fiRe
   of a massive assault (possibly involving other arms of        During the Mission, the Kill-team is either mistaken for an
   the Imperial war machine) means negotiating the chaos         enemy unit or finds itself in an area coming under Imperial
   and havoc of battle to complete their objectives.             saturation bombing. This attack can occur at any time during
                                                                 the Mission, usually from an unseen Imperial artillery unit in


                                                                                                                   231
                                                                                           They knew we weRe CoMing...
                           losT leadeRship
                                                                                           Sometimes the enemy’s intelligence is better than the Kill-
                           If a Kill-team’s Leader is slain or otherwise removed
                                                                                           team’s, and they may find themselves walking into a trap. This
                           from the game (such as being taken prisoner or knocked
                                                                                           complication means that any chance of complete surprise (if it
                           unconscious), the group must then choose a new Leader.
                                                                                           exists) is lost and attempts at stealth (using the Concealment
                           However, in this circumstance, no new Oath is taken,
                                                                                           or Silent Move Skills) suffer an addition –20 penalty due to
VII: Playing the Game




                           and the group is still bound by the initial Oath. At the
                                                                                           the vigilance of the enemy. Finally, the added readiness of the
                           GM’s discretion, circumstances may allow for the group
                                                                                           enemy means they can add +2 to all their initiative rolls for
                           to select a new Oath during the mission.
                                                                                           this Mission.

                        orbit or behind the lines. The GM should have each player
                        roll a dice. Those who get an odd number are hit by friendly
                                                                                           unexpeCTed eneMies
                        fire and must make a Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or            Powerful foes can often lurk unseen and undetected within the
                        suffer 2d10 points of Energy Damage, ignoring armour.              ranks of their lesser brethren and escape the notice of Imperium
                                                                                           intelligence. The GM should add an additional powerful foe
                                                                                           to the enemies’ ranks for this Mission, hidden somewhere
                        logisTiCal failuRe                                                 close to the Mission’s primary objective. Adversaries who are
                        A Space Marine can usually rely on his weapons and armour          naturally hard to detect, such as Daemonhosts or Tyranid
                        in battle, but sometimes the demands of battlefield logistics      Lictors are good choices for this foe.
                        mean that supplies can be scarce. For this Mission, the Kill-
                        team has limited ammo—two clips per ranged weapon. They
                        will just have to make every shot count and complete their
                        objectives regardless.                                                              Rewards
                                                                                           “To die in battle and be remembered in glory is the greatest gift the
                        MisdRop                                                            Emperor ever gave.”
                        The Kill-team is delivered to the wrong coordinates either
                        as a result of heavy near-orbit ground fire or a tactical error.                                –Inscription on the Tomb of Thorns
                        Possibly kilometres from their intended drop zone, the


                                                                                           A
                        Kill-team must find a way of crossing the distance quickly                  Battle-Brother’s reward is measured in glory, not gelt,
                        or alternatively try to hit a closer target. The GM should                  and it is his sole purpose to serve the Emperor with
                        roll 2d10 (or 5d10 if the players arrived by drop pod) to                   honour and loyalty. For a Space Marine, success in
                        determine how many kilometres the Kill-team is from its            battle and the mastery of the skill of war is all he asks.
                        primary objective.

                                                                                           exPerienCe
                        RaCe againsT TiMe                                                  The primary reward for completing a Mission is Experience.
                        All Missions typically have some kind of timeframe in which        Experience allows a Battle-Brother to advance in Rank and
                        they must be completed. For a few, this can be very tight          become more powerful, learning new Skills and Talents and
                        indeed. For some reason, this Mission must be completed            unlocking new abilities. The amount of Experience that a Kill-
                        in a very tight timeframe. Perhaps a vessel is moving into         team gains for a Mission depends on how many objectives
                        orbital strike distance, ready to wipe out the forward Imperial    they were able to complete, as well as any outstanding feats
                        base, or perhaps the enemy is retreating, taking vital supplies    of arms or bravery.
                        with them. The GM should roll 2d10 and multiply it by 10.             Details on awarding Experience, and how it relates to
                        This is the number of minutes the Kill-team has to complete        objectives, can be found on page 269.
                        the Mission. As this is game time, the GM should be a bit
                        flexible by allowing the players time to plan and prepare
                        during play.                                                       renown
                                                                                           In addition to Experience, Battle-Brothers can also earn
                                                                                           Renown when undertaking Missions. Renown is a measure of
                        RivalRy                                                            the Space Marine’s standing within the Deathwatch and his
                        Even within the ranks of the Deathwatch, the old rivalries         regard by his peers. It is important for the gaining of certain
                        of Chapter and Primarch sometimes arise. This can lead to          honours and Deathwatch-specific abilities, as well as being
                        competition between Kill-teams and even between Battle-            used to determine what kinds of weapons and armour are
                        Brothers. For this Mission, such a rivalry has flared up, either   available to them from the Deathwatch armoury.
                        within the players’ Kill-team or with another. The characters         Details on awarding Renown can be found on page 270.
                        are encouraged to roleplay such rivalries. For its duration, the
                        Kill-team has their Cohesion reduced by 2.


                                   232
   InItIatIve
        •
    actIons
        •
  the attack
        •
     Injury
        •
crItIcal Damage
                      Chapter VIII:                                               turns
                                                                                  Each character in an encounter gets one Turn each Round. During

                        Combat                                                    a character’s Turn, he can perform one or more Actions. While
                                                                                  characters’ Turns overlap each other slightly, Turns are resolved in
                                                                                  a specific order known as Initiative Order, see page 235.
               “There is nothing in the galaxy like the sound of a boltgun.”

                                                 –Vex Hargoth, Master of Arms
                                                                                  actIons
                                                                                  A character can perform one or more Actions on his Turn. If a


               T
VIII: Combat




                      he Imperium is beset on all sides from the enemies          character is performing multiple Actions during his Turn, the
                      of mankind: ravenous aliens, bloodthirsty daemons,          order in which they are resolved may or may not matter. For
                      and fanatical traitors, all intent on the destruction of    example, a character could draw his pistol and then move a
               the Emperor and those sworn to him. As members of the              few metres, or he could move first and then draw his pistol,
               Deathwatch, the players stand on the frontlines against such       and either way the end result is the same. But, if the same
               foes, struggling to survive and bring glory and honour to          character wants to shoot his pistol, he obviously needs to
               their Chapter. This means combat... lots of combat.                draw it first. Actions are described in detail on page 236.
                  This section covers Actions, combat, and Damage in the
               game of Deathwatch. As combat is a significant part of any
               Kill-team’s endeavours, the rules in this chapter form a core      combat overview
               part of any Deathwatch game.                                       Combat is usually resolved using structured time divided into
                                                                                  Rounds, Turns, and Actions. Each character, including NPCs,
                                                                                  takes one Turn each Round. The order in which Turns are
               Narrative time vs.                                                 resolved depends on Initiative Order. When a new combat
               structured time                                                    begins, follow these steps to determine what happens.

               The passage of time is flexible in a game of Deathwatch and
               subject to the GM’s discretion based on the needs of the story
                                                                                  step one: surprIse
               and the choices the players make. Sometimes the GM only            At the beginning of a combat, the GM determines if any characters
               needs to convey a very loose sense of time, which is known         are Surprised. This can only happen once at the beginning of
               as narrative time. In other situations, especially combats, more   a combat, and there will be many combats where nobody is
               precise time keeping is necessary, and the GM should adopt         Surprised. A Surprised character loses his Turn on the first Round
               what is known as structured time.                                  of combat because he has been caught unawares by his enemies.
                                                                                  If no one is Surprised, move immediately to Step Two.
               narratIve tIme
               Many situations in a game of Deathwatch do not require
                                                                                  step two: roll InItIatIve
               precise time keeping. It is usually enough to know if a certain    At the start of the first Round, each character rolls for Initiative.
               action takes a few minutes, or about an hour, or several weeks,    Each character rolls 1d10 and adds his Agility Bonus (the
               or anything in between. Narrative time is most often used          tens digit of his Agility Characteristic). The result of the roll
               outside of combat and other situations where the precise           applies for all successive Rounds in the combat.
               order of actions is unimportant.
                                                                                  step three: DetermIne InItIatIve
               structureD tIme                                                    orDer
               In contrast to the abstract approach of narrative time,
               structured time is important for resolving complex encounters,     The GM ranks all the Initiative rolls, including those of the
               such as combats, when every second counts and the order in         NPCs, from highest to lowest. This is the order in which the
               which things happen is crucial. Structured time is divided         characters their Turns during each Round of combat.
               into Rounds, Turns, and Actions.
                                                                                  step Four: combatants take turns
               rounDs                                                             Starting with the character at the top of the Initiative Order,
               A Round consists of every character participating in the           each character takes a Turn. The character currently taking
               encounter taking one Turn each. It assumed that characters         his Turn is known as the active character. During his Turn,
               act more or less simultaneously in an encounter, so a Round        the active character can perform one or more Actions. Once
               is approximately five seconds long, regardless of how many         his Actions have been resolved, the next character in the
               characters are involved.                                           Initiative Order becomes the active character and takes his
                                                                                  Turn, and so forth.


                           234
                                                                         • Are there any unusual circumstances that would mask the
                                                                            approach of attackers? This can cover nearly anything, from
                                                                            pouring rain to whining engines to nearby explosions.
                                                                         • Are there any distractions? It’s possible that something quite
                                                                            distracting is going on. A cultist’s attention may be so fixated
                                                                            on the sermon of his confessor that he doesn’t notice his
                                                                            attackers approaching.
                                                                          Bearing all of this in mind, the GM must decide which
                                                                       combatants are Surprised. Whilst it’s often the case that one
                                                                       entire side or the other is Surprised, there can be individual




                                                                                                                                                VIII: Combat
                                                                       exceptions. For example, mutants may easily Surprise a unit of
                                                                       green Guardsmen, but not their keen-eyed commissar. If no one is
                                                                       Surprised, proceed with the combat as normal.
                                                                          A Surprised character loses his Turn in the first Round. He
                                                                       can do nothing except stand dumbfounded. Furthermore, a
                                                                       non-Surprised attacker receives a +30 bonus to Weapon Skill
                                                                       and Ballistic Skill Tests made to attack a Surprised target. After
                                                                       the Surprise Round completely resolves, all Surprised characters
                                                                       recover their wits and can act normally. All combatants then roll
                                                                       for Initiative and the combat proceeds normally.


                                                                       example
                                                                       While returning to his Kill-team, Helgath spots a sizable group
                                                                       of termagants scouring the area for biomatter. Rather than waiting
                                                                       for the creatures to spot him, he decides to quickly plan an ambush.
                                                                       Finding a low rise in the termagants’ path, Helgath hides using his
                                                                       Concealment Skill. The GM then makes an Awareness Test for
                                                                       the termagants, which is opposed by Helgath’s Concealment Test,
                                                                       which Helgath wins. The GM rules that the termagants are all
step FIve: rounD enDs                                                  Surprised, allowing Helgath to take any Combat Actions he wishes
                                                                       for one Round. Additionally, any Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill
Once each character has taken a Turn, the Round is over. Any           Tests he makes to attack the termagants receive a +30 bonus. After
lingering effects that specify a duration of “until the end of         the Surprise Round is resolved, everyone involved in the combat,
the Round” now end.                                                    including Helgath, rolls for Initiative.


d                                                                      iNitiative
                                                                       Initiative determines the order in which participants act
                                                                       during each Round. To determine Initiative, roll 1d10 and
Continue to play successive Rounds until the combat is                 add the result to the character or NPC’s Agility Bonus. The
complete or until the event that triggered the switch from             GM rolls the Initiative for any NPCs and creatures present.
narrative time to structured time is resolved.                         To keep things simpler, it is recommended that the GM make
                                                                       one Initiative roll for an entire group of similar enemies.

surprise
Surprise only affects the beginning of a new combat. It is up to the   example
GM to decide if any of the combatants are Surprised. Ultimately,       Helgath, Myrdor, and Kalad are part of a Deathwatch Kill-team
this comes down to a judgement call on the GM’s part, based            which has just been attacked by a group of four Tyranid warriors. The
on the circumstances and the Actions of the various combatants         three players controlling the Battle-Brothers each determine their own
leading up to the encounter. The GM should take the following          Initiatives by rolling 1d10 and adding their Space Marine’s Agility
into account when determining Surprise:                                Bonus. Helgath ends up with an Initiative of 8, Myrdor also gets 8,
   • Is anyone hiding? Successful use of the Concealment Skill         and Kalad gets 11. Since the four Tyranid warriors all have similar
     before the combat may mean that some combatants are               Characteristics, the GM makes one Initiative roll for all of them and
     hidden. Extremely wary characters may oppose this with an         gets 9. After each combatant (or group of combatants) has determined
     Awareness Test.                                                   his Initiative, the GM makes a list and places them in order, from
   • Is anyone sneaky? Successful use of the Silent Move Skill         highest to lowest. This is known as the Initiative Order, which is the
     may have positioned some characters for an ambush. Again,         order the combatants act in each Round, until the combat is over.
     wary opponents may oppose this with an Awareness Test.


                                                                                                                            235
                  If more than one character has the same Initiative, they act               limit to the number of Free Actions one character can take.
               in order from the highest Agility to the lowest. If they also                 The GM should use common sense to set reasonable limits on
               have the same Agility, then each should roll a die, with the                  what can be done in a few seconds. Examples of Free Actions
               highest going first.                                                          include dropping an item or speaking a few words.

                                                                                             extended actions
               example
               Using the Initiative rolls in the above example, the GM ranks them in         Some Actions take more time than a single Round to complete.
               order from highest to lowest. Kalad acts first with his Initiative of 11,     Once a character commits to an Extended Action, he is considered
               followed by all of the Tyranid warriors with their Initiative of 9. Helgath   to be working towards completing it for as long as necessary. If
VIII: Combat




               and Myrdor both ended up with 8 for Initiative, but Helgath’s Agility is      the character abandons the Extended Action, or is interrupted,
               higher, so he acts third, followed by Myrdor who acts last.                   all progress towards completing the Extended Action is lost.

                  Most combats last for multiple Rounds, but each combatant’s
               Initiative is only determined once at the start of the combat.                example
               Once the Initiative Order has been established, it usually                    Athas, a Devastator, needs to reload his meltagun in the middle of a
               remains the same from Round to Round. If new combatants                       combat. A meltagun’s reload time is two Full Actions. On his Turn,
               join in the middle of the fight, simply determine their Initiatives           Athas shouts for his companions to cover him (a Free Action) and
               normally and insert them into the Initiative Order.                           then declares Reload as his Full Action. On his following Turn, he
                                                                                             finishes the reloading by spending another Full Action. If he had
                                                                                             chosen to abandon his reloading efforts after the first Round, the
               actioNs                                                                       Extended Action would have been aborted and he would need to
               During each normal Round, every character gets a Turn to                      start the whole process over again, if he still wanted to reload.
               act. On his Turn, a character can take one or more Actions.
               There are five types of Actions in Deathwatch, and every
               Action also has one or more subtypes.
                                                                                             actIon subtypes
                                                                                             In addition to its type, every Action is also categorised into
                                                                                             one or more subtypes. Action subtypes don’t do anything in
               types oF actIons                                                              of themselves, but they are used to clarify what a character is
               Every Action is categorised into one of the following types.                  and is not allowed to do in a variety of special circumstances.
                                                                                             For example, a character who is immobilised cannot perform
               Full actions                                                                  any Actions with the Movement subtype.

               A Full Action requires a character’s complete attention to
               accomplish. A character can take one Full Action on his Turn                  usiNg actioNs
               and cannot take any Half Actions. Grappling an opponent is                    During his Turn, a character may perform one Full Action or
               an example of a Full Action.                                                  two different Half Actions. A character could, for example,
                                                                                             make a charge attack (Full Action) or aim and shoot (two Half
               Half actions                                                                  Actions). It’s important to remember that a Round is only a
                                                                                             few seconds long, so the character’s Turn within that Round is
               A Half Action is fairly simple; it requires some effort or                    but a few moments. Any Action can be combined with talking,
               concentration, but not so much that it consumes a character’s                 banter, battle cries, and other short verbal expressions—these
               entire Turn. A character can take two different Half Actions on his           are considered Free Actions. It is left to the GM to decide
               Turn instead of taking one Full Action. A character cannot take               what a player might be able to say in that amount of time.
               the same Half Action twice in the same Turn. Readying a weapon                A wry aside to a companion or a terse insult to an enemy
               or making a Standard Attack are both examples of Half Actions.                are always reasonable, but recounting the intimate details of
                                                                                             one’s seven duels-to-the-death between swings of a power
               reactions                                                                     sword should probably count as something more than just a
                                                                                             Free Action.
               A Reaction is a special Action made in response to some event,                   Most Actions are started and completed within the active
               such as an attack. A character receives one Reaction each Round,              character’s same Turn. For example, a character does not
               which may only be used when it is not his Turn. Examples                      begin a Charge on one Turn and finish it on a later Turn
               include making a Dodge Test or Parrying an attack.                            or a later Round; he performs the entire Charge (which is a
                                                                                             Full Action) at once on his Turn. But, there are two broad
               Free actions                                                                  exceptions. Reactions are always performed when it is not the
                                                                                             reacting character’s Turn, and Extended Actions always take
               A Free Action takes only a moment and requires no real effort                 more than one Round to complete.
               by the character. Free Actions may be performed in addition to
               any other Actions on a character’s Turn, and there is no formal


                            236
  Table 8–1: Combat Actions
   Action               Type        Subtype(s)               Description
                                                             +10 bonus to hit as a Half Action or +20 to hit as a Full Action on
   Aim                  Half/Full   Concentration
                                                             the character’s next attack, or target a specific body location.
   All Out Attack     Full          Attack, Melee            +20 to WS, cannot Dodge or Parry.
   Brace Heavy Weapon Half          Miscellaneous            Prepare to fire a heavy weapon.
                                    Attack, Concentration,
   Called Shot          Full                                Attack a specific location on the target with a –20 to WS or BS.
                                    Melee or Ranged
   Charge               Full        Attack, Melee, Movement Must move 4 metres, +10 to WS.
                                                            Gain an additional Reaction, opponents suffer –20 to




                                                                                                                                    VIII: Combat
   Defensive Stance     Full        Concentration, Melee
                                                            WS.
   Delay                Half        Miscellaneous           Before character’s next Turn, he may take any Half Action.
   Disengage            Full        Movement                Break off from melee and move.
   Dodge                Reaction    Miscellaneous           Test Dodge to negate a hit.
                                                            Opposed WS Test, if character wins, his next attack cannot be
   Feint                Half        Attack, Melee
                                                            Dodged or Parried.
   Focus Power          Varies      Concentration           Use a psychic power.
   Full Auto Burst      Full        Attack, Ranged          +20 to BS, additional hit for every Degree of Success.
   Grapple              Half/Full   Attack, Melee           Affect a Grappled opponent or escape from a Grapple.
                                    Attack, Concentration,
   Guarded Attack       Full                                –10 WS, +10 to Parry and Dodge.
                                    Melee
   Jump or Leap         Full        Movement                Jump vertically or leap horizontally.
   Knock-Down           Half        Attack, Melee           Try to knock an opponent to the ground.
   Manoeuvre            Half        Attack, Melee, Movement Opposed WS Test, if character wins, move enemy 1 meter.
                                                            Move up to movement as a Half Action or twice movement as a Full
   Move                 Half/Full   Movement
                                                            Action.
                                                            Use Swift Attack or Lightning Attack Talents to make
   Multiple Attacks     Full        Attack, Melee or Ranged
                                                            multiple attacks.
                                    Attack, Concentration,
   Overwatch            Full                                Shoot targets coming into a set kill zone, –20 to BS.
                                    Ranged
   Parry                Reaction    Melee                   Test Weapon Skill to negate a hit.
   Ready                Half        Miscellaneous           Ready a weapon or item.
   Reload               Varies      Miscellaneous           Reload a ranged weapon.
   Run                  Full        Movement                Move triple, enemies get –20 BS and +20 WS.
   Semi-Auto Burst      Full        Attack, Ranged          +10 to BS, additional hit for every two Degrees of Success.
   Stand/Mount          Half        Movement                Stand up or mount a riding beast or vehicle.
   Standard Attack      Half        Attack, Melee or Ranged Make one melee or ranged attack.
   Stun                 Full        Attack, Melee           Try to Stun an opponent.
   Suppressing Fire     Full        Attack, Ranged          Force opponents to take cover, –20 to BS.
   Tactical Advance     Full        Concentration, Movement Move from cover to cover.
   Use A Skill          Varies      Miscellaneous           Character may use a Skill.



actioN descriptioNs                                               if the character performs a Reaction before making his attack.
                                                                  Aiming can be used with both melee and ranged attacks.
These Actions provide players with a variety of options
in combat.
                                                                  all out attack
                                                                  Type: Full Action
aIm                                                               Subtypes: Attack, Melee
Type: Half Action or Full Action                                  The character makes a furious melee attack at the expense of
Subtype: Concentration                                            personal safety. He gains a +20 bonus to his next Weapon
The active character patiently takes extra time to make a more    Skill Test, but he cannot Dodge or Parry until the start of his
precise attack. Aiming as a Half Action grants a +10 bonus        next Turn.
to the character’s next attack, while aiming as a Full Action
grants a +20 bonus to the character’s next attack. The next
Action the Aiming character performs must be an attack or
the benefits of Aiming are lost. Aiming benefits are also lost


                                                                                                                    237
               brace heavy weapon                                                 DeFensIve stance
               Type: Half Action                                                  Type: Full Action
               Subtype: Miscellaneous                                             Subtype: Concentration, Melee
               Heavy weapons must be braced before they can be fired              The character makes no attacks and instead concentrates
               accurately. Bracing a Heavy weapon can involve using a             entirely on self-defence. Until the start of his next Turn,
               bipod or tripod, propping the weapon up on a windowsill            the character can make one additional Reaction, and all
               or sandbags, or simply assuming a wide stance or kneeling.         opponents suffer a –20 penalty to Weapon Skill Tests made
               When a Heavy weapon is fired without being braced, the             to attack him.
               attacker suffers a –30 to his Ballistic Skill Test. Once a Heavy
VIII: Combat




               weapon has been braced, the firer cannot move without losing
               the benefits of bracing. However, the firer can still traverse
                                                                                  Delay
               his weapon 45 degrees or more depending on the type of             Type: Half Action
               bracing. Melee, Thrown, Pistol, and Basic weapons gain no          Subtype: Miscellaneous
               special benefit from bracing.                                       nstead of acting immediately, the character waits for an
                                                                                  opportunity. When a character chooses Delay, his Turn ends,
                                                                                  but he reserves a delayed Half Action for later use. Any time
               calleD shot                                                        before the start of his next Turn, the character can perform a
               Type: Full Action                                                  delayed Half Action of his choice. If the delayed Half Action
               Subtypes: Attack, Concentration, Melee or Ranged                   is not used before the start of the character’s next turn, it
               The active character attempts to attack a specific or vulnerable   is lost. If two or more characters both attempt to perform
               area on his target. The attacker declares a location on his        delayed Half Actions at the same time, they must make an
               target (Head, Body, Left Arm, Right Arm, Left Leg, or Right        Opposed Agility Test to see who acts first.
               Leg) and makes a Hard (–20) Weapon Skill Test or a
               Hard (–20) Ballistic Skill Test. If he succeeds, he skips the
               Determine Hit Location step of the attack and instead hits the     example
               declared location.                                                 It is Helgath’s Turn in the Initiative Order, and he wants to shoot
                                                                                  the lictor that is currently Grappling his Battle-Brother Myrdor. If
                                                                                  Helgath shoots now, he suffers a –20 penalty to his Ballistic Skill
               charge                                                             Test for shooting into melee combat. But, he thinks Myrdor has a
               Type: Full Action                                                  good chance of breaking free of the alien’s Grapple on his Turn, so he
               Subtypes: Attack, Melee, Movement                                  chooses to Delay, which takes a Half Action and ends his Turn. Later
               The character rushes at his target and delivers a single           in the same Round, it is Myrdor’s Turn. He breaks free of the Grapple
               melee attack. The target must be at least four metres away,        and moves away from the lictor, which is exactly the opportunity
               but still within the attacker’s Charge Move. See Table 7–4:        Helgath was hoping for. Helgath now performs his Delayed Action,
               Movement (Meters/Round) on page 205. The last four                 which must be a Half Action since that is all he has remaining, so he
               metres of the Charge must be in a straight line so the attacker    chooses Standard Attack and shoots the foul xenos.
               can build speed and line up with his target. The attacker gains
               a +10 bonus to his Weapon Skill Test made at the end of the
               Charge. If the Charging character is unarmed, he can attempt
                                                                                  DoDge
               to Grapple his opponent instead of inflicting damage. See          Type: Reaction
               Grappling, page 240.                                               Subtype: Movement
                                                                                  Dodge is a Reaction that a character can perform when it is not
                                                                                  his Turn. After a character is hit, but before Damage is rolled,
                                                                                  the character can attempt to avoid the attack by making a
                                                                                  Dodge Test. A character must be aware of the attack in order
                  combat abstractIons                                             to make the test. If the test succeeds, the character gets out
                  Combat in Deathwatch is fast and furious, designed              of the way at the last moment and the attack is considered to
                  so games don’t become bogged down with minutia.                 have missed (and thus no Damage is rolled). If the Dodge Test
                  As such, the rules take certain licenses with reality           fails, the attack connects and deals Damage normally. Dodge
                  and assumptions must be made about what is really               can be used to avoid both melee and ranged attacks.
                  going on during a fight. One such assumption is that
                  nearly all combatants are at least somewhat concerned           dodging auto-Fire and area effect attacks
                  for their own safety and are constantly side-stepping,
                  twisting, and ducking to avoid attacks or assume more           Some attacks, such as those made with grenades, flamers,
                  favourable combat positions. With this in mind, the             or guns firing semi-automatic or fully-automatic bursts, are
                  default difficulty for all combat tests is Challenging          especially difficult to avoid. When Dodging an area effect
                  (+0), unless a specific rule states otherwise.                  weapon (such as a flamer), a successful Dodge Test moves
                                                                                  the character to the edge of the area of effect, as long as


                          238
it is no further away than the character’s Agility Bonus in                Full auto burst
metres. If the character would need to move further than this
to avoid the attack, then the Dodge Test automatically fails.              Type: Full Action
When Dodging Full Auto or Semi-Auto Bursts, each Degree                    Subtype: Attack, Ranged
of Success on the Dodge Test negates one additional hit.                   The character hurls a roaring burst of fully automatic gunfire
                                                                           at his enemies. The attacker must be wielding a ranged
                                                                           weapon capable of fully automatic fire to take this Action.
example                                                                    If the character has a pistol in each hand, both capable of
Brother Tehoc has just finished hacking apart a squad of Chaos             fully automatic fire, he may fire both with this Action (see
cultists in the name of the Emperor when he is shot at by a mutant         Two-Weapon Fighting, page 246). The attacker makes a




                                                                                                                                                       VIII: Combat
with a heavy stubber. The mutant fires a Full Auto Burst and gets          Ballistic Skill Test with a +20 bonus. A dice result of 94 to
two Degrees of Success on his Ballistic Skill Test for a total of three    00 indicates the weapon has Jammed. If successful, the attack
hits on Tehoc. A veteran of countless battles, Brother Tehoc’s reflexes    scores a hit normally. Furthermore, each Degree of Success
kick in and he uses his Reaction to attempt to Dodge the attack. His       scores an extra hit. The number of extra hits scored in this
Agility is 38 and he has Dodge trained, so he needs to roll 38 or less     manner cannot exceed the weapon’s fully automatic Rate of
on his Dodge Test. He rolls a 15 and gets two Degrees of Success.          Fire. Extra hits can either be allocated to the original target
He has avoided all hits from the Full Auto Burst and escaped all           or any other targets within two metres, provided none of the
Damage—now the mutant will pay for his impudence...                        new targets would have been harder to hit than the original
                                                                           target. If extra hits are allocated to the same target, use Table
                                                                           8–2: Multiple Hits to determine the extra Hit Locations.
DIsengage                                                                  Remember, the first hit is always determined by reversing
Type: Full Action                                                          the numbers of the dice result made to perform the test (see
Subtype: Movement                                                          The Attack, page 244). A character using this Action with a
The character breaks off from melee combat and may take a                  Pistol- or Basic-class weapon may also move up to his Agility
Half Move. Opponents that were engaged with the character                  Bonus in metres. However, if he does so, he gains no bonus to
do not gain any free attacks. See the Fleeing sidebar for                  his Ballistic Skill Test and instead suffers a –10% penalty.
more details.
                                                                           example
FeInt                                                                      Brother Tehoc fires a Full-Auto Burst with his storm bolter at a
Type: Half Action                                                          charging Chaos Space Marine. The storm bolter has a full-auto
Subtype: Attack, Melee                                                     Rate of Fire of 4, so regardless of what else happens, Tehoc expends
The character attempts to use guile and combat training to                 4 rounds of ammo. Tehoc’s Ballistic Skill is 45, +20 for firing a
trick his opponent into a mistake. The character and his target            Full-Auto Burst, for a modified total of 65. He rolls a 32 on his
make an Opposed Weapon Skill Test. If the active character                 Ballistic Skill Test and succeeds with three Degrees of Success (65,
wins, his next melee attack against that same target cannot                55, 45, 35). Tehoc scores one hit because he succeeded and three
be Dodged or Parried. If the active character’s next Action                extra hits because of his three Degrees of Success. The first hit strikes
is anything other than a Standard Attack, the advantage of                 the Chaos Space Marine’s left arm, which is determined by reversing
Feinting is lost.                                                          his Ballistic Skill Test roll (32 becomes 23). Table 8–2: Multiple
                                                                           Hits is then consulted which indicates that the second hit also strikes
                                                                           the Traitor Marine’s arm, the third hit strikes his body, and the
Focus power                                                                fourth strikes his head. Tehoc would then make four Damage rolls,
Type: Half, Full, Free, or Extended Action (Varies by                      one for each hit.
Power)
Subtype: Varies by Power                                                      If the weapon has the Scatter special quality and is fired
This Action is used to manifest Psychic Powers in combat.                  with a Full-Auto Burst at Point Blank Range, any extra hits
Every Psychic Power specifies an Action type and one or more               from Scatter and Full-Auto Burst are calculated separately and
subtypes. For more information, see Chapter VI: Psychic                    both applied.
Powers.



  Table 8–2: Multiple Hits
   First Hit               Second Hit              Third Hit              Fourth Hit             Fifth Hit          Each Additional Hit
   Head                    Head                    Arm                    Body                   Arm                Body
   Arm                     Arm                     Body                   Head                   Body               Arm
   Body                    Body                    Arm                    Head                   Arm                Body
   Leg                     Leg                     Body                   Arm                    Head               Body



                                                                                                                                  239
               example                                                                     • Stand: If both Grappling participants are on the ground,
                                                                                              the controller of the Grapple can regain his feet with this
               Helgath fires a Full-Auto Burst with a modified Astartes combat                action. He can also attempt to drag his Grappled opponent
               shotgun at a genestealer who is at Point Blank Range. The combat               up with him by making an Opposed Strength Test. This
               shotgun has a full-auto Rate of Fire of 4. Helgath’s Ballistic Skill is        test can benefit from Assistance. If the controller of the
               38, +20 for firing a Full-Auto Burst, +30 for being at Point Blank             Grapple wins, both participants stand.
               Range, and –20 because he does not have training with the weapon,           • Use Item: The controller of the Grapple can use a
               for a modified total of 68. Helgath rolls a 37 on his Ballistic Skill          readied item.
               Test and succeeds with three Degrees of Success (68, 58, 48, 38).            If the active character is the target of the Grapple, the first
               He scores one hit on the genestealer because he succeeded, and three      thing he must do on his Turn is declare Grapple as a Half
VIII: Combat




               extra hits thanks to his three Degrees of Success. Furthermore, the       Action—this is part of the penalty for being Grappled. After
               Scatter special quality grants an extra hit for every two Degrees of      that, he can choose one of the following Grappled Target
               Success when the weapon is fired at Point Blank Range, which means        Options:
               Helgath scores another extra hit for a grand total of five hits. If
               Helgath is lucky, it will be enough to put the beast down...              grappled target options
                                                                                           • Break Free: The Grappled target can attempt to break
               grapple                                                                       free of the Grapple by making an Opposed Strength Test
               Type: Half or Full Action                                                     with the controller of the Grapple. This test can benefit
               Subtype: Attack, Melee                                                        from Assistance. If the active character wins, he breaks
               This action is only used when a character is already engaged in a             free and may perform any Half Action.
               Grapple. See Grappling,   page 246, for rules on starting a Grapple.        • Slip Free: The Grappled target can attempt to wriggle
               If the active character is controlling the Grapple, the first thing           out of the Grapple by making a Challenging (+0)
               he must do on his Turn is declare Grapple as a Full Action in                 Contortionist Skill Test. If he succeeds, he slips free and
               order to maintain the Grapple; if he does not declare Grapple as              may perform any Half Action.
               a Full Action, the Grapple immediately ends. After that, he can             • Take Control: The Grappled target can attempt to take
               choose one of the following Controller Grapple Options:                       control of the Grapple by making an Opposed Strength
                                                                                             Test with his Grappling opponent. This test can benefit
               controller grapple options                                                    from Assistance. If the active character wins, he becomes
                                                                                             the controller of the Grapple and his opponent becomes
                 • Damage Opponent: The controller of the Grapple can                        the Grappled target. The active character may then
                   attempt to damage his opponent with brute force by making                 immediately perform one of the Controller Grapple
                   an Opposed Strength Test with the Grappled opponent.                      Options, but he cannot take any other Half Actions.
                   If the active character wins, he inflicts unarmed Damage
                   (1d5–3+SB with Armour Points counting double) to his
                   opponent’s body location and one level of Fatigue. If the             example
                   Grappled opponent wins the Opposed Strength Test, no                  Brother Tehoc is Grappling an ork atop an elevated platform. It is
                   Damage is dealt, but he is still Grappled. This action can            Tehoc’s Turn in the Initiative Order, and since he is in control of the
                   benefit from Assistance.                                              Grapple, he decides to attempt to push the ork toward the edge of the
                 • Throw Down Opponent: The controller of the Grapple                    platform. The GM calls for an Opposed Strength Test. Tehoc has a
                   can attempt to wrestle his Grappled opponent to the                   Strength of 45 and rolls a 44—a success. The Ork has a Strength of
                   ground by making an Opposed Strength Test. This test                  41 and rolls a 68—a failure. Tehoc wins the Opposed Test and pushes
                   can benefit from Assistance. If the active character wins,            the Ork one meter toward the edge of the platform. Tehoc also moves
                   the Grappled opponent becomes prone.                                  with the Ork because he wants to maintain control of the Grapple. On
                 • Push Opponent: The controller of the Grapple can attempt              the Ork’s Turn, it decides to attempt to take control of the Grapple
                   to force his Grappled opponent to move. This is resolved              by making an Opposed Strength Test with Tehoc. The Ork rolls a 29
                   with an Opposed Strength Test, which can benefit from                 and gets one Degree of Success, and Tehoc rolls a 39 and gets a success.
                   Assistance. If the active character succeeds, he pushes his           The Ork wins the Opposed Test because he counted more Degrees of
                   opponent one meter in a direction of his choice, plus one             Success than Tehoc. The Ork is now in control of the Grapple and
                   additional metre for each Degree of Success. This pushed              will have more options available to it on his next Turn.
                   distance cannot exceed the active character’s Half Move
                   distance. The active character must move with his Grappled
                   opponent in order to maintain the Grapple, or he can                  size differences
                   choose to let go of his opponent, which ends the Grapple,             If one participating Grappler is larger than the other (see page
                   but allows the active character to keep his ground.                   249), the larger Grappler counts an extra Degree of Success
                 • Ready: The controller of the Grapple can ready one                    per size category difference on all successful Opposed Tests
                   of his own items. Or if the GM allows, he can use the                 performed within the Grapple.
                   Ready Action to grab an item belonging to his Grappled
                   opponent.


                           240
example
                                                                          FleeIng
Tehoc is being Grappled in the jaws of a Tau Krootox. Both
                                                                          Sometimes the best course of action in combat is to get
combatants have Strengths of 45, but the Krootox’s size is Enormous,
                                                                          away from danger by any means necessary. A character
which is one size category larger than Tehoc’s Hulking size in his
                                                                          can voluntarily flee from an opponent or be forced to flee
armour. On his Turn, Tehoc attempts to break free of the Grapple
                                                                          because of Fear, a Psychic Power, or some other effect.
by making an Opposed Strength Test. Tehoc rolls a 26 and gets one
                                                                          When a character flees under his own control, he may
Degree of Success. The Krootox rolls a 29 and also gets one Degree
                                                                          take any of the following Actions: Disengage, Move, or
of Success, plus another for his size difference, for a total of two
                                                                          Run. When a character flees against his will, he must
Degrees of Success, which is enough to win the Opposed Test. Tehoc
                                                                          perform the Run Action. If a character is engaged in




                                                                                                                                          VIII: Combat
remains held fast by the Krootox.
                                                                          melee with one or more opponents and he flees without
                                                                          using the Disengage Action, each of his opponents gets
guarDeD attack                                                            a free Standard Attack against the fleeing character. Such
                                                                          a free attack is made in addition to any other attacks the
Type: Full Action
                                                                          combatant receives during his Turn.
Subtype: Attack, Concentration, Melee
The character performs a careful attack, making sure he
remains well poised to defend himself. The character suffers           move
a –10 penalty to his Weapon Skill Test, but he gains a +10             Type: Half or Full Action
bonus to all Dodge and Parry Tests until the start of his              Subtype: Movement
next Turn.                                                             The active character can spend a Half Action to move a
                                                                       number of metres equal to his Agility Bonus. As a Full Action,
                                                                       he may move twice that distance. If the Active character ends
jump or leap                                                           his movement adjacent to an opponent, he may engage that
Type: Full Action                                                      opponent in melee. If the active character moves away from
Subtype: Movement                                                      an opponent with whom he is engaged, that opponent may
The character can Jump vertically or Leap horizontally. If the         make a free Standard Attack against the active character.
character is engaged in melee, each opponent he is engaged
with can make a free Standard Attack against the character. See
Movement, page 205, for details on Jumping and Leaping.
                                                                       multIple attacks
                                                                       Type: Full Action
                                                                       Subtype: Attack, Melee or Ranged
knock-Down                                                             This action allows the active character to make more than
Type: Half Action                                                      one attack on his Turn, provided he has the Swift Attack
Subtype: Attack                                                        or Lightning Attack talent, or is wielding a weapon in his
The attacker smashes his opponent in the hopes of knocking             secondary hand. See Two-Weapon Fighting, page 246.
him off his feet. Make an Opposed Strength Test. If the
attacker wins, the target is knocked prone and must use a
Stand Action on his Turn to regain his feet. If the attacker
                                                                       overwatch
succeeds by two or more Degrees of Success, the target also            Type: Full Action
suffers 1d5–3+SB damage, with Armour Points counting                   Subtype: Attack, Concentration, Ranged
as double, and one level of Fatigue. If the target wins the            The active character guards a specific area or target, poised to
Opposed Strength Test, he keeps his footing. If the target             shoot at an opportune moment. When Overwatch is declared,
wins by two or more Degrees of Success, the attacker is                the active character establishes a kill zone, which is any
knocked prone instead. If the attacker spent a Half Action to          general area, such as a corridor or treeline, that encompasses a
move before performing the Knock-Down attack, he gains a               45 degree arc in the direction that active character is facing.
+10 bonus to the test.                                                     The active character then specifies either Full Auto
                                                                       Burst, Semi-Auto Burst, or Suppressing Fire, along with the
                                                                       conditions under which he will perform the chosen attack.
manoeuvre                                                              At any time the specified conditions are met before the start
Type: Half Action                                                      of the character’s next Turn, he can perform that attack. If
Subtype: Attack, Melee, Movement                                       this attack occurs at the same time as another character’s
By using superior footwork and aggression, the attacker can            Action, the character with the higher Agility Bonus acts first.
force his opponent to move one meter in any direction by               If both characters have the same Agility Bonus, they make an
succeeding at an Opposed Weapon Skill Test. If desired, the            Opposed Agility Test to see who acts first.
attacker can advance one meter as well. The opponent cannot
be forced into another character or some other obstacle (such
as wall).



                                                                                                                       241
                  Additionally, targets caught in the kill zone must make a      new targets would have been harder to hit than the original
               Hard (–20) Pinning Test or become Pinned (see Pinning on          target. If extra hits are allocated to the same target, use Table
               page 248). If a character on Overwatch performs any Actions       8–2: Multiple Hits on page 239 to determine the extra Hit
               or Reaction, such as Dodge, his Overwatch immediately ends.       Locations. Remember, the first hit is always determined by
               Note this does not include Free Actions, such as speech.          reversing the numbers of the dice result made to perform the
                                                                                 test (see The Attack, page 244). A character using this Action
                                                                                 with a Pistol- or Basic-class weapon may also move up to his
               parry                                                             Agility Bonus in metres. However, if he does so, he gains no
               Type: Reaction                                                    bonus to his Ballistic Skill Test.
               Subtype: Defence, Melee
VIII: Combat




                f the active character is wielding a melee weapon capable
               of Parrying, he can attempt to thwart an incoming melee           example
               attack by making a Challenging (+0) Weapon Skill Test.            Helgath fires a Semi-Auto Burst with his boltgun at a mutant. The
               If the test succeeds, the incoming attack is considered to have   boltgun has a semi-auto Rate of Fire of 2, so regardless of what
               missed. If the test fails, the attack connects and Damage is      else happens, Helgath expends two bolt rounds from his magazine.
               rolled normally. Parrying requires no special Skill or Talent,    Helgath’s Ballistic Skill is 42 +10 for firing a Semi-Auto Burst for
               but Parry can only be used to negate a melee attack.              a modified total of 52. He rolls a 23 on his Ballistic Skill Test and
                                                                                 succeeds with two Degrees of Success (52, 42, 32). Helgath scores
                                                                                 one hit because he succeeded and one extra hit because of his two
               reaDy                                                             Degrees of Success. The first hit strikes the mutant’s left arm, which
               Type: Half Action                                                 is determined by reversing his Ballistic Skill Test roll (52 becomes
               Subtype: Miscellaneous                                            25). Table 8–2: Multiple Hits is then consulted which indicates
               The active character draws a weapon or retrieves an object        that the second hit also strikes the mutant’s arm. Helgath would then
               stowed in a pouch or pocket. A weapon or item can also be         make two Damage rolls, one for each hit.
               properly stowed away with this action (but note that simply
               dropping an item is considered a Free Action). This Action           If the weapon has the Scatter special quality and is fired
               can also be used to do things such as apply a medi-patch,         with a Semi-Auto Bust at Point Blank Range, any extra hits
               inject stimm or some other kind of drug, coat a blade with        from Scatter and Semi-Auto Burst are calculated separately
               poison, and so forth. Ready can be declared twice in the same     and both are applied.
               Turn if it is used on two different weapons or items.
                                                                                 example
               d                                                                 Scout Freyan fires a Semi-Auto Burst with his Astartes shotgun at
               Type: Half, Full, or Extended Action (Varies by Weapon)           an Eldar Guardian who is at Point Blank Range. Freyan’s Ballistic
               Subtype: Miscellaneous                                            Skill 46 +10 for firing a Semi-Auto Burst, and +30 for being at
               The active character can reload a ranged weapon. The amount       Point Blank Range, result in a modified total of 86. Freyan rolls
               of time the Reload Action takes depends on the weapon. See        a 22 on his Ballistic Skill Test and succeeds with an amazing six
               Chapter V: Armoury for details. Note that any Reload              Degrees of Success (86, 76, 66, 56, 46, 36, 26). He scores one
               Action that is spread across more than one Round is an            hit because he succeeded and two additional hits thanks to four of
               Extended Action.                                                  his extra Degrees of Success. Even though he rolled enough extra
                                                                                 Degrees of Success for another hit, Freyan’s combat shotgun has a
                                                                                 semi-automatic Rate of Fire of two, so he cannot score more than two
               semI-auto burst                                                   hits with a Semi-Auto Burst no matter how well he shoots. However,
               Type: Full Action                                                 the combat shotgun also has the Scatter special quality, which grants
               Subtype: Attack, Ranged                                           an extra hit for every two Degrees of Success when fired at Point
               With cold precision, the active character shoots a burst of       Blank Range. Freyan therefore scores three more extra hits for a total
               semi-automatic gunfire at his enemies. The attacker must          of five hits on the Eldar, reducing it to a bloody mist.
               be wielding a ranged weapon capable of semi-automatic
               fire to take this action. If the character has a pistol in each
               hand, both capable of semi-automatic fire, he may fire both
                                                                                 stanDarD attack
               with this action (see Two-Weapon Fighting, page 246). The         Type: Half Action
               attacker makes a Ballistic Skill Test with a +10 bonus. A dice    Subtype: Attack, Melee or Ranged
               result of 94 to 00 indicates the weapon has Jammed (see           The active character makes either one melee attack by testing
               Weapon Jams, page 249). If he succeeds, the attack scores         Weapon Skill, or one ranged attack by testing Ballistic Skill. If
               a hit normally. Furthermore, every two Degrees of Success         the attacking character is unarmed, he can attempt to Grapple
               score an extra hit. The number of extra hits scored in this       his opponent instead of inflicting damage. See Grappling,
               manner cannot exceed the weapon’s semi-automatic Rate of          page 246.
               Fire. Extra hits can either be allocated to the original target
               or any other targets within two metres, provided none of the


                          242
stun                                                                     page 205). This makes the character harder to hit with ranged
                                                                         weapons, but easier prey for melee attacks. Until the beginning of
Type: Full Action                                                        the character’s next turn, ranged attacks made against him suffer a
Subtype: Attack, Melee                                                   –20 penalty to Ballistic Skill Tests, but melee attacks gain a +20
 f the active character is unarmed or armed with a melee weapon,         bonus to Weapon Skill Tests.
he can strike to Stun instead of attempting to land a killing blow.
The attacker makes a Hard (–20) Weapon Skill Test. If the
attack succeeds, roll 1d10 and add the attacker’s Strength Bonus.
                                                                         tactIcal aDvance
The target then rolls 1d10 and adds his Toughness Bonus +1 per           Type: Full Action
Armour Point protecting his head (if the attack is unarmed, or if        Subtype: Concentration, Movement




                                                                                                                                               VIII: Combat
the attacking weapon is Primitive, the Armour Points are doubled).       The active character moves from one position of cover
If the attacker’s roll is equal or higher, the target is Stunned for a   to another position of cover. In so doing, he may cover a
number of Rounds equal to the difference between the rolls, and          distance up to his Full Move. For the duration of the move, he
he gains one level of Fatigue.                                           is considered to benefit from the cover he left, even though he
                                                                         is moving in the open for a brief time.
suppressIng FIre
Type: Full Action
                                                                         use a skIll
Subtype: Attack, Ranged                                                  Type: Half, Full, or Extended Action (Varies by
The active character unleashes a devastating hail of firepower to        circumstance)
force his opponents to take cover. This action requires a weapon         Subtype: Concentration, Miscellaneous
capable of fully automatic fire (see Rate of Fire,
                                                 page 141). When         The active character may use a Skill. This usually involves
Suppressing Fire is declared, the active character establishes           making a Skill Test. This can be an Extended Action,
a kill zone (or uses one previously established, see Overwatch,          depending on the Skill and the circumstances.
page 241), which is any general area, such as a corridor or
treeline, that encompasses a 45 degree arc in the direction the
active character is facing. Then, the active character fires a fully
                                                                         other actIons
automatic burst and expends the appropriate ammo. All targets            If a player wants to do something not covered by the Actions
within the kill zone must take a Hard (–20) Pinning Test or              described here, the GM should make a judgement about how
become Pinned (seepage 248). Additionally, the active character          long something might take and what type of Action it would
must make a Hard (–20) Ballistic Skill Test to determine if              be. Generally, most Actions should be resolved with some
his wild spray of gunfire hits anyone, friend or foe, within the         sort of test: Characteristic Test, Skill Test, or Opposed Test.
kill zone. A roll of 94–100 on the test indicates the weapon has         Keep in mind that a Round is only a few seconds long, which
Jammed (see Weapon Jams, page 249). If the Ballistic Skill Test          is a very limited amount of time to accomplish a task.
succeeds, the GM assigns the hit to a random target within the
kill zone. Furthermore, every two Degrees of Success score an
extra hit against another random victim. Use of the Suppressive
Fire action does not affect the defensive benefits of armour or
cover. The number of hits scored may not exceed the weapon’s
fully automatic Rate of Fire. Use Table 8–2: Multiple Hits to
determine Hit Locations for multiple hits against the same target.
The active character cannot choose to fail this Ballistic Skill Test.
                                                                            status conDItIons
Note that Suppressing Fire is a separate Full Action from Full              During combat, a character in Deathwatch can often end
Auto Burst and therefore does not benefit from the+20 attack                up in various states, usually not to his benefit! A brief
bonus Full Auto Burst provides.                                             overview of some common conditions includes:
                                                                                Helpless (See page 248): Helpless characters can
                                                                            take no Actions. A Helpless character is no longer Helpless
stanD/mount                                                                 at the GM’s discretion (when a sleeping character wakes
Type: Half Action                                                           up, when a trapped character breaks free, etc.).
Subtype: Movement                                                               Stunned (Seepage 249): Stunned characters can take
 f the active character is on the ground, he can stand. If he is            no Actions. A Stunned Character is no longer Stunned
already standing, he can mount a riding beast or a vehicle.                 after a set duration (usually one or two Rounds). Also, a
                                                                            Stunned Character can spend a Fate Point to no longer be
                                                                            Stunned.
run                                                                             Unaware (See page 249): Unaware characters can
Type: Full Action                                                           take no Actions. An Unaware Character is no longer
Subtype: Movement                                                           Unaware after he has been attacked (successfully or
The active character runs, covering a distance equal to his Run             otherwise!).
Movement (see Table 7–4: Movement in Metres/Round on


                                                                                                                           243
                        The Attack                                                          example
                                                                                            Helgath makes a Ballistic Skill Test by rolling percentile dice and


               T
                      he most common Action in combat is the attack—the                     gets 14, which is less than his modified Ballistic Skill of 25. His
                      characters are fighting, after all. Whether armed with a              attack hits the giant squig.
                      melee or ranged weapon, the process is the same. Before
               an attack is made, the GM should verify that the attack is even
               possible by checking the basic requirements for the attack.
                                                                                            DoDge anD parry reactIons
               Melee attacks require the attacker to be engaged in melee                    When a target is hit by an attack, it may have a chance to
               combat with his target. Ranged attacks cannot be made if the                 negate the hit with a Dodge or Parry Reaction. See Combat
VIII: Combat




               attacker is engaged in melee unless he is firing a pistol class              Actions, page 236 for details on resolving each of these
               weapon. In either case, the attacker must be aware of his target.            Reactions. If the Dodge or Parry attempt is successful, the
               See the Spray and Pray sidebar for additional information.                   attack is negated and no Damage is dealt.
               Assuming the attack is possible, follow these steps:
                  • Step One: Apply Modifiers to Attacker’s Characteristic
                  • Step Two: Attacker Makes a test                                         example
                  • Step Three: Attacker Determine Hit Location                             After Helgath’s bolt pistol shot hits the giant squig, the GM rules
                  • Step Four: Attacker Determines Damage                                   that the creature will attempt to Dodge the attack. The creature’s
                  • Step Five: Target Applies Damage                                        Agility is 30, but it does not have the Dodge Skill trained, so it can
                                                                                            only use half its Agility score of 15 for the Dodge Test. The GM
                                                                                            rolls for the creature and gets a 56. The squig fails to dodge the
               step one: apply moDIFIers to                                                 attack.
               attacker’s characterIstIc
               A melee attack requires the attacker to make a Weapon Skill Test.
                                                                                            step three: attacker DetermInes
               A ranged attack requires the attacker to make a Ballistic Skill              hIt locatIon
               Test. There are many instances where one or more factors make
               performing an attack easier or more difficult than normal. For               On a successful hit, the attacker needs to determine where the
               example, using the Full Auto Burst attack action grants a +20                hit landed. Using the percentile dice result from the attacker’s
               bonus to the attacker’s Ballistic Skill Test. If a situation calls for       Weapon Skill or Ballistic Skill Test, reverse the order of the
               two or more bonuses or penalties, simply combine all modifiers               digits (e.g. a roll of 32 becomes 23, a roll of 20 becomes
               together and apply the total to the appropriate Characteristic.              02, and so on) and compare this number to Table 8–2: Hit
                   The maximum total bonus that can be applied to a test is +60.            Locations.
               Conversely, the maximum total penalty that can be applied to a
               test is –60. When adjudicating difficulty, common sense should
               prevail. Regardless of the usual limits on test penalties, some              example
               Actions are simply impossible.                                               Helgath’s Ballistic Skill Test to hit the giant squig resulted in
                                                                                            a percentile dice roll of 14. He reverses these digits and gets 41.
                                                                                            Consulting Table 8–2: Hit Locations, he sees he has hit the giant
               example                                                                      squig’s body.
               Helgath wants to use a Standard Attack action to shoot his bolt pistol at
               a giant squig that is trying to eat his friend Myrdor. Helgath’s Ballistic
               Skill is 45 and he is at Short Range, which grants him a +10 bonus.
                                                                                            step Four: attacker DetermInes
               Helgath spends a Half Action to Aim, granting him another +10                Damage
               bonus. However, there is a lot of heavy mist in the area so Helgath
               will suffer a –20 penalty for that, and his target, the squig, is engaged    After the hit location has been determined, the attacker
               in melee with Myrdor, so Helgath will also suffer –20 penalty for            determines the Damage dealt by his attack. Each weapon has
               shooting into melee combat. After all bonuses and penalties have been        a Damage listing, which is usually a die roll, plus or minus
               combined, Helgath will need to roll 25 or less on his Ballistic Skill
               Test to hit the squig (45 + 10 + 10 - 20 - 20 = 25).
                                                                                              Table 8–3: Hit Locations
                                                                                               Roll                             Location
               step two: attacker makes a test                                                 01–10                            Head
               After the modified Characteristic has been determined, the                      11–20                            Right Arm
               attacker makes a Weapon Skill Test if he is performing a melee                  21–30                            Left Arm
               attack or a Ballistic Skill Test if performing a ranged attack.                 31–70                            Body
               Both of these are resolved like any other test. If the roll is                  71–85                            Right Leg
               equal or less than the modified Characteristic, the attack hits                 86-00                            Left Leg
               (but see Dodge and Parry Reactions, below).


                            244
a number. Roll the appropriate die and apply any indicated
modifiers. Finally, if the attack involved a melee weapon, add                  tactIcal combat maps
the attacker’s Strength Bonus. The result is the Damage total.
For all attack rolls, count the Degrees of Success. The number
                                                                                (optIonal)
of Degrees of Success is the minimum amount of Damage                           During large combats, some players may want visual
that attack will inflict on a single dice. If the attack inflicts               references to help keep track of enemy positions, as well as
more than one dice of Damage, the player may apply the                          their own. The GM can accomplish this by sketching out
Degrees of Success from the attack roll as the minimum result                   simple overhead maps on paper. Many game stores also
to one dice of his choice.                                                      sell large game mats that you can draw on with wet-erase
   If a natural 10 is rolled on any Damage die, there is a                      markers. These mats are usually pre-printed with squares




                                                                                                                                                         VIII: Combat
chance of Righteous Fury.                                                       grids or hex patterns to make measuring distances quick
                                                                                and easy. Tactical combat maps can be drawn to any scale,
                                                                                and some roleplayers like to combine large-scale maps with
rIghteous Fury                                                                  miniatures where a one inch square represents one square
When rolling Damage after a successful attack, if any die                       meter. While tactical combat maps can be very useful, they
rolled results in a natural 10, there is a chance the Emperor’s                 are not necessary to play Deathwatch. Many roleplayers
favour is with the attacker (This also includes a result of 10                  prefer to use rich narrative descriptions to allow fellow
when rolling 1d5 for Damage.) This calls for a second attack                    players to simply imagine all the action. This requires
roll that is identical, all modifiers included, to the original                 players to keep a snapshot of the relative positions of all
attack. If that second attack hits, the attacker may make an                    combatants in their heads, but it also allows for greater
additional Damage roll and add it to the Damage total. If                       freedom in detailing the events of a combat.
the additional Damage roll also results in a natural 10, the
Emperor has indeed smiled upon the attacker and he may
make yet another Damage roll and add it to the Damage total.
                                                                             step FIve: target applIes Damage
This process continues as long at least one Damage die results               From the Damage total, the target subtracts his Toughness Bonus
in a natural 10.                                                             and any Armour Points that protect the location hit by the attack.
                                                                             If this reduces the Damage to zero or less, the target shrugs off
                                                                             the attack. Any remaining Damage is recorded by the target as
example                                                                      Damage. If the target’s Damage equals or exceeds his Wounds,
Helgath has hit the giant squig with his bolt pistol and proceeds            he notes any excess Damage as Critical Damage, and the GM
to make his Damage roll. A bolt pistol deals 2d10+5 points of                consults the appropriate table based on the type of Damage, the
Damage. Helgath rolls 2d10 and gets a 7 and a 10 and then adds               location hit, and the amount of Critical Damage accumulated. See
5 for a total of 23. In addition, as one of the dice results was a 10,       Critical Damage onpage 250 for more information.
his attack is also a possible Righteous Fury! Helgath then makes a
second attack roll identical to his first, which is a Ballistic Skill Test
using his modified Ballistic Skill of 25. Helgath makes a percentile         example
roll and gets 22, which is a hit! He now makes a second Damage               Helgath’s bolt pistol shot has struck the giant squig’s body for 38 total
roll of 2d10+5 and gets 6 and a 4 and adds 5 for a total of 15.              Damage. The GM notes the creature’s Toughness Bonus is 8 and it
Helgath’s Damage total for this attack is 38 (23+15=38). The                 does not have any Armour Points protecting its body. He subtracts
Emperor has truly smiled upon Helgath this day.                              eight points from the total Damage, leaving 30. The creature has
                                                                             only 25 Wounds, so it thuds to the ground dead.


                                                                             unarmeD combat
                                                                             Not every fight in Deathwatch requires bolters and power
                                                                             swords. Some conflicts can be settled the old-fashioned way
   spray anD pray                                                            with fists (not to mention feet and, if the character is a dirty
   One of the basic requirements for making an attack is                     scummer, teeth). To make an unarmed attack, the attacker must
   that the attacker needs to be aware of his target. But why                be engaged in melee with his opponent. The attacker then makes
   can’t someone just blast away into the darkness in the                    a Challenging (+0) Weapon Skill Test, or if his opponent
   hopes of hitting something that might be hiding there?                    is armed with a weapon, a Hard (–20) Weapon Skill Test. If
   This is possible of course, but it shouldn’t be treated as a              the unarmed attack hits, it deals 1d5–3 Impact Damage, plus
   normal attack. Instead, the GM should simply decide the                   the character’s Strength Bonus. Normal unarmed attacks are
   likely outcome of such an action, taking all appropriate                  Primitive (see page 143). In addition, a successful hit that inflicts
   factors into consideration. For example, if the GM                        Damage equal to or greater than the target’s Toughness Bonus
   knows there is a hulking xenos monstrosity lurking in                     also inflicts one level of Fatigue. During unarmed combat, if a 10
   the darkness, it makes sense that it would be hit by a                    is rolled on a die for Damage, the rules for Righteous Fury apply
   random volley of gunfire shot in its general direction.                   with 10s counting as 5s in terms of damage caused. As with most
                                                                             melee attacks, an Unarmed attack can be Parried.


                                                                                                                                    245
               grapplIng                                                                • When firing a ranged weapon with each hand, the character
                                                                                          may fire each weapon on a different mode, for example, one
               Instead of inflicting Damage with an unarmed attack, a                     on full automatic and one on semi-automatic. When firing a
               character can attempt to Grapple his opponent. Attempting                  full automatic weapon in each hand, the character may only
               a Grapple is a melee attack that uses either a Charge Action               lay down one area of Suppressive Fire.
               or a Standard Attack Action. The attacker makes a Weapon                 • The character may fire two weapons at different targets,
               Skill Test as normal. The target of the Grapple may use a                  though the targets must be within 10 metres of each other.
               Reaction, if able, to avoid the attack. If the attack is successful,
               the attacker and the target are Grappling, with the attacker
               controlling the Grapple. The controller of the Grapple can             combat circumstaNces
VIII: Combat




               end it any time as a Free Action.                                      Deathwatch offers endless potential for gripping, dramatic,
                  In a Grapple, all of the following apply:                           white-knuckle action. Combat is an essential element for
                 • Participants in a Grapple cannot use Reactions.                    such action, and each combat, from simple corridor shoot-
                 • Participants in a Grapple are considered to be engaged             outs to titanic civilisation-crushing battles, should offer
                    in melee combat.                                                  unique experiences. The combat circumstances described
                 • Participants in a Grapple can only use the Grapple Action          in this section offer many ways to help make every combat
                    (see page 240).                                                   exciting, varied, and dangerous. Combat circumstances can
                 • As a Free Action, the controller of the Grapple can                be used to reflect the effects of terrain, the weather, tactical
                    voluntarily end the Grapple on his Turn.                          situations, and a variety of other factors. Many circumstances
                 • Other attackers gain a +20 bonus to Weapon Skill Tests             alter the difficulty of tasks by providing bonuses or penalties
                    to hit any target engaged in a Grapple.                           to tests, while others provide opportunities for characters to
                  Only two characters can be engaged in the same Grapple,             leverage good fortune, or exploit misfortunes that befall their
               but up to two other characters can lend Assistance to each             enemies.
               Grappler in certain situations. See the Grapple Action on page             Battle-Brothers should make as much use of beneficial
               240 for details.                                                       circumstances as possible. A good plan, suitable equipment, or
                                                                                      skillful use of tactics can often make the difference between
                                                                                      life and death for a character. The following circumstances are
               two-weapon FIghtIng                                                    some of the most common ones encountered in combat. For
               Many warriors fight with a weapon in either hand. There are            situations not covered here, use these as a guide. Remember,
               advantages and disadvantages to this style of fighting. While it       the GM has the final say about the difficulty of any particular
               offers some improved opportunities to make attacks, it reduces         test or the outcome of any unusual situation.
               the chances of successfully striking a target. Unless a two-weapon
               fighter has the Ambidextrous Talent, it is important to consider
               which hand is his primary hand and which is his secondary hand;
                                                                                      cover
               players should have these details noted on their Battle-Brothers’      Cover is a vital part of surviving a firefight, and a good
               character sheets. The following apply when a character is fighting     soldier knows that you go for your cover first and then draw
               with two weapons:                                                      your gun. There are no penalties to Ballistic Skill Tests made
                  • The character may use any melee weapons or ranged weapons         to attack targets standing partly behind cover. However, there
                    that can be reasonably used in one hand.                          is a chance that the shot may hit the cover rather than the
                  • The character may use either hand to make an attack. Attacks      target. It is up to the character to decide which parts of his
                    made using the character’s secondary hand suffer a –20            body he is exposing when behind cover, but as a general rule,
                    penalty to Weapon Skill or Ballistic Skill Tests.                 a character firing around or over cover will have his body
                  • If the character has the Two-Weapon Wielder talent, he may        and legs concealed. If the shot would hit a body location
                    use the Multiple Attacks combat Action to attack with both        that is concealed behind cover, work out the Damage against
                    weapons, but each suffers a –20 penalty to the Weapon Skill       the Armour Points of the cover instead, with any excess
                    or Ballistic Skill Test. If the character has the Ambidextrous    being applied to the target as normal (see Table 8–5: Cover
                    Talent, these penalties drop to –10.                              Examples for a guide to the Armour Points of different kinds
                  • If the character is wielding at least one melee weapon, he        of cover).
                    may perform a Parry Reaction once each Round as normal
                    with this weapon, though he still may not Parry more than
                    once in a Round. This Weapon Skill Test is not an attack, and
                                                                                      DamagIng cover
                    therefore it does suffer the standard penalty for attacks made    Cover is not invulnerable. Attacks can damage or destroy the
                    using a secondary hand.                                           protection afforded by cover. Each successful hit against cover
                  • If a character with the Two-Weapon Wielder Talent is armed        that deals any amount of Damage in excess of the Armour
                    with a melee weapon in one hand and a pistol in the other,        Points it provides reduces the cover’s Armour Points by 1.
                    he may attack with both whilst engaged in melee combat
                    using the Multiple Attacks combat action. Resolve each
                    attack separately by testing Weapon Skill for the melee
                    weapon and Ballistic Skill for the pistol.


                           246
Table 8–4: Combat Difficulty Summary                   example
Difficulty Skill Modifier Example                      Myrdor has taken cover behind a small pile of sandbags while a gun
                        Attacking a Surprised or       servitor blasts at him with its twin autoguns. The gun servitor fires a
Easy +30
                        Unaware target.
                                                       Full Auto Burst and hits Myrdor three times for 8, 11, and 8 points
                        Shooting a Massive target.     of Damage. Fortunately for Myrdor, all of the hits would have
                        Shooting a target at Point     struck either his legs or body, so they are absorbed by the sandbags
                        Blank Range.
                                                       instead. The first hit is fully absorbed by the sandbags to no effect
                        Melee attacks against a foe
Routine +20                                            because they provide 8 Armour Points of protection. The second hit’s
                        who is outnumbered three to
                        one or more.
                                                       Damage is reduced by 8, leaving 3 points of excess Damage, which




                                                                                                                                 VIII: Combat
                                                       reduces the sandbags Armour Points to 7. The third hit’s Damage
                        Attacking a Stunned
                        opponent.                      is reduced by 7, leaving 1 point of excess Damage, which further
                        Shooting an Enormous           reduces the sandbags Armour Points to 6.
                        target.
Ordinary +10
                        Melee attacks against a foe
                        who is outnumbered two
                                                       Darkness
                        to one.                        Weapon Skill Tests made in darkness are regarded as
                        Attacking a Prone opponent     Hard (–20), while Ballistic Skill Tests are regarded as Very
                        with a melee weapon.           Hard (–30). While a Character is concealed by darkness,
                        Attacking from higher          Concealment Skill Tests are Routine (+20).
                        ground.
                        Shooting a Hulking target.
                        Shooting a target at Short
                                                       DIFFIcult terraIn
                        Range.                         Weapon Skill and Dodge Tests made whilst standing in
Challenging +0          A Standard Attack.             difficult terrain, such as mud, are Difficult (–10). Tests made
Difficult –10           Any test whilst Fatigued.      whilst standing in arduous terrain, such as deep snow or slick
                        Attacking or Dodging whilst    ice, are Very Hard (–30).
                        in the mud or heavy rain.
                        Shooting a target at Long
                        Range.                         engageD In melee
                        Shooting a Prone target.       If an attacking character is adjacent to his target, both the
                        Shooting a Scrawny target.     character and his target are considered to be engaged in
Hard –20                Shooting into melee combat.    melee. Characters that are engaged in melee can only make
                        Dodging whilst Prone.          attack actions with the melee subtype.
                        Making an unarmed attack
                        against an armed opponent.
                        Melee attacks in darkness.     shootIng Into melee combat
                        Shooting at a target in fog,   Ballistic Skill Tests made to hit a target engaged in melee
                        mist or shadow.                combat are Hard (–20). If one or more characters engaged
                        Shooting a Puny target.        in the melee are Stunned, Helpless, or Unaware, this penalty
                        Using a weapon without the     is ignored.
                        correct Talent.
                        Attacking or Dodging in
Very Hard –30
                        deep snow.                     extreme range
                        Firing a heavy weapon that     Targets that are at a distance of more than three times the
                        has not been Braced.           range of a character’s weapon are at Extreme Range. Ballistic
                        Shooting a Minuscule target.   Skill Tests made to hit targets at Extreme Range are Very
                        Shooting a target at Extreme   Hard (–30).
                        range.
                        Shooting at a completely
                        concealed target.                Table 8–5: Cover Examples
                        Shooting at a target in
                                                          Cover Type                                   Armour Points
                        darkness.
                                                          Armour-glas, Generatoria Pipes, thin
                                                                                                       4
                                                          metal
                                                          Flakboard, storage crate, sandbags, ice      8
                                                          Cogitator Bank, Stasis Pod                   12
                                                          Rockcrete, hatchway, thick iron, stone       16
                                                          Armaplas, bulkhead, Plasteel                 32



                                                                                                            247
               d                                                                 missiNg
               When a character is Fatigued, all his tests, including any        Sometimes, when flinging a thrown weapon, it’s important
               Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill Tests, suffer a –10 penalty.     to know where the weapon lands should the attacker fail his
                                                                                 Ballistic Skill Test. On a failed roll, the GM rolls 1d10 and
                                                                                 consults the following scatter diagram. Roll 1d5 to determine
               Fog, mIst or shaDow                                               the number of metres the weapon travels in the indicated
               Ballistic Skill Tests made to attack targets concealed by         direction.
               fog, mist, or shadow are Hard (–20). While a character is
               concealed by fog, mist, or shadow, Concealment Skill Tests
                                                                                                                 2
                                                                                              1                                     3
VIII: Combat




               are Ordinary (+10).


               gangIng up
               A character has an advantage when he and his allies engage

                                                                                       4                                                   5
               the same foe in melee combat. If a group of characters
               outnumber their opponent two to one, their Weapon Skill                                     Target
               Tests are Ordinary (+10). If a group of characters outnumber
               their opponent by three to one or more, their Weapon Skill
               Tests are Routine (+20).


               helpless targets                                                             6–7                  8              9-0
               Weapon Skill Tests made to hit a sleeping, unconscious, or
               otherwise helpless target automatically succeed. When rolling
               Damage against such a target, roll twice and add the results.
               If one die rolled results in 10, there is a chance of Righteous
                                                                                 scatterIng In Zero gravIty
               Fury as normal, but if two dice come up as 10, a Righteous        The consequences of throwing dangerous objects in a zero
               Fury is automatic (no second attack roll necessary).              gravity environment can be both amusing and deadly. One
                                                                                 way of determining exactly where that errant krak grenade
                                                                                 floats after it bounces off the bulkhead is to roll twice on the
               d                                                                 scatter diagram, once for the X axis and once for the Y axis.
               Characters standing on higher ground, such as standing on
               a table, hill, or atop of a mound of dead comrades, have an
               advantage. Weapon Skill Tests made by these characters are        piNNiNg
               Ordinary (+10).                                                   Being shot at is a terrifying experience at the best of times, and
                                                                                 even the most inexperienced soldiers know to keep their heads
                                                                                 down when the bullets and bolt shells start flying. Pinning
               long range                                                        represents a character’s survival instincts telling him to stay in
               Targets that are at a distance of more than double the range of   cover. While he may want to charge headlong into a storm of
               a character’s weapon are at Long Range. Ballistic Skill Tests     bullets, he first needs to steel his nerves. When a character is
               made to hit targets at Long Range are Difficult (–10).            on the receiving end of Suppressive Fire, even if the shot struck
                                                                                 a Hit Location that is behind cover or the character suffers no
                                                                                 Damage, he must make a Hard (–20 ) Pinning Test. This is a
                                                                                 Willpower Test. On a success, the character may act normally.
                                                                                 On a failure, the character becomes Pinned.


                                                                                 d
                  stray shots (optIonal rule)                                    A Pinned character may only take Half Actions. Additionally,
                  GMs keen on reinforcing the merciless nature of the 41st       he suffers a –20 penalty to all Ballistic Skill Tests. If a Pinned
                  millennium may rule that if a character shooting into a        character is in cover relative to the attacker that Pinned him, he
                  melee combat misses his target by a small margin (one          may not leave it except to retreat (provided he can remain in cover
                  Degree of Failure or less), the attack instead hits another    while doing so). If he is not in cover when Pinned, he must use
                  target engaged in the same melee. The GM might also            his next Turn to reach cover. If there is no cover nearby, he must
                  rule that anyone shooting into a melee combat with             move away from the attacker that Pinned him. A character can
                  a Semi-Auto Burst or Full Auto Burst must allocate             test Willpower at the end of his Turn to escape Pinning, in which
                  multiple hits to different targets engaged in the melee.       case he may act as normal in his next Turn. This test is Easy (+30)
                                                                                 if the character is no longer under fire (i.e., no one tried to shoot


                          248
him since his last Turn). A character engaged in melee combat         stunneD targets
automatically escapes Pinning. There are some special Talents,
Skills, and Psychic Powers that can also free a character from the    Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill Tests made to attack Stunned
effects of Pinning—as well as such things as combat drugs and         targets are Routine (+20).
terrifying commissars.
                                                                      unaware targets
poInt blank range                                                     When a character has no idea that he is about to be attacked,
When a character makes a ranged attack against a target that          he is considered an Unaware target. Usually, this happens at
is two metres away or closer, that target is at Point Blank           the beginning of a combat when one or more characters are




                                                                                                                                            VIII: Combat
Range. Ballistic Skill Tests made to attack a target at Point         Surprised (see page 235). Weapon Skill or Ballistic Skill Tests
Blank Range are Easy (+30). This bonus does not apply                 made to attack Unaware targets are Easy (+30).
when the attacker and the target are engaged in melee combat
with each other. For weapons with a short range of less than
3 metres, point blank range is 1 meter less than the weapon’s
                                                                      weapon jams
short range.                                                          Such is the capricious whim of the 41st Millennium that many
                                                                      of the ranged weapons characters use will have an unfortunate
                                                                      tendency to malfunction, either through extreme age,
prone                                                                 maltreatment of their machine spirit, or just plain poor design.
A character is considered Prone any time he is lying on the           To represent these unfortunate occurrences, an unmodified
ground. Weapon Skill Tests made to attack Prone targets are           result of 96 to 00, in addition to being an automatic miss, also
Ordinary (+10), but Ballistic Skill Tests made to hit Prone           indicates the weapon has Jammed. A Jammed weapon cannot
targets are Difficult (–10) unless the attacker is at Point Blank     be fired until it is cleared. Clearing a Jam is a Full Action which
Range. A character who is Prone suffers a –10 penalty to              requires a Ballistic Skill Test. If the test is successful then the
Weapon Skill Tests and a –20 penalty to Dodge Tests. Unless           Jam has been cleared, though the weapon needs to be reloaded
a character is engaged in a Grapple, he can drop Prone as a           and any ammo in it is lost. If the test is failed, the weapon is
Free Action.                                                          still Jammed, though the character can attempt to clear it again
                                                                      next Round.
                                                                      Note: Some weapons, such as plasma guns, grenades, and
short range                                                           missiles, are particularly dangerous to use. For these weapons,
Targets that are at a distance of less than half the Range of         refer to their descriptions and Weapon Special Qualities (see
a character’s weapon are at Short Range. Ballistic Skill Tests        Armoury). Semi-automatic and fully automatic fire also increases
made to attack targets at Short Range are Ordinary (+10).             the likelihood of Jamming. This is described within the Semi-
                                                                      Auto Burst, Full Auto Burst, and Suppressing Fire Actions.
sIZe
Size is an important factor when shooting ranged weapons
                                                                      weather, smoke, anD unnatural
because it is usually easier to hit a larger target. All characters   conDItIons
and creatures in Deathwatch have a defined size category, and
it should be relatively easy for the GM to assign appropriate         Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill Tests made to attack whilst
size categories to objects as needed. Use Table 8–6: Target           enduring harsh weather or unnatural conditions, such as
Size Modifiers for working out bonuses and penalties based            heavy rain, an ash storm, or knee-deep in waves of fungus are
on a target’s size.                                                   considered Hard (–20).

  Table 8–6: Target Size Modifiers
   Size                                             Modifier
   Minuscule (autoquill, knife)                     –30
   Puny (bolt pistol, servo-skull)                  –20
   Scrawny (Gretchin, Human child)                  –10
   Average (Human, Eldar)                           0
   Hulking (Ork Nob, Armoured Space Marine)         +10
   Enormous (Sentinel Walker, Krootox)              +20
   Massive (Battle Tank, Greater Daemon)            +30
   Immense (Land Raider, Great Knarloc)             +40
   Monumental (Squiggoth, Baneblade)                +50
   Titanic (Reaver Battle Titan, Ordinatus War
                                                    +60
   Machine)



                                                                                                                        249
               iNjury
                                                                                      suDDen Death crItIcal Damage
               A natural consequence of pushing one’s luck in the far
               reaches of the galaxy is getting hurt. Battle-Brothers can
                                                                                      (optIonal rule)
               get into fights with an endless array of enemies, machinery            To speed up combat involving a large number of enemies,
               can malfunction, pilots can fail to perform manoeuvres,                the GM can adopt Sudden Death Critical Damage instead
               and careless psykers can invite all manner of warp horrors             of detailing every Critical Effect. With this method, all
               to show up and ruin everyone’s day. Common physical                    minor foes, minions, nameless goons, and so forth simply
               injuries to Deathwatch characters are represented by Damage            die as soon as they take any amount of Critical Damage.
               and Fatigue. Additionally, characters can also experience              Sudden Death Critical Damage should not be used for
VIII: Combat




               several types of Conditions and Special Damage such as fire,           PCs or important villains—they deserve to savour every
               suffocation, being Stunned, and the amputation of limbs.               gory detail offered by the full array of Critical Effects.
               With all these different types of punishment waiting to befall
               characters, it is important to know how much physical abuse
               a character can take, and a key measurement of this is how          example
               many Wounds he possesses.                                           Myrdor has 15 Wounds and a Toughness Bonus of 8 (due to his
                                                                                   Unnatural Toughness trait). He is also wearing Adeptus Astartes
                                                                                   power armour that provides 10 Armour Points of protection to his
               wounDs                                                              arms, body, and legs. He is shot by a lascannon that deals 21 points
               Wounds are a measurement of how much punishment a                   of Damage to his body. His armour reduces the Damage by 10, and
               character can take before suffering debilitating effects and        his Toughness Bonus reduces it by another 8, leaving 3 points of
               ultimately, death. Every character in Deathwatch has a              Damage. Myrdor’s player records 3 Damage on his character sheet.
               specified number of Wounds. A character can often increase          Later, Myrdor is struck in the head by a genestealer for 19 points
               his Wounds by spending Experience Points (see Chapter II:           of Damage. Myrdor reduces the incoming Damage by 8, thanks to
               Specialities). Wounds do not normally deplete. Even when a          his Toughness Bonus, but since he wasn’t wearing a helmet, that’s
               character is injured, that injury does not decrease his Wounds.     as much reduction as he’s going to get. Myrdor therefore suffers 11
               Instead, a character’s Wounds simply serve as a threshold,          Damage, which is recorded on his character sheet by adding it to his
               and the injury is recorded on his character sheet as Damage.        previous Damage. Myrdor has now suffered a total of 14 Damage,
               When a character’s Damage exceeds his Wounds, he is in real         which is one less than his 15 Wounds. Another hit would likely
               trouble.                                                            inflict Critical Damage!


               Damage                                                              Damage types
               Damage is physical trauma dealt to a character. Characters          All Damage is divided up into four types: Energy (lasers, fire,
               can suffer Damage a number ways including being shot by a           plasma), Explosive (grenades, bolt rounds, missiles), Impact
               boltgun, lacerated by daemon claws, falling into a lava-filled      (clubs, bullets, falling) and Rending (swords, chain weapons,
               crevasse, exposure to the hard vacuum of space, and so forth.       claws). If a source of Damage does not specify a type, treat
               When a character suffers Damage, record the amount on his           it as Impact. Damage Type is usually only important for
               character sheet. That Damage remains with the character             determining Critical Effects resulting from Critical Damage.
               until it is removed over time by natural healing, or the
               character receives medical attention (see page 262). Damage
               is cumulative; each time a character suffers Damage, the            critical damage
               amount is added to any previous Damage he had. Each time            Whenever a character’s total Damage exceeds his Wounds,
               a character is dealt Damage, there may be an opportunity for        be begins to take Critical Damage. Each time a character
               him to reduce it before it is applied to his total. By default, a   suffers Critical Damage, he also suffers one or more Critical
               character reduces incoming Damage by an amount equal to             Effects. These are determined by consulting the appropriate
               his Toughness Bonus. Armour can also help further reduce            Critical Effect Table based on the affected body location
               Damage. If the source of the Damage struck a body location          (Arm, Body, Head, or Leg) and the type of Damage (Energy,
               protected by armour, the incoming Damage is reduced by an           Explosive, Impact, or Rending). As with normal Damage,
               amount equal to the Armour Points provided by the armour.           Critical Damage is cumulative and remains with the character
               It is important to note that some sources of Damage ignore          until he either heals naturally over time or receives medical
               armour and/or Toughness; such cases are always detailed in          attention (see page 262). Each Critical Effect also has its
               the description of the Damage source. As long a character’s         own duration (including permanent). If a Critically Damaged
               total Damage is equal to or less than his Wounds, his body          character suffers more Damage, the amount is added to his
               still functions normally. If a character’s Damage ever exceeds      existing Critical Damage and a new set of Critical Effects are
               his Wounds, he begins to take Critical Damage.                      applied based on his total Critical Damage (assuming he is
                                                                                   still alive).




                          250
example                                                                    Table 8–7: Effects of Zero Characteristic
                                                                           Score
Myrdor is hit by a boltgun shell to his right arm. After accounting
for his Toughness Bonus and armour, Myrdor suffers 10 points of             Characteristic       Effect
Explosive Damage. Since he only currently has 8 Wounds, he suffers                               The character may not make tests based
                                                                            Zero Weapon Skill
                                                                                                 on this Characteristic.
2 points of Critical Damage to his right arm. The GM consults
the Critical Damage 2 line of Table 8–12: Explosive Critical                                     The character may not make tests based
                                                                            Zero Ballistic Skill
                                                                                                 on this Characteristic.
Effects—Arm which says that Myrdor’s arm has been fractured,
                                                                                                 The character collapses into
forcing him to drop anything he was holding, and Myrdor suffers             Zero Strength
                                                                                                 unconsciousness.
two levels of Fatigue. In a later combat round, Myrdor is hit by a
                                                                            Zero Toughness       The character dies.




                                                                                                                                            VIII: Combat
lasgun blast to his left leg. After accounting for his Toughness Bonus
                                                                                                 The character is paralysed, helpless,
and armour, he suffers 3 points of Energy Damage. Myrdor has                Zero Agility
                                                                                                 and can take no Actions.
now suffered 5 total points of Critical Damage. The GM consults
                                                                                                 The character slips into a dreamless
the Critical Damage 5 line of Table 8–11: Energy Critical                   Zero Intelligence
                                                                                                 coma and is treated as helpless.
Effects—Leg and determines that Myrdor has suffered a horrific                                   The character is bereft of his senses
burn that imposes one level of Fatigue (for three levels of Fatigue         Zero Perception      and suffers a –30 penalty to all Tests
total) and reduces Myrdor to half speed for 2d10 Rounds.                                         (except Toughness) until he recovers.
                                                                                                 The character collapses into a
removIng Damage                                                             Zero Willpower       nightmare-filled sleep. When he
                                                                                                 awakens, he gains 1 Insanity Point.
Characters automatically remove Damage (both ordinary and                                        The character withdraws into a
Critical Damage) over time through natural healing. Medical                 Zero Fellowship      catatonic state. He may not speak or
attention and some Psychic Powers can also remove Damage.                                        take Tests based on this Characteristic.
Regardless of the method however, the rate of Damage
removal depends on several factors and is fully explained in
Healing, page 261.
                                                                         removIng FatIgue
                                                                         Fatigue goes away with time. Each 10 minutes of normal
                                                                         rest (not counting states of unconsciousness) that includes no
Fatigue                                                                  combat, no Psychic Powers, and no other strenuous activity,
Not all injuries in Deathwatch are lethal. Exhaustion, combat            removes one level of Fatigue. A full hour of rest will remove
trauma, or swapping licks with bare fists can all leave a                all levels of Fatigue.
character battered, but more or less intact. Fatigue measures
the amount of non-lethal injury a character can take over the
course of game play. Characters gain Fatigue from certain
                                                                         characterIstIc Damage
types of attacks, Grappling, some Critical Effects, and other            Some Psychic Powers, poisons, diseases, and other hazards
Actions that push them beyond safe limits.                               circumvent a character’s Wounds and deal Damage directly
   Fatigue is measured in levels. A character can take a number          to a Characteristic. Characteristic Damage cannot reduce a
of levels of Fatigue equal to his Toughness Bonus and still              Characteristic below zero. Characteristic Damage may also
function, albeit with some side-effects. Should a character              affect the corresponding Characteristic Bonus. Table 8–7:
take a number of levels of Fatigue in excess of his Toughness            Effects of Zero Characteristic Score summarises what
Bonus, he collapses unconscious for 10-TB minutes (minimum               happens when a particular Characteristic is reduced to zero.
of 1); after the character awakens he automatically regains              It should be noted that damage to a Characteristic affects
one level of Fatigue. Characters suffering from any level of             everything associated with that Characteristic (i.e., reduced
Fatigue take –10 penalty to all tests.                                   Strength means the character does less damage in melee,
                                                                         reduced Agility Bonus lowers the character’s Movement and
                                                                         Initiative rolls, etc.).
example
Myrdor has a Toughness Bonus of 8. He suffers one level of Fatigue
that imposes a –10 penalty to all of his tests. Myrdor can continue
                                                                         removIng characterIstIc Damage
to take additional levels of Fatigue until he has 8 total levels of      Unless otherwise specified, Characteristic Damage is never
Fatigue. These additional levels of Fatigue do not impose any further    permanent. A character automatically recovers one point of
penalties beyond the –10 to all tests. But, when Myrdor suffers          Characteristic Damage each hour, regardless of his activity
a 9th level of Fatigue, he collapses unconscious for two minutes         level. The GM may allow certain types of medical attention
(10 - 8 [Myrdor’s Toughness Bonus] = 2). After two minutes of            to remove Characteristic Damage at a faster rate.
unconsciousness, he’ll awake and have a single level of Fatigue.




                                                                                                                           251
               Table 8–8: Energy Critical Effects - Arm
               Critical
               Damage       Critical Effect
               1            A blast to the arm leaves it all numb and tingly. Tests made involving the arm are at –30 for 1 Round.
                            The attack smashes the arm, sending currents of energy crackling down to the fingers and up to the shoulder. The arm
               2
                            is useless for 1d5 Rounds and the character takes 1 level of Fatigue.
                            The attack burns the target’s arm leaving him Stunned for 1 Round and inflicts 2 levels of Fatigue. The arm is useless
               3
                            for 1d5 Rounds.
                            The shock of the attack makes the target vomit. He is Stunned for 1 Round and takes 3 levels of Fatigue. The arm is
VIII: Combat




               4
                            useless for 1d10 Rounds.
                            The arm suffers superficial burns inflicting no small amount of pain on the target. The target’s WS and BS are halved
               5
                            (round down) for 1 Round and the target takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue.
                            The attack wreathes the arm in flame, scorching clothing and armour, and temporarily fusing together the target’s
               6            fingers. The target halves WS and BS for 1d10 Rounds, takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue, and must successfully Test
                            Toughness or lose the use of the hand permanently.
                            With a terrible snapping sound, the heat of the attack boils the marrow in the target’s arm, causing it to shatter. The
               7            target’s arm is broken and until it is repaired the target counts as only having one arm. The target is Stunned for 1
                            Round and also takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue.
                            Energy sears through the arm at the shoulder, causing the limb to be severed from the body. The target must take a
               8            Toughness Test or become Stunned for 1 Round. In addition the target takes 1d10 levels of Fatigue and is suffering
                            from Blood Loss. The target now only has one arm.
                            Fire consumes the target’s arm, burning the flesh to a crisp right down to the bone. The target must make an immediate
               9            Toughness Test or die from shock. If he survives, however, the target takes 1d10 levels of Fatigue and is Stunned for 1
                            Round. The target now only has one arm.
                            The attack reduces the arm to a cloud of ash and sends the target crumbling to the ground where he immediately dies
               10+
                            from shock, clutching his smoking stump.




               Table 8–9: Energy Critical Effects - Body
               Critical
               Damage       Critical Effect
               1            A blow to the target’s body steals a breath from his lungs. The target can take only a Half Action on his next Turn.
               2            The blast punches the air from the target’s body, inflicting 1 level of Fatigue upon him.
                            The attack cooks the flesh on the chest and abdomen, inflicting 2 levels of Fatigue and leaving the target Stunned for 1
               3
                            Round.
               4            The energy ripples all over the character, scorching his body and inflicting 1d10 levels of Fatigue.
                            The fury of the attack forces the target to the ground, helplessly covering his face and keening in agony. The target is
               5            knocked to the ground and must make an Agility Test or catch fire (see Special Damage). The target takes 1d5 levels of
                            Fatigue and must take the Stand Action to regain his feet.
                            Struck by the full force of the attack, the target is sent reeling to the ground, smoke spiralling out of the wound. The
               6            target is knocked to the ground, Stunned for 1d10 Rounds, and takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue. In addition, he must make
                            an Agility Test or catch fire (see Special Damage on page 210).
                            The intense power of the energy attack cooks the target’s organs, burning his lungs and heart with intense heat. The
               7
                            target is Stunned for 2d10 Rounds and reduces his Toughness by half (round down).
                            As the attack washes over the target, his skin turns black and peels off while body fat seeps out of his clothing and
               8            armour. The target is Stunned for 2d10 Rounds and the attack halves his Strength, Toughness and Agility. The
                            extensive scarring permanently halves the target’s Fellowship characteristic.
                            The target is completely encased in fire, melting his skin and popping his eyes like superheated eggs. He falls to the
               9
                            ground a blackened corpse.
                            As above, except in addition, if the target is carrying any ammunition, there is a 50% chance it explodes. Unless they
                            can make a successful Dodge Test, all creatures within 1d5 metres take 1d10+5 Explosive Damage. If the target carried
               10+
                            any grenades or missiles, one round after the Damage was dealt they detonate where the target’s body lies with the
                            normal effects.



                          252
Table 8–10: Energy Critical Effects - Head
Critical
Damage     Critical Effect
           A grazing blow to the head frazzles the target’s senses, imposing a –10 penalty to all Tests (except Toughness) for 1
1
           Round.

2          The blast of energy dazzles the target, leaving him blinded for 1 Round.

3          The attack cooks off the target’s ear, leaving him Stunned for 1 Round and inflicting 1 level of Fatigue.




                                                                                                                                       VIII: Combat
           The energy attack burns away all of the hairs on the target’s head as well as leaving him reeling from the injury. The
4
           attack deals 2 levels of Fatigue and the target is blinded for 1d5 Rounds.
           A blast of energy envelopes the target’s head, burning his face and hair, and causing him to scream like a stuck Grox. In
5
           addition to losing his hair, he is blinded for 1d10 Rounds and takes 3 levels of Fatigue.
           The attack cooks the target’s face, melting his features and damaging his eyes. The target is blinded for the next 1d10
6
           hours and permanently reduces his Fellowship characteristic by 1d10 points. The target also takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue.
           In a gruesome display, the flesh is burned from the target’s head, exposing charred bone and muscle underneath. The
7          target is blinded permanently and takes 1d10 levels of Fatigue. Also, roll 1d10. This is the target’s new Fellowship,
           unless their Fellowship is already 10 or less, in which case nobody really notices the difference.

8          The target’s head is destroyed in a convocation of fiery death. He does not survive.

           Superheated by the attack, the target’s brain explodes, tearing apart his skull and sending flaming chunks of meat flying
9
           at those nearby. The target is no more.
           As above, except the target’s entire body catches fire and runs off headless 2d10 metres in a random direction (use the
10+        scatter diagram on page 248). Anything flammable it passes, including characters, must make an Agility Test or catch
           fire (see Special Damage, page 260).




Table 8–11: Energy Critical Effects - Leg
Critical
Damage     Critical Effect
1          A blow to the leg leaves the target gasping for air. The target gains 1 level of Fatigue.

2          A grazing strike against the leg slows the target for a bit. The target halves all movement for 1 Round.

3          The blast breaks the target’s leg leaving him Stunned for 1 Round and halving all movement for 1d5 Rounds.
           A solid blow to the leg sends electric currents of agony coursing through the target. The target takes 1d5 levels of
4
           Fatigue and halves all movement for 1d5 Rounds.
           The target’s leg endures horrific burn Damage, fusing clothing and armour with flesh and bone. The target takes 1 level
5
           of Fatigue and moves at half speed for 2d10 Rounds.
           The attack burns the target’s foot, charring the flesh and emitting a foul aroma. The target must successfully Test
6          Toughness or lose the foot. On a success, the target’s movement rates are halved until he receives medical attention. In
           addition, the target takes 2 levels of Fatigue.
           The energy attack fries the leg, leaving it a mess of blackened flesh. The leg is broken and until repaired, the target
7          counts as having lost the leg. The target must take a Toughness Test or become Stunned for 1 Round. In addition the
           target gains 1d5 levels of Fatigue. The target now only has one leg.
           Energy sears through the bone, causing the leg to be severed. The target must take a Toughness Test or become
8          Stunned for 1 Round. In addition the target gains 1d10 levels of Fatigue and is suffering from Blood Loss. The target
           now only has one leg.
           The force of the attack reduces the leg to little more than a chunk of sizzling gristle. The target make a Challenging
9
           (+0) Toughness Test or die from shock. The leg is utterly lost.
           In a terrifying display of power, the leg immolates and fire consumes the target completely. The target dies in a matter
10+
           of agonising seconds




                                                                                                                       253
               Table 8–12: Explosive Critical Effects - Arm
               Critical
               Damage       Critical Effect
               1            The attack throws the limb backwards, painfully jerking it away from the body, inflicting 1 level of Fatigue.
               2            The attack sends a fracture through the limb. The target drops anything held in the hand and takes 2 levels of Fatigue.
                            The explosion takes 1d5 fingers from the target’s hand. The target takes 3 levels of Fatigue and anything carried in the
               3
                            hand is destroyed. If this is an explosive, it goes off. Messy.
                            The blast causes the target to howl in agony. He takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue, is Stunned for 1 Round, and the limb is
               4
                            useless until medical attention is received.
VIII: Combat




                            Fragments from the explosion tear into the target’s hand, ripping away flesh and muscle alike. He must immediately
               5            Test Toughness or lose the hand. Even on a success, the hand is useless until medical attention is received. The target
                            takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue.
                            The explosive attack shatters the bone and mangles the flesh turning the target’s arm into a red ruin, inflicting 1d5
               6            levels of Fatigue. The target’s arm is broken and, until repaired, the target counts as having only one arm. In addition,
                            the horrendous nature of the wound means that he now suffers from Blood Loss.
                            In a violent hail of flesh, the arm is blown apart. The target must immediately make a Challenging (+0) Toughness
               7            Test or die from shock. On a success, the target is Stunned for 1d10 rounds, takes 1d10 levels of Fatigue, and suffers
                            Blood Loss. He now only has one arm.
                            The arm disintegrates under the force of the explosion taking a good portion of the shoulder and chest with it. The
               8
                            target is sent screaming to the ground, where he dies in a pool of his own blood and organs.
                            With a mighty bang the arm is blasted from the target’s body, killing the target instantly in a rain of blood droplets. In
               9            addition, if the target was carrying a weapon with a power source in his hand (such as a power sword or chainsword)
                            then it explodes, dealing 1d10+5 Impact Damage to anyone within two metres.
                            As above, except if the target is carrying any ammunition it explodes dealing 1d10+5 Impact Damage to anyone within
               10+          1d10 metres (this is in addition to Damage caused by exploding power weapons noted above). If the target is carrying
                            any grenades or missiles, these too detonate on his person.




               Table 8–13: Explosive Critical Effects - Body
               Critical
               Damage       Critical Effect
               1            The target is blown backwards 1d5 metres and takes 1 level of Fatigue per metre travelled. He is Prone when he lands.
                            The target is blown backwards 1d10 metres, taking 1 level of Fatigue per metre travelled. If he strikes a solid object, he
               2
                            takes 1d5 additional levels of Fatigue.
                            The explosion destroys whatever armour protected the body. If the target wore none, the target is blown backwards
               3
                            1d10 metres, as above but the target takes 2 levels of Fatigue for every metre travelled.
                            The explosion sends the target sprawling to the ground. He takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue, is Stunned for 1 Round, and
               4
                            must spend a Full Action to regain his feet.
                            Concussion from the explosion knocks the target to the ground and tenderises his innards. The target falls down
               5
                            Stunned for 1 Round and takes 1d10 levels of Fatigue.
                            Chunks of the target’s flesh are ripped free by the force of the attack leaving large, weeping wounds. The target is
               6
                            Stunned for 1 Round, takes 1d10 levels of Fatigue and is now suffering Blood Loss.
                            The explosive force of the attack ruptures the target’s flesh and scrambles his nervous system, knocking him to the
               7            ground. The target falls down, is Stunned for 1d10 Rounds and takes 1d10 levels of Fatigue. In addition, he now
                            suffers Blood Loss and can only take Half Actions for the next 1d10 hours as he tries to regain control of his body.
                            The target’s chest explodes outward, disgorging a river of partially cooked organs onto the ground, killing him
               8
                            instantly.
                            Pieces of the target’s body fly in all directions as he is torn into bloody gobbets by the attack. In addition, if the target
               9            is carrying any ammunition, it explodes dealing 1d10+5 Impact Damage to anyone within 1d10 metres. If the target is
                            carrying any grenades or missiles, these too detonate on the target’s person.
                            As above, except anyone within 1d10 metres of the target is drenched in gore and must make a Challenging (+0)
               10+
                            Agility Test or suffer a –10 penalty to Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill Tests for 1 Round as blood fouls their sight.




                          254
Table 8–14: Explosive Critical Effects - Head
Critical
Damage     Critical Effect

1          The explosion leaves the target confused. He can take only a Half Action on his next Turn and takes 1 level of Fatigue.

2          The flash and noise leaves the target blind and deaf for 1 Round. The target takes 2 levels of Fatigue.

3          The detonation leaves the target’s face a bloody ruin from scores of small cuts. The target takes 2 levels of Fatigue.




                                                                                                                                        VIII: Combat
4          The force of the burst knocks the target to the ground and Stuns him for 1 Round. The target takes 2 levels of Fatigue.

           The explosion flays the flesh from the target’s face and bursts his eardrums with its force. The target is Stunned for
5          1d10 Rounds and is permanently deafened. The target takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue and can only take Half Actions for
           1d5 hours. Finally, the target’s Fellowship drops by 1d10 due to hideous scarring.
           The target’s head explodes under the force of the attack, leaving his headless corpse to spurt blood from the neck for
6
           the next few minutes. Needless to say this is instantly fatal.
           Both head and body are blown into a mangled mess, instantly killing the target. In addition, if the target is carrying any
7          ammunition it explodes dealing 1d10+5 Impact Damage to any creatures within 1d5 metres. If the target was carrying
           grenades or missiles, these too explode on the target’s person.
           In a series of unpleasant explosions the target’s head and torso peel apart, leaving a gory mess on the ground. For the
8
           rest of the fight, anyone moving over this spot must make a Challenging (+0) Agility Test or fall prone.
           The target ceases to exist in any tangible way, entirely turning into a kind of crimson mist. You don’t get much deader
9
           than this, except…
           As above, except such is the unspeakably appalling manner in which the target was killed, that any of the target’s allies
10+        who are within two metres of where the target stood, must make an immediate Challenging (+0) Willpower Test or
           spend their next Turn fleeing from the attacker.




Table 8–15: Explosive Critical Effects - Leg
Critical
Damage     Critical Effect
1          A glancing blast sends the character backwards one metre.
2          The force of the explosion takes the target’s feet out from under him. He lands Prone and takes 1 level of Fatigue.
           The concussion cracks the target’s leg, leaving him Stunned for 1 Round and halving all movement for 1d5 Rounds.
3
           The target takes 1 level of Fatigue.
           The explosion sends the target spinning through the air. The target travels 1d5 metres away from the explosion
4          and takes 1 level of Fatigue per metre travelled. It takes the target a Full Action to regain his feet and he halves all
           movement for 1d10 Rounds.
           Explosive force removes part of the target’s foot and scatters it over a wide area. The target must make an immediate
5          Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or permanently lose the use of his foot, inflicting 1d5 levels of Fatigue. On a
           success, the target takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue and halves his movement until he receives medical attention.
           The concussive force of the blast shatters the target’s leg bones and splits apart his flesh, inflicting 1d10 levels of
6          Fatigue. The leg is broken and, until repaired, the target counts as having only one leg. In addition, the horrendous
           nature of the wound means that he now suffers from Blood Loss.
           The explosion reduces the target’s leg into a hunk of smoking meat. The target must immediately make a Challenging
7          (+0) Toughness Test or die from shock. On a successful Test, the target is still Stunned for 1d10 Rounds, takes 1d10
           levels of Fatigue and suffers Blood Loss. He now has only one leg.
           The blast tears the leg from the body in a geyser of gore, sending him crashing to the ground, blood pumping from the
8
           ragged stump: instantly fatal.
           The leg explodes in an eruption of blood, killing the target immediately and sending tiny fragments of bone, clothing,
9
           and armour hurtling off in all directions. Anyone within two metres of the target takes 1d10+2 Impact Damage.
           As above, except in addition, if the target is carrying any ammunition, it explodes dealing 1d10+5 Impact Damage to
10+
           anyone within 1d10 metres. If the target is carrying any grenades or missiles, these too detonate on the target’s person.



                                                                                                                           255
               Table 8–16: Impact Critical Effects - Arm
               Critical
               Damage       Critical Effect

               1            The attack numbs the target’s limb causing him to drop anything held in that hand.

               2            The strike leaves a deep bruise. The target takes 1 level of Fatigue.

               3            The impact inflicts crushing pain and the target takes 1 level of Fatigue and drops whatever was held in that hand.

                            The impact leaves the target reeling from pain. The target is Stunned for 1 Round. The limb is useless for 1d5 Rounds
VIII: Combat




               4
                            and the target takes 1 level of Fatigue.
                            Muscle and bone take a pounding as the attack rips into the arm. The target’s Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill are both
               5            halved (round down) for 1d10 Rounds. In addition, the target takes 1 level of Fatigue and must make an Agility Test or
                            drop anything held in that hand.
                            The attack pulverises the target’s hand, crushing and breaking 1d5 fingers (for the purposes of this Critical, a thumb
               6            counts a finger). The target takes 1 level of Fatigue and must immediately make a Challenging (+0) Toughness Test
                            or lose the use of his hand.
                            With a loud snap, the arm bone is shattered and left hanging limply at the target’s side, dribbling blood onto the
               7
                            ground. The arm is broken and, until repaired, the target counts as having only one arm and takes 2 levels of Fatigue.
                            The force of the attack takes the arm off just below the shoulder, showering blood and gore across the ground. The
               8            target must immediately make a Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or die from shock. If he passes the Test, he is still
                            Stunned for 1d10 rounds, takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue and is suffers from Blood Loss. He now only has one arm.
                            In a rain of blood, gore and meat, the target’s arm is removed from his body. Screaming incoherently, he twists about in
               9
                            agony for a few seconds before collapsing to the ground and dying.
                            As above, except as the arm is removed it is smashed apart by the force of the attack, and bone, clothing and armour
               10+          fragments fly about like shrapnel. Anyone within 2 metres of the target suffers 1d5–3 Impact Damage to a random
                            location (see Table 9–8: Hit Locations).




               Table 8–17: Impact Critical Effects - Body
               Critical
               Damage       Critical Effect

               1            A blow to the target’s body steals the breath from his lungs. The target can take only a Half Action on his next Turn.

               2            The impact punches the air from the target’s body, inflicting 1 level of Fatigue.

               3            The attack breaks a rib and inflicts 2 levels of Fatigue. The target is also Stunned for 1 Round.

               4            The blow batters the target, shattering ribs. The target takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue and is Stunned for 1 Round.

                            A solid blow to the chest winds the target and he momentary doubles over in pain, clutching himself and crying in
               5
                            agony. The target takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue and is Stunned for 2 Rounds.
                            The attack knocks the target sprawling on the ground. The target flies 1d5 metres away from the attacker and falls
               6            prone (if the target strikes a wall or other solid object, he stops). The target takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue and is Stunned
                            for 2 Rounds.
                            With an audible crack, 1d5 of the target’s ribs break. The target can either lay down and stay still awaiting medical
               7            attention (a successful Medicae Test sets the ribs) or continue to take Actions, though each Round there is a 20% chance
                            that a jagged rib pierces a vital organ and kills the character instantly. The target takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue.
                            The force of the attack ruptures several of the target’s organs and knocks him down, gasping in wretched pain. The
               8
                            target suffers Blood Loss and takes 1d10 levels of Fatigue.
                            The target jerks back from the force of the attack, throwing back his head and spewing out a jet of blood before
               9
                            crumpling to the ground dead.
                            As above, except the target is thrown 1d10 metres away from the attack. Anyone in the target’s path must make a
               10+
                            Challenging (+0) Agility Test or be Knocked Down.




                          256
Table 8–18: Impact Critical Effects - Head
Critical
Damage     Critical Effect
           The impact fills the target’s head with a terrible ringing noise. The target must make a Challenging (+0) Toughness
1
           Test or suffer 1 level of Fatigue.
           The attack causes the target to see stars. The target takes 1 level of Fatigue and suffers a –10 penalty to Weapon Skill
2
           and Ballistic Skill Tests for 1 Round.

3          The target’s nose explodes in a torrent of blood, blinding him for 1 Round and dealing 2 levels of Fatigue.




                                                                                                                                         VIII: Combat
4          The concussive strike staggers the target, dealing 1d5 levels of Fatigue.

5          The force of the blow sends the target reeling in pain. The target is Stunned for 1 Round.

           The target’s head is snapped back by the attack leaving him staggering around trying to control mind-numbing pain.
6
           The target is Stunned for 1d5 Rounds and takes 2 levels of Fatigue.
           The attack slams into the target’s head, fracturing his skull and opening a long tear in his scalp. The target is Stunned
7
           for 1d10 Rounds and halves all movement for 1d10 hours.
           Blood pours from the target’s noise, mouth, ears and eyes as the attack pulverises his brain. He does not survive the
8
           experience.
           The target’s head bursts like an overripe fruit and sprays blood, bone and brains in all directions. Anyone within 4
9          metres of the target must make an Agility Test or suffer a –10 penalty to their WS and BS on their next Turn as gore
           gets in their eyes or on their visors.
           As above, except that the attack was so powerful that it passes through the target and may hit another target nearby. If
           the hit was from a melee weapon, the attacker may immediately make another attack (with the same weapon) against
10+        any other target they can reach without moving. If the hit was from a ranged weapon they may immediately make
           another attack (with the same weapon) against any target standing directly behind the original target and still within
           range of their weapon.




Table 8–19: Impact Critical Effects - Leg
Critical
Damage     Critical Effect
1          A light blow to the leg leaves the target gasping for air. The target takes 1 level of Fatigue.
           A grazing strike against the leg slows the target. The target halves all movement for 1 Round and takes 1 level of
2
           Fatigue.
           The blow breaks the target’s leg leaving him Stunned for 1 Round and halving all movement for 1d5 Rounds. The
3
           target takes 1 level of Fatigue.
           A solid blow to the leg sends lightning agony coursing through the target. The target takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue and
4
           halves all movement for 1d5 Rounds.
           A powerful impact causes micro fractures in the target’s bones, inflicting considerable agony. The target’s Agility is
5
           reduced by –20 for 1d10 Rounds and he takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue.
           Several of the tiny bones in the target’s foot snap like twigs with cracking noises. The target must make an
6          immediate Toughness Test or permanently lose the use of his foot. On a success, halve all movement until medical
           attention is received. The target takes 2 levels of Fatigue.
           With a nasty crunch, the leg is broken and the target is knocked down mewling in pain. The target falls to the
7          ground with a broken leg and, until it is repaired, he counts as only having one leg. The target takes 2 levels of
           Fatigue.
           The force of the attack rips the lower half of the leg away in a stream of blood. The target must immediately make
8          a Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or die from shock. On a success, the target is Stunned for 1d10 rounds, takes
           1d5 levels of Fatigue and suffers Blood Loss. He now only has one leg.
           The hit rips apart the flesh of the leg, causing blood to spray out in all directions. Even as the target tries futilely to
9
           stop the sudden flood of vital fluid, he falls to the ground and dies in a spreading pool of gore.
           As above, but such is the agony of the target’s death that his piteous screams drowns out all conversation within
10+
           2d10 metres for the rest of the Round.



                                                                                                                             257
               Table 8–20: Rending Critical Effects - Arm
               Critical
               Damage       Critical Effect
               1            The slashing attack tears anything free that was held in this arm.
               2            Deep cuts cause the target to drop whatever was held and inflicts 1 level of Fatigue.
                            The shredding attack sends the target screaming in pain. He takes 2 levels of Fatigue and drops whatever was held in
               3
                            that hand.
                            The attack flays the skin from the limb, filling the air with blood and the sounds of his screaming. The target falls prone
               4
                            from the agony and takes 2 levels of Fatigue. The limb is useless for 1d10 Rounds.
VIII: Combat




                            A bloody and very painful looking furrow is opened up in the target’s arm. The target takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue
               5            and vomits all over the place in agony. He drops whatever was held and the limb is useless until medical attention is
                            received. The target also suffers Blood Loss.
                            The blow mangles flesh and muscle as it hacks into the target’s hand, liberating 1d5 fingers in the process (a roll of
               6            a 5 means that the thumb has been sheared off ). The target takes 3 levels of Fatigue and must immediately make a
                            Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or lose the use of his hand.
                            The attack rips apart skin, muscle, bone and sinew with ease, turning the target’s arm into a dangling ruin and inflicting
               7            1d5 levels of Fatigue. The arm is broken and, until repaired, the target counts as having only one arm. In addition,
                            numerous veins have been severed and the target is now suffering from Blood Loss.
                            With an assortment of unnatural, wet ripping sounds, the arm flies free of the body trailing blood behind it in a crimson
               8            arc. The target must immediately make a Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or die from shock. If he passes the Test,
                            he is Stunned for 1d10 Turns and suffers Blood Loss. He also takes 1d10 levels of Fatigue and now has only one arm.
                            The attack slices clean through the arm and into the torso, drenching the ground in blood and gore and killing the
               9
                            target instantly.
                            As above. However, as the arm falls to the ground its fingers spasm uncontrollably, pumping the trigger of any held
               10+          weapon. If the target was carrying a ranged weapon there is a 5% chance that a single randomly determined target
                            within 2d10 metres will be hit by these shots, in which case resolve a single hit from the target’s weapon as normal.



               Table 8–21: Rending Critical Effects - Body
               Critical
               Damage       Critical Effect
                            If the target is not wearing armour on this location, he takes 1 level of Fatigue from a painful laceration. If he is
               1
                            wearing armour, there is no effect. Phew!
                            The attack damages the target’s armour, reducing its Armour Points by 1. In addition, the target takes 1 level of Fatigue.
               2
                            If not armoured, the target is also Stunned for 1 Round.
                            The attack rips a large patch of skin from the target’s torso, leaving him gasping in pain. The target is Stunned for 1
               3
                            Round and takes 2 levels of Fatigue.
                            A torrent of blood spills from the deep cuts, making the ground slick with gore. All characters attempting to move
               4
                            through this pool of blood must succeed on an Agility Test or fall Prone. The target takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue.
                            The blow opens up a long wound in the target’s torso, causing him to double over in terrible pain. The target takes 1d5
               5
                            levels of Fatigue.
                            The mighty attack takes a sizeable chunk out of the target and knocks him to the ground as he clutches the oozing
               6
                            wound, shrieking in pain. The target is Prone and takes 1d10 levels of Fatigue.
                            The attack cuts open the target’s abdomen. The target can either choose to use one arm to hold his guts in (until a
                            medic can bind them in place with a successful Medicae Test), or fight on regardless and risk a 20% chance each turn
               7
                            that his middle splits open, spilling his intestines all over the ground, causing an additional 2d10 Damage. In either
                            case, the target takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue and is now suffering Blood Loss.
                            With a vile tearing noise, the skin on the target’s chest comes away revealing a red ruin of muscle. The target must make
               8            a Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or die. If he passes, he permanently loses 1d10 from his Toughness, takes 1d10
                            levels of Fatigue, and now suffers Blood Loss.
                            The powerful blow cleaves the target from gullet to groin, revealing his internal organs and spilling them on to the
               9
                            ground before him. The target is now quite dead.
                            As above, except that the area and the target are awash with gore. For the rest of the fight, anyone moving within four
               10+
                            metres of the target’s corpse must make make a Challenging (+0) Agility Test or fall prone.



                          258
Table 8–22: Rending Critical Effects - Head
Critical
Damage     Critical Effect
1          The attack tears skin from the target’s face dealing 1 level of Fatigue. If the target is wearing a helmet, there is no effect.
           The attack slices open the target’s scalp which immediately begins to bleed profusely. Due to blood pouring into the
2          target’s eyes, he suffers a –10 penalty to both Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill for the next 1d10 Turns. The target takes
           1 level of Fatigue.
           The attack tears the target’s helmet from his head. If wearing no helmet, the target loses an ear instead and inflicts 2
3
           levels of Fatigue.




                                                                                                                                             VIII: Combat
           The attack scoops out one of the target’s eyes, inflicting 1d5 levels of Fatigue and leaving the target Stunned for 1
4
           Round.
           The attack opens up the target’s face, leaving him Stunned for 1d5 Rounds and inflicting 1d5 levels of Fatigue. If the
5
           target is wearing a helmet, the helmet comes off.
           As the blow rips violently across the target’s face—it takes with it an important feature. Roll 1d10 to see what the
           target has lost. 1–3: Eye (see Permanent Effects on page 201), 4–7: Nose (permanently halve Fellowship), 8–10: Ear
6
           (permanently reduce Fellowship by 1d10; the wound can always be hidden with hair.) In addition, the target is now
           suffering Blood Loss and takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue.
           In a splatter of skin and teeth, the attack removes most of the target’s face. He is permanently blinded and has his
7          Fellowship permanently reduced to 1d10, and also now has trouble speaking without slurring his words. In addition,
           the target is suffering from Blood Loss and takes 1d10 levels of Fatigue.
           The blow slices into the side of the target’s head causing his eyes to pop out and his brain to ooze down his cheek like
8
           spilled jelly. He’s dead before he hits the ground.
           With a sound not unlike a wet sponge being torn in half, the target’s head flies free of its body and sails through the air,
9
           landing harmlessly 2d10 metres away with a soggy thud. The target is instantly slain.
           As above, except the target’s neck spews blood in a torrent, drenching all those nearby and forcing them to make a
10+        Challenging (+0) Agility Test. Anyone who fails the Test, suffers a –10 penalty to his Weapon Skill and Ballistic
           Skill Tests for 1 Round as gore fills his eyes or fouls his visor.



Table 8–23: Rending Critical Effects - Leg
Critical
Damage     Critical Effect
1          The attack knocks the limb backwards, painfully jerking it away from the body. The target takes 1 level of Fatigue.
           The target’s kneecap splits open. He must make a Challenging (+0) Agility Test or fall prone. Regardless, he takes 1
2
           level of Fatigue.
           The attack rips a length of flesh from the leg, causing blood to gush from the wound. The target takes 1 level of Fatigue
3
           and suffers Blood Loss.
           The attack rips the kneecap free from the target’s leg, causing it to collapse out from under him. The target moves at
4
           half speed until medical attention is received. In addition, he takes 2 levels of Fatigue.
           In a spray of blood, the target’s leg is opened up, exposing bone, sinew and muscle. The target takes 1d5 levels of
5
           Fatigue and halves his movement for 1d10 hours.
           The blow slices a couple of centimetres off the end of the target’s foot. The target must make an immediate
6          Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or permanently lose the use of his foot. On a success, movement is halved until he
           receives medical attention. In either case, the target takes 1d5 levels of Fatigue.
           The force of the blow cuts deep into the leg, grinding against bone and tearing ligaments apart. The leg is broken and,
7          until repaired, the target counts as having only one leg. In addition, the level of maiming is such that the target is now
           suffering from Blood Loss. He also takes 1d10 levels of Fatigue.
           In a single bloody hack the leg is lopped off the target, spurting its vital fluids across the ground. The target must
8          immediately make a Toughness Test or die from shock. On a success, the target is Stunned for 1d10 Rounds, takes
           1d10 Fatigue and suffers Blood Loss. He now has only one leg.
           With a meaty chop, the leg comes away at the hip. The target pitches to the ground howling in agony, before dying
9
           moments later.
           As above, except that the tide of blood is so intense that, for the remainder of the battle, anyone making a Run or
10+
           Charge Action within six metres of the target this Turn must make a Challenging (+0) Agility Test or fall over.



                                                                                                                           259
               coNditioNs aNd special                                                  lost leg
               damage                                                                  Treat this as a lost foot, but the character cannot use the
                                                                                       Dodge Skill. Losing both legs means the character is half the
               Common injuries are far from the only forms of bodily harm              person he was, but the good news is he also becomes half the
               facing those who dare to venture into the unknown. Space                target for his enemies.
               Marines may find themselves set on fire, suffering from
               massive loss of blood, broken bones, or facing a permanent
               amputation. All of these, and more, are collectively known as
                                                                                       d
               Conditions and Special Damage.                                          A blind character automatically fails all tests based on vision
VIII: Combat




                                                                                       and automatically fails all Ballistic Skill Tests. He also suffers
                                                                                       a –30 penalty to Weapon Skill Tests and most other tests that
               amputateD lImbs                                                         ordinarily benefit from vision.
               A character who loses body parts (except for his head, which
               almost certainly means death) is also affected by Blood Loss
               and must be treated for it quickly. If the character lives,
                                                                                       blooD loss
               someone with the Medicae Skill must be found to adequately              Blood Loss is a Critical Effect that can result from Critical Damage.
               treat the stump to ensure that it heals well. If no medic is            Characters suffering from Blood Loss have a 10% chance of dying
               available, there is only a 20% chance that the stump will heal          each Round unless treated in some way. If the suffering character
               over. If it does not, the amputee dies a horrible death from            is conscious, he may attempt a Difficult (–10) Medicae Test
               infection after 1d10 days. Whether or not it heals naturally            each Round to staunch the bleeding. If the character is also trying
               or a medic treats it, the character does not start removing             simultaneously to engage in strenuous activity, such as running
               Damage for 1d10+2 days. Assuming the character survives                 away from whatever caused the Blood Loss, attempts to staunch
               all of the above, he’ll also have to cope with the disagreeable         the bleeding instead requires a Very Hard (–30) Medicae Test.
               side-effects of the lost limb, which are explained below.               If the suffering character is not conscious, or doesn’t fancy his
                                                                                       chances, another character may attempt the test.
               d
               The character suffers a –20 penalty on all Skill and Characteristic
                                                                                       d
               Tests that rely on the use of two hands and he cannot wield             The character cannot hear at all, or at least not well enough
               two-handed weapons. A shield can be strapped to the injured             to communicate with others. Until the character recovers or
               arm, however. Should this be the character’s primary hand, he           has his disability repaired, he automatically fails any Skill or
               must cope with the customary –20 penalty to Weapon Skill                Characteristic Test that relies on hearing. Apart from having
               Tests made to attack with weapons using his secondary hand.             trouble communicating, the GM is free to decide what effects a
               For every 100 xp he spends, he can reduce this penalty by 10.           deaf character will have on the game.
               If a character loses both hands, he should either secure at least
               one replacement or get someone to sharpen his teeth.
                                                                                       FIre
                                                                                       A character suffers Damage from fire each Round he is exposed to it.
               lost arm                                                                At the beginning of each Round after the first in which a character
               As for a lost hand, but a character cannot strap a shield to            is exposed to the same source of flames (or if he is hit by a weapon
               the arm since he no longer has it. Losing both arms is just as          with the Flame special quality), he must make a Challenging
               bad, plus it’s a bit difficult to reach those hard-to-clean spots.      (+0) Agility Test or catch on fire. Once a character is on fire, he
               Once again, either look into replacement limbs or consider              suffers 1d10 Damage (with no reduction from armour) and suffers
               rolling up a new character.                                             1 level of Fatigue each Round until the fire is extinguished. All
                                                                                       Damage from fire is treated as Energy Damage for the purpose
                                                                                       of determining Critical Effects—if the location is not otherwise
               lost eye                                                                specified, use the body location. If a character is on fire and is not
               Losing one eye permanently reduces a character’s Ballistic Skill        wearing a fully enclosed suit of armour, the character must make a
               by –10. In addition, he suffers a –20 penalty to all Skill and          Challenging (+0) Willpower Test at the beginning of each of
               Characteristics Tests that rely on sight. Should a character have the   his Turns in order to be able to take Actions normally; otherwise,
               misfortune to lose both eyes, he becomes blinded (see below).           he may only run around and scream, which counts as a Full Action.
                                                                                       A character that is on fire may try to extinguish the flames himself
                                                                                       by dropping prone and making a Hard (–20) Agility Test,
               lost Foot                                                               which counts as a Full Action. The GM can make this test easier or
               The character permanently reduces all his movement by half              harder depending on environmental conditions and whether the
               (round up) and suffers a –20 penalty to all movement Actions            blazing character is able to receive any help from nearby allies. If
               as well as Skill and Characteristic Tests that rely on mobility,        the character is wearing fully enclosed armour (including Power
               such as Shadowing. Losing both feet makes it hard to walk.              Armour), he automatically passes the Willpower Test.


                           260
FallIng                                                                 unconsciousness due to excessive levels of Fatigue, he recovers
                                                                        some of that Fatigue when he awakens. See Fatigue,  page 251.
Gravity is an ever-present danger to characters who have a nasty
habit of falling off all manner of things during the course of
their adventures. Regardless of the reason, however, the results
                                                                        useless lImbs
are usually the same. To work out Damage from falling, simply           Certain Critical Effects indicate a risk of permanently losing
roll 1d10+1 for every meter the character fell. Use Table               the use of a limb unless the affected character succeeds at a
8–3: Hit Location, page 244 to determine which part of the              Challenging (+0) Toughness Test. If a character with the
body hits the ground first. Armour offers no protection against         Medicae Skill is present to assist the injured character, the victim
falls. Damage from falling is treated as Impact Damage for the          gains a +20 bonus to such a test. Even if the test is successful,




                                                                                                                                               VIII: Combat
purposes of determining Critical Effects. The GM may adjust             the limb must be held in a sling for 1d5+1 weeks and is useless
the Damage depending on the type of surface impacted as well            during this time. Should the Toughness Test fail, the limb must
abnormal gravity conditions, and so forth.                              be removed, requiring a character with the Medicae Skill to
                                                                        succeed at a Difficult (–10) Medicae Test. Should this fail, the
                                                                        limb still comes off, but the surgery inflicts 1d10 Damage to the
d                                                                       limb—almost always Critical Damage. Should the amputee live,
In addition to Damage and Fatigue, characters may also                  the limb comes off, but he suffers Blood Loss and must be treated
become Stunned. A character can become Stunned due to                   for it. Once this has been dealt with, the chirurgeon must treat the
the effects of some Psychic Powers, Critical Damage, or the             wound as if it were an amputated limb (see above).
Takedown Talent. Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill Tests to hit
Stunned characters are considered Routine (+20). In addition,
Stunned characters cannot take Actions or Reactions such as
                                                                        vacuum
Dodge. A Stunned character is not helpless or unaware.                  There is nothing good about being exposed to vacuum. There
                                                                        are two main ways this unfortunate event could occur: A
                                                                        character can be suddenly thrust into an airless, pressureless
suFFocatIon                                                             environment (such as being expelled from an airlock), or he
There are many ways to suffocate, including drowning, smoke             can be slowly affected (such as being trapped on a starship
inhalation, and exposure to certain toxins. The rate of suffocation     as its atmosphere is vented into space). If suddenly exposed
depends on the character’s activity level. If a character is actively   to vacuum, a character may survive unharmed for a number
trying to conserve oxygen, he can hold his breath for a number          of Rounds equal to his Toughness Bonus. Unless he has an
of minutes equal to his Toughness Bonus. If a character is instead      oxygen source, he will also begin to suffer from the effects
engaged in strenuous activity (combat, swimming, and so forth)          of suffocation. At the end of each Round after this, he suffers
he may hold his breath for a number of Rounds equal to twice            1d10+3 Explosive Damage from depressurisation. If he is
his Toughness Bonus. While holding his breath, a character              in the vacuum of space, at the end of each Round make a
must make a Challenging (+0) Toughness Test each minute                 Challenging (+0) Toughness Test. A failure indicates he also
(if conserving oxygen) or each Round (if engaged in strenuous           suffers 1d10 Energy Damage from the extreme cold. In both
activity). If he fails, he suffers one level of Fatigue. Remember,      cases, any armour worn does not reduce the Damage incurred.
any amount of Fatigue imposes a –10 penalty to all tests, and           If a character dies in space, it takes five Rounds for his corpse
if a character ever has a number of levels of Fatigue in excess         to freeze. If a frozen corpse suffers any Damage, it shatters
of his Toughness Bonus, he immediately falls unconscious for            into thousands of blood-red ice shards. There is precious little,
10-TB minutes. If the character has not gained a fresh source           except perhaps a daemonic pact, which can bring a character
of oxygen by the end of the allotted time, he automatically falls       back from such a fate. If a character is trapped in a gradually
unconscious regardless of his levels of Fatigue. If a character is      worsening atmosphere, he may survive unharmed for a number
both unconscious and deprived of a fresh source of oxygen, he           of Rounds equal to twice his Toughness Bonus. At the end
suffers 1d10 Damage each Round until he dies. Armour and                of this time, he will begin to experience suffocation will also
Toughness cannot reduce this Damage. It is important to note            begin to feel the effects of depressurisation. From that point
that Space Marines with a functioning Multi-lung implant may            onwards, at the end of each Round he must make a Toughness
breathe water and thus do not drown.                                    Test with a cumulative –10 penalty. Success indicates that he
                                                                        only suffers 1d5 Explosive Damage. Failure means that he
                                                                        suffers 1d10 Explosive Damage. In both cases, armour cannot
unconscIousness                                                         reduce the Damage incurred.
Unconsciousness is usually a temporary state that typically
results from excessive levels of Fatigue or Critical Damage.
The duration of a state of unconsciousness is usually included          HealiNg
in the description of the effect that caused it, but if no other        A character inevitably suffers Damage during his explorations
duration is given, unconsciousness lasts for 10-TB minutes. An          of the galaxy. As a character accumulates Damage, he progresses
unconscious character is completely unaware of his surroundings         through three different states: Lightly Damaged, Heavily
and cannot take any actions. He is also treated as a helpless target    Damaged, and Critically Damaged. Characters naturally
(see Combat Circumstances, page 246). If a character fell into          recover from Damage at a slow rate that varies depending on


                                                                                                                          261
               the character’s Damage state. Rest, medical attention, and a           Death
               few Psychic Powers can speed up Damage recovery.
                                                                                      Death for a character is always the result of a Critical Damage
                                                                                      effect. Usually this is when the character has accrued 8 or
               d                                                                      more points of Critical Damage depending on the type of
               A character is considered Lightly Damaged if he has taken              Damage suffered and the body location struck. If a critical
               Damage equal to or less than twice his Toughness Bonus.                result indicates that the character is killed, then he is dead, and
               A Lightly Damaged character removes 1 Damage per day                   only burning a Fate Point (seepage 205) will save his life.
               through natural healing. If Lightly Damaged the character
               devotes an entire day to bed rest, he removes an amount of
                                                                                      heroIc sacrIFIce (optIonal)
VIII: Combat




               Damage equal to his Toughness Bonus.
                                                                                      No Battle-Brother ever dies in vain as long as he dies in the
                                                                                      Emperor’s service. At the GM’s discretion, he may allow players
               example                                                                to choose the option of Heroic Sacrifice if they know that their
               Brother Myrdor has a Toughness Bonus of 8. After a bloody mission      characters have no other options to continue serving the Emperor
               he has suffered 12 Damage. This amount of Damage is less than twice    or wish to sell their lives for the greater good. When a player’s
               his Toughness Bonus (2 x 8 = 16), so he is only Lightly Damaged.       character is in a position to burn his final Fate Point to save his
               He will naturally heal 1 Damage per day, but if he devotes an entire   character’s life (Space Marines would only make this choice if
               day to rest and recovery, he can remove 8 Damage.                      there is no other way to survive!), he may instead choose to
                                                                                      burn the point anyway and make a Heroic Sacrifice instead. A
                                                                                      character declares at the start of his Turn that he is performing
               d                                                                      a Heroic Sacrifice as a Free Action. Then, for a number of Turns
               A character is Heavily Damaged whenever he has taken more              equal to his Toughness Bonus (including the turn in which
               Damage than twice his Toughness Bonus. A Heavily Damaged               the Sacrifice was declared), the character can ignore all further
               character removes 1 Damage per week through natural                    critical effects with the exception of those which render limbs
               healing. If a Heavily Damaged character devotes an entire              or senses useless (such as blown-off limbs and blindness). The
               week to complete rest, he removes an amount of Damage                  character also receives one ‘free’ Fate Point each turn, which
               equal to his Toughness Bonus. Once a Heavily Damaged                   may be used in the normal fashion (seepage 204) though it is
               character’s Damage is equal to or less than his Toughness              lost if not spent. At the end of this period, the character will die
               Bonus, he becomes Lightly Damaged.                                     regardless of any other factors. Fate Points gained as part of the
                                                                                      Heroic Sacrifice cannot be burnt to save the character’s life. It
                                                                                      is important to note that a Space Marine would never willingly
               example                                                                put himself in the position of heroic sacrifice where doing so
               After a tough fight with a Bloodletter, Myrdor has suffered 18         would make his gene-seed impossible to retrieve.
               Damage, which is more than twice his Toughness Bonus of 8. He              If the character’s sacrifice was particularly meaningful and
               is now Heavily Damaged and decides to spend an entire week in          made a difference to the outcome of the Kill-team’s mission, the
               the care of an Apothecary. At the end of that week, he removes 8       GM may award the player a bonus for his next character. For
               Damage because his Toughness Bonus is 8. Because he now has            more details on this see page 271 in Chapter IX: The Game
               10 Damage (less than twice his Toughness Bonus) he is now only         Master.
               Lightly Damaged and will begin to heal more rapidly.
                                                                                      meDIcal attentIon
               d                                                                      Medical attention is any Action taken to treat injuries. Such
               A character is Critically Damaged whenever he has taken                efforts can range from the application of healing drugs, a
               Damage in excess of his Wounds. Critical Damage does                   successful Medicae Test, or even using Psychic Powers. Medical
               not heal on its own—it requires medical attention. With                attention can provide immediate recovery or can speed the
               rest and medical attention, a character removes 1 point of             process of natural healing. For additional information, see the
               Critical Damage per week. After all Critical Damage has been           Medicae skill on page 102.
               removed, a character becomes Heavily Damaged instead.
                                                                                      cybernetIc anD bIonIc
               example                                                                replacements
               After a bitter battle against a Tyranid horde, Myrdor has suffered
               3 points of Critical Damage. Fortunately, his comrades managed to      It is possible to restore lost limbs with bionic replacements; in
               drag him out of the combat zone and he can spend three weeks resting   fact, sometimes a character may prefer to lop off a perfectly
               under the constant supervision of one of the Chapter’s apothecaries.   good arm or leg to gain the benefits of having a cybernetic
               At the end of these weeks, Myrdor has removed all 3 points of          replacement. The rules for both removing and attaching
               Critical Damage and is now only Heavily Damaged.                       cybernetic, bionic, and bio-enhanced limbs, implants, and
                                                                                      weapons are detailed fully in Chapter V: Armoury.


                          262
 Evoking thE
   SEtting
       •
  thEmES in
 DEathwatch
       •
StylES of Play
       •
  rds
      •
intERaction
     •
 fEaR anD
Damnation
                      Chapter IX: The                                                             GM

                       Game Master
                                                                                                  When organising a game of Deathwatch, one player needs
                                                                                                  to be nominated as the GM. It is always a good idea if the
                                                                                                  GM volunteers for the job, as the game will be better if the
                                                                                                  person running it is enthusiastic about what he is doing.
                      “For the Emperor!”
IX: The Game Master




                                                                                                  Usually, however, the Game Master is decided before the
                                                                                                  players get together for their first session, as the role of the
                                        –Favoured battle cry of the Adeptus Astartes
                                                                                                  GM taken up by the person that has organised the game



                      I
                                                                                                  in the first place—probably also the person that bought
                          n Deathwatch, the players assume the role of elite warriors
                                                                                                  this book. It is also common that over time several of the
                          of the Imperium and must face the multitude of humanity’s
                                                                                                  group’s players may take on the role of the GM, sharing
                          foes across countless battlefields and war-scarred worlds.
                                                                                                  the work and creating their own adventures. This allows
                      They are the chosen few amongst the uncounted billions of
                                                                                                  players a chance to make their own stories and can be very
                      humanity standing between the boiling dark and the flickering
                                                                                                  rewarding as GMs tag-team adventures leading to plots
                      light of civilisation and order. Bringing this bloody reality to
                                                                                                  and campaigns with more depth and detail.
                      life is the role of the Game Master who guides the players in
                      their endeavours and adventures against the enemies of the                  ers
                      Imperium, formulating their missions, spawning horrors for
                      them to face, and igniting the flames of war that will consume              There is little doubt that the Game Master has the lion’s
                      their world.                                                                share of the work when it comes to running aroleplaying
                                                                                                  game. He does not need to do all the work, however, when
                                                                                                  it comes to organising the adventure and getting together
                      r                                                                           all of the ingredients for a successful game. This is where
                                                                                                  some of the players can also help out, doing such things as
                                                                                                  bringing miniatures, dice, pencils and paper, or snacks.
                      In Deathwatch, as in many roleplaying games, one of the players                 The most important contribution players can make to
                      takes on the role of Game Master (GM). The GM’s role is a vital             a game is in helping the GM to add detail and depth to
                      one, as he is charged with creating, maintaining, and describing            his setting. For example, rather than the GM creating the
                      the world in which the player characters (PCs) live. It is the role of      details of the Battle of the Grey March, an important part
                      the GM to set the scene, guide the plot, and decide the outcome             of a PC’s background, he could ask the player to write up
                      of the player’s actions. In many ways, the GM is like the director          a little about it. This means that the player is adding to the
                      of a film, setting the scene and telling the players (who are like          world and the GM also has some extra detail that he can
                      the lead actors) where they are and what they are doing. Unlike a           add into one of his plots later. These are also the kinds of
                      film, however, a roleplaying game is a collaborative effort between         tasks that players really enjoy. By allowing them to create
                      players and Game Master, and while the GM may set the scene, it             these kinds of background details, the GM’s task is made
                      then falls to the players to decide the actions of their characters.        easier and the group’s adventures made richer.
                          This is where the other key role of the GM comes into play.
                      In addition to being the director and storyteller of the game, he
                      is also its referee. As a game, Deathwatch uses rules to adjudicate      The Basics
                      the actions of the characters and determine their success in many
                      of their endeavours. The GM helps to decide when and where               Since it is the role of the GM to shape and lead the story, he
                      these rules are used and also how they are interpreted, making           needs to be more prepared than the other players. Before the
                      sure that the game runs as smoothly as possible. It is the Game          GM accepts the mantle of running the game, there are three
                      Master’s job to be fair and impartial, like any referee, and ensure      key things he should consider.
                      that everyone is having a good time.                                        Know the Rules: It is important that the GM know the
                          Because the GM sets the scene and describes the action, he           rules better than, or at least as well as, the other players. This
                      also creates the story or plot that the players follow. In roleplaying   means that the GM should read as much of this book as
                      games these plots are commonly known as adventures or scenarios.         possible before he runs his first game. Chapter VII: Playing
                      Everything the players know or want to know about their world            the Game is particularly relevant as these are the core
                      is described by the GM, and he also takes the part of the other          mechanics of the game and are fundamental to its workings.
                      inhabitants of the universe, from the lowliest Imperial Guardsman        Knowing the rules is also important for the GM as he is
                      to the most powerful Sector Lord, deciding how they react to the         required to make judgments and adjudications on the actions
                      characters and the actions they take within the adventure.               of the characters. Helping the Game Master in this area is
                          While at first glance the GM has a lot more work than the            what the rules are designed to do.
                      players, his job can also be one of the most rewarding, as he gets          Know the Plot: In a roleplaying game, the players and
                      the satisfaction of bringing enjoyment to the players and seeing         their characters are the heroes confronting the dark and
                      his stories come to life.                                                forbidding universe of the 41st millennium. However, it is
                                                                                               the Game Master who creates the plot that they follow and


                                  264
controls the enemies and villains that they face. Roleplaying
is a collaborative process, and the GM need not tell the
players everything that happens. Rather, he sets the scene and
                                                                           Evoking the
reacts to their actions. This means that the GM doesn’t need
to know every detail of the scenario, but he should know at
least where it will begin and where it is heading. A plot can
                                                                             Setting
be as simple as defend Ice-Station Alpha against the Tyranid       Only in death is duty’s price repaid.




                                                                                                                                     IX: The Game Master
assault, or as complex as hunt down the Slaugth interloper
on an Imperial agri-world while trying to rally the citizens                                    –Inscription on the Tomb of Heroes
into an effective fighting force against the impending xenos


                                                                   D
invasion. A more detailed plot typically makes the GM’s life                eathwatch takes place in the Warhammer 40,000
easier during the game, as he is required to make up less on the            universe: a dark and deadly place where mankind
spot and can keep the game running at a good pace. Complex                  endlessly struggles against the encroaching dark and
or basic, however, any work the GM puts in before the game         enemies uncounted. Only the light of the Emperor and the
is seldom wasted. Game Masters can also make use of pre-           might of the Imperial armies stand between what little order
designed and published adventures, such as the one detailed        endures and the chaos, ruin, and madness that waits should
in Chapter XIV: Extraction. The advantage of these kinds           the Imperium fall. Every day across the length and breadth
of adventures is that much of the Game Master’s work has           of the galaxy, on countless worlds and in dozens of sectors
already been done, and they are ready to run right away.           and systems, war rages unabated. For most who serve the
    Be Prepared: It often falls to the GM to make sure that        Emperor in his endless conflicts, their deeds and names are
the group has access to anything extra (in addition to this        quickly forgotten, their contribution to the continuance of
book) that they might need to play. This usually means a           the Imperium little more than blood and ash, their efforts but
supply of dice, some paper and pencils, and perhaps figures        a brief spark of light in the vastness of the void.
for helping to work out combats. Some GMs also like to keep           The Deathwatch, however, is different. Products of a
the players’ character record sheets between game sessions         superior genetic heritage and equipped with ancient and
lest they go astray. A list of basic roleplaying supplies can be   powerful technology, they are the greatest of the servants
found on page 10.                                                  of the Emperor and the finest of his warriors. Unlike the
                                                                   teeming hordes of human soldiers who toil in the Master of
                                                                   Mankind’s name, a Deathwatch Kill-team is a cadre of prized
                                                                   shock troops whose presence can decisively turn the tide
                                                                   of battle and mark the difference between crippling defeat
                                                                   and glorious victory. Theirs is a different kind of war with a
                                                                   different set of rules.
                                                                      It is one of the tasks of the Game Master to bring this
                                                                   universe to life for his players and offer them the chance to
                                                                   make a name for themselves in battle and win glory for the
                                                                   Emperor. Part of achieving this, and adding the spark of life
                                                                   to a game of Deathwatch, is in understanding the themes of
                                                                   this unique setting.


                                                                   Themes in DeaThwaTch
                                                                   The Warhammer 40,000 universe and the Deathwatch game
                                                                   which resides within it are different from any other science
                                                                   fiction setting. To better evoke this universe and weave its
                                                                   flavour and colour into his games, the Game Master should
                                                                   become familiar with its key themes. Being able to add these
                                                                   themes to a game help to make it undeniably set within
                                                                   the realms of the 41st millennium and by extension help
                                                                   the Game Master’s players to better sink into the roles of
                                                                   their characters.




                                                                                                                   265
                      r                                                                 important distinction to make, as the life of a Space Marine is
                                                                                        not to be squandered or expended in a pointless battle like that
                      The Warhammer 40,000 universe is a place of constant              of a Guardsman or naval rating, but should be used to turn the
                      conflict, where humanity’s armies fight endless bloody wars       tide at a critical time. Both the GM and the players should be
                      to preserve the Emperor’s dominance over the galaxy. Entire       aware of the Adeptus Astartes’ potent and sacred role in the
                      worlds and regions of space have known nothing but war and        defence of the Imperium and that to be a Battle-Brother is to
                      strife for decades or even centuries; generations of soldiers     be the greatest of humanity’s champions and face its greatest
IX: The Game Master




                      are shipped to ancient frontlines to die in the Emperor’s         foes.
                      service as countless others have done before them. This is
                      the backdrop for a game of Deathwatch, where scores of
                      ongoing campaigns, battles, and crusades exist within range
                                                                                        rd
                      of the players’ home world, and the great cogs of the Imperial    Space Marines are not like ordinary men, obsessed with gold,
                      war machine are visible wherever they travel as endless           wealth, or petty power. Theirs is an ancient warrior culture
                      streams of men and munitions flood across the void to the         that exists for the purity of combat and the execution of their
                      front. This is the world into which the Battle-Brothers were      duty to the Emperor. A Battle-Brother seeks only glory in
                      born: a place of blood, ash, and death, where they well know      battle and the chance to fulfil his service to the Emperor by
                      that the Emperor’s foes will be baying for humanity’s blood       vanquishing the enemies of man. While all Battle-Brothers
                      long after they have been forgotten.                              were once human, years of conditioning, training, and the
                                                                                        altering effects of their gene-seed have for the most part
                                                                                        extinguished such petty lusts for wealth and power. In their
                      s                                                                 place, however, is a burning thirst for glory and the right to
                      The Adeptus Astartes is a powerful fraternal organisation, a      bring honour to the Emperor in the cauldron of battle. In
                      true family of kinsmen warriors where each and everyone           Deathwatch, many of the normal factors motivating players,
                      shares a genetic heritage with their primarch. When a Battle-     such as the acquisition of wealth, are supplanted by their duty
                      Brother joins the ranks of the Deathwatch, this bond must         to the Emperor and their chance to prove their bravery in
                      be re-forged, and even a freshly formed Kill-team is linked       combat. As a Battle-Brother, a player’s rewards come in the
                      in a way unlike any normal Imperial soldier. It is a link that    form of honours earned on the battlefield, glory earned in
                      goes beyond primarch and Chapter, back to the Emperor             the eyes of his Chapter, and the successful completion of his
                      himself, grandfather of the Space Marines and Master of           duty to the Emperor through the destruction of his enemies.
                      all Mankind. Unlike in other games or settings, where the         Through these rewards, characters can grow in power and
                      player characters often form a ragtag band of vagabonds or        renown to make a name for
                      mercenaries thrown together by fate or a common lust for          themselves as great heroes
                      adventure, a Deathwatch Kill-team represents a rare cadre of      of      the
                      warriors each with a common link and sharing a common
                      genetic ancestry. To be a Space Marine is to be acutely aware
                      of this ancestry and its implications, as well as the fact that
                      all Battle-Brothers are kinsmen, united in the
                      service of the Emperor against the dark.


                      d
                      In such a war-torn place as the 41st
                      millennium, warriors hold a valued and
                      respected place in Imperial society,
                      be they powerful Imperial Guard
                      colonels, mighty Imperial Navy
                      admirals or skilled Inquisitorial
                      assassins. None, however, can even
                      hope to approach the Space Marines’
                      prowess in battle. Such warriors
                      exhibit incredible heroics in the face
                      of uncounted odds and an enduring
                      duty to their brothers, Chapter,
                      and Emperor. Unlike many other
                      settings and games, Deathwatch
                      players are powerful heroes and
                      favoured sons from the moment they
                      are created to the moment they sell their
                      life in the service of the Emperor. This is an


                                 266
Imperium.                                                            objectives in the greater scheme of Imperial strategy. While
                                                                     the Imperial battlefleet rains orbital barrages from above and
                                                                     the Imperial Guard swarm across the blasted landscape, the
how To Run a                                                         Deathwatch Kill-team moves between the flames and shadows
DeaThwaTch                                                           to strike at critical times and places. Against a backdrop of
                                                                     ash, blood, and ruin, the Battle-Brothers wade through the
aDvenTuRe                                                            carnage aloof and elite, aware of their unique role in the tide




                                                                                                                                          IX: The Game Master
                                                                     of battle. Such games can also see the characters swept up
In Deathwatch, the players take on the roles of elite warriors       in ongoing Imperial campaigns and dispatched from world
in the service of the Emperor, true gods among men with the          to world or warzone to warzone at the whim of unseen
strength, skill, and abilities to best hordes of lesser foes. This   commanders and battle-hungry generals. This could see them
status means that they are entrusted with the most dangerous         storming a lunar defence platform, followed by a low-orbit
missions and foes faced by the Imperium and will be sent             insertion into a jungle warzone before being conveyed by
into situations and places where others could not hope to            Thunderhawk gunship to a beach landing on the other side
survive, let alone succeed. Ostensibly, this means that most         of the planet.
adventures involving Deathwatch Kill-teams centre around                The advantage of military-style games is that they are easy
combat (given their martial nature). This is only the tip of the     to start and finish, existing only within the parameters of the
iceberg, however, when it comes to the role of the Deathwatch        mission and with the benefit of the Imperial war machine to
and the possibilities open to characters as members of its           ferry, supply, and brief the characters without the need for
sacred ranks.                                                        them to find their own way around the galaxy or shop for
    On the surface, the options for games involving genetically      replacement weapons or ammo.
enhanced super soldiers with a fanatical devotion to duty               Ideas and concepts for military-style missions and more
may seem limiting. However, as with all aspects of the               detail on the Battle-Brothers’ role within the Imperial War
Warhammer 40,000 universe, there are many different paths,           Machine can be found in Creating Missions on page 272.
themes, and settings that can be explored and enjoyed. These
can range from anything from a simple search-and-destroy
mission involving the extermination of a powerful foe, or a
                                                                     inquiSitoRial involvEmEnt
daring rescue in the midst of a full-scale planetary invasion,       While the Deathwatch are drawn from the Adeptus Astartes,
to a secret Inquisitorial assignment where both objectives and       they also form the chamber militant of the Ordo Xenos. They
enemies are unclear, or a volatile diplomatic mission to an          are an elite force within the Imperial war machine, but, they
alien world where the Battle-Brothers must do everything             have a special place within the structure of the Inquisition (like
they can to avoid bloodshed.                                         the Grey Knights) dedicated to the eradication of a specific
    Being a Space Marine is more than simply being a potent          enemy of the Imperium. Games that feature the involvement of
and fearless warrior—it is also about protecting the Imperium        the Inquisition are likely to be more subtle and detailed than
and the rule of the Emperor wherever and however that may            those in which the Kill-team is facing the foes of humanity
come about.                                                          in open battle. This can mean accompanying an Inquisitor
                                                                     and his servants into the depths of a hive world, some ancient
                                                                     and forgotten alien ruins, or the shadowy corridors of a space
sTyles of Play                                                       hulk, far from the support of the Imperial armies, where the
There are a number of styles of play that lend themselves to         Kill-team must rely upon their own skills to survive and
Deathwatch and focus on the different kinds of adventures            protect their allies. Even the most arrogant Inquisitor knows,
the Game Master might like to run. None of these styles is           however, that petitioning a Watch Commander for the aid
exclusive of course, and they can be mixed and matched as            of a Kill-team is not to be done lightly. When the Battle-
required by the GM’s plot.                                           Brothers join such a mission, they can be sure it is because the
                                                                     Inquisitor and his followers are counting on their strength of
                                                                     arms. Another exciting and interesting aspect of working for
thE EmPERoR’S finESt                                                 the Inquisition is the moral ambiguity it can create, leading
Space Marines are, by their nature and design, most commonly         the Battle-Brothers to question their allegiances and even
found where the fighting is the thickest. Bred for war and           their own view of Emperor’s will.
trained to excel in all aspects of battle, Battle-Brothers fit          The advantage of games with Inquisitorial involvement is
easily into adventures that focus on lots of combat. These           that it allows both the GM and players to explore some of the
often take the form of military missions where the characters        darker and more shrouded aspects of the Imperium as well
find themselves sent in to destroy targets, complete objectives,     as better understand their own role in such affairs and the
and bring glory to the Emperor by vanquishing his foes. While        sharpened blade of the Ordo Xenos.
there are many permutations and variations on the military              For more on the Inquisition’s role in the Deathwatch see
theme and the idea of an elite group of warriors tasked with         Chapter XII: The Deathwatch.
special orders, they all share the common goal of annihilating
the enemy, usually in a hail of bolter shells and plasma bolts.
Military-themed games also often focus on single actions and


                                                                                                                      267
                                                                                         worlds tainted by xenos dominance can wreak terrible havoc.
                         thE RolE of thE kill-tEam                                       Appearing as monsters from the dark, the black-armoured
                                                                                         giants strike against leadership and military infrastructure,
                         In a game of Deathwatch, the characters are formed
                                                                                         fighting tirelessly until the world’s civilisation collapses under
                         into a small combat unit known as a Kill-team. A Kill-
                                                                                         the weight of its own fear and confusion.
                         team represents an elite military formation that has
                                                                                            Games where the Battle-Brothers take up the mantle
                         a significant place in the ranks of the Deathwatch,
                                                                                         of envoys, emissaries, or assassins offer a different kind of
IX: The Game Master




                         Inquisition, and Imperial war machine. For the GM, the
                                                                                         experience to pure combat missions and a challenge for the
                         Kill-team also represents a tool with which he can guide
                                                                                         Kill-team (a fearsome combat unit) to complete its goals and
                         the players through the rigid military structure of the
                                                                                         objectives without resorting to bolters and chainswords (at
                         Adeptus Astartes while allowing them a decent degree
                                                                                         least not right away).
                         of autonomy and freedom. This special flexibility can
                         allow them to choose their own path to completing their
                         goals and even go off-mission without the inevitability
                         of court-martial and summary execution.
                                                                                         non-PlayeR chaRacTeRs
                                                                                         As part of his role in bringing the setting to life and
                             The missions a Kill-team is assigned are special,
                                                                                         adjudicating the actions of the players, the GM is also
                         and the team itself comprises members chosen for their
                                                                                         charged with controlling the actions of anyone the PCs
                         independence and resourcefulness.
                                                                                         come into contact with. These non-player characters (NPCs)
                                                                                         form a vital part of any game. NPCs can include close and
                      s                                                                  trusted allies, such as fellow Battle-Brothers or members of
                      The size, skills, and flexibility of a Deathwatch Kill-team mean   the Deathwatch, as well as obvious and belligerent enemies
                      they often find themselves in situations unique to the Adeptus     such as bloodthirsty Orks or tainted Chaos worshippers.
                      Astartes. Often at the behest of the Chapter Master or the         Enemies are fairly straight forward to run, as they are often
                      Inquisition, a Kill-team may be dispatched as part of an envoy     encountered in combat situations where the rules for combat
                      to a wayward Imperial world or even an alien empire, either        adequately cover their reactions. Details on common enemies,
                      alone or as part of an Imperial emissary’s entourage. This can     their tactics, and capabilities can be found in Chapter XIII:
                      serve a number of purposes, such as making a show of force,        Adversaries.
                      keeping lesser Imperial servants in line, or even honouring an         A substantial number of NPCs in any game, however,
                      ally with the presence of Adeptus Astartes representatives. In     fall into a grey area between friend and foe. This is where
                      this capacity, Battle-Brothers may have to use their tongues       the GM needs to think more carefully about how they will
                      rather than their boltguns to influence proceedings.               react to the PCs and how the PCs actions can either shift the
                          Alternatively, a Kill-team may find itself operating on        NPCs’ reactions one way or the other. For more details on
                      the fringes of Imperial space, particularly where it borders       Dispositions and how the players can influence the reactions
                      aggressive xenos races. Dropped onto fledgling worlds, the         of NPCs see Interaction on page 275.
                      Kill-team’s presence can rally the local human population
                      against invaders and alien subversion. Where an army may
                      fail, a small group of Space Marines can often turn the
                                                                                         s
                      tide. Just as even a single Space Marine has the power to          While every NPC will be different and can be played with his
                      bolster the courage and faith of a world, so too can he be         own unique style and flavour, there are a few guidelines that
                      used to destroy it. Working without support for months or          the GM should bear in mind. These are intended to help the
                      even years, Kill-teams deployed to alien worlds or Imperial        GM in situations where he is unsure what an NPC would do
                                                                                         or how he would react to the actions or words of the player
                                                                                         characters.
                         ers                                                                 What are their motivations?: The most important
                         A unique kind of NPC the players often encounter are            aspect of running any NPC is knowing what motivates him.
                         fellow Space Marines, either of the Deathwatch or one of        An Inquisitor working with the Kill-team will react very
                         the Adeptus Astartes Chapters. All Space Marines share          differently to the group’s actions if he is in fact an agent of
                         a bond (even if they don’t like each other) that separates      the Ruinous Powers plotting their destruction. An Imperial
                         them from the bulk of humanity. Where a Battle-Brother          commander, driven by his own lust for glory (at the cost of his
                         may tolerate a certain behaviour or action from a normal        men), may issue orders or make reckless decisions that could
                         human (whatever his station) he would not accept it in a        place the Kill-team in peril. For most NPCs, motivations do
                         fellow Space Marine who he sees as an equal. Members            not need to be too complex and usually centre around some
                         of a PC’s own Chapter are even more given to this kind          selfish (or selfless) goal, such as personal wealth and glory or
                         of attitude, viewing the PC as family and reacting as           loyalty to allies or faith in the Emperor. The important thing
                         such to his actions. The GM should consider this kind           is that it gives the GM a clear guide for how the NPC reacts
                         of reaction whenever the players encounter other Battle-        when things get messy (as they always do).
                         Brothers and can play up the “meeting of equals”, either
                         in battle or across the briefing table.



                                 268
   Not everyone wants to die: Just as in the real world, the
majority of people in the 41st millennia do not want to die.
This means many foes will run away (especially those without
                                                                        Rewards: The
a great deal of combat expertise). Others will not fight to
the death, surrendering to the mercy of the Kill-team rather
than face certain annihilation. Even foes who are committed
                                                                        Mark of Duty
to dying, such as fanatical followers of Chaos or alien              “My life is the Emperor’s and all my achievements are his.”




                                                                                                                                              IX: The Game Master
thralls, may choose carefully when to sell their lives (only
the most foolish of opponents overestimate their chances                               –Part of the “Warriors Oath to the Emperor”
against a Deathwatch Kill-team). These foes will retreat, hide,


                                                                     B
or even pretend to surrender to prolong their usefulness to                  attle-Brothers do not fight for the mere pleasure of
their masters.                                                               combat—they fight for the Emperor and the chance
   Don’t steal the limelight from the PCs: While it may                      to earn glory in his name. It is through their service to
be important at times for an NPC to step in and save or              the Emperor that they are rewarded and they increase both in
help the PCs, in general the players should be the ones who          reputation and personal power. Rewards are a way for the GM
determine the success of failure of their own missions. Having       to give the players something tangible for their achievements
a powerful NPC constantly bailing the PCs out usually leads          in the game and also something for the players to aspire to
to either resentment on the players’ part, as they feel that their   with their characters. There are a number of different kinds of
efforts are meaningless, or an over-reliance on such NPCs            rewards that a player can receive through game play, including
and a tendency to call in the cavalry every time the going           such things as Experience Points, Fate, and Renown.
gets tough. Players should feel that the achievements of their
Battle-Brothers is a result of their own actions and choices
and the glory they win for themselves is theirs alone.               exPeRience PoinTs
   What’s in a name?: Finally having a list of generic names         The most common kind of reward is Experience Points (xp).
can be a great help. Any gaming world is populated with              More than anything else, XP measures a character’s personal
scores of lesser NPCs that the players may come into contact         power. Players use Experience Points to buy new Skills
with, and having a name handy can make all the difference in         and Talents as well as Advances. The more xp a character
bringing these supporting characters to life.                        possesses, the better he is at dealing with challenges in play,
                                                                     such as overcoming foes in combat, solving problems, or
                                                                     dominating social encounters. Because xp relates directly to a
The imPeRial waR                                                     character’s power, how much and how often the GM awards
machine                                                              Experience Points to his players determines how quickly their
                                                                     characters rise to power and how able they are at defeating
Perhaps the most significant group of NPCs the players               any challenges he should throw at them.
regularly deal with are members of their Chapter, members of            There are two main ways for the GM to award experience to
the Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy, and representatives of         his players: the Abstract Method and the Detailed Method.
the Imperium in general. Collectively these NPCs are known
as the Imperial war machine, the lumbering behemoth of
the Emperor’s war on the galaxy. The Imperial war machine
                                                                     d
is different from other kinds of NPCs the Battle-Brothers            This is the easiest and recommended (certainly for beginning
encounter, as typically they are constantly working with,            GMs) way to award Experience Points. It relies simply on the
above, or under its members and ostensibly their goals               amount of time spent gaming and ensures a steady and smooth
coincide. The Battle-Brothers will also doubtless come to            rise in power for the characters. For each game session, each
loath and despise many arms of the Imperial armed forces as          player should receive 500 xp. This method assumes a game
they confound, confuse, and complicate their own missions as         session lasts about 4 hours; for longer or shorter sessions, the
often as they help complete them.                                    GM can adjust the xp rewards accordingly.
   The Imperial war machine can be best brought to life by
applying military thinking to its workings and members. Just
as in the real world, the Imperial military is a labyrinth of
                                                                     d
policies, procedures, and protocol. Everything must be done          A more detailed method of awarding Experience Points is also
in an exact order; the chain of command must be followed.            possible, in which each reward is broken down on a case-by-case
Different commanders have different authorities depending            basis, and players gain Experience Points for completing specific
on the theatre of operations, and the various arms of the war        tasks. For this method to work however the GM must assign a
machine, such as the Navy, Guard, or Adeptus Astartes seldom         value to each encounter. For example he might have a session that
work smoothly together.                                              includes a dangerous drop-point insertion into hostile territory, a
                                                                     battle against a Tyranid lictor, and a tense negotiation with some
                                                                     paranoid Imperial settlers. In this case, each of the three encounters
                                                                     would be worth a set amount of xp that would be awarded to the
                                                                     players when the encounters were completed or overcome.


                                                                                                                         269
                         Table 9–1: Encounter Difficulty gives examples of                  Table 9–1: Encounter Difficulty
                      encounters based on difficulty. To work out the difficulty
                      of an encounter, consider how much it taxes the resources              Difficulty                  XP Award
                      of the group and what it costs them in wounds, equipment,              Easy                        50
                      or time.                                                               Routine                     70
                         When using this method, it is important to remember to              Ordinary                    100
                      award Experience Points for only meaningful encounters and             Average                     130
IX: The Game Master




                      obstacles, lest the players embark on the wholesale slaughter          Challenging                 170
                      of worlds simply for the “experience.” Likewise, as the player         Hard                        200
                      characters gain in power, some challengers will become so              Very Hard                   250
                      easily overcome to be worth little or no Experience Points.

                                                                                             • 1 Renown Point if all the Mission’s Tertiary Objectives
                      e                                                                        have been completed.
                      An alternative method of awarding detailed Experience                  • 1 Renown Point if he completed five or more Objectives
                      Points is to tie it to Mission Objectives. If the GM is using            of any kind.
                      Missions in his games, he can assign an xp reward to each              • 1 Renown Point if he completed three or more Veteran
                      Objective based on its importance and difficulty using Table             Objectives.
                      9–2: Detailed Experience for Missions. To work out                      The GM can, of course, award Renown at any time for
                      how much xp an Objective is worth, simply add together              acts of individual bravery or exceptional heroism, such as
                      its importance (primary, secondary, tertiary) with its difficulty   single-handedly defeating a powerful foe or saving the entire
                      (novice, skilled, veteran). For more details on Missions and        Kill-team from certain death. As a general rule, such rewards
                      Objectives see Creating Missions on page 272.                       should be between 1 and 3 Renown Points depending on the
                                                                                          degree of the deed, and should never be handed out more
                                                                                          than once per game session.
                      e
                      Completing a Skilled Secondary Objective would be worth 200 XP
                      (Skilled=50 + Secondary=150).
                                                                                          s
                                                                                          It is also possible that the Game Master may reward players
                                                                                          with a permanent Fate Point for truly remarkable deeds. The
                      rds                                                                 GM should use such rewards sparingly, however, and only
                      The GM may also offer Experience Points for good roleplaying.       award them for something incredible. Fate is a rare resource
                      These awards can be as large or small as the GM feels is fair,      for players and one that should never be taken lightly.
                      typically anywhere between 100 xp and 500 xp, and are given
                      to players that the GM felt did a good job in portraying their
                      characters, such as playing up the rivalry between Chapters.
                                                                                          rds
                      The GM should be careful, however, only to give out these           Most rewards are awarded at the end of a game session, when
                      awards when he feels they are really deserving and usually          the GM can tally up the PCs’ achievements for that session.
                      only when the player does something beyond the norm, such           If he likes, however, the GM may wish to wait until the start
                      as taking an action that he knows may place his character in        of the next game session to hand out rewards, using the time
                      danger because it is “what their character would do.”               between games to work out what the PCs have accomplished.
                                                                                          Some rewards might be handed out during play as they are
                                                                                          earned, granting the players an immediate bonus.
                      rds
                      As well as Experience Points, characters can also be rewarded
                      with Renown Points. This is a measure of a character’s
                      standing within the Deathwatch and his reputation among his
                      peers, usually earned as a result of glory earned in battle. The
                      greater a character’s Renown, the more equipment, weapons,
                      and favours he will be granted by the Chapter as detailed in
                                                                                            Table 9–2:         Detailed        Experience      for
                      Chapter V: Armoury. Renown is most commonly earned as
                                                                                            Missions
                      a reward for completing missions.                                      Objective/Difficulty        XP Award
                          For each mission a Battle-Brother undertakes, he                   Each Primary Objective      300
                      should receive:                                                        Each Secondary Objective    150
                         • 1 Renown Point if all of the Mission’s Primary Objectives         Each Tertiary Objective     50
                           have been completed.                                              Each Veteran Objective      100
                         • 1 Renown Point if all the Mission’s Secondary Objectives          Each Skilled Objective      50
                           have been completed.                                              Each Novice Objective       25



                                 270
eeds
                                                                   honouRS:
                                                                      EwaRDS of gREat imPoRt
Sometimes characters die, though it is in the nature of their
passing that they are distinguished. This is especially true of    There are a number of special awards and honours
Space Marines, whose lives are never expended lightly in the       that a Space Marine may earn through his service. A
service of the Imperium.                                           Space Marine is not simply given such an honour—he




                                                                                                                                IX: The Game Master
   When a player completes a Heroic Sacrifice (see page            must earn it through mighty and significant deeds.
262) and his character dies, the GM can reward him (if he          Naturally, the Space Marine must first have acquired a
distinguished himself well and died for a noble reason in          high number of Renown. A rough guideline for what
the service of the Emperor) by granting him bonus xp for           kinds of deeds and achievements merit such an honour
his next character equal to 200 xp per Rank of his deceased        are listed below:
character, in addition to any other starting Experience Points,       • Destroyed a potent and powerful threat single-
such as that required to be of equal Rank to the rest of the            handedly (i.e., Daemon Prince, Hive Tyrant).
Kill-team.                                                            • Performed a deed that significantly altered the
   When a character dies, his Battle-Brothers must harvest his          outcome of a battle (i.e., held the bridge alone
gene-seed and return it to his Chapter (see the Medicae Skill           against a horde, eliminated the enemy leader in
in Chapter III: Skills for more details on harvesting gene-             single combat, etc.).
seeds). If they can successfully achieve this, then the dead          • Reached a high level of achievement with
character’s player receives an additional Fate Point and +5 to          honour and courage (i.e., carried the Company
any one Characteristic when generating a new Battle-Brother.            Banner through twelve engagements, served with
In addition, his new character receives any xp or Renown                distinction for six decades, etc.).
earned by the group for the Mission he died on.                       • Completed an important objective critical to the
   Note that it is possible for a character who dies in a Heroic        mission single-handedly.
Sacrifice and then has his gene-seed harvested to receive both        • Rescued or saved the entire Kill-team from a
bonuses. The GM may, of course, vary the amount of either               deadly threat.
reward or change their nature as appropriate, perhaps granting         The decision to award an honour is normally at
other bonuses such as Talents, Traits, or extra Renown.            the GM’s discretion. One optional alternative to this
                                                                   method is to allow the other players to informally vote
                                                                   (the outcome requires a unanimous consensus!) on
                                                                   which one of them deserves the award the most.
                                                                       Some of these honours include the Imperial Laurel,
                                                                   the Marksmanship Honour, and the Purity Seal. The
                                                                   benefits of these honours, and a more detailed system
                                                                   for awarding them, is beyond the scope of the core
                                                                   rulebook but will appear in a future supplement. An
                                                                   example of such an honour is included below.
                                                                   s

                                                                   A Space Marine who particularly distinguishes himself
                                                                   may earn one of the most significant honours of the
                                                                   Adeptus Astartes. This award is known as the Crux
                                                                   Terminatus, and it signifies not only that the Space
                                                                   Marine is a celebrated veteran with many heroic actions
                                                                   under his belt, it also represents the fact that the Space
                                                                   Marine has the training necessary to use the ancient
                                                                   suits of Terminator Armour reserved for such heroes.
                                                                   The Crux Terminatus is worn as a badge on the Space
                                                                   Marine’s power armour, taking the shape of a skull
                                                                   within a cruciform shape, often adorned with bones
                                                                   or lightning bolts. This same symbol is incorporated
                                                                   into the shoulderplate of each Terminator Armour suit,
                                                                   said to contain a sliver of the incomparable armour
                                                                   worn by the Emperor himself. For more information
                                                                   about Terminator Armour, see page 164. The Space
                                                                   Marine must have 60 Renown to be considered for
                                                                   this honour.




                                                                                                                271
                                     Creating
                                     Missions
                      “Orders coming in, sir!”
IX: The Game Master




                                                  –Vox officers across the Imperium



                      M
                                  issions are the staple of a Kill-team’s existence and
                                  the basis for defining its adventures. The rules and
                                  guidelines for creating missions exist to aid the
                      GM in fashioning scenarios and encounters for his players
                      that capture the danger and excitement of being part of the
                      Deathwatch. GMs are not required to use Missions to create
                      their adventures, but Missions represent a way for the GM to
                      clearly lay out the parameters of a Kill-team’s game objectives,
                      in keeping with the military nature of being an elite combat
                      unit.


                      seTTinG oBjecTives
                      All Missions revolve around Objectives (see page 230 in
                      Chapter VII: Playing the Game for more details on
                      Objectives) be they critical to its success or not. Setting these
                      Objectives is the first task the GM must undertake when
                      creating a Mission. Usually this is fairly straightforward, as
                      an Objective relates directly to the nature of scenario. Each
                      Mission should typically have at least one of each kind of
                      Objective, though can include many more depending on its
                      difficulty.                                                             Novice: These kinds of Objectives are relatively simple and
                         Primary Objectives: These are at the core of the Mission         should only require a small amount of effort from the Kill-team
                      and vital to its success. A Mission that revolved around the        or a very limited expenditure of their resources. Securing a drop
                      recovery of a dangerous xenos artefact, for example, would          zone against a platoon of traitor Guardsmen, for example, would
                      have securing the artefact as its Primary Objective.                prove no great challenge for a Kill-team.
                         Secondary Objectives: These are supplemental to the                  Skilled: These kinds of Objectives are the standard of most
                      success of Primary Objectives and enhance the success of the        Objectives the Kill-team will face and represent a significant
                      Mission. In the above example of recovering an artefact, a          challenge. Using the above example, if the guardsmen were led
                      Secondary Objective could include also recovering any lesser        by a cadre of Chaos Space Marines, the Kill-team would be in
                      artefacts found in the same locale.                                 for a real fight.
                         Tertiary Objective (Targets of Opportunity): These                   Veteran: These kinds of Objectives are extremely difficult
                      are bonus objectives not directly tied to the success of the        and will require a sustained and substantial effort on the part
                      Mission but no less important. Continuing the example of            of the Kill-team. To continue the example above, if one of the
                      recovering a xenos artefact, a target of opportunity might          Chaos Marines was in fact a Daemonhost possessed of a Greater
                      be the extermination or capture of those responsible for            Daemon of Khorne, the Kill-team will need to use all their luck
                      smuggling the artefact into the Imperium.                           and skill if they are to triumph.
                                                                                              If an Objective is very difficult or complex, the GM may
                                                                                          consider breaking it down into a number of Objectives, possibly
                      SEtting a miSSion’S Difficulty                                      of reduced difficulty. For instance, if the Mission is to capture a Tau
                      Once objectives have been set, the next step is to determine        ethereal deep within the heart of a Tau orbital command post, the
                      the difficulty of each Objective. All objectives are not created    GM might break it up into a number of Primary Objectives: board
                      equal; exterminating a nest of genestealers does not compare        the orbital, find and capture ethereal, and escape the orbital.
                      to boarding and destroying a Tyranid hive ship. The difficulty
                      of a mission directly determines its rewards (such as Experience
                      and Renown) and the amount of resources available for its
                      completion (Requisition).




                                  272
  Table 9–3: Setting Kill Markers                                       protecting a place, person, or even an ideal, be it with blazing
                                                                        bolters or a resolute will.
   Objective Difficulty            Kill Markers                             Recon: Intelligence gathering is a vital part of any Mission
   Novice                          25                                   and can mark the difference between success and failure. Recon
   Skilled                         50                                   Objectives revolve around procuring information, such as the
   Veteran                         100                                  location of an enemy stronghold or the code to opening an
                                                                        ancient xenos device.




                                                                                                                                             IX: The Game Master
Kill maRKeRs                                                                Daemonic: Greatest of the enemies of mankind are those
                                                                        that exist beyond the veil of the immaterium, watching, waiting,
So when is an Objective complete? Usually this is self evident—         and hungering for human souls. Daemonic Objectives involve a
the characters have completed their Objective of destroying a           large degree of daemonic influence, either in the form of warp-
bridge when the bridge has been destroyed. Some Objectives are          spawned creatures or those deluded fools who follow them.
less clearly defined, and the GM may require a way of further               Xenos: It is the duty of the Deathwatch to deal with any alien
breaking these down so he can keep track of the Kill-team’s             that would soil the Emperor’s domain with its presence. Xenos
progress. This is where Kill Markers can be used. They are a            Objectives contain a significant alien element and often require
system of points that measure the players’ progress through the         the Kill-team to go toe-to-toe with such terrifying monsters as
Objective, with elements of the Objective being worth differing         Tyranid hive tyrants or Ork warlords.
amount. If the Objective was to successfully complete a hit and             The GM can set Objective themes as he sees appropriate
run attack against a Chaos cruiser and required 100 Kill Markers        when establishing his Mission Objectives. Note, however, that
to complete, the GM might decide that every significant on-board        not all Objectives require a theme, while some may have two or
ship system destroyed was worth 50 KM while every officer or            more depending on its major elements.
commander killed was worth 25 KM. Thus as soon as the Kill-
team has destroyed two systems or killed four commanders (or
any combination of the two totalling 100 KM or more), then              seTTinG RequisiTion
their Objective would be complete.                                      The final part of creating a mission is to set its Requisition
    The amount of Kill Markers required to complete an Objective        total. This is the amount of resources that each Battle-Brother
is based on its difficulty as detailed on Table 9–3: Setting Kill       has to draw weapons, armour, and equipment from the Chapter
Markers.                                                                armouries for use in the field. Typically, the more difficult the
                                                                        Mission, the more Requisition is allocated to it. The GM can
                                                                        raise or lower this number to reflect other factors, such as
es                                                                      weapon shortages or logistic problems, the nature of the Kill-
Objective themes give both the GM and players an idea of the            team’s commanders and their willingness to commit to the
nature of an Objective. They relate directly to the elements of         mission, or proximity to a forge world, which might cause an
the Objective, such as the foes or challenges the Kill-team must        influx of arms and material. Table 9–4: Setting Requisition
overcome to complete it, or how it might best be resolved by            details the amount of Requisition a Mission should have based
using a particular tactic such as stealth or frontal assault. The key   on its Objectives and their difficulties.
role of Objective themes, however, is their relationship to some
Skills, Talents, or pieces of equipment. Typically, if an ability or
item is linked to a theme, it increases the amount of Kill Markers
earned for that Objective (speeding its completion), reflecting            Pooling REquiSition
the aid that such specialisation brings. Details on the exact effects
                                                                           Requisition is divided among each Battle-Brother
of such abilities or items, as well as the amount they increase Kill
                                                                           equally, but it also reflects the Kill-team’s total available
Markers, can be found in their own relevant sections.
                                                                           resources and can be shared out among the group as
    There are six main Objective themes listed below, but they are
                                                                           they see fit. Should the players choose, they may pool
by no means exhaustive and the GM should feel free to create
                                                                           their Requisition and purchase equipment collectively.
his own.
                                                                           This stock of gear may then be divided up using
    Stealth: Some Objectives require the Kill-team to avoid
                                                                           whatever method they choose.
detection or pass unseen through the ranks of the enemy.
Stealth objectives are usually tied to assassination and sabotage
missions, and every Battle-Brother knows the value of a good
surprise attack.
                                                                          Table 9–4: Setting Requisition
    Assault: Battle-Brothers are no strangers to war, and many             Objective/Difficulty           Requisition
of the Missions they embark on are laden with combat. Assault              Each Primary Objective         +20
Objectives are best resolved with extreme violence and the                 Each Secondary Objective       +15
application of heavy firepower—fortunately, something most                 Each Tertiary Objective        +5
Kill-teams have in spades.                                                 Each Veteran Objective         +10
    Defence: Battle-Brothers are not always on the attack and              Each Skilled Objective         +5
sometimes they must hold their ground, usually while heavily               Each Novice Objective          +1
outnumbered and without support. Defence Objectives focus on


                                                                                                                          273
                      e                                                                     lesser targets or backup systems or the elimination of personnel
                                                                                            vital to the operation of the structure or device. They may also
                      A GM creates a mission with one Skilled Primary Objective, one        include reconnaissance for objectives of special interest to the
                      Veteran Secondary Objective and two Novice Tertiary Objectives.       Deathwatch, Inquisition or Imperium. Sabotage Missions often
                      Adding these together gives a total of 62 Requisition for each        involve themes such as Stealth and Recon as well as Xenos or
                      Battle-Brother.                                                       Daemonic depending on the nature of the target.
IX: The Game Master




                      mission aRcheTyPes                                                    rd
                      While Missions can take any form of the GM’s choosing,                Space Marines constantly find themselves in the thick of the
                      Kill-teams often find themselves deployed for tasks based on          fighting, deployed where their skill and strength is vital to
                      their unique skills and abilities. These tasks often represent        the success of a battle or attack. A Kill-team will sometimes
                      difficult and dangerous jobs unsuited to anyone but the best          find itself pressed into this kind of service, clearing a landing
                      the Imperium has to offer.                                            zone, opening the gates of an enemy fortress or destroying an
                         Listed below are six typical Mission archetypes for a              enemy’s advance guard. These kinds of missions can also be
                      Deathwatch Kill-team that the GM can use as the basis for             the stepping off point for larger or more complex missions
                      creating his own Missions.                                            where the Deathwatch must first secure a toehold on a world
                                                                                            or vessel before pushing further into enemy territory.
                                                                                                A Vanguard Mission’s Primary Objective usually focuses on
                      aSSaSSination                                                         the taking of a particular area or fortification and then holding
                      By its nature, a Deathwatch Kill-team excels at exterminating         it until the bulk of Imperial forces arrive. The difficulty of this
                      dangerous and powerful enemies of the Imperium. Where an              objective is then determined by the strength and nature of
                      army might fail, a small squad of elite highly trained warriors       the foes, as well as the size of the area or the time it must
                      can succeed in infiltrating the ranks of the enemy and                be held. Secondary and Tertiary Objectives can involve such
                      eliminating their leaders. Typically Assassination Missions           things as completely wiping out the foe, recovering important
                      involve being dropped behind enemy lines or deployed onto             intelligence before the enemy retreats or securing a larger
                      an enemy vessel (sometimes in the midst of a space battle)            area. Vanguard Missions often involve themes such as Assault
                      and seeking out a particular foe. They can sometimes be more          and Defence as well as Xenos or Daemonic depending on the
                      subtle and take place in relatively safe surroundings, such as        nature of the foe they face.
                      Imperial worlds or on diplomatic missions. In this latter case,
                      the Kill-team must tread lightly and use their wits to uncover
                      their foes before bringing down the righteous fury of the
                                                                                            REcovERy
                      Emperor and sending them screaming into the dark.                     Kill-teams are not always used for the purposes of
                         An Assassin Mission always has at least one Primary                exterminating the enemy. Battle-Brothers sometimes find
                      Objective focused on killing the target, which is then graded         themselves dispatched to rescue an important Imperial agent,
                      in difficulty based on the strength and deadliness of the foes        recover a vital artefact, or even capture an enemy commander
                      they need to exterminate. Secondary and Tertiary Objectives           for Imperial interrogation. Recovery Missions are almost
                      usually either cover the elimination of additional targets (such      always more difficulty than simple search-and-destroy
                      as bodyguards or lieutenants of the main target) or entering or       Missions, as the Battle-Brothers must ensure the protection of
                      exiting secure enemy territory or fortresses. Assassin Missions       their item, be a person or object. Conveying a captured enemy
                      often involve themes such as Stealth and Recon as well as             or rescued prisoner can also create its own special problems if
                      Xenos or Daemonic depending on the nature of the target.              they are injured, unwilling (almost always the case for enemy
                                                                                            commanders) or extremely dangerous (such as recovering a
                                                                                            live Ork warboss or Tyranid zoanthrope).
                      e                                                                         A Recovery Mission’s Primary Objective is typically the
                      Kill-teams are not always solely interested in eliminating enemy      successful capture or rescue of the person or item and its return
                      troops and commanders. Sometimes vital structures, equipment,         to the Deathwatch. The difficulty of this objective can then
                      and devices of the enemy need to be destroyed. This can range         be altered to reflect the nature of the person or object and
                      from something as simple as sabotaging a teleporter beacon or         its current location. Secondary and Tertiary Objectives can
                      destroying a vital bridge to shutting down a city’s power supply      include the recovery of additional targets or objectives related
                      or even crippling an enemy battle cruiser. Sabotage Missions          to the primary target (such as advisors and family in the case
                      usually involve the Kill-team ranging far beyond the protection       of people, or ciphers and keys in the case of objects). They
                      of the Imperial war machine and deep into the domain of the           can also include intelligence gathering or the elimination of
                      enemy. This could be part of a daring hit and run attack deep         targets of opportunity while the Kill-team is behind enemy
                      in space or a stealth drop into an enemy held world.                  lines. Recovery Missions often involve themes such as Stealth
                          A Sabotage Mission always has at least one Primary Objective      and Recon as well as Xenos or Daemonic depending on the
                      centred around the destruction of an enemy structure or device,       nature of the target.
                      which is then graded in difficulty based on its size or complexity.
                      Secondary or Tertiary Objectives can cover the destruction of


                                  274
REcon
Kill-teams excel at operating alone and independent of the
                                                                                    Interaction
greater Imperial war machine. Recon Missions are a catch-all               Some battles cannot be won with a bolter.
type of Mission that covers these instances when the Kill-team
is deployed to a world or enemy territory to wreak havoc                                 –Volume XXV, Chapter LXVI Tactica Imperialis
without specific orders to guide them. The Deathwatch trusts


                                                                           N




                                                                                                                                                IX: The Game Master
its Space Marines to be able to adapt and react to any kind                         ot all of the people the players meet in Deathwatch
of combat situation and chooses them for their independence                         are going to be on the field of battle. In their role
and initiative. For this reason, Kill-teams can be sent roaming                     as servants of the Emperor, and as members of the
into enemy territories (sometimes for months or even years) to             chamber militant of the Inquisition, Battle-Brothers deal with
operate alone and without support to exterminate vital enemies,            a vast and varied range of Imperial inhabitants, from lowly
disrupt their logistics, or simply sow terror in their hearts.             Guard sergeants and simple lay priests to hardened throne
    Primary Objectives for Recon Missions can be just about                agents and greedy planetary governors. Knowing how best to
anything but are usually based on some kind of quota, such as              deal with these people can make all the difference between
dispatching a certain amount of the enemy or inciting a shift              the success and failure of a Kill-team’s mission, as such people
in the enemy’s plans by inflicting massive damage on them.                 can present both a source of allies and information vital to
Difficulty for these kinds of Missions can be set based on the             their efforts.
strength of the enemy and the duration of the Mission; the
more there are to kill and the longer it takes, the harder the
Mission will be. Secondary and Tertiary Objectives can be                  inTeRacTion sKills
as equally broad as the Primary Objective, covering a Kill-                Chapter III: Skills presents a number of Interaction Skills
team’s usual battlefield tasks such as destroying enemy targets,           such as Charm, Command, Deceive, and Intimidate. These are
recovering intelligence and artefacts, or securing areas for later         basic Fellowship Skills, meaning any characters can employ
Imperial occupation. Recon Missions unsurprisingly usually                 them, albeit at a reduced rate if he doesn’t have the Skill.
involve Recon themes, but can also include any of the others               To befriend another, a player would use Charm; to issue an
depending on the nature of their foes and the exact specifics              order, he would use Command; to fool or dupe, he would use
of their objectives.                                                       Deceive; and to frighten, he would use Intimidate. Together,
                                                                           these Skills offer the discreet tools for interacting with the
                                                                           people of the Imperium.
rd
In certain circumstances a Kill-team may be tasked with the
protection of an important Imperial personage such as an Inquisitor
                                                                           s
or diplomatic envoy. This is not a request the Deathwatch concedes         Usually, a player doesn’t need to test Skills to interact with
to lightly, however, and the Battle-Brothers can be sure that if they      other characters. He simply plays the role of his character. The
are charged with keeping a person alive, then it is for a reason vital     interactions between the player, in the role of his character, and
to the Imperium. As part of their role as bodyguards, the Battle-          the GM, in the role of the NPC, determine the outcome of the
Brothers will often find themselves caught up in the machinations          conversation. As in any situation with dramatic consequences,
of Imperial diplomacy (sometimes even to alien worlds) or the              though, a player should make an appropriate test if there are
shadowy goals of the Inquisition, aiding Inquisitors, Agents, and          consequences for failure, or if success would advance the plot
Acolytes in their endeavours. For the most part, the intimidating          in a considerable way. Examples that would require a test
black armour and towering stature of a Deathwatch Space Marine             include trying to convince an NPC to do something that he
is enough to dissuade attackers, however they can be assured their         or she would ordinarily not do, such as spilling information
presence would not be requested if trouble was not expected.               about a secret, accepting a bribe and so on. Ultimately, when
    A Bodyguard Mission’s Primary Objective is usually the                 a player does or does not make a test is up to the GM. He has
successful protection of the Kill-team’s charge. The difficulty            final say about the circumstances of the encounter.
of this and the Mission’s other Objectives can be based on the
strength of the foes they face and the importance of the person
they must protect. Secondary and Tertiary Objectives can include           e
such things as keeping persons important to their charge (such as          Brother Helgath is trying to get a PDF commander to commit his
family, lieutenants, or lovers) alive as well as recovering intelligence   troops in the face of a Tyranid assault. Because the commander is
on the nature of the threat against the person they are protecting.        confused, untested, and distressed, the GM decides that Helgath
Sometimes a Bodyguard Mission can be a means to an end and                 needs to make a Command Skill Test to get him to issue this order
may be linked to other kinds of Missions, such as Assassination or         and send his reserves into battle.
Sabotage, in which the Kill-team uses its position as members of
an Imperial envoy’s entourage to get close to the true Objective.
Bodyguard Missions often involve themes such as Defence and
Recon, as well as Xenos or Daemonic depending on the nature
of the target.


                                                                                                                            275
                      s

                      When testing an Interaction Skill, circumstances can dictate
                                                                                                     Fear and
                      the Difficulty of the test. Such situations include atmosphere,
                      situation and an NPC’s particular circumstances. However,
                      the most important factor is the NPC’s disposition toward the
                                                                                                    Damnation
                      Player Character—how the character regards him and what             “The enemy shall know fear.”
IX: The Game Master




                      feelings or lack of feelings the NPC displays. The NPC’s
                      disposition, which is always set by the GM, determines the                            –Captain Davian Thule of the Blood Ravens
                      base Difficulty. Other factors can adjust the Difficulty up or


                                                                                          T
                      down as the situation demands. Table 9–5: Dispositions                      he 41st millennium is a dark and terrible place where
                      provides sample dispositions based on the test a player is                  mankind’s billions inhabit a universe filled with
                      attempting and the corresponding Difficulty.                                unnumbered horrors and countless dangers. Murderous
                          On a successful test, the target’s Disposition improves by      aliens stalk the cold stars, rebellion and treachery fester
                      one step, plus one step per Degree of Success. On a failed          within the shadow of the Imperium’s decaying might, and
                      test, the target’s Disposition remains unchanged and worsens        nightmarish forces eternally claw at the very fabric of reality
                      by one step for each Degree of Failure. Generally, a target         from beyond, seeking both to feast and to corrupt. As a member
                      must at least be Indifferent to do as requested, and then the       of the Deathwatch, a Battle-Brother must face all these perils
                      target will only do what the player wants 50% of the time if        and more, peeling back the midnight veil to witness the terror
                      left to his own devices. Each step above Indifferent indicates      beyond—and send it back to the hell from whence it came.
                      that the target is 10% more likely to do as requested. Under            The rules presented here reflect these many threats to the
                      supervision, the base chance increases by 20%.                      mind and soul, and how the Player Characters interact with
                                                                                          them. They are separated into three distinct, interlinking
                                                                                          sections: Fear covers a character’s immediate reaction to
                      ps                                                                  frightening events and creatures, Insanity deals with the long-
                      When a player uses an Interaction Skill against a group of          term effects of mental trauma on a character, while Corruption
                      individuals, he resolves the test in the way already described,     deals with the insidious influence of the warp and forbidden
                      but the GM sets the Disposition based on the overall attitudes      knowledge. During combat encounters, the only rules that
                      of the group. The player makes the test as normal, but if he        are used from this chapter are those for Fear. The effects of
                      succeeds, his character can affect a number of individuals          Insanity and Corruption are dealt with in the aftermath of a
                      equal to his Fellowship Bonus. The total indicates the number       battle rather than during it.
                      of targets the player affects with his successful test. Note that
                      certain Talents can increase the number of targets a player
                      can affect.
                                                                                          s
                                                                                          Insanity Points (IP) and Corruption Points (CP) are Characteristics
                                                                                          that characters gain during play. Both of these scores begin at 0
                                                                                          when a player starts and increase over time as damage is done
                                                                                          to a character’s state of mind (IP) and the purity of his soul
                                                                                          (CP). The higher these scores, the more tainted, damaged and
                                                                                          debilitated a character becomes, and should either of these scores
                                                                                          ever reach 100, the character is either slain by his own Battle-
                                                                                          Brothers for his own good or falls from grace and becomes an
                                                                                          enemy of the Imperium. In either case, he can no longer serve the
                                                                                          Deathwatch and is lost in the eyes of the Emperor and must be
                                                                                          retired from play. For a Space Marine, this number is known as the
                                                                                          Purity Threshold.

                        Table 9–5: Dispositions
                         —Dispositions by Skill—
                         Difficulty Modifier Charm                          Command                  Deceive                    Intimidate
                         Easy +30                  Infatuated               Fanatical                Gullible                   Terrified
                         Routine +20               Affectionate             Devoted                  Trusting                   Frightened
                         Ordinary +10              Favourable               Loyal                    Accepting                  Startled
                         Challenging +0            Indifferent              Indifferent              Indifferent                Indifferent
                         Difficult –10             Disdainful               Resentful                Suspicious                 Brave
                         Hard –20                  Contemptuous             Disloyal                 Sceptical                  Courageous
                         Very Hard –30             Disgusted                Mutinous                 Disbelieving               Foolhardy



                                 276
r                                                                          Table 9–6: Fear Test Difficulties
Fear comes into effect when a person faces unnatural horrors                Degree of Fear                  Test Modifier
and mind-bending foes, or when he is called on to battle                    Fear (1) Disturbing             0
against terrifying aliens, insane perversions of science, and               Fear (2) Frightening            –10
nightmarish entities from the warp. When a PC is confronted                 Fear (3) Horrifying             –20
by such a frightening event or adversary, he must take a Fear               Fear (4) Terrifying             –30




                                                                                                                                              IX: The Game Master
Test; this is a Willpower Test, modified by how frightening
the thing is. If the PC passes this test, then he may continue
to act as normal. If he fails, however, he succumbs to Fear.                  Fear the creature possesses unless the Kill-team Leader
                                                                              passes a Willpower Test (with the appropriate modifiers,
                                                                              see below). When facing multiple Fear-causing foes, the
anD thEy Shall know no fEaR...                                                Battle-Brother only counts the highest (or most fearsome)
Space Marines do not deal with Fear as do other men. They                     source each Round. Unless otherwise stated, Cohesion
are only marginally affected by fearsome foes and then                        Damage from Fear only occurs once per encounter with
only by those of truly mind-breaking terror. The Fear rules                   the Fear-causing creature.
presented in this section are intended to be used either on                • When facing a Horde (see page 359) of Fear-causing
the players’ allies (such as Imperial agents or citizens) or                  creatures, count their Degree of Fear as one higher than
on their foes (it is quite possible for the Battle-Brothers to                it actually is. For example, a Horde of Fear (1) Disturbing
cause Fear themselves). For a Battle-Brother, Fear has the                    creatures counts as Fear (2) Frightening creatures.
following effects, and then only when in the presence of                    In all other respects, Fear does not apply to Battle-Brothers,
Fear-causing foes:                                                      and they may even find its effects hard to understand in their
  • When facing a Fear causing foe a Battle-Brother must                allies, as it is truly an alien emotion to them.
     fight both its physical form as well as the horrifying
     nature of its presence. This additional effort imposes a
     –10 penalty to Willpower Tests if he is in Solo Mode for
     each Degree of Fear the creature possesses (see below).
     If the Battle-Brother is in Squad Mode, the Kill-team
     suffers a point of Cohesion Damage for every Degree of


  Table 9–7: The Shock Table

  Roll a d100 and add +10 for every Degree of Failure.
  Roll      Result
             The character is badly startled. He may only take a single Half Action during his next Turn, but afterward he may act
   01–20
             normally.
             Fear grips the character and he begins to shake and tremble. He is at a –10 penalty on all tests for the rest of the
   21–40
             encounter unless he can recover his wits (see Shock and Snapping Out of it, page 278).
             Reeling with shock, the character backs away from the thing that confronts him. The character cannot willingly approach
   41–60
             the object of his Fear, but may otherwise act normally, with a –10 penalty on all tests until the end of the encounter.
             The character is frozen by terror. He may take no Actions until he snaps out of it. After snapping out of it, the character
   61–80
             makes all tests with a –10 penalty for the rest of the encounter.
             Panic grips the character. He must flee the source of his fear, if able, as fast as he can, and if prevented from doing so may
   81–100    only take Half Actions and is at a –20 penalty to all tests. Once away from the danger, he must successfully Snap Out of
             It to regain control.
             Fainting dead away, the character keels over and remains unconscious for 1d5 Rounds. Once he regains consciousness, he
   101–120
             is still shaken and takes all tests with a –10 penalty until the end of the encounter.
             Totally overcome, the character screams and vomits uncontrollably for 1d5 Rounds. During this time, he may do nothing
   121–130   and drops anything he is holding. Afterward, until the end of the encounter, the character may only take a single Half
             Action each Turn until he can rest.
             The character laughs hysterically and randomly attacks anything near him in a manic frenzy, firing wildly or using
   131–140
             whatever weapon he has in hand. This effect lasts until the character Snaps Out of It, or until he is knocked unconscious.
             The creature crumples to the ground for 1d5+1 Rounds sobbing, babbling, and tearing at his own flesh, and may do
   141–160   nothing. Even after he returns to his senses, he is a complete mess and suffers a –20 penalty on all tests until the end of
             the encounter.
   161–170   The character’s mind snaps and he become catatonic for 1d5 hours and may not be roused.
             The character is so over come with fear that his heart stops. He must make a Challenging (+0) Toughness or die. If
   171+
             successful, he falls catatonic for 1d5 hours as above.



                                                                                                                             277
                                                                                           Table 9–8: The Insanity Track
                         s
                                                                                            Insanity Points Trauma Modifier Effect
                         Fear Tests in non-combat situations are very much the              0–30                +0                      —
                         GM’s call as to when and where they occur and should                                                           Primarch’s Curse
                         not be considered to be automatic. They can be best                31-60               –10
                                                                                                                                        Level 1
                         used to bring home the horrific nature of a location                                                           Primarch’s Curse
                                                                                            61–90               –20
IX: The Game Master




                         or artefact and even at important junctures to weaken                                                          Level 2
                         the players’ allies—such as having Inquisitorial                                                               Primarch’s Curse
                                                                                            91–99               –30
                         agents refuse to accompany the Battle-Brothers into a                                                          Level 3
                         building or chamber out of terror. The following are                                                           Character
                         some guidelines for setting Degrees of Fear outside of             100+                —                       removed from
                         combat:                                                                                                        play
                            Fear 1-Disturbing (0): Viewing the scene of a
                         gruesome murder, minor unknown supernatural or
                         psychic phenomena—strange lights, spectral voices,
                                                                                         Shock anD SnaPPing out of it
                         weeping statues, etc.
                                                                                         Characters may be able to shake off some of the effects of
                            Fear 2-Frightening (–10): Meeting someone you
                                                                                         Fear after the initial shock has worn off. Where specified on
                         know to be dead, being buried alive, major supernatural
                                                                                         Table 9–7: The Shock Table that a character may “snap
                         or psychic phenomena—the skies raining blood, a
                                                                                         out of it,” he can make a Willpower Test in his next Turn. If
                         painting forming shrieking mouths, etc.
                                                                                         successful, he regains his senses, shrugs off the effects, and
                            Fear 3-Horrifying (–20): Sudden, shocking, and
                                                                                         may act normally. If he fails, the effect continues and the
                         inexplicable death (the man next to you on the shuttle
                                                                                         character may try again when it is his next Turn.
                         suddenly dies, vomiting maggots), hideous moments
                         of revelation (finding yourself covered in blood,
                         surrounded by bodies with a meat cleaver in your hand
                         and no memory of how you got there), the dead rising
                                                                                         insaniTy
                                                                                         Even the hardened mind of a Space Marine is not immune
                         across a whole planet, etc.
                                                                                         to the worst horrors of the galaxy, though he is far more
                            Fear 4-Terrifying (–30): Experiencing a full-
                                                                                         resistant. While lesser men turn into raving lunatics or
                         scale daemonic incursion, discovering your failure
                                                                                         murderous villains, a Battle-Brother’s psycho-conditioned
                         is responsible for the deaths of millions, staring
                                                                                         brain suppresses or discounts such delusions, instead
                         unprotected into the warp.
                                                                                         becoming more attuned to war and conflict. As a result,
                                                                                         insanity in Battle-Brothers is not in fact a loss of facilities or
                      r                                                                  a belief in the unreal or intangible, but rather a heightening
                      Unlike a Battle-Brother, Fear has a very real effect on almost     of their own personal flaws and the flaws inherited from their
                      everyone else in a game of Deathwatch. For these poor souls,       Chapter. This typically means the effects of Insanity Points
                      Fear can come in many forms, but some things are clearly more      manifest themselves in two distinct ways in a Battle-Brother:
                      frightening than others. A single genestealer may well break       either in Battle Traumas or the Primarch’s Curse. How severe
                      the morale of an Imperial Guardsman, while a hive tyrant           they are and when, or if, a character is affected by either of
                      will break his mind. The Table 9–6: Fear Test Difficulties         these conditions depends on the number of Insanity Points he
                      shows the penalties to Fear Tests based on the level over the      accrues and the strength of his will to resist the results.
                      source of Fear.
                                                                                         s
                      failing thE fEaR tESt                                              While Battle-Brothers are not at risk of gaining Insanity Points
                      If in a combat situation a character fails a Fear Test, he must    as a result of failed Fear Tests, many sources of Insanity still
                      immediately roll on Table 9–7: The Shock Table, adding             affect them. This could include encounters with warp spawn or
                      +10 to the result for each Degree of Failure. The effects listed   places where reality is tainted by the touch of the warp (both
                      are applied immediately to the character. If in a non-combat       of which usually also inflict Corruption Points). It could also
                      situation the character fails a Fear Test, he becomes unnerved     include acts of betrayal by fellow Battle-Brothers or trusted
                      and suffers a –10 penalty to any Skill or test that requires       allies, or exposure to dangerous alien devices or schools of
                      concentration. This penalty lasts while the character remains      thought. Certain Psychic Powers or unusual attacks may also
                      in the vicinity of the object of its Fear (simply leaving and      deal Insanity Points to the characters. Ultimately, however, it
                      coming back again doesn’t stop this). In addition, if a non-       falls to the GM to decide when an event or encounter is worthy
                      combat Fear Test is failed by 3 or more Degrees of Failure,        of inflicting Insanity Points. As a rule, only the most terrible of
                      the character also gains +1d5 Insanity Points.                     sights or outcomes warrant more than a few points.
                                                                                             How many Insanity Points a character has determines when
                                                                                         he is required to make tests to avoid or gain Battle Traumas and
                                                                                         when he suffers from his Primarch’s Curse.


                                 278
s                                                                       Table 9–9: Battle Trauma
For every 10 Insanity Points a character gains, he must test             Roll                            Battle Trauma
Willpower to see if his insanity has manifested as literal               1–2                             Battle Rage
damage to his mind. This roll is modified depending on the               3–4                             Ear of the Emperor
number of Insanity Points the character already possesses                5-6                             Ancestral Spirits
as noted on Table 9–8: The Insanity Track. If the test is                7-8                             Righteous Contempt




                                                                                                                                            IX: The Game Master
failed, the character’s mental state is affected. These mental           9-0                             Endless Redemption
wounds are known as Battle Trauma, and are randomly rolled
on Table 9–9: Battle Trauma. If a player rolls a result that
he has previously suffered for failing a previous Insanity Test,         The GM secretly chooses a trigger for the Battle-Brother
he must roll again.                                                   based on an event or encounter related to his ancestral spirit.
                                                                      This could be meeting a member of a specific Chapter,
                                                                      facing a remembered foe in battle, or visiting a certain kind
e                                                                     of world. When the trigger event occurs, the Battle-Brother
The Battle-Brother singles out particular enemies for the             makes a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test or his ancestor
Emperor’s fury and becomes fixated on killing them. This              surfaces for 1d5 hours. During this time he still has control
most often occurs when facing powerful foes such as enemy             of himself (this is not, after all, possession) but his personality
commanders or war machines. The Battle-Brother is driven to           may change, he will choose actions that might be out of
destroy them without regard for lesser foes or anything less          character, and he may muse wistfully about his role in battles
than vital Mission Objectives.                                        centuries past.
   Whenever the Battle-Brother scores Righteous Fury (see                The GM should have the player develop his ancestor’s
page 245) on a foe, he becomes fixated on its destruction and         personality independently and encourage him to roleplay it
must kill it. The Space Marine must then direct his attacks           when affected by this Trauma.
against this target to the exclusion of all else until it is slain.
When Battle Rage is triggered, the Battle-Brother may make
a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test to avoid its effects. The
                                                                      RightEouS contEmPt
GM may also allow a similar Willpower Test if the Battle-             While Space Marines begin their life as men, the implantation
Brother or his Kill-team are clearly in danger from a more            of their Chapter’s gene-seed shapes their flesh and mind
powerful source.                                                      into something far greater and in the end no longer entirely
                                                                      human. All Battle-Brothers accept this superiority as part of
                                                                      reaching their pinnacle as a warrior and serving the Emperor,
r                                                                     but for some it can make them scornful or dismissive of
All Battle-Brothers pray to the Emperor to guide their hand           “lesser” beings.
in battle and help them to do their righteous duty. Some,                The Battle-Brother has no time for those not of the
however, hear his voice and even converse with him through            Adeptus Astartes and has, to a degree, lost touch with his
their dreams and mediations. For the most part this has no            humanity. When dealing with humans (i.e. those not of the
effect on the Battle-Brother’s daily existence, and even his          Adeptus Astartes) the character’s Fellowship is lowered by
fellow brothers will see little unusual in his constant prayer        –20. In addition, he never willingly seeks the help of humans,
and religious muttering. Sometimes the Emperor can demand             who he views as weak and untrustworthy.
unusual service from the Battle-Brother, which may be at
odds with the goals of his Kill-team.
    At the start of a Mission, the GM rolls a dice. If the result
                                                                      EnDlESS REDEmPtion
is odd, then the Emperor has chosen the PC for a special              Some Battle-Brothers feel the weight of the Imperium on their
Objective which the GM tells him about in secret. This                shoulders and consider themselves solely responsible for the
should be a Tertiary Objective (see page 230) and can be              preservation and protection of the Emperor’s domain. This is
literally anything, even something that is completely at odds         where the lines of duty and fanaticism can become blurred,
with the Mission’s primary goal.                                      and the reality of battle becomes mired in the individual’s
                                                                      personal zeal. This is known as the endless redemption, a sin
                                                                      of duty carried by the Battle-Brother that can never be repaid
s                                                                     regardless of the amount of glory or blood laid at its feet.
All Space Marine revere their ancestors, tracing the line of              The Battle-Brother is driven by duty and must not fail at
heroes and commanders back to their primarch and the                  all costs. When undertaking a Mission, he must attempt to
founding of their Chapter. Some experience this connection far        complete (or push his Kill-team to complete) all Objectives
more vividly than others and can even find themselves having          regardless of cost and danger. In extreme circumstances the
memories of things they didn’t do or places they have not             GM may allow the character a Challenging (+0) Willpower
visited. This is known as ancestral spirits, the mind of a long-      Test to resist this duty and retreat if attempting an Objective
dead Battle-Brother passed down through the blood—a mind              would mean almost certain death.
that in times of stress can even push its way to the surface.


                                                                                                                        279
                      rse                                                                         Level 1 (Bloodlust): The Battle-Brother cannot stand to
                                                                                              leave an enemy alive or end a fight without even a single kill.
                      All Battle-Brothers carry in their gene-seed both the strengths         If an enemy surrenders or a fight looks like it will end without
                      and weaknesses of their primarch. Whether it is a flaw of the           a foe’s death, the Battle-Brother must make a Challenging
                      body or the mind, these weaknesses carried so long ago by               (+0) Willpower Test to avoid finishing them off or hacking
                      the father of their Chapter run deep in their blood and can             down at least one foe. The GM may increase or decrease the
                      manifest over time through the bloody carnage of constant               modifier for this test depending on the circumstance and the
IX: The Game Master




                      war. Nearly all Space Marines who live long enough begin                ramifications of the killing.
                      to show these hallmarks of their primarch. To many they are                 Level 2 (Close Quarters Killing): Those in the grip
                      considered a badge of honour and mark of the greatness of               of the Black Rage favour close melee combat, where the
                      their heritage. The true test of a Battle-Brother is not whether        blood of their foes stains their armour red. Unless there is
                      or not these traits emerge but how he handles them when                 no possible way to close with a foe, the Battle-Brother will
                      they do.                                                                always favour melee combat over ranged combat and will
                         As a Battle-Brother progresses along the Insanity Track, he          charge into the fray, discarding the bolter for the hungry
                      picks up increasing levels of his Primarch’s Curse, influencing         teeth of a chainsword.
                      his decisions and affecting his behaviour. No tests can be                  Level 3 (Uncontrollable Thirst): The Black Rage is also
                      made to avoid the effects of the Primarch’s Curse—as soon               intertwined with another of the Blood Angels flaws: the Red
                      as the Battle-Brother reaches the Insanity Point threshold              Thirst. In extreme cases, the Red Thirst translates into a literal
                      (as detailed on Table 9–8: The Insanity Track) apply                    thirst for blood. Once a battle is over, a Battle-Brother with
                      the effects of the Curse. All levels of a Primarch’s Curse are          Uncontrollable Thirst must make a Hard (–20) Willpower
                      cumulative and stack as they are received.                              Test or spend at least a few minutes drinking the blood of his
                                                                                              foes (provided of course the blood is not deadly to drink).
                      BuRn thE witch (Black tEmPlaRS)
                      Black Templars are filled with a righteous power and hatred
                                                                                              thE SEcREt (DaRk angElS)
                      for the witch and heretic even beyond that of the other                 The Dark Angels have a shadowy past hidden by the weight
                      Chapters. It is a religious madness that is often expressed             of history and shrouded in the smoke and blood of the Horus
                      with valour and fearlessness on the battlefield, but it can also        Heresy itself. Few outside the Chapter can even guess at the
                      turn the Battle-Brother against all creatures touched with the          exact facts surrounding the Chapter’s beginning, and those
                      psyker’s gift, be they friend or foe.                                   within its ranks guard their secrets well. Such weighty secrets
                          Level 1 (Fear the Witch): The Battle-Brother is                     can come to press heavily on a Battle-Brother’s soul.
                      uncomfortable around psykers and feels their dark powers                   Level 1 (Dark Dreams): The Battle-Brother is beset with
                      crawling on his flesh and burrowing into his brain. All                 memories of past times and deep, hidden secrets that cast a
                      Fellowship based tests used on characters with psychic                  shadow over periods of rest and meditation. At the start of
                      abilities suffer a –20 penalty, as the Battle-Brother’s disquiet        any mission, the Battle-Brother must pass a Challenging
                      shows through.                                                          (+0) Toughness Test or begin play with a level of Fatigue.
                          Level 2 (Hate the Witch): The Battle-Brother can                       Level 2 (Scorn of Outsiders): The Dark Angel has
                      scarcely stand the presence of psykers and abhors their sight.          grown to view those outside the Chapter as misguided or
                      If there is a psyker in the Battle-Brother’s Kill-team (such as         ignorant of the truth and cannot bring himself to deal with
                      a Librarian Player Character) or he must work with a psyker             them any more than necessary. The Battle-Brother cannot use
                      ally, his Kill-team’s Cohesion is reduced by 1 (until such time         the Command Skill on anyone who is not either a member of
                      as the psyker leaves or is killed).                                     his Kill-team or a fellow Dark Angel.
                          Level 3 (Kill the Witch): The Battle-Brother cannot                    Level 3 (Deep Suspicions): Trained in an atmosphere
                      stand any psykers to live and flies into a rage when he sees            of silence and secrets, the Dark Angel has become very
                      them. When fighting enemy psykers, the Battle-Brother must              distrustful of anyone outside his Chapter and cannot take the
                      seek them out (choosing the most obviously powerful first)              words or promises of others at face value. Unless the Battle-
                      and kill them to the exclusion of all other foes. This can be           Brother’s Kill-team is solely comprised of Dark Angels, its
                      especially problematic for the Kill-team, should they need to           Cohesion is reduced by 2.
                      take a psyker alive.
                                                                                              cuRSE of thE wulfEn
                      Black RagE (BlooD angElS)                                               (SPacE wolvES)
                      Deep in the minds of all Blood Angels lurks the memory of their
                      primarch’s demise at the hands of Horus and the rage and blood          There is a savagery and animal fury that lurks in the hearts of
                      of that battle. Such is the imprint left by Sanguinius that it echoes   all Space Wolves making them powerful warriors and deadly
                      down his lineage and into the minds of all Battle-Brothers of the       combatants. This bestial nature can lead them astray and
                      Chapter. In battle this memory can, over time, manifest in Blood        overpower their natural reason and sense of order, as they are
                      Angels, turning them savage and blinding them to everything             ruled by their animal instincts and react not as the man but
                      but the brutality of battle and a thirst for killing.                   as the warrior wolf.


                                  280
   Level 1 (Shadow of the Wolf ): The wolf lurks close to the          Level 1 (No Challenge Unanswered): The Storm
surface in the Battle-Brother and he feels its call in his blood.   Wardens pride does not let him refuse a challenge or the
This can be unsettling for others, especially those not of the      chance for glory. Whenever an enemy challenges or taunts
Adeptus Astartes. The Battle-Brother’s Fellowship is reduced        the Battle-Brother, he must make a Challenging (+0)
by –10 when dealing with Space Marines who are not part of          Willpower Test or engage it in combat, favouring melee
his Kill-team, and –20 when dealing with everyone else.             attacks unless this would clearly not be possible.
   Level 2 (Prey’s Scent): The keen senses of a Space                  Level 2 (A Fair Fight): Overwhelmed with a need to




                                                                                                                                      IX: The Game Master
Wolf can be as much a curse as a boon. Sometimes they can           act honourably and satisfy his peers within the Chapter, the
overpower the Battle-Brother, temporarily robbing him of his        Battle-Brother uses only weapons of equal measure when
senses. The first time a foe is bloodied by the Space Wolf in       answering a challenge. This means that if the foe is armed
battle (i.e. as soon as he inflicts at least 1 Wound on an enemy)   with only a sword, he too will only use a sword or the next
he must make an Easy (+20) Perception Test. If he passes            nearest equivalent. In extreme cases, if the foe is armed with
the test, he may only take a Half Action on his next Turn as his    weapons far inferior to that of the Storm Warden, he will
nostrils are flooded with the spore of his prey.                    cast aside bolter and chainsword and settle the matter with
   Level 3 (Fight or Fight): The Battle-Brother finds it hard       his fists.
to back down from fights in the face of naked aggression.              Level 3 (Honour and Blood): Storm Wardens seldom
Whenever the Space Wolf would be required to give ground or         back down once a challenge has been accepted, and once
make a tactical retreat from foe (i.e. disengaging from combat),    blood has been shed it can end only one way. If the Battle-
he must make a Hard (–20) Willpower Test to do so.                  Brother suffers a Wound after accepting a challenge, he must
                                                                    make a Hard (–20) Willpower Test to disengage or stop
                                                                    fighting his foe until it is dead (unless compelled by Psychic
thiRSt foR gloRy (StoRm waRDEnS)                                    Powers of similar means).
The martial traditions of the Storm Warden have been passed
down for centuries and form as much a part of their existence
as their flesh, blood, or bone. These traditions come with a
                                                                    PRiDE of ultRamaR (ultRamaRinES)
rigorous adherence to honour and burning hunger for glory           Battle-Brothers of the Ultramarines Chapter know well their
that can lead a Storm Warden to make reckless decisions to          place among the Adeptus Astartes and the importance of their
uphold the name of his Chapter and earn himself renown              Chapter to both the Imperium and the Emperor. They have
among his peers.                                                    the pride in knowing that theirs is the pinnacle of the Codex
                                                                    Astartes and the legacy of the loyalist legions which served
                                                                    the Emperor in his darkest days. It is a pride, however, that
                                                                    can sometimes blind them to reality and make them arrogant
                                                                    and uncooperative when the battle would dictate they work
                                                                    with lesser warriors.
                                                                        Level 1 (The Emperor’s Finest): Ultramarines consider
                                                                    themselves the Emperor’s favoured sons and the pride of
                                                                    the Imperium. This can lead members of the Chapter to
                                                                    consider others incapable or unable to complete missions that
                                                                    should by rights fall to the Ultramarines. The Battle-Brother
                                                                    always volunteers his Kill-team for the most dangerous or
                                                                    challenging Missions whenever possible and always ensures
                                                                    his team is where the fighting is the thickest.
                                                                        Level 2 (Sons of the Codex): The Battle-Brother has
                                                                    been trained to follow the Codex Astartes to the letter
                                                                    and interpret its teachings flawlessly. Understandably, he is
                                                                    distrustful of those Chapters that do not adhere to the Codex.
                                                                    The Battle-Brother cannot benefit from Squad Mode Actions
                                                                    called by Space Marines of the Space Wolves or Black
                                                                    Templars Chapters, as he will simply not follow their orders.
                                                                        Level 3 (Leaders not Followers): Ultramarines are
                                                                    natural leaders and make excellent battlefield commanders at
                                                                    all levels of command. This pride and training, however, can
                                                                    lead to them scorning or disregarding the leadership of those
                                                                    from other Chapter or Imperial forces. Unless the Battle-
                                                                    Brother is currently the Kill-team squad leader (seepage 228)
                                                                    or the leader is a fellow Ultramarine, his Kill-team’s Cohesion
                                                                    is reduced by 2.




                                                                                                                   281
                      er                                                                  s

                                                                                          While Battle-Brothers are resistant to the worst effects of
                      With the GM’s permission, a character may use XP to remove          Corruption, many of their allies are not. Should the GM wish
                      Insanity Points. It costs 100 xp to remove a single Insanity        to keep track of Corruption Points in the character’s human
                      Point. A character may never go down a degree of madness            allies, he can use the following guidelines:
                      (as indicated by Table 9–8: The Insanity Track) and so will            • For every 10 CP an ally gains, he suffers 1d10 Damage
IX: The Game Master




                      never lose his Primarch’s Curse—though he may forestall it               to a random Characteristic, reflecting the decay of his
                      getting worse. All buying back of Insanity Points should be              body and mind.
                      properly represented as time and effort spent by the character         • For every 20 CP the ally gains, he mutates, randomly
                      in game. For a Battle-Brother this means long hours of prayer            gaining one of the following Traits: Blind, Burrower,
                      and the attention from the Deathwatch Chaplains as he                    Dark-sight, Fear (1) Disturbing, Multiple Arms, Natural
                      contemplates his duty and service to the Imperium.                       Armour (4), Natural Weapons, Quadruped, Regeneration,
                                                                                               Size (either Hulking or Weedy), Sonar Sense, or Toxic.
                                                                                              Should a human ally ever reach 100 CP, he has become
                      coRRuPTion                                                          irrevocably touched by the dark powers and tainted beyond
                      The most insidious threat facing humanity, and indeed               redemption. He gains the Daemonic Trait (see page 130) and
                      the very survival of the Imperium, is the corrupting taint          either flees the characters’ service or turns on them.
                      of Chaos. Encounters with daemons, dark rituals, and
                      even the knowledge that such things are possible are all
                      paths to corruption. Quite aside from the malevolency and
                                                                                          SouRcES of coRRuPtion
                      manipulation of daemons and their mortal followers, there           In Deathwatch there are numerous sources of Corruption,
                      is immense danger in exposure to the substance of the               most usually connected with the Ruinous Powers. The exact
                      warp itself. The swirling tempest of psychoactive energies          level of Corruption Points inflicted by a particular event,
                      and pseudo-matter that makes up the fabric of warp space            revelation, or encounter is determined by the GM. The
                      is more deadly than any radiation. It can instantly destroy,        following presents some guidelines:
                      but it can also inflict hideous transformations on body and
                      mind, far beyond anything found in a sane universe. To most,        Rending the veil
                      corruption is a doom to be avoided at all costs. Some, once
                      they find themselves walking the path to damnation, seek to         Characters caught in a full-blown intrusion of the warp into
                      embrace the darkness.                                               corporeal reality gain Corruption Points from the experience.
                                                                                          Just how many depends on what occurs and the severity of
                                                                                          the breach. This might be anywhere from a single point to
                      es                                                                  several d10s in value.
                      Space Marines are far more resistant to the effects of Corruption
                      than ordinary men and retain their senses and personal will         sorcery
                      long after others would have become mindless monsters. Their
                      bodies are also incredibly resistant to mutation, changing only     The practice of sorcery, witnessing dread rituals, and invoking
                      after long exposure to the warp and often as a result of the        daemons are all causes of Corruption, regardless of the reason.
                      Battle-Brother’s failed will. For this reason, Corruption is        Normally minor rituals cause 1d10 Corruption Points and
                      a deep and insidious power that slowly bores into a Space           major ceremonies can cause many more.
                      Marine, taking years or even centuries to manifest fully.
                          In Deathwatch, the GM can use Corruption Points as a way        Blasphemous lore
                      of reminding the players that there is a price for their exposure
                      to the powers of the warp and that they may only battle things      Knowledge itself can corrupt, and the study of certain
                      for so long before their enemies infect them with their taint.      tomes, pict-logs, and even some debased artwork can cause
                          Space Marines have a mechanic that is known as the Purity       Corruption in the viewer.
                      Threshold. Unlike normal men, Space Marines have armoured
                      their souls against the taint of corruption. There are no direct    vile Persuasion
                      game effects of Corruption until the Battle-Brother’s Purity
                      Threshold of 100 is reached (i.e., he has acquired 100 or more      Many daemons and cult leaders are masters of insidious
                      Corruption Points), at which time he is removed from play as        temptation and are able to sow the seeds of doubt in a faithful
                      his taint is too great for him to continue to serve the Emperor.    heart. Their words and arguments can corrupt where force
                      Before this point, however, the GM can have a character’s           alone would fail.
                      level of Corruption influence those around him, such as fellow
                      Space Marines who might be distrustful of one so soiled by
                      the warp, or psykers who can sense corruption in others, or
                      daemons who see a potent warrior of the Emperor ready
                      to fall.


                                 282
  The Divine
 OrDer Of The
   imperium
       •
DOmains Of The
   emperOr
       •
a Galaxy aT War
                   Chapter X:   THE DIVINE
                  The Imperium ORDER OF THE
                                 IMPERIUM
                    of Man
X: The Imperium




                                                                                           “The loyal slave learns to love the lash.”
                  “Look to the stars, and know that all you behold is but one small part
                  of the Emperor’s Realm. Know too that for every one of the million                   –Common saying amongst menials and scriveners.
                  worlds in our domain, a million times a million lives have been


                                                                                           T
                  sacrificed, that Mankind might stand but one day more.”                         he Emperor has neither spoken nor moved since his
                                                                                                  ascension to the arcane mechanism of the Golden
                   –Lord Skalaras, High Tribune of the 3rd Censorial Mission                      Throne. His material body is, to all intents, dead and
                                                                                           his psychic mind is wholly preoccupied within warp space


                  T
                          he 41st Millennium is the one hundredth century of               fighting the eternal battle for the preservation of Mankind.
                          the Age of the Imperium. It is an age of war already ten         All that is left of the Emperor is a consciousness divorced
                          thousand years old. In this war, mere survival is justly         from the material world, a mind incapable of ordinary
                  hailed as victory. Defeat can lead only to the irrevocable end           communication with his trillions of devoted servants.
                  of Humanity and to the destruction of the very fabric of the                 The Imperium is ruled in the Emperor’s name by the
                  universe. It is a war waged across the galaxy in the darkness            incalculably vast Adeptus Terra, the ancient Priesthood
                  of space, on a million worlds, and within the depths of every            of Earth, whose masters are the High Lords of Terra. The
                  human soul. These can be no conceivable end. There can be no             Adeptus Terra numbers billions upon billions of individuals on
                  peace, except perhaps in oblivion.                                       Terra alone. Its offices span the galaxy and its powers extend
                      Everywhere the enemies of Humanity gather their strength             to every human world. No man is free from its influence or
                  and prepare for the apocalypse. Warlike Orks descend upon                from the strictures of its rule. The Emperor has become a god
                  world after world, plundering, destroying, and leaving death             in whose name the High Lords of Terra rule the Imperium.
                  and devastation in their wake. The ravening Tyranids sweep               Superstition and dogma have become the rituals of worship.
                  through the galaxy like a plague of locusts, laying bare whole               The Adeptus Terra is a huge and multi-faceted organisation.
                  planets and moving ever onwards. Yet even these foes are as              It is divided and sub-divided into countless subordinate
                  nothing beside the unknowable horrors that lie beyond the veil           organisations; millions of offices each with awesome powers.
                  of the material universe. From the shifting seas of warp space           Indeed, the Adeptus Terra is so vast that none can say with
                  come horrific creatures; entities whose bodies are fashioned not         certainty how many divisions work under its banner, or what
                  of flesh and blood but of unadulterated power, whose food and            their purpose might be. Ten thousand years of endeavour
                  drink is the terror and ignorance of Man.                                has built an edifice that reaches into the heart of human
                      For 10,000 years, the Immortal Emperor has remained                  society. Information is gathered, facts are accumulated, taxes
                  immobile on the Golden Throne. He is master of Mankind by                are levied. The inexorable wheels of this galaxy-spanning
                  the will of the gods and ruler of an Imperium of a million worlds        bureaucracy grind ever onwards under their own momentum,
                  by the might of his inexhaustible armies. He is worshipped by            with no thought or consideration of the lives affected by the
                  untold billions as a god, and the sorrow and sacrifices made to          slightest decree.
                  sustain his divine corpse ensure the continued existence of the
                  Imperium. The Emperor’s realm is the greatest stellar empire the
                  galaxy has ever seen. It stretches from holy Terra to the furthest       The AdminisTrATum
                  reaches of the Eastern Fringe and the distant Halo Stars. Entire         The Administratum is by far the largest of all of the branches
                  armies of scribes attempt to collate how many humans inhabit             of the Adeptus Terra, and is responsible for assessing and
                  the Imperium. Such a task is hopeless and without end, as the            levying tithes, distributing resources and countless other
                  Emperor’s realm encompasses every kind of world imaginable:              administrative functions vital to the functioning of the
                  sweltering jungle hells populated by club-wielding savages;              Imperium. Its members are, for the most part, scribes and
                  ice-locked tundra with cities carved from glaciers; blistering           petty officials, the hereditary slaves of a galaxy-spanning
                  desert worlds; polluted industrial forge worlds, teeming                 bureaucracy. The heart of the organisation lies within
                  worlds of unknown billions living in gargantuan hive cities;             the Emperor’s Palace, a vast complex with soaring gothic
                  and cardinal planets where every building is given over to the           towers that cover much of Terra’s surface, and cavernous
                  worship of the Emperor. Such diversity of worlds breeds vastly           vaults that extend far below ground. The Administratum
                  varied, distinct cultures, and humans from one world are likely          is probably the most powerful organisation in the entire
                  to be completely different from those of another, with different         Imperium, and its many departments, offices and subordinate
                  languages, customs and appearances.                                      organisations maintain a presence in every corner of the
                                                                                           Emperor’s Domains.


                              284
                                                                                                                                   X: The Imperium
a                                                                 turn towards Earth. There, the suitable are trained as psykers
                                                                  in the Scholastica Psykana. Some become sanctioned psykers,
                                                                  destined to serve the armies of the Imperial Guard and other
The Adeptus Astra Telepathica is dedicated to the recruitment     organisations. Others undergo the Soul Binding and become
and training of psykers for service throughout the Imperium.      Astropaths, The rest are judged too dangerous to live and are
The headquarters of the organisation are on Earth, but its        sacrificed to the psychic fire of the Astronomican.
spaceships travel the Imperium and its offices extend over most       The Astropaths of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica are
of human space. Its chief responsibility is to train psykers to   vital to human society because they afford the only means
serve as Astropaths through the Scholastica Psykana. It is the    of communicating over interstellar distances. Astropaths are
Adeptus Astra Telepathica that maintains the League of Black      capable of sending telepathic messages across space and they
Ships. These ships travel around a huge circuit, visiting each    can receive messages sent by other Astropaths if their minds
world every hundred years or so. As the fleet approaches its      are correctly attuned. Telepathic messages travel through the
destination, the ruling Imperial Commander is instructed to       warp faster than light, although not instantaneously and not
prepare the customary levy of psykers. Once the levy has been     without the risk of becoming garbled or unintelligible. The
collected, the Black Ships’ captains make an initial evaluation   need for Astropaths is enormous. They are a common sight
of their cargo before proceeding to the next world in their       in the Imperium and are easily distinguished by their green
             circuit. When the holds are full, the Black Ships    robes. Astropaths serve in the Fleet as ship-board and shore-
                                                                                                          based communicators.


                                             THE SOUL BINDING
    No ordinary psyker could transmit a message
    such vast distances. Astropaths only                through the warp, nor could he receive a tele
                                                                                                        pathic message over
    special ritual which combines some ofgain       this ability as a result of many year s of trai ning , culminating in a
    Binding, brings the mind of the psyker the       Emperor’s power with their own. This ritu
                                                                                                    al, kno wn as the Soul
   the Emperor’s vast power is transferredclos       e to the psychic greatness of the Emperor.
                                                 to the Astropath.                                 In the process, some of
   The transference of energy is traumat for
   not all of those that survive retain theiicr san   the psyker, and not all survive despite year
                                                                                                     s of preparation, and
                                                    ity.
   eyes and other senses, so that almost all Ast Even the survivors suffer damage to the sensitive nerves of the
   or touch. In fact, their increased psychic         ropa ths are blind and others lack sense of sme
   appear blind were it not for their distorte    skills tend to make up for this loss ofasigh            ll, hearing, taste
                                                  d, sunken and empty eye sockets.             t, so  that they would not

                                                                                                                285
                   They also serve in the Imperial Guard, the Inquisition, the              The AdepTus cusTodes
                   Adeptus Ministorum, the Space Marines and throughout the
                   Adeptus Terra.                                                           The Emperor’s Guard, or Custodians are the palace guard of
                                                                                            the Emperor, and their duty is to protect the Imperial Palace.
                                                                                            Perhaps these stalwart guardians once ranged all over the
                   The AdepTus ArbiTes                                                      galaxy at the side of their master, but now they never leave
                   The ‘Judges’ of the Adeptus Arbites are empowered to enforce             the Imperial Palace on Terra, their duty being to defend the
                   the Law of the Imperium. In the Imperium, law and government             Emperor of Mankind for all time.
                   are indistinguishable. Rebellion and failure are crimes, and
X: The Imperium




                   any transgression of the Imperial will meets with swift and
                   uncompromising retribution. Of petty misdemeanours and                   The holy orders of The
                   transgressions the Judges care nothing; such matters are
                   left to local Enforcers to deal with according to planetary
                                                                                            emperor’s inquisiTion
                   codes. The judges are concerned with more weighty issues.                The Inquisition is often described as the left hand of the
                   It is their task to bring the rebellious to trial, to hunt down          Emperor. It is a secretive organisation whose members are
                   enemies of the Imperium, and to destroy those who threaten               bound by no law or authority except their own. The sole duty
                   order from within. On many worlds, the Arbitrators’ fortified            of the Inquisition is to investigate any possible or potential
                   Courthouse is the only point of contact between that planet              threat to the future of Humanity, and to take whatever
                   and the Imperium. Often, it is the last redoubt in the event             measures it considers appropriate to expose and destroy that
                   of rebellion and invasion, its warriors holding out as anarchy           threat. Aggressive aliens, gross genetic deviancy, political
                   swamps the world, their mission to warn the Imperium and                 corruption, the machinations of treacherous planetary
                   thus bring about retribution even should they fall.                      governors, incompetence, treason and heresy are threats
                                                                                            enough to keep the Inquisition permanently occupied.

                   The AdepTus
                                                                                            The AdepTus AsTArTes
                   minisTorum                                                               The Space Marines of the Adeptus Astartes are the genetically-
                   Also known as the Ecclesiarchy, the Adeptus Ministorum is                engineered superhuman elite of the Imperium’s military. Each
                   not part of the Adeptus Terra. It is a wholly independent and            is equipped with the very finest weapons and armour, and
                   self-appointed organisation whose power is derived from the              are all but immune to pain and fear. They are organised into
                   common belief in the Emperor’s divinity. The organisation                independent armies of around one thousand warriors, called
                   maintains a presence on every world in the Imperium, from                Chapters, a thousand of which are spread out across the
                   which it promulgates the Imperial Cult in any one of a million           Imperium, ready to react to any threat no matter its nature.
                   different forms.                                                         A million or so warriors may not seem a large number to
                       While forbidden to keep ‘men under arms’ by ancient decree,          defend an entire galactic empire, but such is the strength and
                   the Ecclesiarchy instead maintains a fighting arm of female              devotion of the Adeptus Astartes that each is the equal of
                   warriors, called the Adepta Sororitas, or the Sisterhood. The            dozens of lesser warriors.
                   Battle Sisters of the Adepta Sororitas are driven by zeal and are
                   fanatical in their commitment. They are equipped to the very
                   highest standards, and rank alongside the Space Marines in
                   their dedication to the defeat of the enemies of Mankind.



                                                                  EXTERMINATUS
                                                                                                                                     espread that there
                                 it may   be that    an   Inq  uisi tor  unc over   s a situation that is so prevalent and wid  collusio n and support
                  On occasion                                         ion.  Such situations could include planindi    et-wide
                  is no  poss ibility of  solu tion    or  rede mpt                                                        vidu al wou  ld only serve to
                                                  or  indi  vidu  al,  whe  re the   rem ova  l of  the movement or                             it brings
                  for a heretical movement                        prea   ch. Inte  rven  tion   by aliens may grow to such an extent that
                  strengthen the sub    vers ive   cau  se  they
                                                                            ation.
                  a large segment of a population beyond salv
                                                                                                        alarming manner, either overtly or cove       rtly,
                                                    crib  ed  pow   ers  can   also   spre ad  in  this                                          resp onse
                   Worship of dark and pros                         world or system. Also, it is a proven htheo
                                                                                                                       ry that an aggressive
                   holding sway over the populace of a erfu              l exam   ple to those in con    tact wit   a sub versive world, discouraging
                   to certain  thre ats  can  serv  e  as  a  pow
                                                                              ing their treacherous designs.
                   others of a heretical leaning from contemplat
                                                                                                erminatus — the eradication of all life      on a planet.
                                       ns  ther e  can   only   be  one   reco urse   —   Ext                                        ligh Inquisitors
                                                                                                                                         tly,
                   In these situatio                                in  the  mos  t  extreme of cases and is never undertaken er
                   Although     Ext erm inat us   is  only   used                                                            is bett    that a thousand
                             ened   to the  poss  ibili ty   that   the  inno  cent may fall alongside the guilty. It     oug h billions  of lives may be
                    are hard                                             ty  man    be free  to  spre ad his heresy. Alth
                                                than    a  sing le  guil                                                                            term.
                    innocents suffer death
                                          erm  inat  us,  such   is  the  thre at  pose  d that   countless billions more are saved in the long
                    lost during an Ext
                               286
The imperiAl nAvy                                                     The AdepTus
The Imperium is the largest stellar empire Humanity has ever          mechAnicus
known, and its worlds are spread impossibly thin across the
trackless voids. The Imperial Navy patrols the warp routes            The Tech-Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus are the guardians
that link the Imperium’s scattered worlds, defends distant            of Humanity’s ancient knowledge. The Adeptus Mechanicus
settlements against alien aggression, and prosecutes wars             owns and administrates the factory planet of Mars, whose
against alien empires that threaten the Imperium. Without the         vast orbital workshops turn out the majority of the weapons,
Imperial Navy, there simply would not be an Imperium.                 spacecraft and other technologically sophisticated machinery




                                                                                                                                        X: The Imperium
                                                                      used in the Imperium. The Adeptus Mechanicus is as much an
                                                                      arcane cult as a scientific body, and its knowledge goes beyond
The imperiAl GuArd                                                    mere technology and into the realms of techno-arcana.
The vast bulk of Humanity’s armies come under the command
of the Imperial Guard. Entire regiments are raised from the
best of a planet’s indigenous defence forces, and shipped             officio AssAssinorum
to nearby warzones in response to alien invasions, mutant             The Office of Assassins is a vital tool of Imperial government.
uprisings, Chaos incursions, rebellions and a hundred more of         If planetary governors prove rebellious, assassination may be
the dangers that threaten the Imperium constantly. While the          the most practical remedy. Even the ranks of the Adeptus Terra
Space Marines are few, but elite, the warriors of the Imperial        are not safe from the attentions of the dreaded assassins.
Guard are almost literally numberless. Armed with little more
than faith and duty, they stand before whatever horrors the
galaxy has to throw at them.                                          roGue TrAders
                                                                      Rogue Traders form a class of nobility that exists almost
                                                                      entirely outside of the convoluted strata of the Imperium’s
The nAviGATor houses                                                  ruling structures. They wield a Warrant of Trade that empowers
The Navigators are an ancient strain of human. They have              them to expand the Imperium’s borders, going out into the
lived amongst Mankind since time immemorial and it is not             forbidden depths and conquering all in the Emperor’s name.
known how they came into existence, though some say the               Most wield personal fortunes far greater than the average
Emperor himself had a hand in their creation. Navigators              planet’s total wealth, and it is the desire to expand their
represent a singular form of human mutant and they must               dynasty that drives such men and women ever onwards.
intermarry to breed true. As such, each is a member of a large
interrelated family called a Navigator House. Navigators bear
a special gene that allows them to see through the warp and
guide a vessel as it crosses that otherworldly dimension. Using
their third, or warp eye, the Navigator is able to see into the
depths of the warp and detect the psychic beacon that is the
Astronomican on Earth, and by its light navigate the length
                                                                         IES
and breadth of the Imperium. Without a Navigator, a human                Standard Template Constructs were created during the
vessel would become hopelessly lost upon the ever-shifting               Dark Age of Technology to provide all the technical
tides of the warp, never to return.                                      information needed to construct anything that settlers
                                                                         might need to survive upon a recently colonised world.
                                                                         Even the least technically-accomplished person could
The officio muniTorum                                                    build a vehicle, aircraft or weapon given time. One
The Officio Munitorum provides strategic command and support             result of the STC system and its pivotal place in human
for the Imperial Guard. It is responsible for raising and supplying      colonisation is that human material culture is very
regiments and armies in response to developing threats, and              similar, even on worlds which are many thousands of
for coordinating their deployment across entire sectors of the           light years apart.
Imperium. It is to the ranks of the Officio Munitorum’s general             Today, there are no known surviving STC systems,
staff that especially successful regimental commanders are               and only a very few examples of first-generation texts.
promoted, and it is from amongst these glorious leaders that the         For thousands of years the Adeptus Mechanicus has
lords militant who lead armies of millions are drawn.                    pursued all information about the STC. Any scrap of
                                                                         information is eagerly sought out and jealously hoarded.
                                                                         Any rumour of a functional system is followed up and
                                                                         investigated in force. There are thought to be many
                                                                         thousands of lost human colonies scattered across the
                                                                         galaxy. Any single one might own a functioning STC
                                                                         system, and the slightest suspicion is often enough for
                                                                         entire crusades to be fought for the possession of one.



                                                                                                                     287
      Halo Stars
      s                                              Silence
X: The Imperium




                  The Koronus Expanse

                                                                               The Gothic Sector                                                                                            Angeli



                             The Calixis Sector                  The Rock

                                                                             us
                                                                             SEGEMENTUM
                                           The Eye of Terror
                                                                              Obscurus
                                                                                                                                                                     Baal


                                                                                         Fenris
                                                         Cadia

                                                                                                      Elysia

                        Darkhold                                                                                                                         Preyspire



                                         Hydraphur
                                                                                         Armageddon

                                    SEGEMENTUM Solar                                                                          The Maelstrom

                                                                                                                                                                     Bellicas

                                                                  Terra                                         Ryza



        us
        SEGEMENTUM                                                           Xenax
                                                                                                                                                                ULTIMA
          Pacificus                                                                                                                                          SEGEMENTUM
                                                                            Necromunda                             Catachan
                             Macharia

                                                                                                                                  Chogoris
                                                                                                                                                                                Schindelgheist
                                                                                                      Tallarn

                                                                                      Luther
                                                                                     Mcintyre

                                                  Solstice




                                                   estus
                                                   SEGEMENTUM
                                                    Tempestus

                                                                                           Gryphonne IV                                       Rynn’s World




                                              The Veiled Region




                              288
                                     THE AGES OF HUMANITY
                  1st to 5th Millennia—The Age of Terra
                  Humanity dominates Earth. Civilisations rise and fall. The Solar System is colonised. Mankind lives
                  on Mars and the moons of Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune.
X: The Imperium




                  15th to 18th Millennia—The Dark Age of Technology
                  Mankind begins to colonise the stars using sub-light spacecraft. At first only nearby systems can be
                  reached and the colonies must survive as independent states since they are separated from Earth by up
                  to ten generations of travel.

                  18th to 22nd Millennia—The Dark Age of Technology
                  The invention of the warp drive accelerates colonisation of the galaxy. Federations and empires are
                  founded. The first aliens are encountered and the first Alien Wars are fought. The first human psykers
                  are scientifically proven to exist and begin to appear throughout the human worlds.
                  22nd to 25th Millennia—The Dark Age of Technology
                  The first Navigators are born, allowing human spaceships to make even longer, quicker warp jumps.
                  Mankind enters a golden age of enlightenment as scientific and technological progress accelerates.
                  Human worlds unite and non-aggression pacts are secured with dozens of alien races.

                  25th to 26th Millennia—The Age of Strife
                  Terrible warp storms interrupt interstellar travel. Sporadic at first, the storms eventually prevent any
                  warp jumps being made. The incidence of human mutation increases rapidly and Mankind enters a
                  dark period of anarchy and despair.

                  26th to 30th Millennia—The Age of Strife
                  Human worlds are ripped apart by civil wars, revolts, alien predation and invasion. Human psykers and
                  other mutants dominate some worlds and these rapidly fall prey to warp creatures, leaving Humanity
                  on the brink of extinction.

                  30th Millennium—The Great Crusade
                  Earth is conquered by the Emperor and enters an alliance with the Mechanicum of Mars. The warp
                  storms finally abate and interstellar travel is possible again. The Emperor builds the Astronomican and
                  creates the Space Marine Legions. Human worlds are reunited by the Emperor in a Great Crusade that
                  lasts for two hundred years.

                  31st Millennium—The Horus Heresy
                  Warmaster Horus, the Emperor’s most beloved gene-son, turns upon those he was sworn to serve and
                  leads one third of Humanity’s hosts against Earth. The Emperor faces his erstwhile servant in single
                  combat. The Master of Mankind is victorious, yet suffers such horrific wounds that only his ascension
                  to the life-sustaining Golden Throne can save him. The Age of the Imperium begins.

                  31st to 41st Millennia—The Age of the Imperium
                  Humanity is bound within the organisations and societies of the Imperial administration. The
                  Emperor’s life is only maintained by the arcane workings of the Golden Throne and continuous human
                  sacrifice. Imperial servants work for the furtherance of Humanity and its survival against the myriad
                  perils that threaten to destroy it. Psykers and the horrors of warp space are controlled by the vigilance
                  of the Inquisition, planetary commanders, and other Imperial servants. Psykers continue to emerge
                  in ever greater numbers. Anarchic, anti-governmental and predatory groups associated with warp
                  creatures and alien domination are steadily gaining power in spite of every effort to suppress them.




                       290
  DOMAINS OF                                                          RP
                                                                      “The warp is a strange and terrible place. You might as well throw a

  THE EMPEROR                                                         traveller into a sea of sharks and tell him to swim home as send him
                                                                      through the warp unprotected. Better it is not to let common man
                                                                      travel through the stars. Better still, let him not know such a thing
“None can truly say how many worlds Mankind rules. A million          is feasible.”
seems a sound estimate. But do we count only those with a duly
appointed Imperial Commander, and overlook those without? Then                              –Fra Safrane, 5th aide to Navigator De’el.




                                                                                                                                                X: The Imperium
shall we count those worlds with which there has been no contact in
a generation, two generations, three? What of those worlds known      The reason why the spacecraft of the Imperium can move quickly
to be populated, but that none have seen any point in visiting? How   over the entire galaxy, while other races suffer more restricted and
many lost worlds must exist beyond the light of the most blessed      slower spaceflight, is a combination of three factors. The first is the
Astronomican? We say a million, for our puny human minds are          maintenance of ancient technology by the Adeptus Mechanicus,
satisfied with such a number, but only the Emperor, in his ultimate   the Tech-Priests of Mars who preserve the lore of ancient science
wisdom, knows the truth of it.”                                       on behalf of the Adeptus Terra. Without the technological
                                                                      advantage of efficient warp engines, it would be impossible for
                              –Lord High Consul Grasticus Vak         the Imperium to defend its scattered planets. The second factor is
                                                                      the existence of human mutants known as Navigators, a race apart


T
        he Imperium of Man is spread across roughly two               which traces its origins to the uncertain times of the Dark Age of
        thirds of the galaxy and consists of more than a million      Technology. Only a Navigator can pilot a ship within warp space.
        inhabited worlds. Although a huge number of planets,          His swollen cranium houses a mind which is sensitive to the tides
this is nothing when compared to the hundreds of billions of          and currents of the warp, enabling him to guide his ship through
star systems in the galaxy. The Imperium is therefore spread          warp space to its eventual destination. Other races must rely upon
extremely thin across a vast volume of space; its worlds are          guesswork and endless corrective manoeuvres to travel even short
dotted through the void and divided by hundreds, even                 distances through the warp. The third factor which makes warp
thousands of light years. The Imperium cannot therefore be            travel possible is the immeasurably powerful psychic beacon called
thought of as a coherent territory which extends across the           the Astronomican. Broadcast by a choir of psykers from Terra, the
galaxy and has discrete borders. Mankind shares the galaxy            Astronomican reaches out through warp space, guiding spacecraft
with countless alien civilisations, many separate Ork empires         to their destination. Only a Navigator can sense the guiding light
and vast areas overwhelmed by the Tyranid Hive Fleets or              of the Astronomican, and only he can follow its psychic signal. It
corrupted by Chaos. None know what secrets lie between the            is the Astronomican which allows a Navigator to use his powers
stars. Undoubtedly there are other advanced civilisations, lost       to the fullest; without it, not even the most powerful Navigator
human colonies and the ruins of long dead races waiting to            could pilot his ship over the immense distances which separate
be discovered and explored.                                           the worlds of the Imperium.
   The pattern of human settlement throughout the galaxy                  Warp space is an alternate dimension composed of energy, as
undoubtedly owes much to the nature of space travel. All              opposed to the physical space of the material universe. There are
interstellar travel is undertaken using powerful warp drives          hazards within the warp which can wreck spacecraft and carry
which launch a spacecraft into the alternative dimension              them off course: unexpected turbulence, warp storms, and loops
known as ‘warp space’, ‘the warp’, ‘the Empyrean’ or ‘the Sea         that can trap a ship for eternity. These perils, though considerable,
of Souls’. Within warp space a vessel can cover the equivalent        are nothing compared to the greater and unimaginable dangers
of many thousands of light years within a relatively short            that lurk in warp space.
time, dropping back into real space many light years from the             Warp space is composed entirely of psychic energy. It is
point it set out.                                                     this psychic energy that a human psyker draws upon to use his
   Because of the unpredictable and turbulent nature of warp          powers: to send telepathic messages hurtling through the warp
space, some parts of the galaxy are harder to reach than              from world to world, or to propel a psychic bolt of energy against
others. Some zones are eternally isolated by violent currents         a foe. Warp space is not empty but inhabited by many strange and
of movement within warp space. Other areas are difficult to           dangerous creatures, the most dangerous of which are the Great
get to or can only be reached during periodic lulls in the            Gods of Chaos and their legions of daemons.
warp. More bizarre still, some parts of warp space act like               Daemons lust after the flesh and blood of living creatures. They
power vortices, pulling or sucking helpless spacecraft to their       want only to destroy Mankind, to drag the souls of men back
doom. Very few species are capable of warp space travel from          to their shadowy realm, to obliterate the material universe and
one side of the galaxy to another. Other races, such as the           engulf it within the energy of warp space. Fortunately, daemons
Orks and the Tau, can only travel short distances through             cannot exist for long in the material universe and they need to
the warp and this limits the size of their individual empires         find psychic gateways in order to leave the warp. Such gateways
and prevents them from becoming united. The Eldar use                 exist, but they are rare. The most vulnerable gateways of all are
an entirely unique method to traverse the warp. It is only            the minds of psykers. A psyker’s powers open up a path between
Mankind’s ability to travel through the warp that enables the         reality and the warp, a path which a daemon may find and follow
Imperium to function as a whole.                                      straight to the mind of the psyker himself.


                                                                                                                           291
                      Without the ability to travel through warp space, the Imperium        The Administratum has devised a characteristically complex
                  would certainly collapse and Mankind would fall victim to the          system for cataloguing the functions of the Imperium’s worlds.
                  thousand perils that threaten to destroy it. Without psykers, the      While some relate to the world’s environment, most describe
                  whole system of astro-telecommunication would be non-existent,         the function the planet serves within the Imperium itself. The
                  and it would be impossible to guide the Imperium’s armies and          more common types are described below.
                  fleets against its many enemies. For these reasons warp space is
                  essential to the Imperium’s very existence. Yet at the same time,
                  warp space harbours terrors so great, dangers so profound, that
                                                                                         hive WOrlDs
                  much of the Imperium’s efforts are spent in combat against them.       By far the most densely populated of all of the Imperium’s
X: The Imperium




                                                                                         planets, Hive worlds are characterised by vast cities, usually
                                                                                         separated by trackless, polluted wastes. Such worlds generally
                  IMPERIUM                                                               serve as centres for the manufacture of relatively low-tech
                                                                                         products, goods that require little more than serf-labour
                                                                                         as opposed to those that require the jealously guarded
                                                                                         techniques of the Adeptus Mechanicus to produce. The age
                  “On this world, my word shall be heeded as that of the Emperor. The    of the Imperium and the largely isolated nature of its planets
                  souls of my subjects belong to Him, but their bodies belong to me.”    means that Hive worlds are relatively common, with most
                                                                                         sectors hosting at least a handful. They are entirely reliant
                  –King Lamok, Imperial Commander and ruler of Woebetide                 on nearby Agri Worlds to feed their vast populations, and
                                                                                         even a brief period of isolation, perhaps caused by warp storm
                  The vast majority of the Imperium’s worlds are ruled by                activity cutting off trade routes, can result in entire populations
                  an individual called an Imperial Commander or Imperial                 rising up against their masters, and often reverting to barbaric
                  Governor. Those that are not are most likely to fall under the         cannibalism merely to survive. It is the brutal reality of life
                  direct control of one of the Imperium’s organisations, such as         in the Hive worlds that anarchy is only one missed meal
                  the Space Marines or the Adeptus Mechanicus, and in such               away, making the application of the very harshest methods of
                  cases a senior member of that organisation holds the additional        control necessary. Despite, or perhaps because of this brutal
                  rank of Imperial Commander.                                            control, the lowest, most decrepit areas of the hives are often
                      Each world in the Imperium is, to all intents and purposes,        lawless wastes, the home of criminals, madmen, heretics,
                  autonomous. Of course, this self-rule is subject to various            rebels and worse.
                  conditions, the greatest of which is that its leader renders due
                  tithes to the Imperium, in the form of resources and military
                  units, and maintains a strict cull of its psyker population.
                  Beyond these responsibilities, planets are largely free to
                  administer themselves as they see fit.
                      Although every planet has an individual who holds the
                  rank of Imperial Commander, the exact form of governance
                  varies enormously. On most worlds, the Imperial Commander
                  has inherited the title from a long line of predecessors, perhaps
                  being able to trace the lineage back to the world’s first colonists,
                  liberators or conquerors. Other planets are ruled by a council,
                  the chair of which holds the rank of Imperial Commander so
                  long as he presides. On a small number of worlds the populace
                  decides who will rule them, though such regimes rarely survive
                  in the age of war that is the 41st Millennium.
                      Although each world is effectively independent, the
                  Imperium is divided up into sectors and sub-sectors. The
                  worlds of these regions are often interdependent to some
                  degree. For example densely populated Hive worlds rely
                  on nearby agricultural worlds to feed their populations.
                  Even if not directly dependent, there exists some manner
                  of federation, for the benefit of trade and mutual defence,
                  which is normally presided over by a Sector Lord, a powerful
                  individual appointed by the Adeptus Terra. Sector Lords do
                  not have direct control over Imperial Commanders and their
                  worlds, but they do have a lot of control over trade and other
                  matters affecting how the world interacts with the Imperium at
                  large, a fact that often gives them great influence and leverage
                  over Imperial Commanders that rely on other planets to
                  sustain themselves.


                              292
CiviliseD WOrlDs                                                    feuDal WOrlDs
The term ‘civilised’ is something of a misnomer, for most           Feudal worlds are a step above Feral worlds in terms of
worlds of the Imperium are ruled over by the most brutal and        technological and societal development, yet not so advanced
oppressive regimes ever known to Mankind. Such worlds are           as the so-called Civilised worlds. They typically feature largely
generally self-sufficient and largely stable, which is not to say   homogenous, planet-wide cultures, the ruling classes of
that they are untouched by rebellion, merely that insurgent         which provide the individual who holds the rank of Imperial
elements are largely kept in check by the iron rule of the          Commander. Feudal worlds often have highly formalised
planet’s Imperial Commander and his Enforcers. Civilised            warrior classes, the members of which exhibit refined martial




                                                                                                                                        X: The Imperium
worlds tend to have an average technological base, although         codes which make them ideal for service in the Imperial
they still rely on more advanced worlds for the provision of        Guard, and occasionally in the Adeptus Astartes.
more sophisticated technology, such as star ships. Failing
any other classification or sub-type, most of the Imperium’s
worlds fall in to this broad category.
                                                                    DeaD WOrlDs
                                                                    In a galaxy riven by war, it is inevitable that some worlds are
                                                                    lost to the terrible weapons unleashed upon the battlefields
aGri WOrlDs                                                         of the 41st Millennium. Such planets are classified as Dead
These worlds are given over almost exclusively to the               worlds, and they are often so blighted by poison, radiation,
production of foodstuffs or other vegetable or animal-based         biological contaminants or any of a thousand other curses
goods. They provide raw materials, and sometimes processing         that they are interdicted by the Imperial Navy against any
facilities, though this is just as often undertaken off-world.      setting foot there again. Other Dead worlds are host to the
The populations of Agri worlds tend to be low, and are              remains of long-since vanished alien civilisations, or have
entirely devoted to the growing of crops or the husbanding          been reduced to such a state by no cause that the Adeptus
of animals. On some worlds, a large degree of automation            Mechanicus can ascertain.
is utilised, with vast harvesting machines manned by only a
handful of crew able to reap and process thousands of tons
of crops in a single day. Agri worlds rarely house populations
                                                                    DeaTh WOrlDs
sufficient to defend themselves against invasion, but many are      A great many planets are desirable due to a concentration of
host to a garrison of off-world Imperial Guard, intended as         rare natural resources, yet too dangerous to readily support
little more than a deterrent to rebellion or pirate attack. Such    a human population. Such worlds vary enormously in
detachments are in reality little more than tripwires, intended     climate and environment; some are home to jungles teeming
to get the word out should a large scale invasion occur, for the    with predators and carnivorous plants, while others might
loss of an Agri world may have dire consequences on other           be covered in oceans of lava. Some might be irradiated,
nearby planets that rely on it to feed teeming populations.         poisoned, or wracked by plasma storms. Some Death worlds
                                                                    are so inimical to human life that they are said to be possessed
                                                                    of some malevolent intelligence that actively musters every
feral WOrlDs                                                        possible defence against intrusion. Despite the dangers, some
The galaxy is strewn with worlds that play host to human            Death worlds have been settled, though life there is often
populations that have long since reverted to barbaric savages.      short and brutal. Death worlders are amongst the best recruits
This may have happened long ago, in the distant Age of              for the Imperial Guard and the Space Marines. The mere fact
Strife before the Emperor reunited the lost worlds of Man,          they have survived to adulthood marks them as amongst the
the populations never having regained the technological level       toughest and most resourceful individuals in the galaxy.
of their colonist forefathers. Indeed, in most cases, it is in
the Imperium’s interests to keep such worlds in their barbaric
state. Their populations make ideal recruits into the Imperial
                                                                    researCh sTaTiOns
Guard and the Space Marines, possessing a fierce warrior spirit     Research stations are found on a multitude of worlds,
that can be harnessed if the subject can survive the inevitable     establishing a human presence on a planet not otherwise
shock of being shipped off-world and confronted with the            claimed by the Imperium or ruled by an Imperial Commander.
galaxy beyond. A member of the privileged noble class may           They carry out a wide range of functions, such as weapons
be the Imperial Commander of such a world. Alternately, the         testing, the study of dangerous life forms and the development
Adeptus Terra may appoint someone directly. In either case,         of recently rediscovered technology. Others are watch posts,
the Imperial Commander may reside in an orbital facility, safe      ever alert for any sign of invasion from the dark voids of
from the savages under his rule, rarely even setting foot upon      the galaxy.
the world below.




                                                                                                                    293
                  fOrGe WOrlDs                                                       R
                  These worlds are the exclusive domains of the Adeptus              “The galaxy itself cries out for our extinction; it reaches forth to
                  Mechanicus, and form planet-wide factories. On such worlds,        snuff out the light of our existence. In reply, we bellow our defiance,
                  the Tech-priests and their servitors construct the mightiest       and strike the claw that seeks to engulf us.”
                  of war machines and create examples of technology that
                  cannot be produced anywhere else. Forge worlds often serve                                               –Lord Militant Hectus Gryff
                  as the base of operations for one of the Titan Legions, and are
                  essential to the supply of arms and armour to the Imperium’s       Every human being loyal to the Imperium is but a statistic,
X: The Imperium




                  military forces.                                                   a tiny spark lost against the backdrop of stars. The 41st
                                                                                     Millennium is a dark age for Humanity, a bloody age, an age
                                                                                     in which technology is but a half-remembered myth, in which
                  shrine WOrlDs                                                      the promise of progress, understanding and individuality have
                  Shrine worlds are the domain of the Adeptus Ministorum, and        long since been cast aside in favour of war and bloodshed and
                  often mark a planet once trod by one of the many venerated         the ceaseless struggle for survival.
                  saints of the Imperial Cult. They are populated by millions            Only by force of arms may the Imperium be held together,
                  of priests and clerics, and the cities are often vast shrines,     and only by the deaths of millions can it endure. Enemies
                  mausoleums or monasteries. They are often the subjects of          attack from all sides. Every aspect of the Imperium is geared
                  vast pilgrimages, the faithful flocking from light years around    towards the struggle for survival. The galaxy resounds with
                  to pay homage to the most celebrated of historical figures and     the clash of weapons and the thunder of mighty guns. The
                  Imperial heroes.                                                   armies of the Emperor can afford no mercy, no weakness and
                                                                                     no respite from their unending wars. The Imperial Navy sends
                                                                                     fleets from its many sector bases to do battle. Most Naval
                  pleasure WOrlDs                                                    vessels — vast, city-sized constructions — are thousands of
                  While the teeming masses of Humanity are fortunate to reside       years old. They are ancient gothic leviathans with terrifyingly
                  in anything more than a crowded hovel or a dormitory at            powerful weapons and whole squadrons of fighters and
                  their place of labour, the very rare, privileged few may own       bombers within their hanger decks. Entire battlefleets cross
                  an estate upon a Pleasure world. Such planets are the exclusive    the gulf of space to bring ruin upon the foes of the Emperor;
                  reserve of the impossibly wealthy, and it is to such places        to destroy their ships, and pound their worlds into dust. The
                  that the very highest lords of the Adeptus Terra might wile        ships of the Imperial Navy also provide a forcible reminder
                  away their last days. To most however, Pleasure worlds are no      to planetary governors of the might of the Imperium, and the
                  more than a legend, a utopian paradise populated by indolent       arrival of only a single ship is often enough to bring many
                  pleasure seekers. It is hardly surprising that below the surface   defiant worlds to heel.
                  of such societies, heresy seethes as the bored scions of noble         As well as fleets of warships, the Imperial Navy is also
                  lines seek ever more extreme forms of distraction from the         tasked with the sacred duty of transporting the Imperial Guard
                  tediums of life.                                                   from warzone to warzone. Forbidden by ancient decree from
                                                                                     maintaining their own fleets, the Imperial Guard is beholden
                                                                                     to the Navy to ferry its regiments across the galaxy. Packed
                  spaCe marine hOme WOrlDs                                           into colossal transports, tens of thousands of warriors and
                  While some Space Marine Chapters are fleet-bound, the              their wargear are shipped to distant star systems to fight and
                  majority lay claim to a single planet which is exclusively their   die on planets most have never heard of.
                  own. Such planets are inevitably the best defended in the entire       The vast armies of the Imperial Guard are the sledge
                  galaxy, for they are home to Humanity’s most potent military       hammer with which the enemies of Mankind can be smashed
                  forces. These worlds are generally chosen because they are         asunder. Covering the battlefields of the Imperium in their
                  home to the sorts of cultures that produce the best recruits for   millions, the soldiers of the Emperor are as numerous as the
                  the Adeptus Astartes, and although the Space Marines rule          stars themselves. When the Imperial Guard goes to war, the
                  over the populations, they rarely interfere with their daily       very earth shakes with the rumble of tanks, the thunder of
                  lives, preferring instead to maintain whatever conditions have     artillery and the pounding of marching feet. Raised from
                  produced such warlike peoples. Many Chapter-Fortresses             every world in the Imperium, the Imperial Guard is a hugely
                  are therefore situated in regions of the planet inaccessible       diverse organisation, with each regiment having all manner of
                  to the natives, such as atop the highest mountain ranges or        special skills that it can bring to bear. The Catachan regiments
                  even on a moon. In most cases, the Space Marines are all but       come from one of the most lethal Death worlds in the galaxy
                  unknown to the local population, perhaps visiting them once        and are expert jungle fighters. The Tanith First and Only are
                  a generation to preside over the rigourous trials in which the     stealth troopers without equal, and the Narmenian Armoured
                  young men strive to prove themselves worthy of selection by        brigades specialise in lightning-fast attacks with heavy tanks.
                  the legendary ‘Sky Warriors’. On a few worlds, the Space               The Imperial Guard fights vast crusades to liberate entire
                  Marines form a ruling class that administers the society           star systems or sectors from alien or rebel domination. Led by
                  directly, such as is the case with the Ultramarines Chapter,       Warmasters, powerful men in whose hands the fate of billions
                  which maintains an entire region of space called Ultramar.         rests, the Imperial Guard fights on countless worlds, with


                             294
crusades sometimes lasting generations and not stopping until      Stronger, faster and tougher than almost any foe imaginable,
victory is achieved, though the butcher’s bill may include         their bioengineered bodies can fight in any environment and
every man fighting. Further down the chain of command are          survive the most traumatic of wounds. This resilience enables
the Lords General Militant and the Colonels of each regiment,      a Space Marine to fight up to the point that his body is utterly
where command decisions are based on more immediate                destroyed. It is said that the enemies of the Imperium fear
tactical concerns rather than grand strategies employed by the     many things: discovery, defeat, despair and death. Yet there
higher echelons of command. To be a soldier of the Imperial        is one thing they fear above all: they fear the wrath of the
Guard on the front line of battle is to be one amongst faceless    Space Marines.
billions facing the horrors of a deadly galaxy with nothing




                                                                                                                                             X: The Imperium
but a lasgun and courage to call his own. Led by courageous
officers and the feared Commissars, the soldiers of the            ENEMY
Imperial Guard are the Hammer of the Emperor’s Wrath.


spaCe marines                                                      “Look first for the traitor, for he covets your rule. Look then for the
Sometimes, a sledgehammer approach to war is too slow to           xenos, for it hungers for your flesh. Look then for the fiend, for it
react to developing war zones. When a rapid strike is required,    seeks to consume your very soul.”
it is the Space Marines of the Adeptus Astartes who will fight.
Genetically enhanced super-beings created by the Emperor at         –Arch Deacon Drass Corothis, Confessor to Lord Solar Fell.
the very dawn of the Age of the Imperium, the Space Marines
are the greatest warriors in the galaxy. They fight with a depth   While the Imperium may be heralded as the greatest empire
of faith and courage that no mortal man can match.                 Humanity has ever built, it is in fact a crumbling edifice, its
    With the best weapons and armour in the Imperium, the          foundations rotten and its future at best uncertain. Some
Adeptus Astartes are the Angels of Death, striking as bolts        maintain that the Imperium is so vast that no force in the
of lightning from an empty sky and destroying key enemy            galaxy can possibly topple it, for even were great swathes
personnel and installations before they can react.                 of its territory to fall, others would, in time, rise up to
    Organised into Chapters of a thousand warriors, the            replace them. Each year, entire worlds are lost, yet others are
Space Marines are the supreme fighting force in the galaxy.        conquered, regained, liberated or colonised. Whether or not
                                                                   the constant struggle balances out remains to be seen, though
                                                                   doubtless the Imperium could survive, barring some galaxy-
                                                                   wide calamity, for many millennia yet.
                                                                      In a universe in which life itself appears to resent
                                                                   Humanity’s dominion of the stars, the threats that face the
                                                                   Imperium can be broadly summarised as those from within,
                                                                   without and beyond.


                                                                   rebelliOn (The enemy WiThin)
                                                                   There are many that hold that the greatest threat to the Imperium
                                                                   is not the ravening hive fleets consuming the Eastern Fringe, or
                                                                   the barbarous anarchy of the Ork empires. They claim instead
                                                                   that the most dangerous foe of Mankind is Mankind itself.
                                                                       On thousands of worlds, rebellion seethes just below
                                                                   the surface. Rebels and malcontents plot against Imperial
                                                                   Commanders, resentful of the brutal measures that must be
                                                                   taken to maintain order in the face of a hostile galaxy. The
                                                                   Enforcers of most worlds are engaged in ceaseless anti-
                                                                   insurgency campaigns against elements of their own population.
                                                                   Sometimes, these movements get lucky, and actually do manage
                                                                   to overturn their planet’s government and install their own
                                                                   leaders. In most cases, these new leaders prove just as despotic
                                                                   as the regime they ousted, and the cycle of oppression and
                                                                   rebellion continues. As far as the Imperium at large is concerned,
                                                                   these changes in regime often go entirely unnoticed. So long as
                                                                   the tithes are rendered in a timely fashion and the psyker culls
                                                                   undertaken, the Adeptus Terra sees little point in interfering.
                                                                   When the High Lords do decide a response is needed however,
                                                                   woe betide the rebels, for that response may be some time
                                                                   coming, but it will be devastating in the extreme.


                                                                                                                          295
                      Another, even more horrifying source of peril from within      and decadence. These races might be known across the galaxy,
                  the Imperium’s population is the human genome itself. The          while on other worlds races only present in the local stellar
                  human gene-pool is becoming increasingly corrupted and             area might be blamed for the ills that assail human worlds.
                  unstable, and a plague of mutation is sweeping the galaxy.             On outlying worlds, some contact with alien races does
                  Many of these mutations result in foul physical deformities        occur, generally taking the form of limited trading relations.
                  and on some worlds are so prevalent that large portions of the     Occasionally, local defence forces make common cause with
                  populations exist as an oppressed underclass of slave labourers.   alien warriors against a threat that endangers both. Although
                  Many planetary economies rely entirely on the labour of such       this runs counter to the doctrines of the Imperial Cult, reality
                  wretches, while on other worlds they are remorselessly purged      on the frontiers often makes such arrangements a necessity.
X: The Imperium




                  at the behest of bombastic preachers. Due to the oppression        Even worlds well within the Imperium’s borders might be
                  they inevitably experience, many mutant populations harbour        isolated for decades, even centuries, by warp storms or simple
                  rebellious elements which, if allowed to spread, are capable       neglect, and reach all manner of agreements with nearby
                  of instigating planet-wide rebellions that can only end in         races. Such a situation may be reversed should an Inquisitor
                  the bitter oppressed wreaking terrible revenge against their       arrive and denounce it as heretical, or a preacher declare a
                  erstwhile masters.                                                 crusade against the ‘unclean xenos’.
                      Mutants do not just represent the corruption of the human
                  form, but also the tainting of the soul. Wherever mutants are
                  found, so too will psykers appear amongst the population.
                                                                                     DaemOniC infesTaTiOn
                  Constant purges must be undertaken, psykers rendered up to         (The enemy beyOnD)
                  the Black Ships, lest their unbound powers attract the attention
                  of things that lurk in the warp. Should a gateway open through     The things that lurk in the warp, slavering for the soul of
                  an unbound psyker, an entire planet might be lost.                 Mankind, might be the product of nightmare, but they
                      Another threat against which the Adeptus Terra must be         are very real nonetheless. For the most part, Daemons are
                  ever-vigilant is that of secession. So isolated are some worlds    restricted to the Sea of Souls, unable to manifest in the
                  that their rulers might come to dream that they can make their     material universe for more than a brief period of time. There
                  own way in the galaxy. In the main, it is only when tithes are     exist several methods by which such horrors may incur upon
                  withheld or Imperial Navy vessels denied anchorage that the        the Domains of the Emperor.
                  Imperium takes note, and then vengeance is exacted and a               The first method is by way of an unprotected psyker.
                  new regime emplaced. Such wars of secession may last many          Without the ritual of the Soul Binding, very few psykers are
                  decades, even centuries, especially if groups of worlds attempt    strong enough of spirit to resist the attentions of the things
                  to secede together. Nevertheless, when the Imperium musters        of the warp, to which their souls shine as bright beacons
                  the full forces to which it has access, the secessionists are      while a normal man’s is no more than a guttering spark. As
                  ultimately doomed.                                                 an ‘unsanctioned’ psyker grows in power, so are more and
                                                                                     more daemonic predators drawn to him, as a shark is attracted
                                                                                     to blood. As he unleashes his powers, the beasts seek a route
                  alien inCursiOn                                                    through to the material universe, and inevitably possess the
                  (The enemy WiThOuT)                                                unfortunate psyker. So possessed, the psyker is likely to draw
                                                                                     more daemons through the portal, until a full scale Daemonic
                  The Imperium may be the largest empire in the galaxy, but it       Incursion is initiated, and entire worlds condemned.
                  shares space with countless other civilisations, any of which          Another method is by way of a warp/real space overlap.
                  could one day spell its doom. The entire galaxy is infested        Such conditions come into being in regions of space that are
                  with Ork empires for example, and while they fight one             afflicted by warp storms, within which the daemonic may find
                  another as much as other races, if they were to unite under        purchase. In regions such as the Eye of Terror, entire worlds
                  a single leader, they might drown the entire Imperium under        may be swallowed by such storms, becoming the cursed
                  the much-feared ‘green tide’. The Tyranid Hive Fleets have         domains of the infernal.
                  recently appeared in the extreme galactic east, and no one             Perhaps most terrible of all are those instances when a
                  knows how many of the galaxy’s worlds they have already            mortal man has deliberately called forth the powers of the
                  stripped bare of resources, or how many more fleets are            warp, creating, by way of proscribed ritual or technology, a
                  bearing down on other regions. The Tau are an example of           gateway through which the things descend upon the material
                  a small, yet dynamic alien empire with designs on the larger       plane. While most such individuals imagine they can bind
                  galaxy. While no one empire such as the Tau represents a           the Daemons to their will, more often than not they are the
                  threat to the Imperium at large, their sheer number means          beast’s first victim, but far from their last.
                  that many will continue to exist, and be a threat to human
                  worlds, for a long time to come.
                      The average human subject of the Imperium has precious
                  little knowledge of the alien; what he does know is gleaned
                  from the tirades of the Ecclesiarchy’s fanatical preachers. Orks
                  might be held up as the ultimate example of crude barbarism,
                  while the Eldar are presented as a caution against hedonism


                             296
IMPERIUM                                                               Although strategically a reactive, defensive war, in reality
                                                                   the conflict is one of attack and counter-attack. While the vast
“Not a single world in the Imperium is untouched by war. Truly,    regiments of the Imperial Guard are fed into an endless meat
there can be no peace amongst the stars.”                          grinder to hold the line, elite forces such as Space Marines
                                                                   launch attacks directly against key enemy installations and
          –Admiral Narusk, the Scourge of the Claw Nebula.         individuals or act as a highly mobile reserve to counter enemy
                                                                   breakthroughs. Such wars can rage for months, years, or even
No corner of the Imperium is exempt from the touch of war.         centuries, the tides of battle flowing back and forth as millions
Whatever form it takes, from mutant uprising to alien invasion,    sacrifice themselves in the defence of Mankind.




                                                                                                                                       X: The Imperium
conflict is the only constant most ever know. Some regions             From time to time, the military might of the Imperium goes
might experience what subsequent historians will label a           on the offensive. Such events generally occur when great leaders
halcyon age where order is maintained, at the price of constant    rise up, men and women able to command respect from across
oppression, only to be shattered as its worlds are consumed        all of the many and varied arms of the Imperium’s military
once more by war. Even those worlds which appear to the            machine. Given the ponderous rate at which the Imperium’s
outsider to be well policed and stable are invariably riddled      forces must be raised and mustered, such events are rare, as
with the cancer of heresy and rebellion, ever teetering on         they often require years of planning. When they do occur, it is
the edge of outright insurgency. Some Imperial Commanders          normally as a result of a great undertaking, such as the resolve
might imagine themselves powerful enough to start petty wars       to retake a lost region of the galaxy or to avenge the fall of an
against their neighbours, perhaps seeking to annex disputed        especially beloved hero of the Imperium.
worlds or systems rich in natural resources.                           While large scale expeditionary warfare is relatively
                                                                   infrequent, more specialised, mobile and self-sufficient forces
                                                                   such as Space Marine Chapters engage in them all the time. Being
DefenCe Of The realm                                               independent of the Imperium’s military chain of command, a
So vast is the Imperium, and so enormous its armed forces,         Space Marine Chapter Master can prosecute wars as and when
that the majority of wars are fought in response to a specific     he sees fit. A Space Marine attack is therefore just as likely to
threat, whether internal or external. With the scattered worlds    occur as a result of a distress signal from a beleaguered world
of the Imperium being so isolated, it is often quite easy for an   as it is from the Chapter independently deciding to eradicate a
attacker to descend from an unanticipated quarter and launch       long standing threat to a region’s security.
a devastating invasion. In order to deal with this situation,
the Imperium has developed a system that has served it well
down the ages.
                                                                   d
    Every world of the Imperium must look first and foremost       The Imperium’s military might is as varied as it is limitless,
to its own defence. In addition to the forces each Imperial        each body having its own doctrines, chains of command
Commander is required to render to the Imperium, he must           and even rivalries. It ranges from such disparate forces as the
maintain his own armies. These go by many names, such as           pious Battle Sisters of the Adepta Sororitas to the lumbering
Royal Guard, Loyal Militia or Planetary Defence Force, and         Ogryns of the Imperial Guard Abhuman Auxilias. Every one
each is as distinctive and unique as the culture of world from     of the myriad forces is a potent military presence, but when
which it is drawn. Many defence forces are as well appointed       combined they are unstoppable. The only problem is that
as the Imperial Guard, and some even more so, while others         forging a coherent military force from such varied units is a
are equipped with little more than spears or black powder          task that only the most dedicated, influential and charismatic
weapons. In the event of invasion or uprising, these forces are    of leaders can achieve.
expected to defeat the enemy themselves or, if they cannot, to         Such men are sometimes called Warmasters, though many
hold the line long enough for aid to be summoned.                  prefer the title Lord Solar, because of the deeds of the arch-
    When a distress signal is sent, nearby forces heed the call    traitor Warmaster Horus. These individuals are appointed by
first. The Imperium may divert Imperial Navy or Imperial           the command of the High Lords of Terra themselves, and
Guard units en route to other warzones, or a Space Marine          given the very highest of tasks to perform. Such missions
force might pick up the signal and send aid. Otherwise, the        might demand the retaking of entire sectors lost to the
Officio Munitorum requires the nearest worlds to muster            enemies of Mankind, or the eradication of an entire alien
its most experienced and well equipped defence units and           empire. Many decades might be spent mustering the vast
render them to the command of the Imperial Guard. It is            armies these leaders will command, and every one of the
always from the nearest world to the warzone that the aid          Imperium’s fighting arms are represented, from the Titan
is first sent, though even then it may be long weeks before        Legions to the Inquisition.
help arrives. Should the first wave of reinforcements prove            Warmasters and Lords Solar are individuals whose
unable to contain the threat, then more regiments are raised,      names the entire Imperium will celebrate should they prove
with more and more planets, further and further out from           successful in whatever task they have been set. They are often
the warzone, providing regiments until the threat is either        the founding fathers of entire sectors, with cities, even planets
defeated or contained.                                             named after them. If they are defeated, a million worlds will
                                                                   curse their names, holding them up as examples of failure to
                                                                   not repeat.


                                                                                                                   297
                  spaCe marine COmmanD COunCils                                            Over ten thousand years of constant warfare throughout the
                                                                                           entire galaxy, the Imperium has fought every variation of conflict
                  When the forces of two or more Space Marine Chapters find                imaginable. From gruelling sieges lasting decades to the bitter
                  themselves fighting alongside one another, the leaders of                one-on-one fighting of a cityfight, there is no expression of the
                  each often convene a council and elect a leader to act and               art of war that Mankind has not experienced, or mastered. Some
                  speak for their interests. This individual is the warrior that           of the more common types of warfare are described below.
                  commands the greatest respect and admiration amongst the
                  assembled Space Marine leaders, and he is entrusted with the
                  ultimate command of the Space Marines’ combined forces.
                                                                                           TOTal War
X: The Imperium




                  When serving in a larger army, Space Marine Command                      When the Imperium goes to war, it does so with total
                  Councils normally ratify the orders of the Warmaster, and act            conviction, for its leaders know that ultimately the very survival
                  on them as they see fit. It is not unheard of, however, for the          of Mankind is at stake. Every possible resource is mustered in
                  Space Marines serving in a Warmaster’s force to pursue their             the pursuit of victory, with entire planetary populations turned
                  own objectives, which may or may not converge with his                   over to supporting the war effort, no matter the cost. Many of
                  own. Very occasionally, a Command Council will decide not                the Imperium’s wars have escalated over the centuries, perhaps
                  to ratify a Warmaster’s commands and may openly disobey                  starting out as mere backwater rebellions before developing
                  them. It takes a very special kind of leader to command the              into full-scale wars engulfing entire sectors and involving every
                  respect of such leaders as serve on the Space Marine Command             possible arm of the Imperium’s military.
                  Councils, and it is the ultimate testament to a Warmaster’s                 Such total war sees millions-strong armies grinding into one
                  skills and authority if he can do so.                                    another across crater-strewn wastes littered with the blackened
                                                                                           bones of previous waves of attackers. Entire cities are reduced to
                                                                                           rubble, bitter enemies fight hand-to-hand in the ruins, refusing
                  S                                                                        to surrender a single city block. Worlds afflicted by total war
                                                                                           soon become a blackened wasteland bearing no resemblance
                  “He who would stay his hand, he who would show mercy, he who             to their former state. Planets once blessed by verdant forests
                  would speak of peace; he is a traitor, and nothing in this universe is   are reduced to ashes, enemies clashing amidst the skeletal
                  as low as a traitor.”                                                    remains of the trees. Hive cities are transformed into towering
                                                                                           mausoleums, their corridors and domes choked with the dead
                            –Pator Norak, prior to the Battle of Griffin’s World.          and riddled with disease.
                                                                                              After several years of total war, it is possible that the
                                                                                           belligerents have forgotten the initial cause of hostilities. Of
                                                                                           course, most wars fought by the Imperium are viewed as a
                                                                                           matter of racial survival, so no justification is required. Equally,
                                                                                           an army of rebels or secessionists may have seen its more
                                                                                           fanatical members killed off or martyred in the initial battles,
                                                                                           but continue to fight because to surrender would be to face the
                                                                                           inevitable vengeance of the Imperium’s justice. Most alien races
                                                                                           require no reason to make war other than their essential nature;
                                                                                           for such races as the Orks and the Tyranids, war is fundamental
                                                                                           to existence, and requires no rationalisation whatsoever.


                                                                                           planeTary assaulTs
                                                                                           Planetary assaults are a common type of warfare in the Imperium.
                                                                                           Often a world will fall before aid can arrive, and the Imperium’s
                                                                                           armies must force a contested landing in order to reclaim it.
                                                                                           Some planetary assaults are undertaken by small, elite formations
                                                                                           such as Space Marines, striking at the very heart of the enemy.
                                                                                           Command bunkers, defence installations, communications
                                                                                           nodes and logistical centres are all targeted, with Space Marines
                                                                                           deploying via drop pods into the midst of their foe. Very few
                                                                                           defenders can withstand such an attack, and it is not uncommon
                                                                                           for the entire chain of command to collapse when the upper
                                                                                           echelons are attacked in this way.
                                                                                              The other type of planetary assault is the massed landing.
                                                                                           Far from the surgical strike of Space Marine insertion, a massed
                                                                                           drop involves thousands of troops deploying by drop ships large
                                                                                           enough to carry entire regiments of infantry or hundreds of
                                                                                           battle tanks. There is no subtlety to such landings. The Imperium


                               298
simply lands as much of its forces as possible in one concentrated       fall, an in-depth defence can be enacted and counter-attacks
mass, and moves immediately to enact a breakout so that enemy            launched from subsequent lines. A common feature of this
reserves cannot be brought to bear on the vulnerable landing             style of warfare is the unimaginable cost in lives of taking any
point. Such sledgehammer tactics can overwhelm the most                  ground at all. Entire regiments attack over a front of a few
stubborn of defences, but often only at unimaginable cost in the         hundred metres, thousand laying down their lives in exchange
lives of the attackers. Fortunately for the Imperium, manpower is        for taking a position that will almost certainly be retaken
one resource it can afford to squander; planets are not.                 within hours. War in the 41st Millennium is not subject to
                                                                         moral laws or strategic logic; it is a matter of faith, and faith is
                                                                         the one thing for which men will willingly die.
CiTyfiGhTs




                                                                                                                                                   X: The Imperium
Cityfights develop when a city holds some value to both sides in
a war, whether military, logistical or simply symbolic. If only one
                                                                         suppressiOns
side places any value in the city, the other is likely to use whatever   A suppression is a punitive war, launched against a world for
strategic means it has available to deny it to the other, ranging        the security of the surrounding region. It may be fought against
from long range bombardment to the unleashing of ordnance                insurgent elements on an Imperial world, or against the Imperial
from battleships in orbit high above. When two armies decide             Commander himself, who has perhaps withheld tithes, given
to fight one another for possession of a city, the conflict is sure      succour to traitors or otherwise refused to adhere to the dictates
to become a bitter and bloody meat grinder, for in the crater-           of the Adeptus Terra. A suppression might be launched against
strewn ruins, death awaits at every corner. Mighty battle tanks can      an alien civilisation that has threaten the Imperium’s worlds or
smash through the wreckage of once proud buildings, but they             in order to forestall an anticipated invasion.
are vulnerable to lone enemies armed with tank-busting melta                Such punitive wars are normally intended to be sharp and
weapons. Snipers become the lords of the battlefield, able to strike     short, and to bring about a specific set of strategic circumstances.
down enemy leaders, heavy weapons crew and tank commanders               Of course, suppressions may fail in their objectives, and escalate
foolish enough to expose themselves to their all-seeing scopes.          into full blown wars consuming millions of lives and lasting
                                                                         many years.
armOureD Warfare
The industrial might of the Imperium’s Forge worlds and
                                                                         purGes
Hive worlds makes it possible for entire armies to be equipped           Although the Adeptus Terra prefer to leave the administration
with the mightiest of armoured war machines. These range                 of the Imperium’s worlds to the duly appointed Imperial
from agile walkers such as the Sentinel to super-heavy tanks             Commanders, there are times when circumstances dictate that
such as the gargantuan Baneblade. When the terrain and                   elements of that world’s population be removed for the good of
strategic conditions require it, the Imperium is able to field vast      the entire region. It may be that insurgent or pirate activity has
formations of armoured vehicles, forming a titanic mailed fist           reached such a pitch that the local government cannot contain it
able to smash aside any opposition. Furthermore, there have              any longer and the security of an entire sub-sector is threatened. It
been many instances when environmental conditions have                   might be that mutant or psyker populations have been allowed to
made it impossible for Imperial Guard infantry to operate, and           expand unchecked. It may even be the case that a local expression
only the sealed tanks can be fielded. Races such as the Tyranids         of the Imperial Cult has been declared heretical, and its adherents
are capable of wreaking such havoc upon a planet’s eco-system            must be hunted down and punished. On some worlds, such cults
that this is the only way of fighting them face-to-face.                 prove to be a cover for the worship of the Ruinous Powers of the
    The mightiest of the Imperium’s armoured war machines                warp, or are dominated by alien overlords.
are not tanks at all, but the Titans of the Adeptus Titanicus.               Purges are brutal affairs, and often trigger a full-scale uprising.
These so-called ‘god machines’ tower over the battlefield, their         They have a habit of escalating as that which the Imperium
every stride capable of crushing to a pulp entire platoons of            seeks to excise proves to be far more widespread than previously
enemy infantry. Furthermore, a Titan is able to carry weapons            thought. Few planetary militias will stand idly by and watch as
normally only seen in planetary defence emplacements or in               Imperial Guard units from off-world conduct pogroms against
the turrets of the battleships of the Imperial Navy.                     their kin and burn their homes to the ground. Unless conducted
                                                                         with swift, overwhelming efficiency, a purge may soon become a
                                                                         war of attrition.
TrenCh Warfare                                                               Purges are often led by individuals such as Inquisitors, whose
When war grinds to a stalemate and neither side has the ability          powers are not subject to Imperial law and who will not flinch
to break the deadlock, the opposing armies will fortify what             at doing what is necessary to locate and punish his targets. The
positions they have claimed and resolve to defend them no                warriors conducting the purge are likely to be drawn from elite
matter the cost. Entire continents become crossed with trench            units such as the Space Marines, who are able to attack swiftly, with
lines thousands of kilometres in length. Mighty bastions are             overwhelming force, before the enemy can react. In the aftermath
constructed along the defence lines, each an impenetrable                of the purge, there is likely to be a period of severe oppression in
redoubt armed with fearsome arrays of anti-personnel weapons             which thousands are put on trial and executed. Although harsh,
able to cut down entire waves of enemy attackers. Furthermore,           Humanity can afford no less in the battle for its very survival.
each front features multiple defensive lines, so that should one


                                                                                                                              299
                  Civil War                                                                   also obliged to provide massive reserves of arms and ammunition
                                                                                              to the regiments raised from his world, and to maintain such
                  In a galaxy in which Mankind is beset with foes on all quarters,            stocks against future emergencies in nearby warzones.
                  it is a tragedy of epic proportions that worlds should go to war               Planetary defence forces go by any number of names and
                  against one another. Yet such conflicts are common, as Imperial             are organised and equipped according to the vagaries of local
                  Commanders vie for territory and seek to settle old scores.                 custom. Some appear more ceremonial than functional, wearing
                  Wars of secession, fought between rival factions each believing             gaudy uniforms and ornate armour, yet are recruited from highly
                  themselves the rightful heirs to the rulership of an Imperial               accomplished warrior classes. The warriors of other militias
                  world, reduce entire planets to wastelands even without the                 appear more like rag-tag bandits, but are nonetheless hard bitten
X: The Imperium




                  actions of hostile invaders or rebellious elements. Trade wars              veterans and the match for any Imperial Guard unit.
                  escalate to open conflicts and the planetary militias are used not             When required to provide troops for the Imperial Guard,
                  to defend against attackers but to capture territory from bitter            the Officio Munitorum demands the very best of an Imperial
                  competitors. It is rare for such conflicts to involve the Imperial          Commander’s defence forces. Withholding his elite units has
                  Guard or other military organisations, for the belligerents                 proven the downfall of many an Imperial Commander, for often
                  would not wish to draw the attentions of the Adeptus Terra,                 he is held accountable for the performance of those troops he
                  preferring instead to resolve the conflict with their own forces.           has provided. If required by ongoing wars to provide more
                  As far as the Imperium at large is concerned, these ‘bush wars’             regiments, it is quite possible for a world’s militia to be stripped
                  are insignificant to the larger strategic situation, unless of course       of its manpower entirely, making mass conscription a necessity,
                  they interfere with the rendering of tithes or the raising of new           regardless of the effects on the planet’s economy.
                  Imperial Guard regiments. Should either of these occur, then                   Upon joining the ranks of the Imperial Guard, the troopers of
                  the Imperium is likely to launch an attack of its own, forcibly             the defence forces may come into contact for the very first time
                  ousting the warring parties and installing a new Imperial                   with a whole range of troops they have never seen before. They
                  Commander more likely to maintain the status quo.                           may fight beside lumbering Ogryns or stealthy Ratlings, and
                                                                                              may even share a battlefield with the legendary Space Marines.

                  CHINE
                                                                                              d
                  “Every one of us is a soldier in the Emperor’s armies. From the             The Imperial Guard represents the elite of the planetary militias,
                  inductee-cadet learning for the first time how to field-strip his lasgun,   called upon to fight across the myriad warzones of the galaxy.
                  to the most accomplished Chapter Master of the Adeptus Astartes.            The basic building block of the Imperial Guard is the regiment,
                  All of us must fight, or all of us shall die.”                              a formation that varies enormously in size, character and
                                                                                              method of making war. Most consist of redoubtable infantry,
                                                   –Fundaments of Service, Verse I.           equipped with lasguns and a vast array of heavy weaponry.
                                                                                              Others are armoured formations, their warriors going to war
                  Every world in the Imperium must look first to its own defence,             in the ubiquitous Leman Russ battle tank. Others still are more
                  for aid against external aggression or mass uprising can take               esoteric or specialised, such as the Elysian Drop Troops, who
                  months to arrive, by which time the Imperial Commander’s head               are unparalleled amongst the Imperial Guard in the use of
                  is likely to be mounted upon a spike over the burned out ruins              airborne insertions and massed combat drops. Some regiments
                  of his former palace. In order to defend against pirate attack,             are drawn from the noble warrior elite of the civilised worlds,
                  rebellion, alien invasion or any other threat, each world maintains         while others are little more than Feral world savages more used
                  some form of planetary militia. The number and nature of such               to wielding a spear than a lasgun. Regardless of their source,
                  a force varies enormously, dependent upon the type of world. A              the Imperial Guard are the bastion of Humanity, its numbers
                  densely packed Hive world, for example, is able to raise many               are, to all intents, limitless, and they bear the brunt of every
                  millions of troops, and due to its huge industrial base is likely to        war the galaxy has thrown against the Imperium.
                  be able to equip its forces well. A less populated world is able to             The number of Imperial Guard committed to a war can
                  raise far fewer troops, but may be able to make up for the lack of          vary enormously. At the lowest end of the scale, an increase
                  numbers in specialised skills. The Jungle Fighters of the Death             in pirate activity in a system might result in a regiment being
                  world of Catachan are a case in point. Few warriors in the entire           despatched to bring it under control, and the companies and
                  galaxy are able to match them in their native environment, and              platoons of that unit being split up and deployed across entire
                  they are such tough and determined soldiers that their skills are           worlds. An Agri world threatened by intermittent raids, for
                  ever in demand regardless of the nature of the warzone.                     example, might have a single company assigned to its defence,
                      In addition to his duty of providing troops, the Imperial               intended more as a deterrent than a serious defence. At the
                  Commander must also render heavy equipment, in the form of                  opposite extreme, an Imperial Guard force sent to dislodge an
                  tanks, troops transports, artillery, and the like. Due to the nature        alien presence from a strategically vital region might consist
                  of the Standard Template Construct, these are likely to be of               of many hundreds of regiments. Such was the case when the
                  a standardised type common to most worlds in the Imperium.                  great hero of the Imperium, Lord Solar Macharius, launched
                  Sometimes a world may produce equipment of an unusual pattern,              his seven year campaign into the Halo Stars of Segmentum
                  but these rarely join the ranks of the Imperial Guard due to the            Pacificus, commanding seven entire army groups in the
                  difficulties in maintaining them. The Imperial Commander is                 greatest conquest of recent times.


                               300
   Having achieved the objective for which it was raised, an         The imperial navy
Imperial Guard regiment that survives its first battles is likely
to be significantly under strength. As such, it is merged with       The warships of the Imperial Navy bear the most devastating
other depleted units, creating a new composite regiment from         weapons in the Imperium’s arsenal, and they can be brought
the survivors of previous actions. Very occasionally, an Imperial    to bear across the length and breadth of the Imperium and
Guard regiment is tasked with providing a permanent garrison         beyond. No other navy belonging to any other species or
to a world it has conquered, at which point its members will         civilisation in the galaxy wields such brutal power.
form the cadre of a new planetary militia, and their descendants         The Imperial Navy is charged with many tasks. Its primary
may one day be drafted into the Imperial Guard, starting the         mission is to ensure that the scattered worlds of the Imperium




                                                                                                                                            X: The Imperium
cycle all over again.                                                remain part of the galaxy-spanning empire of Humanity; that
                                                                     the vital space lanes are kept open and free from attack from
                                                                     any quarter. Should pirates threaten a particular space lane, even
t                                                                    the smallest of the Imperial Navy’s squadrons are generally
The Storm Troopers are a specialised formation that represents       sufficient to deter further piracy, and if the problem persists, the
the most dedicated, well-trained and superbly equipped               Navy will hunt the pirates down, locating their hidden bases
regiment in the entire Imperial Guard. Each Storm Trooper            and destroying them utterly. Should a more concerted enemy
is (in most cases) the orphan of an Imperial servant, raised in      threaten a region, the Imperial Navy are likely to be the first
a Schola Progenium and schooled in the doctrine of selfless          line of defence, and many an invasion has been halted in its
service to the Imperium. Those who have shown a propensity           tracks before even making planetfall by way of mighty battles
for war from an early age undertake a punishing training             fought in the outer regions of a threatened star system.
regime, which turns them into the elite of the Imperial Guard            Another task performed by the Imperial Navy is that of
and second in skill and dedication only to the Battle-Brothers       transporting the land forces of the other military arms across
of the Adeptus Astartes and the Battle-Sisters of the Adepta         space. By ancient decree, the Imperial Guard may not maintain
Sororitas. Storm Troopers are equipped with the very finest          or operate its own interstellar spacecraft, forcing it to rely
weapons and armour the Officio Munitorum can provide, and            upon the navy for transport from one planet to the next. Entire
they often go to war in Valkyrie airborne carriers, leaping          regiments can be transported in the cavernous holds of the
into battle as they descend upon grav-chutes.                        Imperial Navy’s troop transports, and deployed via drop ship
    The Storm Troopers are never fielded as a whole regiment,        to the surface of any planet.
but are instead fielded as individual companies in warzones              A further role that the Imperial Navy performs is that of
where they are most needed. Unlike the Space Marines, they           supporting wars prosecuted upon a world’s surface. Many
are fully integrated into an army’s chain of command, and            Imperial Guard regiments have gunnery officers and observers
can therefore be relied upon to spearhead Imperial Guard             attached to them from the bridge crews of orbiting Imperial
assaults, infiltrate enemy territory or provide a highly effective   Navy warships, the smallest of which carries as much firepower
rapid reaction force to exploit breakthroughs or counter             as an entire Imperial Guard regiment. These officers call down
enemy attacks.                                                       heavy orbital barrages with unerring precision, supporting
    It is often said that members of the regular Imperial Guard      Imperial Guard advances and bringing the Emperor’s wrath
regiments are resentful of the attentions afforded to the elite of   to the enemy, no matter where in the vast galaxy he seeks to
the Storm Troopers. This is hardly surprising, for an Imperial       hide.
Guardsmen might serve his entire career (which equates to
the remainder of his entire lifetime) manning the same squalid
dugout, while the Storm Troopers rarely stay in one theatre
                                                                     The sisTers Of baTTle
of war for long. It rarely pays to voice such bitterness openly      The Battle-Sisters of the Adepta Sororitas are the militant
however, for many of the Storm Troopers who survive their            arm of the Ecclesiarchy. Though relatively few in number
term of service go on to become Commissars, tasked with              compared to the infinite ranks of the Imperial Guard, this
keeping discipline amongst the ranks of the Imperial Guard.          all-female warrior order is zealous in faith and equipped with
                                                                     the finest equipment the Adeptus Ministorum can obtain.
                                                                     The Sisters of Battle are tasked with carrying out Wars of
                                                                     Faith against those their masters declaim as heretics, and of
                                                                     guarding the many sacred sights and pilgrim routes against
                                                                     those who would attack the faithful. They often take part in
                                                                     the Imperium’s crusades, for the Adeptus Ministorum desires
                                                                     its place in the glories of war, and ever seeks to ensure its
                                                                     position after the victories are won.
                                                                         The Sisters of Battle are often called upon to serve
                                                                     alongside the Witch Hunters of the Inquisition’s Ordo
                                                                     Hereticus. So fervent and unshakeable are the Battle-Sisters
                                                                     in their faith that they can endure heresies of the very worst
                                                                     order and, with bolter, flamer and melta, scour the worlds of
                                                                     the Imperium of the traitor, the mutant and the witch.


                                                                                                                       301
                  The aDepTus meChaniCus                                              The spaCe marines
                  The Tech-Priests of Mars maintain their own military forces,        The Space Marines are organised into Chapters, each of which
                  which are often called upon to fight alongside the other arms       is a completely autonomous organisation with its own chain of
                  of the Imperium’s war machine.                                      command, star ships, objectives and logistical support system.
                     By far the greatest are the Titans of the Adeptus Titanicus.     Space Marines are the very finest warriors the Imperium can
                  Titans are immense fighting machines, towering monstrosities        field, and the presence of only a small number of Battle-
                  several hundred feet tall. They instil terror by their mere         Brothers can turn the tide in a war that may have raged for
                  presence and little can equal their bristling arsenals of           decades. The degree to which the Space Marines integrate into
X: The Imperium




                  weaponry. Few enemies, apart from other Titans, can stand           the armies of the Imperium depends very much on the Chapter
                  against them. Created during the founding of the Imperium,          in question, but they never form a permanent component of the
                  the Titan Legions have crushed the Emperor’s foes in                orders of battle. Instead, the Lords Militant must negotiate the
                  countless battles and wars. Protected by banks of void shield       Space Marines’ aid, drawing on ancient debts of honour and
                  generators, Titans can soak up damage that would smash apart        invoking the great victories of the past. While some Chapters
                  tank companies and infantry regiments. They march into the          are all too willing to engage in the Imperium’s crusades and
                  thick of battle with their mighty guns blazing, gouging huge        wars, others will only do so in line with their own agendas,
                  holes in the enemy’s line with a fusillade of rockets, shells       which they rarely, if ever, make known to anyone outside of
                  and plasma, paying little heed to the troops advancing in           the Chapter.
                  their wake. The Titan Legions are maintained by the might               Although the greatest weapon at a Space Marine Chapter’s
                  of the Adeptus Mechanicus and are sent into battle only             disposal is its Battle-Brothers, each is able to field a staggering
                  with the blessing of Mars itself. Each Legion is based on a         array of devastating weaponry, vehicles and space ships.
                  Forge world, and the Forge worlds are spread throughout the         Many Chapters have the means to construct such machinery
                  Imperium so that at any given time at least one Titan Legion        themselves, while others hold solemn pacts with specific Forge
                  can respond to a call to arms. The Legions are an immensely         worlds, whom they are supplied by in return for aid in time of
                  powerful force in their own right, and the presence of Titans       crisis. The huge range of equipment available to a Space Marine
                  has decided the outcome of many campaigns during the long           Chapter, combined with the fact that the equipment itself is of
                  history of the Imperium.                                            a far greater quality than that issued to many Imperial Guard
                     Alongside the Titan Legions, the Adeptus Mechanicus              units, means that a Chapter can undertake missions that belie
                  also commands the might of the Centurio Ordinatus. This             the comparatively small number of its warriors.
                  organisation controls immense war engines, which are
                  specialised to fulfil very particular roles. Some, like Ordinatus
                  Armageddon, mount a single huge cannon capable of blasting
                                                                                      The Grey KniGhTs
                  apart enemy war engines and fortifications. Others carry rack       A secretive Space Marine Chapter whose very existence is
                  upon rack of huge missiles designed to spread wholesale             unknown even amongst the upper echelons of the Imperium’s
                  devastation. Some even mount experimental weapons such              military, the Grey Knights were created for one purpose: to fight
                  as the Sonic cannon put to use by Ordinatus Mars, which             the Daemon. While most mortal warriors are reduced to gibbering
                  shatters enemy attacks and leaves the foe vulnerable to a           wrecks at the mere sight of a fiend of the warp on the battlefields
                  counter-attack by the Imperium’s forces. These Ordinatus            of the material universe, the Grey Knights are amongst the very
                  are deployed sparingly, and many of them date back to the           few able not only to stand before them, but to cast the Daemons
                  Great Crusade and have been meticulously maintained for             back to the warp from whence they came. Every Grey Knight is
                  millennia. They are seen as living icons of the Machine-God         a psyker, his very mind a keen-edged weapon in the fight against
                  and the Cult Mechanicus reveres them as such.                       the creatures of the warp. Each is a potent warrior, the master of
                     The bulk of the Machine Cult’s armed forces are forge guards     the daemon-bane swords and glaives he wields in battle. Each
                  known as Skitarii: human soldiers with bionic augmentations         is incorruptibly pure of heart, and it is said that in a universe in
                  for communication, weapons links and sensory feeds. With            which even the most beloved son of the Emperor himself turned
                  the manufacturing power of the Adeptus Mechanicus behind            against all he loved, no single Grey Knight has ever foresworn his
                  them, the Skitarii are amongst the best equipped soldiers in        vows and turned to serve those powers he was created to fight.
                  the Imperium. Although most Forge worlds maintain whole                 The Grey Knights undertake desperate missions against the
                  regiments of Skitarii, their dominant role is to bolster the        forces of Chaos, and while they are based in a secret Fortress-
                  already considerable power of the gigantic war machines of          Monastery on the moon of Titan, they are equipped with the
                  the Titan Legions and crew the Centurio Ordinatus.                  fastest warships, which allow them to respond to any threat,
                                                                                      anywhere in the Imperium. The Grey Knights often serve at the
                                                                                      behest of the Daemon-hunting Ordo Malleus of the Inquisition,
                                                                                      forming the first, and often last, line of defence against threats
                                                                                      uncovered by the Daemonhunters. Although unhallowed, without
                                                                                      the deeds of the Grey Knights, the Imperium might long since
                                                                                      have been submerged beneath an unstoppable tide of howling
                                                                                      daemonic madness, its worlds haunted by fiends and its people
                                                                                      the playthings of the vile servants of the Ruinous Powers.


                             302
 The Origins Of
The DeaThwaTch
       •
OrganisaTiOn Of
The DeaThwaTch
       •
  t

       •
 DeaThwaTch
  MissiOns
                         Chapter                                                              alien, to hate it with such zeal that should he ever face such an
                                                                                              abomination he will not sink to his knees in terror, but stand
                                                                                              tall and strike it down, his arm strengthened by his unshakable


                          XI: The
                                                                                              faith in the Emperor. Such is only possible thanks to the lessons
                                                                                              preached by the Adeptus Ministorum, who instil such hatred in
                                                                                              their congregations that even the most terrifying of alien beasts
                                                                                              holds no fear.

                        Deathwatch
XI: The Deathwatch




                                                                                                  Yet, while faith allows a man to stand firm in the face of
                                                                                              unholy abomination, it cannot make his body impervious to the
                                                                                              alien’s blow, nor to the attentions of whatever vile and deadly
                     “How many have given their lives in service to Humanity, their           microbial life it may host. Against many alien foes, the only
                     names never to be recorded, their deeds never to be celebrated? The      forces capable of fighting are the Space Marines of the Adeptus
                     Deathwatch seek not laurels; it is sufficient that the Emperor knows     Astartes, for their hearts are hardened against fear, their bodies
                     our names and our deeds.”                                                are proof against almost any attack, and their weapons and
                                                                                              armour are superior to almost anything they might face. For ten
                     –Deathwatch Brother Sergeant Ghalis (three days before his               thousand years, the Space Marines have stood against the very
                     death at the claws of an Uberlord of the Nebulax Diaspora).              worst the galaxy can throw against Mankind, defeating wave
                                                                                              after wave of alien invaders and taking the battle to whatever


                     T
                              he Imperial Cult preaches that Mankind is the pinnacle          vile crucibles of blasphemy gave birth to them.
                              of creation, that it is his manifest destiny to cleanse the         Yet, there exist some alien threats against which even the
                              stars of the stain of all other forms of intelligent life and   Space Marines are hard pressed to prevail. Some aliens are
                     to claim what is rightfully his. Man’s form is cast after that of        so utterly evil, their very nature so disgusting, their methods
                     the Emperor, who is the perfect human being and the supreme              so malevolent, their intentions so wicked that a unique,
                     life form. This doctrine is not the product of petty intolerance;        dedicated force is required to combat them. That force is the
                     it is a matter of racial survival, for almost every intelligent life     Deathwatch.
                     form that Humanity has encountered in the limitless void has                 The Deathwatch is a Space Marine Chapter, but one quite
                     proven hostile, pernicious, duplicitous or simply so evil that it        different from every other Chapter known to exist. There are
                     cannot be allowed to continue existing.                                  many things that set the Deathwatch apart from their fellow
                         The Imperium of Man lays claim to two thirds of the entire           Battle-Brothers, the first of which is the fact that the Chapter’s
                     galaxy, a volume of space encompassing billions of star systems          brethren are not permanent members, but seconded from
                     and untold numbers of planets. Evidence of hundreds, even                other Chapters for a specific mission or a set period of time.
                     thousands of stellar empires long since reduced to dust is found         Not all Chapters dispatch their Battle-Brothers to serve in
                     across the entire galaxy. Only one in several hundred thousand           the Deathwatch, but for those who do, the service does great
                     of the galaxy’s star systems is host to a human population. While        honour to both the individual Brother and to the Chapter as
                     the majority of the remainder are worthless or uninhabitable,            a whole. The origins of this practice are lost to history, but
                     alien races claim a great many more. Ever since Mankind first            certainly many Chapters have undertaken terrible oaths to
                     set foot amongst the stars, these races have denied his right to         provide their most experienced alien-fighters whenever called
                     do so, and Humanity has been at war with almost every other              upon to do so. Such an honour is afforded to a Space Marine
                     intelligent life form in the galaxy.                                     that has served in the Deathwatch that many continue to bear
                         This ongoing war is made all the more bitter by the very             the Chapter’s distinctive heraldic shoulder plate even once they
                     nature of the Imperium. The Emperor’s Domains are not a                  have returned to their parent Chapter.
                     discrete volume of space with definable, defensible borders,                 The second point that marks the Chapter out as unusual
                     within which Mankind rules absolute. Rather, each world is               is the fact that the Deathwatch is almost exclusively engaged
                     but one of many hundreds, even thousands in a sector, only a             with the fight against the alien. That is not to say the Chapter
                     few dozen of which may be occupied by humans. Many of the                avoids confrontation with other foes, but the vast majority of its
                     other worlds in the region may not even have been explored,              missions are against the many and varied xenos races that threaten
                     and any number could be home to the vilest of alien races.               Mankind. The warriors that join the ranks of the Deathwatch
                     This situation is as true on the galactic scale as it is on the          are always those with the most experience of fighting against
                     regional level. The million or so worlds of the Imperium are as          alien warriors. They have faced every kind of alien threat, and
                     tiny islands scattered across a sea that seethes with predators.         prevailed. They have faced the impure blasphemies of the
                     Entire alien civilisations might exist within light years of major       noisome Reek and emerged untainted. They have entered the
                     Imperial worlds, and few in the Imperium dare ponder overlong            dark nightmare of the Hrud warrens, and scoured those vile
                     what might exist beyond the Eastern Fringe, within the roiling           places clean. They have resisted the domination of the mind
                     Galactic Core, or amongst the silent and cold Halo Stars.                eating Khrave, rewarding those inexplicable life forms with
                         Little wonder then that Mankind is engaged in a continuous           death. In short, they have entered the darkest places in the
                     struggle for its own survival. Even were it not for the constant         galaxy, faced what terrors lurk there, and emerged victorious.
                     internecine wars and the predators of the warp, Humanity                 The warriors of the Deathwatch are amongst the most potent
                     would be hard pressed to prevail against the other races of              defenders of Humanity, without whom a thousand xenos races
                     the galaxy. The average Man is taught from birth to abhor the            might have overwhelmed Mankind centuries ago.


                                 304
   Lastly, and perhaps most significant of all of the differences   ranks of the Ordo Xenos, all of whom shared the belief that
between the Deathwatch and its brother Chapters is the fact         one day, there would come a time when Humanity would be
that its mission is, broadly, directed not by the dictates of a     consumed by slavering xenos beasts, or enslaved to creatures
single Chapter Master responsible only for his own brethren,        of unutterably alien origins. They foresaw an age when every
but by the alien hunting Inquisitors of the Ordo Xenos. This        alien life form in the galaxy, and others from beyond it, might
arm of the Inquisition concerns itself primarily with the           rise up and the Age of the Imperium would come to an end.
detection, study, containment and eradication of alien threats,     They had no inkling when such a terrible age might come,




                                                                                                                                        XI: The Deathwatch
and the Deathwatch is sometimes referred to as its ‘Chamber         but they knew with dreadful certainty that it surely would,
Militant’. While an individual Inquisitor is no match for an        and they determined that no effort should be spared to avert
entire horde of slavering alien monstrosities, the Deathwatch       such an end.
were created with the specific purpose of defeating such a foe,         The conclave sat for many years, and bitter debate raged
and the two organisations work together very closely in the         back and forth between Inquisitor Lords of many different
ceaseless war against the vile xenos.                               positions. Some believed that every trace of alien life should be
                                                                    purged from the galaxy, while a few advocated the formation
                                                                    of alliances with those races that could be tolerated. Some
The Origins Of                                                      spoke of ancient, god-like beings that have slumbered since
The DeaThwaTch                                                      before the creation of Mankind awakening to enslave the
                                                                    galaxy, while others foresaw that death would come at the
The Deathwatch operates under conditions of great secrecy;          hands of invasion from other galaxies entirely. While many
its existence is not widely known nor are its victories widely      Inquisitor Lords declared the conclave itself an admission of
celebrated. The Chapter’s origins are even more shrouded in         defeat for even countenancing that Mankind might not prevail
secrecy, for they are born of a solemn pact made between the        against these threats, wiser counsel prevailed, and a strategy
Inquisition and the Adeptus Astartes.                               was eventually formulated. The conclave would request an
    Centuries ago, a conclave of Inquisitor Lords—the               audience with the assembled Chapter Masters of the Adeptus
Apocryphon Conclave of Orphite IV—convened with the                 Astartes, and ask of them a solemn undertaking.
sole purpose of formulating an Imperium-wide strategy to                How many Chapter Masters assembled to hear the
combat the many xenos threats that assailed Mankind. The            words of the conclave is not known, for such an event has
members of this conclave were, in the main, drawn from the          only occurred a handful of times in the long history of the
                                                                    Imperium. Nor were the words of the Inquisitors recorded
                                                                    for posterity. Certainly, enough Chapter Masters must have
                                                                    answered the call, for a quorum of sorts was convened. The
                                                                    conclave presented its prophecy to the Chapter Masters,
                                                                    evoking the galaxy-wide threat of the ravening xenos. The
                                                                    Chapter Masters, every one a veteran of a thousand campaigns
                                                                    against the terrors of the void, listened to the Inquisitors’
                                                                    words, and withdrew to consider the matter.
                                                                        The results of the Chapter Masters’ deliberations were
                                                                    delivered to the conclave at sunrise the next day. Each of the
                                                                    Masters and Inquisitors undertook a solemn oath together.
                                                                    They would form a new Chapter, consisting of veteran Space
                                                                    Marines highly experienced in combating the xenos. This
                                                                    Chapter was dubbed the ‘Deathwatch’, for it would stand
                                                                    guard against the doom foretold by the conclave. Thus, to
                                                                    this day, this joint oath still stands. The Battle-Brothers of
                                                                    the Deathwatch take the war against the alien to the very
                                                                    darkest reaches of the void, bringing to bear such force
                                                                    as no individual Inquisitor could hope to muster. In this
                                                                    mission, the Ordo Xenos and the Deathwatch are equals,
                                                                    the Inquisitors rooting out the foes for the Deathwatch to
                                                                    eradicate. While neither party is subject to the command of
                                                                    the other, both work in concert towards their common goal,
                                                                    according to those oaths made centuries ago. The two work
                                                                    closely together, ever watchful for that fateful day when the
                                                                    prophecies of the conclave are realised.




                                                                                                                    305
                     OrganisaTiOn Of The                                                 waTch cOMManDers
                     DeaThwaTch                                                          The Watch Commanders of the Deathwatch are amongst the
                                                                                         most experienced Space Marine xenos-fighters in the entire
                     The Deathwatch has at its disposal all of the resources of          galaxy. Prior to their secondment to the Deathwatch, a Watch
                     any other Chapter, and more, yet it is organised along              Commander is likely to have progressed to the rank of Captain,
                     entirely different lines more suited to its unique mission.         and some have even served as Chapter Masters. The role of
XI: The Deathwatch




                     The key tactical unit into which Deathwatch Space Marines           Watch Commander, like any other position in the Deathwatch
                     are organised is the ‘Kill-team’. This small, highly flexible       is, in theory, only a temporary one. However, most of these who
                     unit represents a band of warriors utterly dedicated to their       take up the position do so in the knowledge that they may never
                     mission and to one another. The Kill-team may consist of as         return to their Chapter again, such a vital and heavy burden is the
                     few as three Battle-Brothers or as many as a dozen, and their       rank. As such, the duty is a lonely one, for the Watch Commander
                     missions are assigned to them by a Watch Captain. A number          sees countless Battle-Brothers serve under him before they return
                     of Kill-teams are brought together under the command of a           to their Chapter, and he knows that he will, in all likelihood never
                     Watch Commander, who is responsible for coordinating the            do so.
                     missions of all of the Kill-teams under his command.                     The process by which an individual is elevated to the rank
                                                                                         of Watch Commander varies from case to case, but most have
                                                                                         served in the capacity of Watch Captain. The promotion may
                     waTch capTains                                                      come about by default, as the previous incumbent is killed in
                     Watch Captains are Battle-Brothers that have served in the ranks    the line of duty and the most senior Watch Captain under his
                     of the Kill-teams with great distinction, and have undertaken       command simply takes over. Sometimes the process is driven by
                     multiple tours of duty with the Deathwatch. It is not uncommon      the Watch Captains electing one of their number to take overall
                     for especially skilled Battle-Brothers to be called to serve many   command, while on other occasions an Inquisitor of the Ordo
                     times, and at some point, such veteran alien-hunters are likely     Xenos may make the appointment, which must be ratified by
                     to be afforded the honour of assuming the rank of Watch             the Watch Captains and other Watch Commanders. In a handful
                     Captain. In accepting this role, the individual knows that he       of cases, a Watch Commander has actually joined the ranks of
                     will not return to his Chapter for many years, for the time for     the Inquisition, appointing his replacement before he leaves the
                     which he serves as Watch Captain is generally counted as a          Watch Fortress.
                     single ‘mission’ in itself.                                              Watch Commanders hold a position of great authority and
                         The role of the Watch Captain is to oversee one or more Kill-   responsibility, for they have access to records and archives otherwise
                     teams. He is responsible for every aspect of their recruitment,
                     training, equipping and deployment. It is also the Watch
                     Captain’s duty to record the Battle-Brothers’ deeds in battle,
                     and to ensure that, if possible, the remains of the fallen are
                     returned to their parent Chapters with all due honour.
                         It is relatively unusual for a Watch Captain to accompany his
                     warriors on a mission, but he occasionally does so if especially
                     dangerous foes are being faced and his personal intervention
                     might turn the battle. In many cases, the Watch Captain oversees
                     a mission from nearby, often in a Thunderhawk gunship
                     especially equipped to serve as a combination of command
                     centre, emergency surgery, arsenal and quarantine facility for
                     captured foes. From his gunship, the Watch Captain is able to
                     monitor the progress of the mission, seeing exactly what each
                     Battle-Brother sees by way of the multi-band sensors built into
                     their power armour. He can also monitor the physiological
                     condition of his warriors, ensuring that no alien biological
                     contaminants are transmitted onwards on their return.
                         When the Watch Captains do take to the battlefield, their
                     presence can turn the tide of combat. A Watch Captain is both
                     a leader, with experience in commanding troops and inspiring
                     deeds of great heroism, and a fearsome warrior in his own right.
                     He has seen every horror the galaxy has to offer, and stood
                     firm against them all. He can remain unshaken even in the face
                     of a gargantuan alien terror capable of wiping out an entire
                     army, and discern immediately its most vulnerable weakness.
                     The Watch Captains of the Deathwatch are amongst the most
                     heroic of the Imperium’s servants, even if their names and their
                     deeds are never known to any but their Battle-Brothers.


                                306
only available to the Inquisition. They have full knowledge of            At the heart of each fortress is to be found a sealed vault,
the terrible threats they guard against, knowledge that in most       containing the most sensitive and valuable of assets. It is said
cases is only ever imparted to those whom the highest echelons        that some of these vaults are encased within stasis fields;
of the Inquisition hold in great trust. They have the ear of the      that time stands still within and even the most ancient and
Inquisition and the Adeptus Astartes both, and on their authority     crumbling parchments can be preserved. Other vaults are said
entire sectors may burn. They, and they alone, hold the access        to be encased within quantum-displacement fields, so that they
codes to the sealed vaults at the heart of each Watch Fortress, and   are not actually located in the Watch Fortress at all, but exist out




                                                                                                                                             XI: The Deathwatch
they hold the power of Exterminatus itself in their hands.            of phase with it so that even should the fortress be destroyed
                                                                      the contents at its heart will survive. Exactly what is kept
                                                                      within these vaults depends upon the mission of the fortress
waTch fOrTresses                                                      and the threats it guards against. Some contain vast libraries
A Watch Commander and all of the Kill-teams under his                 of forbidden texts, knowledge so terrible they may only be
command are based in a Watch Fortress. Such places can take a         consulted when the very fate of Humanity itself hangs in the
great many forms; some are mighty deep space stations, while          balance. Alien artefacts of unknown or devastating potency
others are imposing, fortified keeps on a planet’s surface. Some      might also be sealed within the vault, affording the savants of
are impenetrable installations many miles below ground, while         the Ordo Xenos the opportunity to study them whilst they are
others still are hollowed out asteroids bristling with weaponry       kept out of the hands of those who would use them for the
and protected from prying eyes by arcane cloaking systems.            detriment of Mankind. Some Watch Fortresses even maintain
    Within each Watch Fortress the Kill-teams train and prepare       a stock of the most exotic of weapons, which are kept safe in
for coming missions. Each fortress combines the functions of          the vault and only brought forth in the most dire of situations.
command centre, keep, archive, garrison and more. The Watch           Here are found the warheads of the cyclonic torpedoes used to
Commander often coordinates the monitoring of a hundred               enact Exterminatus upon a world. Some weapons are unique
different threats; or his attentions might be focused exclusively     and so potentially devastating they may never be disturbed, the
on one single, overriding concern towards which all of his            singular relics of the Dark Age of Technology. This includes
efforts are turned. The commander is assisted in his duties by a      such artefacts as the anti-baryon detonator held in a Watch
cadre of specialists, some of whom are Space Marines, such as         Fortress at the heart of the Ghoul Stars, and the super-massive
Techmarines, Apothecaries and the likes, while many more are          ‘starbane’ vortex cascade generator secreted within the eon-
the equivalent of Chapter Serfs. Some are specialists seconded        locked Ormand Repository near the Ring of Fire.
from the staff of one or more Inquisitors, while the greatest             Aside from these sealed stocks of weaponry, each fortress
number are mono-task Servitors.                                       contains vast stores of more conventional arms and ammunition.
    Amongst the most important members of the staff are the           Sufficient stores to last for centuries without re-supply are held
Astropaths, several of whom are always present in any Watch           in the Watch Fortresses, as well as all of the heavy equipment
Fortress. At all times, at least one Astropath is locked in an        normally utilised by the Space Marines such as artillery and
armoured saviour-chamber (sometimes referred to as the ‘ebon          vehicles. Many of the weapons are venerated relics, crafted by
coffin’) with its own life-support system, which is isolated from     long-dead master-artisans whose names have become legendary
that of the fortress. In the event of the facility being overrun,     amongst the Space Marines.
it is intended that this Astropath will survive long enough to            The larger of the Watch Fortresses are home to all manner
transmit a message to the nearest Inquisitorial bastion or Space      of training facilities. In vast domes, unique environments can be
Marine home world. Getting such a message out is far more             recreated in which the Battle-Brothers can perfect their battle
important than the Astropath’s survival of course, and many           drill and rehearse their missions. Some of these domes have
have committed suicide rather than fall into enemy hands, once        been stocked with life forms, such as Death world flora and
reasonably certain their message has been received. That being        fauna, in order to create the most realistic training conditions
said, one Astropath in the service of the Inquisition is known        possible. It has even been known for captured aliens to be set
to have survived for six months within his saviour-chamber,           loose in the training domes, to be hunted down by the Kill-
while hideous Drugh slithered around the fortress and rasped          teams in deadly mission simulation exercises.
ineffectually at the chamber’s armoured hatch. By the time the            Although no resource is spared the Kill-teams, it is usual
fortress was retaken, the poor soul was quite insane, and put         that each Battle-Brother lives an austere existence in the Watch
out of his misery soon after.                                         Fortress. It is common for each to maintain a personal shrine,
    The number of Kill-teams stationed in any given Watch             at which he undertakes the devotions and rites particular to his
Fortress varies enormously. Some are home to only a handful           own Chapter. A Battle-Brother seconded from the Ultramarines
of Battle-Brothers, while others host several dozen Kill-teams.       Chapter, for example, might maintain a simple chapel dedicated
Despite the small number of warriors stationed on even the            to the Primarch Roboute Guilliman, while one drawn from the
largest Watch Fortress, it would be suicide for an enemy              Mortifactors Chapter might keep vigil before the flensed skulls
to attempt an attack on one, even if its location could be            of a hundred slain enemies. When not engaged upon a mission
determined. Each bristles with weaponry, much of it controlled        or a training exercise, and not meditating at his own chapel, the
by hard-wired Servitors or fired remotely by the Watch                Space Marine may rest in a cell which is seldom more than a
Commander’s staff. Some are even said to be protected by              bare, stone-walled chamber. Space Marines require little sleep
great cannons and banks of missiles controlled by autonomous          however, and most of the their time is spent either in battle, or
machine spirits.                                                      preparing for it.


                                                                                                                        307
                         In addition to the Watch Commander, Watch Captains, and           more than a single Kill-team and the Battle-Brothers are rarely
                     the Kill-teams, a great many, though not all, Watch Fortresses        stationed on one for any great length of time; the resources
                     are host to an Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos. It is the role of        of the Deathwatch too scarce for every such station to be
                     this individual to communicate the strategies of the Inquisition      permanently staffed. Instead, Watch Stations may be used as
                     and to coordinate them with the missions of the Deathwatch.           a staging point should a threat become apparent, and to this
                     The Inquisitor is more of an ambassador than an overseer, and         end they are always stocked with vast reserves of ammunition,
                     has no direct control over the Watch Commander or his forces.         arms and equipment.
XI: The Deathwatch




                     Rather, he provides a link between the two organisations,                 While they are not always manned by Battle-Brothers, many
                     ensuring that the ancient pact between the two bodies remains         Watch Stations are home to a skeleton crew of sensor-techs
                     in place, for the defence of all of Mankind.                          and watch-serfs. These live out their entire lives performing
                                                                                           their duty, ever watchful for the threat of the alien and ready
                                                                                           to call upon their masters should such an event occur. Many of
                     waTch sTaTiOns                                                        these serfs have lived and died and never met a Battle-Brother,
                     While Watch Fortresses are relatively scarce, there are far more      yet all are indoctrinated and conditioned into their duty, and
                     of the smaller facilities known as Watch Stations. These are          their watch never tires.
                     often no larger than a small escort ship, and some are little             A great many Watch Stations are not crewed by men at
                     more than a rockrete bunker situated upon a lonely mountain           all, but are controlled by machine spirits. It is only by the
                     top. Watch Stations are located so as to provide watch against a      blessings of the very highest acolytes of the Machine God that
                     specific threat, or to guard a particular location. They may have     this is possible, for such devices that can be entrusted are rare
                     been placed centuries ago, perhaps on the word of a mystic’s          indeed. Orbiting many a Dead world might be found, by one
                     prophecy or an especially auspicious reading of the Emperor’s         who knows to look, a silent mechanical picket, its glass eyes
                     Tarot, or it may be that a great enemy was defeated at that           scrutinising the surface far below, its transmitters trained upon
                     location and its possible return is being guarded against.            distant relay stations.
                        As with the Watch Fortresses, Watch Stations can take                  The primary task of any Watch Station is to gather
                     many forms. A great many are silent sentinels in orbit around         information and to pass this back to the Watch Fortress.
                     a world, while others are lonely towers standing guard over a         The nature of the information may be detailed activity logs
                     long dead battlefield. Watch Stations provide facilities for little   compiled by watch-serfs, or at the other extreme, it may be the




                                                                 Quarantined Worlds
                                  There are some worlds in the galaxy that are known to harbour life forms
                                  so dangerous or vile that the Imperium has imposed a quarantine upon them,
                                  that none may set foot upon the surface. Many of these are classified as
                                  Death Worlds, planets that teem with life forms so predatory that even
                                  the most seasoned and well-equipped explorer is likely to be slain within
                                  minutes of disembarking his lander. Other quarantined worlds might
                                  harbour the remains of long extinct alien civilisations, and be host to
                                  thousands of sealed tombs within which lay relics too dangerous to be
                                  allowed to fall into the wrong hands. Some worlds harbour microscopic
                                  life so deadly that to simply breathe the air would cause one to die
                                  horribly within minutes.

                                  Many of these worlds are guarded by lonely Watch Stations, but there
                                  are simply too many of them across the galaxy for all of them to be
                                  watched over in this way. Around these are placed beacons, warning
                                  any approaching spacecraft that to trespass further is to invite the
                                  retribution of the Inquisition. Those foolish enough to ignore these
                                  warnings rarely survive whatever it is the beacons are warning against,
                                  but their identities are logged nonetheless, so that the Inquisition might
                                  hunt down any survivors and punish them for their crime. Many are the
                                  bands of outcasts, rebels and pirates that have somehow survived the
                                  perils of a Death World, only to be hunted down and slain by a Deathwatch
                                  Kill-team.




                                 308
constant chatter of raw machine language beamed in a never-             Aside from the obvious skill the warrior has displayed,
ending transmission across the void. The most important             perhaps more important is his purity of heart and his soundness
Watch Stations are attended by an Astropath, but others rely        of mind. To face the xenos is to bear witness to the most vile,
instead on regular visits for their reports to be collected. In     depraved horrors that creation can produce, as if the universe
many cases, it is not a sudden and disturbing report of alien       had mutated and life itself turned against Mankind. Space
activity that draws the attention of the Deathwatch, but the        Marines, above all others, are created to defend the Imperium
absence of any report at all. Standard doctrine dictates that       from against the most severe of threats, and recognise the




                                                                                                                                           XI: The Deathwatch
any unexpected silence must be investigated immediately, and        dangers aliens pose to Humanity. There are some intelligent
a Kill-team dispatched to forestall possible alien attack.          races that are so utterly different in form and nature that just
                                                                    to consider them is challenging, and to look upon them is
                                                                    mind shattering. In fact, some are so utterly alien that only an
t                                                                   experienced xenos fighter would recognise them at all, for they
Those Chapters which undertook the great oath that created          may appear as pools of slime, a cloud of darting motes or a
the Deathwatch provide their most experienced xenos-fighters        noxious mist creeping along the ground.
to serve in the Kill-teams, as do many other Chapters whose             Many aliens make war upon Humanity in ways quite
masters were not present to take the original oath, but who         unimaginable to the common man. In fact, many are not making
have since undertaken it. There are some particular Chapters        war at all, from their own perspective at least, but are instead
(the Crimson Fists and Mantis Warriors amongst them) who            hunting prey, harvesting sustenance or subjugating recalcitrant
make it a point of pride to send many of their Space Marines        slaves. A Space Marine inducted into the Deathwatch must be
to serve with the Deathwatch. Most Battle-Brothers are              able to face all of these truths, and stand firm, his sanity intact.
veterans of a hundred alien wars before being inducted into the         Another theatre of war that the Space Marines are uniquely
Deathwatch, but selection is not made upon length of service        equipped to fight in is that of the microscopic. Every alien
alone. In theory, even a Scout that shows exceptional skill at      race is the product of a unique biological inheritance, having
arms against the xenos may be selected to serve, although           evolved, in most cases, in an eco-system of limitless variety.
such an event is extremely rare. In the main, it is those Battle-   Even non-violent contact with an alien might result in
Brothers who have faced a broad range of alien threats and          microbial contamination that would cause a normal man to
not only survived, but prevailed, learning and passing on new       sicken and die within hours. Space Marines are sealed within
methods of defeating such foes. These warriors have faced           nigh-impenetrable armour and blessed with the very toughest
hordes of Tyranid creatures so vast they spill over the horizon,    of bio-engineered immune systems, and most importantly, well
and never once given an inch of ground. They have stood face-       versed in the proper first contact doctrine (point one of which
to-face with such gargantuan beasts as Tyranid Carnifexes and       is to shoot first).
walked away the victor. They are masters at hunting down such            The process by which a Battle-Brother is selected for
dread beasts as the Ambull and the Clawed Fiend, and know           service in the Deathwatch varies, but the most common is
every deceitful ploy the Eldar are likely to utilise.               by recommendation of the Chapter’s Captains, Apothecaries




                                                    H                                    E PURE
                                     THE PUREST OF T
                                                                                                                                 ies
                                                                   an  ce is  en  tir ely   fre e of taint. While most impurit
                                                         inherit                                                        othecaries,
                            that a Chapter’s genetic                                       amongst a Chapter’s Ap
  It is a rare thing indeed                             tte r  for  gr ea t  co  nc ern
                             uence, others are a ma                                                              s are afflicted by
  are of little or no conseq                        o of  th e Im   pe riu m’   s most celebrated Chapter                       irst,
  their effects constantly gu
                                arded against.  Tw
                                                                ac e W  olv  es.  Th    e  for me  r suffer from the Red Th
                                                            Sp
                               e Blood Angels and the                                ions of the death of his
                                                                                                                   Primarch that
  such an inheritance – th                          su  ch ov  erp  ow eri ng    vis                                             ffer
   which condemns a Battl
                              e-Brother to suffer
                                                                    nk s  of th  e  D   ea th  Co  mp  any. The latter may su
                                                              e ra
                                dman, and must enter th                                       d fangs. If there is any
                                                                                                                         possibility
   he becomes a frothing ma                              gin  g be as t  of  mu    scl e  an                                         e
                              ulfen, and become a ra                                                      dispatched to serve in th
   from the Curse of the W                                    y succu    mb    to  it, he   wi ll no t be
                                                                                                                               nister
                               sceptible to such a fate ma                                        ainst his curse, and admi
   that a Battle-Brother su                                n   Ch  ap ter   ca  n   gu  ar  d ag
                               e Apothecaries of his ow
   Deathwatch, for only th                          it.
                              ould he fall prey to
    to him the final rites sh



                                                                                                                      309
                                and Chaplains. Each of these is uniquely placed in their field          perhaps is planning a mission that requires additional warriors,
                                to pass judgement on the matter, and it is usual that all three         or indeed intends to establish a new Watch Fortress. In such
                                must agree before taking the matter to their Chapter Master.            cases, the Battle-Brother may be sent for straight away, and
                                The Battle-Brother’s Captain has witnessed him in battle, and           called upon to serve in a Kill-team.
                                knows well his capabilities. The Apothecary is able to account              Another method by which a warrior might come to serve is
                                for his bodily health and fitness, crucial to the warrior’s ability     for the Deathwatch to make a general request of other Chapters
                                to fight the alien on every possible level. It is the Chaplain’s task   in the region. The Watch Commander might visit each of these
XI: The Deathwatch




                                to monitor and foster his charge’s spiritual well being, which          Chapters and make his plea to the Chapter Masters in question,
                                again is crucial to his ability to serve. Only after these three,       or if circumstances do not permit such a nicety, he may transmit
                                and possibly others, have debated and considered the matter             astropathic communiqués encrypted with the very highest of
                                deeply will they approach the Chapter Master and recommend              cipher-seals, or dispatch trusted Brothers of the same Chapter
                                the Brother for service in the Deathwatch. The decision as to           if at all possible, to make the request on his behalf.
                                whether to advance the Brother further falls entirely to the                In some cases, the request for service might come not from
                                Master of the Chapter, and he may call the warrior before him           the Deathwatch, but from the Inquisition. Such would be the
                                to speak for himself so that the Master might reach a proper            case when an Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos had cause to take to
                                opinion. The Chapter Master’s responsibility in this matter             the field of battle alongside Battle-Brothers of a Space Marine
                                is grave indeed, for the oath of service to the Deathwatch              Chapter, and was especially impressed with the fighting abilities
                                is solemn and terrible, and in it is vested the last, best hope         of one or more individuals. Although the agents of the Inquisition
                                for Mankind against the dire prophesies of alien apocalypse.            have the authority to order almost any of the Imperium’s fighting
                                To present a Battle-Brother not equal to the task would do              forces to serve in their cause, they do not have such overt power
                                great dishonour to the Chapter in question, and could have              over the Adeptus Astartes. Instead, an Inquisitor may request of
                                ramifications for entire worlds. Should a battle be lost because        a Chapter that its warriors serve his cadre, and he may, if suitably
                                the warrior faltered at a crucial point, should a Watch Fortress        impressed, recommend to a Watch Commander that the Battle-
                                be breached because a Battle-Brother was lax in his duties, or          Brother serve in one of his Kill-teams.
                                should a planet be abandoned because a Space Marine doubted                 Service in the Deathwatch is understood by ancient
                                that it could be held, then the fate of Mankind itself might be         convention to be limited to a single mission. In practice,
                                compromised.                                                            however, a mission could be defined as a campaign or a vigil
                                    If and when a Battle-Brother is judged worthy to serve in the       spanning an indefinite period of time. When chosen to serve in
                                Deathwatch, his name and his deeds are forwarded to the nearest         the Deathwatch, the warrior often bids his Brothers farewell as
                                Watch Fortress, to be considered by the Watch Commander. In             if he will never see them or fight by their sides again. Given the
                                many cases, this is the last the Chapter will hear of the matter,       foes that he is likely to face, this may well be the truth.
                                for the call to service may never come. It may be, however,                 Some Chapters have developed highly formal rituals to mark
                                that the Deathwatch has need of reinforcements due to recent            a Battle-Brother’s departure for service in the Deathwatch.
                                                                                    battle losses, or   Some Chapters, such as the Storm Wardens, assemble the
                                                                                                        Brother’s entire company, or even the whole Chapter, to
                                                                                                        salute him as he leaves upon one of the Deathwatch’s black-
                                                                                                        painted Thunderhawk gunships. Other Chapters convene a
                                                                                                        solemn service led by the most senior Chaplain, the massed
                                                                                                        ranks bowing their heads in prayer for their departing Brother.
                                                                                                        The Space Wolves engage in a raucous, nightlong celebration
                                                                                                        in which the Great Company’s cellar is drained, while in the
                          Kill-ships: The Doom of W                                                     Black Templars, the entire fighting company kneels in all-
                                                                            orlds                       night, silent vigil before a chapel dedicated to Rogal Dorn.
                        Deathwatch Kill-ships are                                                       However the Battle-Brother’s departure is marked, he sets
                        guided by the most advanc automated drone-vessels,                              aside his service to his Chapter, if only for a short period, and
                        are used in the most extrem ed of war-spirits, which                            turns his back upon his former comrades as he boards the
                        Exterminatus upon a worlde of circumstances to enact                            waiting transport.
                       Imperium. They are equipp that has been lost to the                                  Upon entering service with the Deathwatch, the Space
                       of cloaking devices, often uned with the most valuable                           Marine must undertake the most solemn of vows. The Oath
                       knowledge dating back to theique examples of long lost                           of Binding holds the warrior to secrecy, forbidding him from
                       The mission of a Kill-ship is Dark Age of Technology.                            disclosing anything of what he sees or experiences whilst
                       undetected, to slip silently pato enter a system entirely                        serving with the Chapter. He is foresworn even from confiding
                      invaders may have put in st whatever sentinels the                                in the Brothers of his own parent Chapter, unless they too have
                      approach the target world un   place at its edges, and to                         served in the Deathwatch. By ancient convention, those who
                      running, the Kill-ship enter seen. Travelling on silent                           wear the silver shoulder plate of the Deathwatch are never
                     payload, and then slingshos orbit, delivers its lethal                             questioned as to what they have seen and done, and even the
                     planet’s own gravity. Even ts itself away using the                                most inexperienced Scout knows what grave insult would be
                     the apocalypse is descendin as the Kill-ship departs,                              offered by doing so.
                     the final act of vengeance g upon the doomed world,
                     wake.                          and denial enacted in its

                                            310
Training                                                               Aside from these details, the armour of a Deathwatch
                                                                    warrior is often decorated with a combination of purity seals
Any Battle-Brother serving in the Deathwatch is by definition       and holy icons and symbols unique to his parent Chapter.
amongst the most experienced of xenos-fighters in the entire        Space Wolves, for example, commonly adorn their armour
galaxy, yet he cannot possibly be as well-schooled in the           with all manner of runes and talismans derived from the culture
matter as a veteran Watch Captain or commander. The Brother         of their home world of Fenris, and these can often be seen
might have experienced combat against a hundred different           on the armour of Space Wolves serving in the Deathwatch.




                                                                                                                                        XI: The Deathwatch
alien races, but there are many thousands more he may never         Blood Angels Space Marines are known to bear many small
have encountered or even heard of. The Deathwatch takes it          teardrop icons, while the Battle-Brothers of the Dark Angels
upon itself to pass on every shred of knowledge possible to         Chapter often carry small winged sword pendants.
its warriors, through a myriad of different means.                     The longer he serves in the Deathwatch, the more adorned
    The newly recruited Brother is initially subjected to a         with purity seals and devotional scripts a warrior’s armour
gruelling regime of hypno-indoctrination, in which his              becomes. Having faced the vilest horrors of the galaxy, the
subconscious mind is filled to overflowing with the details of      Battle-Brother knows that ultimately, it is faith that defeats
every known intelligent race, and many classed as mindless,         the xenos. While he carries the very finest arms and armour
yet highly dangerous animals. This process merely lays the          available, purity is the most deadly weapon the Deathwatch
groundwork for further schooling and study, which unlocks           can bring to bear against their foe.
the full potential of the Space Marine’s superior mental
capacity. A warrior faced with a foe he has never before
encountered may thus find that he recalls the exact weak spot       wargear Of The
that must be targeted in order to it strike down.
    Hypno-indoctrination is but the lesser part of a Deathwatch
                                                                    DeaThwaTch
Space Marine’s preparation, however, and he undertakes              The Inquisition and the Deathwatch have access to a huge
constant training in the methods required to combat specific        range of weapons and artefacts that even the Space Marines
enemies. While much of this training is theoretical, some is        do not have. Quite apart from the highly specialised or unique
very real indeed. The Brother may be required to enter a            items, every single Deathwatch Space Marine is equipped with
sealed beast-chamber in which a captured alien combatant            the best wargear possible. Every boltgun is an artificer-crafted
is entrapped. He is not allowed to exit until he has killed it,     work of art, created and maintained by the finest weapon-
often armed with only his combat knife, with his bare hands         smiths in the galaxy. Every suit of armour has been handed
and teeth or without his armour. Only when the Brother’s            down through generations of warriors, and is imbued with
Watch Captain is satisfied that he is ready, and the Watch          the spirit of each. Every Space Marine that takes up a weapon
Commander concurs, is he authorised to take his place in a          gives unto it something of himself, and in return is blessed
Kill-team and undertake his first mission.                          with the protection of his forebears.
                                                                       Many of the weapons and suits of power armour in the
                                                                    armoury of the Deathwatch are revered as holy icons. Many
heralDry Of The                                                     have individual names, taken from a former bearer or a great
DeaThwaTch                                                          deed performed. There are boltguns with names such as ‘Brother
                                                                    Kalk’s Reaper’ and ‘Bane of Piscea’. There are suits of power
Upon joining the ranks of the Deathwatch, the Battle-Brother        armour called ‘Lord Odeck’s Deliverance’ and ‘Iron Spirit’.
enacts a ritual in which his armour is repainted black. Not all        In addition to the masterful craftsmanship with which each
of the armour is repainted however, for the right shoulder          item of wargear is maintained, much of the equipment of the
plate is left in its original colour so that the Brother’s parent   Deathwatch utilises improvements and modifications known
Chapter may be known. To obscure one’s Chapter icon is              only to the most senior of tech-adepts. It is a testament to the
regarded as an act that would anger the armour’s war-spirit         Chapter’s status that it has access to the very highest echelons
greatly and invite its ire at a crucial moment in battle. Thus,     of the Cult Mechanicus, and to technological marvels beyond
the origins of any Deathwatch warrior are clearly visible by        even the reach of the Space Marines. Perhaps the most obvious
the heraldry displayed upon his right shoulder.                     expression of this access is to be seen in the many types of
    On the warrior’s left shoulder he bears with great pride        highly specialised ammunition the Chapter uses. Through
the ornate heraldry of the Deathwatch. The shoulder plate           countless engagements, the Chapter has developed specialised
and the entire left arm is electroplated silver, and polished       poisons keyed to the biology of specific aliens, and these can be
to a high shine. At the centre of the plate is the icon of          delivered by way of specialised bolt rounds. The Deathwatch
the Deathwatch — the Inquisitorial ‘I’, mounted with a              makes use of tracking devices that utilise otherwise lost
death’s head and crossed bones. Around the icon passages            branches of technology, including electro-magnetic scanners,
from various devotional texts are engraved, including the           motion detectors and co-efficient prognostication units. Each
Catechism of the Xenos and the Third Abjuration of Terra.           Battle-Brother commonly bears equipment only carried by
Such passages remind the Brother of his duty at all times, and      specialists in his own Chapter, ranging from melta-bombs to
it is not uncommon for him to recant the lines of such prayers      the highly prized vortex grenade.
in battle, steeling his heart and those of his comrades against
the evil of the xenos.


                                                                                                                    311
                         Some of the equipment used by the Deathwatch is                The XenOs ThreaT
                     so highly prized that it cannot be allowed to fall into the
                     hands (or claws, tentacles or pseudopods) of the enemy. A          “Do not ask, ‘Why kill the alien?’ rather ask, ‘Why not?’”
                     vortex detonator is dangerous enough in the hands of a fully
                     trained Space Marine, but in the possession of a time-phasing                                               –Battle-Brother Artemis
                     alien infiltrator it could be devastating. In the rare event
                     of such an item being lost on the field of battle, it is not       The threat posed by the many alien species of the galaxy
XI: The Deathwatch




                     uncommon for the Deathwatch to mount further missions,             manifests itself in many different forms. Some species are
                     to recover or, if that is not possible, to destroy the item. The   overtly hostile, while others are more pernicious. Some regard
                     most precious and dangerous assets are occasionally fitted         Mankind as nothing more than a food source, while others
                     with denial-charges, in order to render them useless in the        seek to twist and manipulate it to their own advantage. There
                     event of their loss. Nevertheless, such items have occasionally    are those alien empires that would dominate Humanity, and
                     fallen into the possession of the enemy, as was the case when      others that would simply eradicate every last trace of it.
                     the third moon of Liberty became unstable in its orbit and             Aside from the obvious threat of outright war and invasion,
                     crashed to the planet’s surface, ultimately wiping out all life    and the loss of worlds, lives and resources that accompanies
                     on that world. This catastrophic event was caused by the           it, the dangers posed by the xenos can be far more insidious
                     loss of the ‘Von Dee’s Multi-phase Catalyst’, a relic of the       and subtle. Some races seek to infiltrate individual societies
                     Dark Age of Technology that fell into the hands of the alien       and corrupt them from within, weakening them against the
                     Antipath. Whether or not the Antipaths intended to detonate        eventual invasion, or precipitating outright revolution in
                     the catalyst when they did, or whether its was a terrible          which the aliens themselves are installed as masters. There
                     accident, will never be known, but serves to demonstrate the       are those foolish or dispossessed of some communities that
                     potency of some of the weapons of the Deathwatch, and the          willingly turn to the xenos for salvation when their own
                     consequences of their loss.                                        lot appears so desperate that even faith in the Emperor is
                                                                                        insufficient. Alien emissaries and demagogues move amongst
                                                                                        the outcasts and the desperate, establishing themselves
                                                                                        as saviours or visionaries, and slowly replacing the God-
                                                                                        Emperor of Mankind as the object of the peoples’ veneration.
                                                                                        Sometimes this is accompanied by simple guile, but all too
                                                                                        often domination is achieved by way of psychic or genetic
                                                                                        manipulation, enslaving entire planetary populations to the
                                                                                        will of the xenos.



                                 THE DEATHWATCH AND THE CODEX ASTARTES
                       Although counted as a Chapter, the Deathwatch has a highly unusual organisation, which bears little
                       resemblance to that laid down in the Codex Astartes. While a regular, ‘Codex’ Chapter is organised so as
                       to be highly mobile and flexible, and to be deployed almost anywhere in the galaxy on short notice, the
                       Deathwatch often focuses on one threat, in one region. This means that a Watch Commander is able to
                       tailor his forces to the task at hand. Some Watch Fortresses stand guard over vast Ork empires, ever ready
                       to oppose the nigh-unstoppable invasions they periodically unleash. Others guard against more shadowy
                       threats, far harder to detect yet every bit as dangerous. Still more face a myriad of foes and must constantly
                       adapt to an ever-changing strategic situation.

                       The Deathwatch has access to all of the specialised war machines used by other Chapters, and more. Even
                       if a Watch Fortress makes no regular use of such equipment, it keeps mothballed stocks of everything from
                       attack bikes to strike cruisers, for use as and when required.

                       In structure, the Deathwatch does not adhere to the strict organisation of squads and companies that the Codex
                       Astartes dictates. The only relevant tactical unit is the Kill-team, which may be organised and equipped in any
                       way the Watch Captains deem appropriate. In one mission the team may go to war on Space Marine bikes, and in
                       the next mounted on a mighty Land Raider. Those Battle-Brothers with the requisite knowledge might go to war
                       clad in hulking Terminator armour, or in lightweight Scout armour with chameleonic cloaks. Occasionally, several
                       Kill-teams are combined into a larger force, a sure sign that a highly dangerous foe is to be faced.

                       It is perhaps inevitable that Space Marines new to a term of service in the Deathwatch might experience
                       a period in which they must adjust to this foreign mode of organisation. This is especially the case when it
                       comes to Chapters that adhere rigidly to the Codex Astartes, such as the Ultramarines and their Successors.
                       In practice, a Battle-Brother who could not adjust would not be sent to the Deathwatch, and those that
                       do are often the most highly effective of warriors.
                                312
    It is also the case that not all of the aliens that the Deathwatch       Despite the great victory won at Circe, it was soon
guard against are what might be termed ‘intelligent life                 discovered that defeating the Tyranids was not such a simple
forms’. The Tyranids for example are, individually at least, no          matter. Although the vast bulk of the Tyranids’ vessels were
more than predatory beasts, despite the fact that they utilise           destroyed, the smaller ones scattered, and soon small ‘splinter
highly developed battlefield strategies. Other races are more            fleets’ were appearing across the Eastern Fringe. But a fraction
literally beasts, with no deliberate strategic agenda other than         of the size of Behemoth, even the smallest of the splinter fleets
ingrained survival, such as the Ambulls or the Drugh, and the            is capable of laying waste to an entire world, and the largest




                                                                                                                                              XI: The Deathwatch
Deathwatch must be as adept at fighting such enemies as any              that have been faced, in particular those currently active in
other. Some forms of alien life are not even animal in nature,           the Jericho Reach region, consist of vast swarms capable of
let alone intelligent, such as the carnivorous flora of many             overrunning entire star systems.
Death worlds, all of which the Deathwatch must face in the                   During the bitter fighting against Behemoth, the
ceaseless battle against the horrors of the galaxy.                      Deathwatch undertook a number of vital missions, including
    Lastly, although the Deathwatch was formed in response               nigh-suicidal boarding actions against the largest of vessels,
to the threat of the xenos, its members have, throughout the             which were theorised to have some sort of control function
centuries of service, faced many other foes too. Rebels and              over the hive fleet. During these missions, much vital
criminals have felt the wrath of the Deathwatch, as have the             experience was earned, and this was soon expanded as Space
followers of the Ruinous Powers. In standing their eternal               Marines of the Ultramarines Chapter, which had borne the
vigil, the Deathwatch often discern dire threats other than              brunt of the fighting, took service in the Deathwatch.
those of an alien origin, and given their oath of service                    Many in the higher echelons of the Imperium’s command
to Mankind, respond to them with exactly the same zeal                   structure believe the dire threat represented by Behemoth
and vigour.                                                              to have been averted. While efforts to defeat the remaining
                                                                         splinter fleets are ongoing, the leaders give thanks that the hive
                                                                         fleet was destroyed, even if the cost was almost unbearably
The TyraniD hive fleeTs                                                  high. There are many in the Ordo Xenos who are not so
                                                                         sure however, and counsel vigilance against the return of the
“We must scour them from the stars before they do the same to us.”       Tyranids. Many are the Watch Stations of the Deathwatch
                                                                         that have turned their unblinking eyes upon the darkness of
                         –Chaplain Cassius of the Ultramarines           interstellar space, ever watchful for the stars being snuffed out
                                                                         by the innumerable vessels of another Tyranid hive fleet.
The Tyranids are the most alien of the races to curse the galaxy
with their existence. An elemental force, they mass in void-
swimming shoals, remorselessly hungry and too numerous to
stop. The Tyranids are believed to have migrated from beyond
the known galaxy in search of new systems to consume;
ravening swarms descending upon planets and stripping them
of all life. Every living thing is consumed, brought back to
the hive ships and dissolved into a rich biological gruel from
which new Tyranid organisms are grown. When the Tyranids
move on in search of fresh prey, they leave planets as nothing
but balls of scoured rock in their wake.
    Unlike many other alien threats facing Mankind, the
Tyranids are an entirely new enemy. The arrival of this galactic
threat first came to light when Inquisitor Kryptman of the
Ordo Xenos recovered a data-slate from the barren husk
that had once been the Imperial world of Tyran. The alien
fleets were composed of an innumerable tide of living craft,
from biological attack vessels to gargantuan, tentacled hive
ships — all cells in a single alien organism that threatened to
devour the Imperium. Codified as ‘Behemoth’, the Tyranid
invasion devoured entire sectors, and culminated in one of
the largest space battles in the Imperium’s history, around
the rings of Circe. Both the Ultramarines and Battlefleet
Tempestus suffered terrible casualties before the invasion was
finally broken.




                                                                                                                          313
                     Ork waaaghs!
                     “Everywhere Mankind has travelled, there too are the Orks. They
                     infest this galaxy, and no doubt others, like the crude parasites they
                     are. My only hope is that they kill one another before they kill us.”

                                              –Watch Captain Evangelos, Deathwatch
XI: The Deathwatch




                     Orks are green-skinned monsters that live only to fight,
                     joyously spreading carnage and mayhem wherever they go.
                     Though categorised as sentient creatures, many consider the
                     term ‘intelligent life form’ highly inappropriate, for these beasts
                     are crude, barbaric and have absolutely no concept of their
                     own mortality. So great is the Orks’ need for battle that they
                     fight amongst themselves if no enemies are near. This constant
                     state of war ensures that only the very strongest, toughest and
                     loudest of Orks survive to face their enemies.
                         If the attentions of the Orks were engaged entirely upon
                     their internecine wars, then the race would present little threat
                     to the galaxy at large. Unfortunately for the galaxy, the Orks are
                     more numerous than any other race, infesting planets from the
                     Core to the Halo worlds. As if this were not bad enough, what
                     makes the race truly dangerous is the fact that periodically, a
                     single individual will fight his way to the top of Ork society,
                     uniting by force and example the disparate factions and leading
                     them in an invasion akin to a holy war. This invasion the Orks
                     call a ‘Waaagh!’ in their guttural tongue, a word learned by the
                     Imperium’s warriors as ten thousand green maniacs bellow it
                     as they surge towards the defenders’ lines. Ork Waaaghs! can
                     engulf entire regions of space, their populations being enslaved
                     to make the Orks more weapons, or simply eaten.                          the idea that when an Ork is slain, the release of thousands of
                         Being the most numerous of the alien species that the                microscopic spoors is triggered, which lodge in the ground.
                     Imperium’s defenders must face, the Space Marines are well               This, they claim, is how the Orks reproduce and goes some
                     versed in fighting them. No Chapter has less than a thousand             way to explaining their constant need for war. From these
                     honours earned in battle against the Orks, and equally, all              spoors, it is claimed, the Orks themselves grow, though this
                     have suffered the loss of some renowned hero at their hands.             theory is far from universally accepted and outright ridiculed
                     Some Historators have even said that the Space Marines’ iconic           by many. Nevertheless, it is standard Deathwatch doctrine to
                     weapon, the boltgun, was created with the Ork in mind. The               thoroughly cleanse the battlefield following an Ork defeat.
                     weapon’s high rate of fire allows for many shots to be fired             The Deathwatch have become adept in the use of ‘fire-front’
                     as the Orks come on in numberless waves. The bolt’s ballistic            barrages launched from orbit which incinerate every inch of the
                     characteristics make a mockery of what little and crude armour           ground and reduce to ashes every trace of biological matter.
                     the Orks wear. When the bolt explodes deep within the
                     body of its target, it is capable of decapitating even an Ork.
                     Unfortunately, many an Ork has been observed to shrug off
                                                                                              elDar warhOsTs
                     such a wound and carry on fighting as if oblivious.
                         It is entirely possible that it was the Ork race that the             “Compared to them we are but children. Sadly, it is the way of things
                     founders of the Deathwatch had in mind when they prophesied              that children never learn from the errors of previous generations, and
                     the end at the hands of Humanity’s alien foes. According to the          are ever doomed to repeat them.”
                     most learned of Ordo Xenos Inquisitors, the Orks believe that
                     one day, a great leader will rise up and unleash the greatest                                                           –Inquisitor Czevak
                     of all battles, which will draw to it every Ork in the galaxy.
                     That leader, it appears, has yet to come, but the Deathwatch is          As a race, the Eldar are largely gone from the galaxy, their power
                     ever vigilant for signs of an especially powerful Ork Warlord            having waned long ago due to their own folly. Now, this once
                     uniting the fractious race.                                              highly advanced race of graceful aesthetes clings to existence
                         One of the most pernicious effects of the Orks’ invasions            aboard lonely world-vessels slowly plying the void. Yet millennia
                     is that even should they be defeated, more Orks always seem              ago, these enigmatic and otherworldly aliens ruled the entire
                     to reappear, quite inexplicably, on those worlds from which              galaxy; they seeded whole worlds, and wielded the power of the
                     they have been expelled. A thousand different theories abound            very gods. Still, it is said that the Eldar refuse to fade into the
                     as to why this might be, with some Xeno-Savants advocating               blackness of the void, and that the race is a powerful force yet.


                                  314
    Humanity and the Eldar have fought against one another             Tau eXpansiOns
countless times over a ten thousand year period of calamity
and bloodshed. Though every single Eldar, whether warrior or           “Their time shall come, fear not. Let them believe themselves
artisan, is well schooled in the arts of war, each death is keenly     our betters, let them think they can turn our worlds to their sick
felt. The Eldar are a dying race, for even at the height of their      philosophy. They think in decades; we think in centuries. When the
power these extremely long-lived aliens reproduced only at a           time is come, we’ll crush this so-called ‘Empire’ completely, and grind
very slow rate. So total is the warfare that engulfs the galaxy that   it to dust beneath our heels.”




                                                                                                                                                 XI: The Deathwatch
the Eldar cannot possibly replace the losses sustained in even the
smallest skirmish, and each year their mighty craftworlds grow                          –Lord-Consul Lastant at the Treaty of Gharak
ever more quiet.
    Some would say that a race teetering so precariously upon the      The Tau are a young race, only recently come into contact with
brink of racial extinction would be wise to withdraw entirely, to      Humanity. They seek to bring the enlightenment and unity
flee into the encroaching night and live out its few remaining         of the ‘Greater Good’ to those who will join them. While the
days in relative peace. For the Eldar, such a luxury is impossible,    Imperium is beset on all sides, the Tau Empire grows stronger
for it was by the deeds of the race that the Chaos God Slaanesh        and stronger. In the Eastern Fringe, far from the power of
came into being, and their fate is inexorably entwined with the        Terra, world after world has fallen to their dynamic expansion.
Ruinous Powers. Despite their dwindling numbers, the Eldar             Where a world refuses to join the Tau Empire, all resistance is
seek to combat Chaos at every turn, for they know that it is their     swept aside, whether it is philosophical or military, for the Tau
ultimate fate to engage the Ruinous Powers in the final battle that    believe that the Greater Good can overcome any obstacle.
will decide the fate of the entire galaxy, if not the universe.            The relatively small size of the Tau Empire belies the
    Perhaps the main cause of conflict between the Eldar and           real danger it poses to the Imperium. While the race is not
Mankind is the issue of the possession of the Maiden Worlds —          overtly hostile, and is perfectly willing to trade and treat
planets seeded millennia ago by the ancient Eldar, to be populated     with the Imperium, the philosophy of the Greater Good is
once their slow transformation into the Paradise worlds many are       considered pernicious and insidious. While the peoples of
today is completed. In the ten thousand years since the fall of the    the Imperium are ruled according to the brutal realities of
Eldar’s galaxy-spanning civilisation, many of these worlds have        survival in a hostile galaxy, the Tau preach that all should
come to be settled by Humanity and other races. The presence of        be equal, and only then can the entire empire go forward, as
any other than the Eldar upon such a world is sufficient to cause      one. They are guided by a caste of rulers and spiritual leaders
a genocidal war as the aliens seek to expel the intruders. Many of     called Ethereals, who appear to be able to inspire in the Tau a
these worlds have been occupied for thousands of years, and the        curious combination of duty and contentment. The Imperium
populations will fight to the last drop of blood in the defence of     has no concern if its citizens are content, so long as they do
what they regard as their home world. It is common for the Eldar       their duty; to the Tau the two concepts are one and the same.
to arrive entirely unannounced at a world they consider theirs and     There are those amongst the Imperium’s highest echelons of
to issue an immediate demand stating that the ‘intruders’ have a       command that worry that the Tau’s doctrine of collectivism
set time to vacate the world. In general, the time given is entirely   might spread through the populations of human worlds they
inadequate, and is refused anyway. The Eldar then unleash their        come into conflict with. Were that to happen, it is feared,
fury upon the settled population, displaying with their typical        surely chaos and anarchy would follow.
arrogance no mercy upon the defenders or their people. Such                While the Imperium has fought one major, and many
attacks frequently escalate into larger wars, for the forces of the    smaller wars against the Tau Empire, there has been a fair
Imperium are stoic and intractable and, unlike the Eldar, have         degree of contact, and at times, cooperation. The Tau, it
nigh-limitless resources of manpower on which to draw.                 appears, appreciate that they will not conquer the Imperium
    Despite the many clashes between Humanity and the Eldar,           by military force, and instead await the time when Humanity
there have been many occasions when the two races have fought          will see the wisdom of the Greater Good and join the Tau. The
side by side. This is generally when a common enemy, usually           confrontations that have occurred are, in the main, confined
Chaos, is faced. However, the Eldar have also lent their power         to small regions, although the recent conflict in the Jericho
to the fight against the Tyranids. Such operations are tense, for      Reach has caused many to suspect the Tau of escalating their
the common soldier is indoctrinated to hate and fear the xenos,        attacks for greater gains.
and the Eldar, all too human in their appearance, are especially           The Ordo Xenos seeks to study the Tau, for some amongst
reviled. Even the most disciplined of Space Marines finds it hard      its number covet the selfless willingness with which they
to stay his hand against such enemies, and it is often the case that   follow and obey the Ethereals. It is not currently known
the Deathwatch is the only force able to share a battlefield with      whether the Ethereals exert some form of low level psychic
the Eldar without losing control and opening fire on their allies.     mind control over their subjects, the effect is pheromone-
    Furthermore, it is whispered that there exist perhaps a handful    based, or such obedience is simply hard-wired into the Tau’s
of men within the Inquisition who have earned the trust of the         very nature. Needless to say, there are those who would relish
Eldar, and gained access to their most terrible secrets. Such men      the chance for further study.
walk a perilous course between damnation and salvation, and it
remains to be seen whether their actions will save Humanity and
the Eldar both, or earn both races extinction.



                                                                                                                            315
                     enslaver plagues                                                        rise Of The ancienTs
                     “Call them what you will—Krell, Psyrens or Enslavers. Just one          “There are shrivelled things laying in cold tombs far below the
                     witch, unsanctioned, caused the destruction of Hive Skorpios when       surface of dead worlds that once bestrode the galaxy. And there are
                     one of those things used her brain as a gateway to this world. Within   those who by their deeds would awaken such creatures. Not on my
                     three days the entire hive’s population was reduced to drooling mind-   watch…”
                     slaves. Within three weeks an entire continent was at war. And all
XI: The Deathwatch




                     because the governor thought his family should be exempt from the                         –Brother Fenrik Red-Eye of the Deathwatch
                     psyker cull and refused to give his daughter to the Black Ships.”
                                                                                             The galaxy is truly ancient, and evidence of extinct stellar
                                                     –Inquisitor Mallen, Ordo Xenos          empires abounds. Countless human cities have been built
                                                                                             over the crumbling remains of far older civilisations, with
                     The Enslavers represent a form of life entirely anathema to             no concern of what might slumber in dusty tombs far below
                     any other in the galaxy. Though biological, these beings                the ground. There exist entire hive cities hollowed into the
                     appear to exist primarily in the warp, yet no details of their          innards of miles-high alien structures. Even on the most long
                     nature are known. What makes the race dangerous to the                  settled and heavily populated worlds, out in the wilderness
                     Imperium, and indeed to all life in the galaxy, is the fact             zones might stand wind-wracked obelisks built by unknown
                     that the Enslavers make incursions into the material universe           masons. In many cases, the world’s original colonists would
                     which, if not checked, soon escalate into planet-wide plagues.          have fought a war of extermination against whatever intelligent
                     In such a case, Exterminatus is a merciful end to the planet’s          life dwelled there first; on others, the aliens had died off or
                     enslaved population.                                                    departed millennia before Mankind even set foot there.
                         What is known of the Enslavers is that, from the warp, they             There are those whose mission it is to ensure that the myriad
                     are able to detect the presence of powerful, yet unprotected            lost empires of the galaxy stay that way. Inquisitors of the
                     psykers in the material realm, and use their minds to create            Ordo Xenos and their Deathwatch allies hunt down any trace
                     a portal between the two dimensions. This process is a gross            of these extinct galactic empires, and seek out signs of their
                     blasphemy in itself, for the unfortunate victim’s body is               continued existence. This is because despite the fact that the
                     transformed into a distended, writhing archway, the pulsating           lost empires are no longer a power, there are those who would
                     darkness of the abyss at its core. Through this gateway, the            see them returned to their former status. These might be the
                     Enslavers pour in ever-greater numbers. Having established              fallen alien descendents of the once-mighty ancients, lurking
                     themselves in the material universe, these vile creatures               in the wilderness and working unseen to renew their ancestors’
                     enslave any and all intelligent life forms within range, taking         power. In some cases, deluded humans work to resurrect lost
                     complete control of their bodies, and using them as an army             alien civilisations, perhaps having acquired a fragment of lost
                     of mind-slaved drones.                                                  and forbidden knowledge, or having fallen under the power
                         To be enslaved is said to be amongst the worst possible fates       of some artefact recovered from a sacred site.
                     that can befall a man. While his mind remains fully aware of                Some Inquisitors within the Ordo Xenos discern patterns
                     his plight, his body is no longer his to control. He is nothing         of alien activity wherever they look. While those at the
                     but a puppet of the Enslavers, to be used as they wish. The             frontlines may only perceive that which they face in the heat
                     aliens have no knowledge or concern for the physical well               of battle, the oldest and wisest of Inquisitors and savants take
                     being of their drones, and use them until they fail, whether            note of locations of tomb-worlds across entire sectors, regions,
                     through starvation, neglect or wounding. The drones stumble             segmentae and indeed, the galaxy. While many take their dire
                     forward under the crude control of their masters, forced                warnings as the ravings of blasted old men, others see truth
                     against their will to bear arms against their own. As the               in their words, and fear what might become of Mankind were
                     Enslaver Plague, as these catastrophes are known, progresses,           these patterns to align, were the ancients themselves to awaken
                     ever greater numbers of meat-puppets are enslaved, until vast,          according to some aeons-old configuration. The Jericho Reach
                     uncountable hordes of drones overwhelm the planet. What                 is a region where such dark patterns have emerged, though
                     happens once the Enslavers’ victory is achieved is unknown,             their meaning defies human intelligence and sanity.
                     and frankly too horrible to consider.                                        Some amongst the Ordo Xenos believe that Mankind’s
                         Although not as prevalent a threat as other alien races,            doom will not come at the hand of any of the races extant
                     the Enslavers are nonetheless guarded against with utmost               today, but due to the deeds of the ancients themselves. They
                     vigilance. Punitive Deathwatch actions are launched at                  claim that the Emperor’s Tarot is revealing ever more dire
                     the slightest suspicion of imminent plague, for the span of             portents, warning of an age when the soulless minions of
                     time between the appearance of the first gateway and total,             long dead gods will rise from their tombs and harvest every
                     overwhelming infestation can be shockingly rapid. Predicting            life form in the galaxy. They speak of alien savages lurking in
                     where such plagues might occur is nigh impossible, except               the jungles of distant fringe worlds casting off the mantle of
                     perhaps with frequent and skilled recourse to the Emperor’s             ignorance and reclaiming that which was once theirs. They
                     Tarot. Ultimately, the only way to be sure that no plagues              speak of the very gods themselves returning to do battle
                     take place is by way of stringent psyker culls and the eternal          against one another; a war in which Mankind may be the
                     mission of the Black Ships.                                             first casualty.



                                 316
NS
“He who allows the alien to live, shares its crime of existence.”

                                               –Inquisitor Apollyon

The ancient oaths under which the Deathwatch was formed bind




                                                                                                                                                 XI: The Deathwatch
it to the combating of the xenos menace, wherever it may be
found and whatever form it might take. The missions undertaken
by the Deathwatch are many and varied, and range from standing
sentinel against a general threat to accompanying an alien-
hunting Inquisitor in a desperate mission beyond the fringes of
known space. Despite the variety of mission profiles in which
the Deathwatch excels, there are a number that form the basis of
most operations.
    One of the simplest, yet arguably the most taxing, duties of
the Deathwatch is to stand eternal vigil against the actions of the
xenos. This is the basis of the system of Watch Fortresses and
Watch Stations. Each is located in an area where there exists a
known threat, or in a strategically significant region through which
such a threat might approach Imperial worlds. An example of the
former would be a Watch Station placed on the outer reaches of
a system known to harbour the remains of an ancient xenos race,
with its mission being to guard against the enemy’s return. An
example of the latter would be a Watch Fortress positioned at the
confluence of known warp routes, along which alien invasions are
known or are likely to travel.
    Investigation of potential threats is a vital task of the Deathwatch.
Individual Kill-teams are often called upon to perform sweeps of
areas in which dangerous aliens are suspected of operating. Newly
discovered worlds, visited by Explorators or Rogue Traders may              carry with them as much ammunition as possible. Investigation
be judged as dangerous, and require a Deathwatch investigation,             missions can take the Kill-team to a staggering variety of worlds
sometimes accompanied by an Inquisitor or other specialists. Such           and environments, all of which its members must be prepared for.
missions can be perilous and the Kill-teams must be well prepared           The Battle-Brothers might be expected to cross a burning desert
to face any threat. They are frequently undertaken far from any             of jagged sulphur crystals, or acid swamps infested with alien
possibility of reinforcement or rescue should things go awry, so            predators. In all likelihood, intelligence as to the nature of any
the Battle-Brothers must look to each other for support, and



                                            RADICALS AND PURITANS
                                                                                                                    the
                               institution  mad  e up  of cou ntless  indi viduals, each of whom is empowered by y
       The Inquisition is  an                                                                      ennia, a great man
                                                    to enact his duty as he sees fit. Over the mill
       very highest authorities in the Imperium its adherents’ beliefs as to how this power should be applied. The
       doctrines have emerged, each according to opposite camps — the Puritans and the Radicals.
       many factions are broadly divided into two    to the Imp  eriu m
                                                                                                                   ss of
                                                                        must be destroyed without mercy, regardle ate
       Puritans believe that  any   and all thre ats                                                  will extermin
                                                        such threats everywhere they look, and they
       their source. The more extreme Puritans seeof a small number of heretics may be contained. Radicals, on the
       entire planetary populations that the sins r disposal, including using the weapons of their enemies in the
       other hand, often use any method at thei Inquisitor may enact Exterminatus against a world that has
        furtherance of their plans. Thus, a Puritan , while a Radical Inquisitor may seek out those same cultists,
        been infiltrated by a xenos-worshipping cultor even turning them to his own service.
        with the intention of learning their secrets
                                                                                                 with one another.
                                                     osed Inquisitors to clash, often violently,
        It is not uncommon for diametrically oppve these factions, and never become involved in the battles that
         The warriors of the Deathwatch are abo . Their mission is simple, and although it can be regarded as
         sometimes rage between rival Inquisitors , is allied to neither viewpoint. Inquisitors do not involve the
         occupying the Puritan end of the spectrum extremists tend to moderate their position when working with,
         Deathwatch in their own conflicts, and theis the task of the Watch Commander to accede to, or even refuse,
         or making requests of, the Deathwatch. It his own judgement and principles.
         such requests, and he does so according to                                                                          317
                     possible alien threat is limited or nonexistent, and so the team        it for the bored and pampered of the ruling classes. There are
                     must be ready to face any foe, from savage barbarians riding flying     some xenos artefacts however, that are far from harmless. These
                     reptiles, to beings with highly developed psychic powers. The           are relics of great power, sometimes weapons, and often imbued
                     objective of such missions is more often to observe the nature of       with the power to dominate the weak minded. This so-called
                     the threat, so that the Kill-team, bolstered if needed, may return      ‘cold trade’ has grown up all over the Imperium, in which bold,
                     later and annihilate it.                                                but often foolhardy adventurers recover such relics, to sell on
                         A ‘cleanse’ mission is one in which the Deathwatch face a           at exorbitant prices to private collectors. The Deathwatch may
XI: The Deathwatch




                     known enemy, perhaps one observed earlier by an investigation           be called upon to put a halt to such enterprise, or to recover all
                     team. The objective is to clear a given area, planet or entire system   such artefacts before the criminals can discover and exploit them.
                     of the alien presence. It may be that the Imperium has decided to       Once recovered, the items are passed on to the Inquisition, who
                     establish some sort of presence in the area, which must be made         may study, utilise, lock away or destroy them, depending on the
                     safe of threats, or it may be that a full-scale colonisation is to be   opinion of the Inquisitor in question and the nature of the object.
                     undertaken. In general, the Deathwatch only becomes involved in         None can guess how many weapons of cataclysmic potency have
                     such missions when the nature of the enemy is such that Imperial        been recovered and secreted away in such a fashion, some stored
                     Guard or conventional Space Marine forces lack the expertise            within the Watch Fortress vaults against a time when Humanity
                     required, which in the case of the Adeptus Astartes indicates a         has no choice other than to unleash their dreadful power.
                     dire threat indeed. The Deathwatch may have special skills against          One of the more onerous duties sometimes performed by the
                     such a threat, or have extensive experience combating it, which         Deathwatch is that of ‘sanitising’ human forces exposed to alien
                     might be lacking in other available units. Cleanse missions vary        contamination. Some xenos are so perfidious in their influence
                     enormously in scale, from a simple attack on an alien-held location     that merely breathing the same air as them is enough to forfeit
                     to a gruelling campaign against an entire alien species. In some        one’s soul, while others such as the Enslavers are possessed of such
                     cases, the Imperium is content to tolerate the presence of an alien     terrible psychic power that armies can be turned from the light
                     race on a world, so long as its facilities are not threatened, while    of the Emperor to alien domination in an instant. Even should
                     some xenos races are so vile their presence cannot be born at all.      the Imperium prevail and the xenos be cast down, many human
                         An especially dangerous type of mission is a targeted               forces may have been compromised. The seed of alien domination
                     assassination. The objective of such a mission is to kill a specific    may have been planted, and the Inquisition, via the Deathwatch,
                     alien being, with the intention of disrupting the activities of its     must often turn upon their allies at the very moment of victory.
                     subordinates so much that other Imperial forces need simply pop         To do otherwise is to leave that victory incomplete, and to invite
                     up. Such missions are considered amongst the most dangerous of          defeat. In the main, it is planetary militias that must be cleansed
                     all the tasks the Deathwatch must perform, and a balance must           in this way, though occasionally Imperial Guard units lacking the
                     be struck between the risk of losing the extremely experienced          required protection, whether chemical, biological or psychic, must
                     and valuable Deathwatch warriors, and not undertaking the               be dealt with. Due to their innate genetic superiority, it is very rare
                     mission at all. Despite the potential risks, there are many alien       indeed for a Space Marine force to be compromised, though it
                     species against which such a mission can prove extremely                is known to have occurred in the case of one company from the
                     effective. Tyranids for example, are known to exhibit the most          Subjugators Chapter during the Technetium Belt campaign. The
                     extreme hierarchical structure ever observed, progressively higher      manner in which the friendly forces are ‘sanitised’ varies greatly.
                     forms of life controlling each tier below. It appears that even the     Some have lethal virus bombs unleashed upon them, dropped
                     highest forms do not issue orders, but rather direct the will of the    from orbiting Deathwatch ships. Others might have to be engaged
                     collective, thus killing such a creature can have a highly disruptive   directly. Sometimes the very act may trigger a previously dormant
                     effect upon those lower down. Several of this type of mission           alien influence, causing the victims to turn upon their erstwhile
                     were successfully prosecuted during the war against hive fleet          comrades with renewed fury, or sometimes to escape to whatever
                     Behemoth, in which small, elite Deathwatch Kill-teams boarded           dark, xenos-ridden haven they can find.
                     Tyranid bio-ships, fought their way not through passageways,
                     but arteries, and killed the organisms controlling entire fleets.
                     A similar effect has been observed when fighting the Tau; by
                                                                                             JOinT OperaTiOns
                     killing one of the Ethereal caste, normally well-coordinated Tau        While the vast majority of the missions the Deathwatch
                     forces can be thrown into total disarray, making them a ripe target     performs are undertaken alone, far from witnesses, they
                     for attack.                                                             sometimes form part of a larger, strategic picture. It might be,
                         A less common, but potentially vital mission profile is the         for example, that a massive push by the Imperial Guard is only
                     location and recovery of alien artefacts. So common are intelligent     made possible because a Deathwatch Kill-team disabled the
                     races throughout the galaxy, both extant and extinct, that objects      enemy’s high command structure, sending the entire xenos
                     created by non-human hands are to be found everywhere. The              army into disarray. In all likelihood, the Kill-team’s actions go
                     vast majority are totally harmless and of very little value, and may    unheralded, for as the Chamber Militant of the Ordo Xenos,
                     even have some functional or ornamental use on some worlds.             the Deathwatch must remain in the shadows lest the myriad
                     Others are far more rare, manufactured to a very high standard          alien foes of Mankind learn of its activities.
                     or made from precious materials, and these often find their way             Nonetheless, there are times when an Imperial Guard trooper
                     into the private collections of wealthy nobles. On many worlds,         finds himself fighting alongside a black-clad Space Marine,
                     any truck with the alien is illegal, and such activities are carried    if only for a brief period before the tides of battle separate
                     out covertly; their illegality making the risk all the more worth       them once more. To witness such a mighty warrior in action


                                 318
is truly awe inspiring for the common soldier, serving as an       Militant to simply ‘request’ the aid of the Deathwatch.
example and often bolstering a faltering assault. It is regarded   Rather, the Deathwatch intervenes where it sees the need
as preferable that conventional forces such as planetary defence   to do so, sometimes not even announcing its presence to
forces and the Imperial Guard learn as little as possible of the   theatre commanders, other times working closely with them.
Deathwatch and its methods. The Deathwatch never seeks self-       Due to its close connections to the Inquisition, an Inquisitor
aggrandisement, and victory is routinely ascribed to the deeds     himself may request the deployment of the Deathwatch, and
of other units.                                                    occasionally a general might petition him to do so on his own




                                                                                                                                      XI: The Deathwatch
    It is only at the highest echelons of the Imperium’s           behalf. Regardless of the manner in which it came about, the
military machine that there exists any awareness of the            involvement of even a single Deathwatch Kill-team can turn
existence and mission of the Deathwatch, and even then,            the tide in a centuries-long war of attrition, and spell victory
there is much hearsay and speculation. It is almost, though        for the forces of the God-Emperor of Mankind.
not entirely, impossible for a common general, even a Lord




                                            BLACK SHIELDS
          Every so often, perhaps only once in
                                                 the service of a Watch Commander,
          bearing no Chapter iconography, his                                        a warrior
                                                armour painted entirely black, presen
          at the Watch Fortress. By ancient                                           ts himself
                                               tradition, these warriors are not que
          pressed to explain their origins. The                                      stio ned or
                                                Watch Commander has the right to
          away, but in practice this rarely occ                                      tur n them
                                                urs.
         Who are these mysterious warriors,
                                                who shroud their Chapter symbols
         beneath dark hoods? Some say tha                                              and often hide their faces
                                                t they are the last of their Chapte
         having been lost to war, disaster or the                                       rs, their Battle-Brothers
                                                  irreversible destabilisation of their gen
         that these lone strangers might hav                                                e-seed. Others whisper
                                               e remained true to their oaths while
         against them. Some may even be tra                                            all of their fellows turned
                                               itors turned back to the light, but hau
         blasphemy they can never confess.                                               nted by a life of sin and

        What many of these warriors have in
                                                common is that when they enter serv
        it is invariably for life. They have no                                       ice with the Deathwatch,
                                                Chapter to return to, and no Battle
        are possessed of a dour fatalism, as                                         -Brothers to rejoin. Some
                                             if they seek death in service. Others
        foe they slay an unnamed sin of the                                        serv e as if with every xenos
                                              ir own is absolved.
        Most rare of all is when one of these so-c
                                                    alled ‘Black Shields’ rises through the
        This has happened only once in the reco                                              ranks of the Deathwatch.
                                                     rded history of the Jericho Reach Wa
        of a Watch Commander by the nam                                                       tch Fortress, in the case
                                                e of Israfil. This dour warrior led his
        foes for over three decades, before he was                                        forc  es against a myriad of
                                                    lost on a mission he attended in person
       Mire. Despite the rapid intervention                                                    , against the pernicious
                                                   of a substantial battle group from the
       Israfil’s body was never recovered, yet                                                  Dark Angels Chapter,
                                                   his name is honoured in the Watch For
                                                                                                tress to this day.
       Preservation of life for its own sak
                                                 e is not to be commended when sac
       chance of gain. Nonetheless, the pur                                                rifice offers a reasonable
                                               poseless waste of life is equally to be avo
       personnel implies the loss of resourc                                                ided. The loss of trained
                                                es, equipment and knowledge. A tru
       his value as a resource. The duty of                                              e  warrior does not belittle
                                                 the commander is to judge what mea
      to achieve each objective. He must                                                   ns  should be undertaken
                                                be aware of what is to be gained and
      commander who places his troops in                                                        what may be lost. A
                                                  a position where he may likely lose
      gain risks more than the lives of his                                               mo  re  than he may likely
                                                  men. He risks far more; he risks fail
      failure is not.                                                                        ure. Loss is acceptable,
                                                                                                                  319
                           CATECHISM OF THE XENOS
XI: The Deathwatch




                                         To be Unclean
                                 That is the Mark of the Xenos
                                          To be Impure
                                 That is the Mark of the Xenos
                                        To be Abhorred
                                 That is the Mark of the Xenos
                                          To be Reviled
                                 That is the Mark of the Xenos
                                          To be Hunted
                                 That is the Mark of the Xenos
                                          To be Purged
                                  That is the fate of the Xenos
                                         To be Cleansed
                                 For that is the fate of all Xenos
                     –Extract from the Third Book of Indoctrination




                     320
 The Jericho-
Maw warp GaTe
       •
The DoMains of
The DeaThwaTch
       •
  The achilus
    crusaDe
       •
 t

      •
 t

      •
  t
                            Chapter XII:                                                        enemies of the Imperium have been denied and cast down
                                                                                                amongst the Reach’s forgotten stars, and many great threats
                                                                                                ended before they rose up to beset the greater Imperium of


                            The Jericho
                                                                                                Man, unspoken of and unknown even to the Deathwatch’s
                                                                                                distant masters. However, these battles have been but the
                                                                                                prelude to the battles to come, for according to many, the true
                                                                                                Time of Ending has come at last, and the final watch has begun.

                              Reach
XII: The Jericho Reach




                                                                                                The Jericho Reach hangs in the balance—the intervention of
                                                                                                the Deathwatch may be the only way to influence the outcome
                                                                                                of the Achilus Crusade, for good or for ill.
                         “It is born of blood and darkness and to blood and darkness it shall
                         return.”
                                                                                                t
                           –Words spoken during a reading of the Emperor’s Tarot at             Though the Jericho Reach is now an open wound of bloodshed,
                                                  the outset of the Achilus Crusade             infected with the lies of false gods and the presence of aliens, it
                                                                                                was not always like this. The area of space now known as the


                         T
                                  he Jericho Reach is a region of space long lost by            Jericho Reach was brought within the Imperium of Mankind
                                  Humanity. It has succumbed to darkness and barbarity,         during the Great Crusade waged by the Emperor and his Space
                                  become infested by xenos, and is tainted by the               Marine Legions over ten millennia ago. Though few details of its
                         Ruinous Powers. Laying close to the Galactic Eastern Fringe,           founding exist, it is known to have been an exceptionally bloody
                         the area known as the Jericho Reach was part of the Imperium           campaign, and the subsequent events of the Horus Heresy and
                         in ancient days, and remained so for many millennia until              the painful aftermath of civil war caused further devastation
                         it fell into an age of isolation, disintegration, and evil. One        to its worlds. In the millennia that followed, untamed worlds
                         particularly significant discovery changed the region’s status:        and xenos-domains were obliterated, and the Jericho Sector
                         it contains a Warp Gate that connects two far-flung edges of           was built as a bastion of Imperial might and majesty carved
                         the galaxy. Now, the Imperium once again dreams of making              from the cold wilderness of space and colonized by a powerful
                         the Jericho Reach its own, but its attempted re-conquest has           and expansive Imperium. Worlds were raised from rubble and
                         quickly become mired in blood and its hopes have turned                ashes to industrial power-houses, populations grew prosperous,
                         into nightmares.
                               he Achilus Crusade is a war of re-conquest fought on
                         three fronts. It is a savage war waged with every weapon that
                         the Imperium possesses, and its commanders have sworn that
                         it will not fail. In spite of such oaths, the Achilus Crusade may
                         come to ruin. The Tau Empire have cast their desiring eye
                         over the worlds and resources of the Reach and move with all
                         force to make it their own. On worlds long forsaken by the
                         Imperium, the slaves of the Dark Gods of Chaos reign and at
                         the Reach’s heart, unsuspected at the Crusade’s outset, they
                         have created a blasphemous domain ruled over by Daemon
                         Princes and Chaos Lords, where the quixotic laws of the warp
                         rather than those of fragile reality now hold sway. Perhaps
                         even worse, from the depths of the untamed void the Great
                         Devourer has risen; the Tyranids who would consume all
                         within the Jericho Reach and leave nothing but carcass worlds
                         spread amongst the ancient stars.
                             While the war between the forces of the Achilus Crusade
                         and its many enemies rages, others with agendas far older than
                         those of the Crusade move amongst the stars of the Jericho
                         Reach. They have watched over these worlds and stars since
                         before it fell into shadow. They are the Deathwatch: A unique
                         division of the Adeptus Astartes, the Space Marines, bound
                         together by ancient oaths and who stand the long watch
                         against the greater darkness that is still to come. While the rest
                         of the Imperium turned its face from the Jericho Sector after it
                         fell, the vigilance of the Deathwatch has never wavered. In the
                         long millennia of the Age of Shadow, they have stood sentinel
                         from their Watch Fortress and scattered Watch Stations dotted
                         across the fallen sector, sometimes the hunted but more often
                         the hunter, a shadow within shadows. By their hands, many


                                     322
and with them, the importance and splendour of the Jericho              Age of Shadow, and even then, they recorded little. Their gaze
Sector increased. Order predominated, and the wounds of the             was cast elsewhere, upon places already dead and darkened,
past became scabbed over with piety and the surety of stability.        and their concerns were of a greater import than the fate of a
From the highest obsidian spires of the world-hives of Verronus         few lost worlds.
to the glittering glass shrines of sainted Eleusis, the dominion             During the thirty-seventh millennium, the High Lords of
of the God-Emperor ran uninterrupted across a hundred                   Terra—as part of a great reassessment of the Domains of Man
worlds. Though wars and lesser disasters would come and go              known as the Third Mesericordia Imperialis Mundi—decreed




                                                                                                                                          XII: The Jericho Reach
like passing storms, the Jericho Sector remained a paragon of           that the Jericho Sector, along with a dozen others along the
Imperial order and strength for many millennia, until quite             Eastern Fringe, were no more until a Crusade could once again
abruptly, all was lost; utterly relinquished to the darkness and        bring them back into the Imperium’s fold. The blighted region
bloodshed from which it had been raised.                                was re-designated as the Jericho Reach, and so returned in name
                                                                        and nature to the darkness from which it had been raised. The
                                                                        warpstorms and temporal distortion that so isolated the Jericho
The aGe of shaDow                                                       Reach at the beginning of the Age of Shadow have never truly
During its Age of Shadow, darkness and decent into anarchy              abated. Although they have waxed and waned many times, the
enveloped the Jericho Sector, shattering the ties of Imperial rule      Imperium’s claimed borders have shrunken away from it further
and regressing its worlds back into a state of untamed barbarity.       yet. As a result, voyaging into the region remained a dangerous
This Age saw the splendour and might of the Jericho Sector              and arduous affair. Indeed, it is a task that few outside of
entirely undone, reverting it into an area known on the Navis           the Deathwatch and Inquisition have braved in the past four
Nobilite’s charts as the Jericho Reach; a place wallowing in            millennia. This was to change, however, with the discovery and
evil and untouched by the light of the Imperium. The Age of             opening of the Warp Gate linking the Jericho Reach to the
Shadow came swiftly, but did not fall on the Jericho Sector             Calixis Sector; an event that has allowed the Jericho Reach to
overnight. Rather, it slid inexorably across the worlds of the          once again become accessible to the forces of the Imperium,
Jericho Reach like the shadow of a setting sun.                         with the inevitable consequence of Crusade.
      he decline began during the time of misrule, unbelief,
and tyranny known as the Age of Apostasy. During this era of
insularity and civil war, the Imperium came closer to destruction
at its own hand than it had at any time since the Horus Heresy.
For reasons which remain unclear, communication between the
Jericho Sector and the core of the Imperium became more and
more difficult; Astropathic messages became unreliable, and ships
travelling in and out of the region were lost to warpstorms that
gathered as if to increase the sector’s isolation. In particular, the
great trade routes between the sector and the powerful worlds
of the Imperial region of Ultramar to the galactic south were
                                                                           usinG The Jericho reach
utterly severed by a massive Ork Waaagh! of a scale unseen in              This chapter presents a view of the Jericho Reach,
millennia. With the Imperium as a whole in turmoil and the tide            important locations within it, and some details of the
of war rising, the Jericho Sector was marginalised and forgotten,          momentous events that are unfolding within it. This
ultimately slipping beyond the reach of the Imperium without a             information is intended to provide Game Masters
single scribe on Holy Terra noting its passing.                            with a ready-made setting for their Deathwatch games
    Scattered records recovered many centuries later indicate              and campaigns and to act as the context for future
that a corrosive dread pervaded the sector, cut-off from the               supplements and adventures. The Jericho Reach is
greater Imperium. One by one, the planets formerly under                   intended to show the many faces of the Imperium at
the central dominion of the sector capital of Verronus fell into           war: its dynamism, hubris, heroism, and blindness.
darkness. Some, such as Verronus itself, succumbed to rebellion            It also provides an example of the enemies that the
from within. Shorn of outside aid, others fell to warring on               Imperium faces and how they can interact to produce
their neighbours whether through paranoia or unbridled                     a deadly situation in which victory for one side or the
ambition; their leaders clutching to the promises of Dark Gods             other is not assured. It also shows one example of how
or laid low by the flaws in their own hearts. Within a single              the Deathwatch can operate and how their traditions
generation, much of the Jericho Sector had slipped into anarchy            and duty set them apart from the other forces of the
and feral barbarism. When the last Segmentum naval patrol was              Imperium that also fight in the Jericho Reach.
recalled to Kar Duniash to more pressing duties, they reported                  It is important to note that a Game Master should
that the last tatters of Imperial order in the Jericho Sector were         feel encouraged to use and modify the Jericho Reach as
small and ragged circles of light beset by predatory darkness.             it is presented here: make it the setting you want, take
Soon, unsung and disregarded, they too fell, and the sector’s              what you like, discard what you do not, and modify it
Age of Shadow lasted for over five millennia. Its notable events,          as you need. This is your game, and the universe it is set
and the tragedies and disasters that befell the worlds caught              in is for you to realise as you see fit. Keep your bolt gun
in its grip, remain largely unknown and unrecorded. Only the               loaded, your eyes vigilant for dark patterns, and enjoy.
Deathwatch possess some knowledge of what passed in the


                                                                                                                        323
                         Phaegis


                                            gh t
                                          Ni                                                                                                                                          Freya
                                      f
                            The Well o


                                                                                           Hethgard
XII: The Jericho Reach




                                                                           llar
                                                                                                              ORPHEUS SALIEnt
                                            The Warp Gate
                                                                                                                                                           Castolel
                                                                                                             Eleusis


                                                                      Co
                                                                                                                                                                              Vanir
                                                                               Alphos
                                                                           Ac                                            Aurum
                                                                                HE Pyrathas
                                                                   n
                                                               o
                                                   Th     e Ir       Calisi
                                                                                  RO
                                                                                     Se
                                                                                                                       o      s Warz o n
                                                                               Karlak
                                                                                                                  lleb




                                                                                                                                             e
                  Carmyn                                                                                         e
                                             Spite                                                     nt       C                The Blood
                                                                                                                                  Trinity
                                                 lds
                                           d Wor                           Ormasim                                                                                       The hade
                                         e                                                                         Vanity
                                                                                                       Khazant                                                     Magog
                                                                                                                                                                         anomaly
                         u a r a nti n




                                                     Kaggeran      Credence
                                   Rheelas
                                                             Ca




                                                                                                                                      Hlesan                            Bolgra
                                            Argoth
                                                                                                       Vespasia                      Secundus                                    Midael
                                                               ni
                               Q




                                                          Hestus
                                                                 sS




                                                                           Bellom
                                                                                                                                                                     Malehi
                                                                                                                                               Samech
                                                                                                              Resgulus
                                                                      AL
                                                                        I En




                                                                   Wrath
                                                                                                                       Tabius Rasa                                                            Klaha
                                                                            t




                                               Scansion
                                                 Beta                                Pelegius                                                                    Ravacene

                                                                     Themiskon                                                                Iobel                         Erioch
                                                                                                                                 Ries
                                                                       Point

                                                                                                   Meniscus                                             Melancholia
                                                      Meskaile
                                                                                          Bekrin                  Oertha                                                          Vormos
                                                                              Gre




                                                                                     Dakinor       Baraban
                                                                                  yh




                                                                                                                                                                            Pellor
                                                                                    ell




                                                                                               Veren
                                                                                        ro             Ravacene
                                                                                     F




                                                                                          nt
                                                                                                                            Zurcon
                                                                                                                                                                    Andronicus

                                                                                                               Iphigenia
                                                                                                                                           Ma
                                                                                                                                              l’ca




                                                   The Black Reef
                                                                                                                                                   or
                                                                                                                                                  Sh
                                                                                                                                                    i Ta




                                                                                                                                                                        Skapula
                                                                                                                                                        uF




                                                                                                              Krrk’tikit
                                                                                                                                                          lee
                                                                                                                                                             t




                                                                                                Tsua’Malor




                                                      324
                                                                                                                                   go n
                                                                                                                                 Da




                                                                                                                          ive Fleet
                                                                                                                         H




                                                                                                                                          XII: The Jericho Reach
     Herisor
                                  Jove’s Decent


                                                                                                     Jerober XI
Atonement                                                               Zanatov’s Harbor


                                Phonos

                 Arkhas
 Beseritor
                                         Credos

                                                                    Slinnar Drift
                                                                    Star CluSter
eX           Castiel
 y                                          Sedu
                                                                                    Pilgrim’s Loss


                                                   Lovat IV
                                                                                                Mackensee

                 Nunc
 Octavian



                   Polyphemos
                                                                   Falon’s Lament

  Hector’s
 Endeavour                                                                                                  Belissar
                                     Sovereign

             Kabiri

                                                                                           Agriworld                   Dead World
                                                    Mahir                                  Feudal World                Gas Giant
     Hestus                                                                                Feral World                 DeathWorld
                                                                                           Pleasure World              War World
                                                          Vathor
                                                                                           Penal World                 Unclassified
             Sagacity
                                                                                           Mining World                Watch Station
                                      Cressid
                                                                                           Hive World                  Fortress World

                            Ynnen
                                                                                           Frontier World              Tau Ruled World
                                                                                           Shrine World                Tyranid Attack
        Cosel
                                                                                           Forbidden World             Devoured World




                                                                                                                       325
                          The Jericho-                                                                  Any solid matter passing within the sweep of the
                                                                                                     crescent’s great arms—which span a distance over a hundred
                                                                                                     kilometres—disappears into darkness and is hurled irresistibly

                         Maw Warp Gate                                                               to the other side of the gate and spat out, arriving on the
                                                                                                     other side of the galaxy, via what, for want of a more accurate
                                                                                                     term, might be described as a ‘trapdoor’ in the Warp. As far
                         “There are places that are cursed to blood and darkness and swallow         as can be discerned, the time taken by the transit is all but
XII: The Jericho Reach




                         all that fall into their grasp, but the paths to them may often seem fair   negligible; mere seconds of icy black dislocation spanning
                         or fortunate, thus are the unwary often led to their doom.”                 a distance that might take a ship under usual Warp travel a
                                                                                                     few years to accomplish, if such a direct journey were even
                                                               –Teresa Sinos, Rogue Trader           possible. The passage is not without its perils, however, as
                                                                                                     although no warp drive or Gellar field is required to use the


                         T
                                 he Jericho-Maw Warp Gate joins the lost Imperial                    Warp Gate, the passage through it is a turbulent one. It was
                                 sector of Jericho Reach in the Segmentum Ultima                     quickly discovered that any less than sturdy vessels attempting
                                 to the turbulent warp-storm wracked Segmentum                       the crossing were often badly damaged or even shaken apart
                         Obscurus that divides the Calixis Sector and the Koronus                    by the stresses of the transit, limiting the Warp Gate’s practical
                         Expanse. Its origins remain utterly unexplained, and its true               use to warships and other strongly-constructed craft.
                         nature is but one of many mysteries affecting these regions.                     he existence of the Jericho-Maw Warp Gate is not simply
                         Discovered in 755.M41 by the Imperium, the gate was active                  an enigma and an opportunity, but also a potential source
                         at that time, although how long this state of affairs was the               of danger for the Imperium, which the Imperium’s masters
                         case remains a matter of some debate. Within the Ordo Xenos,                are very mindful of. The gate exists and it is open; thus, it
                         many believe that the gate had been dormant for perhaps tens                must be dealt with. The matter is complicated by the fact that
                         of millennia, until some unknown cause triggered it no earlier              the Imperium has divined no way of controlling the Warp
                         than 397.M41, perhaps linking it to the so-called “Year of                  Gate’s function short of destroying the physical structure of
                         Dreaming Depths,” a period of sustained and often deadly                    one of its apertures; an uncertain action that would require
                         Warp disturbances affecting the Koronus Expanse. Certainly,                 something in the order of the firepower of an entire battlefleet
                         the gate was unknown to the Jericho Sector, whose once well-                to accomplish. It was this factor more than any other that
                         established Warp routes passed through its present aperture                 made the Achilus Crusade almost inevitable, and may well
                         location in the past.                                                       precipitate drastic action should it fail.
                             Warp Gates are stable two-way ‘conduits’ between far-
                         distant interstellar locations through the Empyrean. While
                         extraordinarily rare, they are not unknown to the Imperium,
                         nor are they uniform in nature, appearance, or range. Perhaps
                         the most widespread ‘network’ of such gates is the legendary
                         Eldar Webway, a series of portals interconnecting an arterial
                         network that once spanned the ancient domains of the Eldar
                         race, although it is now much reduced and imperilled since
                         their fall from power. Other Warp Gates seem to be older again
                         in measure, far predating even the Eldar’s rise to prominence,
                         and belonging to beings and races so immeasurably old
                         as to be myths of a godlike age. The Jericho-Maw Warp
                         Gate is of this latter category, according to the Imperium’s
                         xeno-savants.
                              he physical structures at the two realspace termini of the
                         Jericho-Maw Gate are utterly identical: vast, irregular crescent
                         shapes hanging silently and alone in the void of interstellar
                         space, immobile and implacably resistant to any outside force
                         upon them. In appearance, they seem crafted from dark stone
                         shot through with geometric features in tarnished golden and
                         shadowed pearlescent metal. They shimmer slightly to the
                         human gaze almost as if a mirage with no more substance
                         than a dream. This optical illusion is further borne out by
                         continuous and paradoxical gravitic and electromagnetic
                         effects encountered within the gate’s vicinity, and the fact
                         that the entire structure is wrapped in a powerful dimensional
                         shearing effect not dissimilar in nature (although many times
                         more powerful by orders of magnitude) to an Imperial star
                         vessel’s void shields.



                                      326
ight
“The greatest gift Mankind is blessed with is an inability to conceive
                                                                               The Domains
of its true place in the universe—that of a pitiable shred of matter
lost in an endless sea of crushing darkness—a gift without which the
entire species would have slit its collective throat at birth.”
                                                                                  of The
                                                                               Deathwatch




                                                                                                                                              XII: The Jericho Reach
                                   –The Arch-Heretic Elak Sarda

  he Well of Night is the name the first Imperial probe ships            “Vigilance shall be our fortress and the future its protectorate.”
that passed through the Maw-side aperture of the Warp Gate
gave to the stellar dead zone that awaited them on the other                                             –attributed to Roboute Guilliman
side. An immense swathe of chill nothingness devoid of stars or


                                                                         T
worlds, its empty wastes are broken only by drifting invisible                   he Deathwatch have stood sentinel in the Jericho
dust clouds of particulates that can shred hull armour as surely                 Reach long before Achilus launched his Crusade. For
as a missile salvo and deadly null-energy reefs that can leave                   millennia, they have watched, waited, and fought
a ship floundering and powerless before the merciless cold               amongst the lost stars and abandoned worlds of the Reach.
void. At the heart of this killing darkness, seemingly static            Their domains have stood since a time now long forgotten and
and unmoving, stands the Jericho Gate aperture.                          lost to the oblivion of dead history. They have seen worlds
   Since the Warp Gate’s discovery, repeated attempts have               conquered for the Imperium fall once again to darkness. Their
been made to fashion a permanent base in proximity to the                watch has been a thing of millennia. Ancient secrets, long
Jericho aperture. This has met with repeated failure, both due           since locked and sealed, are now open, and there can be no
to the transitory perils of the Well of Night itself and the             doubt: the hour is come round at last, and the future, so long-
infrequent but deadly gravitic distortions and energy waves              awaited and dreaded, is here.
put off by the gate. As a compromise, the Adeptus Mechanicus                  he domains of the Deathwatch in the Jericho Reach exist
maintains a warship, usually of no less than cruiser class, on           to aide them in the long watch. These places are held by them
rotating station near the gate aperture to monitor it and serve          and them alone, secret and well-guarded. These domains
as a relay point for ships transiting through. Although the              range from the vast and mysterious Watch Fortress of Erioch,
nominal tenure for these ships is ten months, it is rumoured             which circles a dying star, to the many lesser Watch Stations
in Imperial Navy circles that no single vessel during the last           standing silent vigil on forlorn worlds, airless moons, and
decade has lasted more than seven months before having to                in the dead marches of space throughout the Jericho Reach.
send for relief and quit its post thanks to hull degradation and         These domains best serve the Deathwatch by providing places
mounting damage. In fact, an orbital dock above the Forge                where they can gaze into the darkness beyond, re-arm, gather
world of Lathe-Het in the Calixis Sector is now set aside                information, or (in the last resort) hold the line against the
permanently to attend to this ongoing need for repair.                   many enemies of Mankind that infest the Jericho Reach. The
   Suffice to say, once passing through the Warp Gate, ships             Deathwatch move between these secret domains using rapid
seldom tarry long in the Well of Night before travelling on              strike vessels and reconnaissance craft, often unseen by both
under normal warp drive to their selected destination.                   enemies and allies.




   The Jericho reach, calixis secTor, anD Koronus expanse
   The Jericho Reach is bound by the ancient alien Warp Gate to two regions of space that lie on the other side of the Galaxy.
        he Calixis Sector is a province of the Imperium that borders the Halo Stars in Segmentum Obscurus. Conquered by a
   Crusade in the last few millennia, it is a young sector that is untouched by conflict on the scale that wracks the Jericho Reach.
   The peace of Calixis Sector, however, is a false skin, beneath which boils conspiracies and heresies of the most terrible potential.
   Haunted by an unnatural phenomena known as the Tyrant Star, and bound to a fate written in bloody prophecies, the Calixis
   Sector moves blindly into the future.
      Separated from the Calixis Sector by a boundary formed by the great warpstorm region known as the Maw lies the Koronus
   Expanse. An unexplored region of the Halo Stars, the Koronus Expanse is the haunt of lost planets, alien secrets, and the Rogue
   Traders who would tame them for the God-Emperor of Mankind. Hidden in the passage between the Calixis Sector and the
   Koronus Expanse is the terminus of the Warp Gate that connects both to the Jericho Reach. These three regions of the galaxy
   are bound together so tightly that the fate of one is the fate of all.
      More information on the Calixis Sector may be found in the Dark Heresy Rulebook and supplements, while the rogue
   TraDer Rulebook and supplements contain further details of the Koronus Expanse.



                                                                                                                                327
                         The lonG waTch                                                      admitted into the Chamber of Vigilance. This information
                                                                                             is passed down one to another over the centuries, and that
                         The presence of the Deathwatch in the Jericho Reach is the          knowledge guides the missions assigned to the Deathwatch of
                         consequence of an ancient resolution and sacrosanct order.          Watch Fortress Erioch. In recent times, portions of the Omega
                         Made under conditions of utmost secrecy, this resolution’s          Vault’s intricate mechanisms have unlocked themselves, as if
                         cause and purpose remain obscure even to those Adeptus              in response to changing events in the Jericho Reach and the
                         Astartes that carry out its terms. The order’s effect, however,     mission logs entered by the Deathwatch into its antediluvian
XII: The Jericho Reach




                         was to place the Jericho Reach directly under the eyes of the       engines. In some cases, an ancient weapon, device, or task has
                         Deathwatch in perpetuity, through safety and peril, in a cause      been revealed to the Deathwatch as a result. In other cases, the
                         that over-rode all other concerns in the area. To fulfil this       Omega Vault has yielded data that has drawn Kill-teams to
                         compact, the Deathwatch built their hidden Watch Fortress in        distant parts of the Jericho Reach, sent into certain death, never
                         the dead system of Erioch on the ruins of an artefact ancient       to return. Watch Fortress Erioch stirs now as never before, and
                         before man first walked the soil of Holy Terra. At the fortress’s   only a few locks remain before the Omega Vault opens fully—a
                         heart, they constructed the Omega Vault and sealed within it        dire portent, indeed.
                         the terrible truths of a future yet to be born.
                             For millennia, the Deathwatch have ensured that some of
                         their number have remained in this dark place, there to stand       rioch
                         watch. Their determination has never wavered. Come what may,
                         whether disaster, invasion, or civil war, they have held their      “A warrior’s heart should be as iron: Unforgiving, unyielding, and
                         watch. The Battle-Brothers of the Deathwatch have fought            uncaring of all except duty. With such a heart, a warrior can stand
                         and died, have known both victory and defeat, and continue          against the terrors of the universe unbowed and unbroken.”
                         to fight against the myriad enemies that swarm in the Jericho
                         Reach like vermin in a midden. They do so to honour their                                               –Attributed to Ferrus Manus
                         long watch and to guard against the greater darkness to come.
                               he true nature of this secret threat remains hidden from      Watch Fortress Erioch is a vast space bastion that lies in the
                         the Deathwatch that bide in the Jericho Reach, hidden until         outer reaches of the Erioch system in the untamed void between
                         its fated hour approaches. Something of the truth is known by       the Canis and Acheros salients. It is situated in a stellar dead
                         the Watch Commander and the Inquisitors of the Ordo Xenos           zone populated by only a handful of failing, ancient stars—of
                                                                                             which Erioch itself is one. A brutal mass of armoured basilica,
                                                                                             domes, and spires, the Fortress bristles with enough armament
                                                                                             to rival a sizable battlegroup of warships, largely concealing the
                                                                                             fact that underneath the Imperial ceramite and firepower, it is
                                                                                             built on a ruined artefact that was old when Terra’s star was
                                                                                             first forming. Within it is a vast maze of echoing, dust-carpeted
                                                                                             corridors that wander past silent chapels and armoured vaults
                                                                                             sealed with adamantine doors. Beneath war-tattered banners of
                                                                                             glories past, the Battle-Brothers of the Deathwatch in residence
                                                                                             move between cells, practice ranges, armouries and briefing
                                                                                             theatres like spectres in a dead city, their numbers swallowed by
                                                                                             the vast and labyrinthine nature of the fortress.
                                                                                                 Within the Watch Fortress, the Deathwatch gathers to rearm,
                                                                                             train, and report. From here, Kill-teams are dispatched on
                                                                                             missions to every corner of the Jericho Reach, and sometimes
                                                                                             beyond. The Fortress contains vast command cathedrals where
                                                                                             Watch Captains come to discuss strategy, developments within
                                                                                             their assigned vigils, and consult with the Inquisitor of the
                                                                                             Chamber and Master of Vigilance. Alongside the towering
                                                                                             Adeptus Astartes scurry the far more numerous servitors and
                                                                                             hooded, mind-wiped serfs that keep the Fortress alive and
                                                                                             functioning. These lobotomised or oath-bonded servants crew
                                                                                             the Watch Fortress’s weaponry, and serve under the eyes of the
                                                                                             Forge Master in the maintenance of its machine spirits, their
                                                                                             pasts shorn from them by mental conditioning. They remember
                                                                                             nothing of their history, and know no life beyond the fortress
                                                                                             and the demands of their duty.
                                                                                                   he Watch Fortress could hold an entire Chapter of Adeptus
                                                                                             Astartes with ease, but its records show that there are rarely
                                                                                             more than a few score Deathwatch garrisoning it at any time.
                                                                                             Even during the grim events of the Council of the Ascension


                                    328
in 756.M41, no more than two hundred Battle-Brothers were            places of TraininG anD DevoTion
gathered within the Fortress. As a matter of course, most of
the Deathwatch Space Marines within the Jericho Reach only           Within Watch Fortress Erioch are many places in which the
spend brief periods in the Watch Fortress before leaving again       Battle-Brothers of the Deathwatch may hone their skills and
to fulfil their missions or to garrison other Watch Stations         temper their spirits. There are huge ranges housed in vast
within the Reach. Indeed, some never see the Fortress during         chambers where live-fire exercises and marksmanship drills
their service in the region. Instead, they spend their time on one   can be performed in environments ranging from tangled ruins




                                                                                                                                            XII: The Jericho Reach
bloody battlefield after another, or as the lone warden in Watch     to liquid-filled tunnels or the chill of hard vacuum. Alongside
Stations far from their Battle-Brothers. The only exception are      these are hundreds of smaller melee and exercise chambers
the guardians of the Chamber of Vigilance; a ten-strong squad        where new skills with blade, fist, and body can be passed
of Deathwatch Space Marines. Joining them is a position of           from Battle-Brother to Battle-Brother. Numerous clusters of
great honour, and only Battle-Brothers who have performed a          armoured fighting cages (said to have been introduced by
feat of exemplary courage and dedication during their time of        a Watch Captain originating from the Imperial Fists) exist
service are considered for service among these guardians.            where Battle-Brothers can test their skill of arms against each
   Aside from the Deathwatch and their servants—including            other. There are also libraries filled with tactical treatises, past
cloisters of Navigators and Astropaths permanently sworn             mission logs and spiritual texts for the edification of a Battle-
to their service—Watch Fortress Erioch occasionally hosts            Brother’s mental faculties. For those Space Marines who are
members of the Inquisition and their attendant cadre of throne       psychically-gifted Librarians, there are specialised warded and
agents, acolytes, and other minions. Most of these Inquisitors       shielded chantries for a Psyker to sharpen his own unique
come to consult with the Chamber of Vigilance, to examine            gifts in the Emperor’s service.
some article recovered by the Deathwatch, or to make a request           In addition to these places that hone a warrior’s body
for aide in person. In the long millennia, many Inquisitors have     and mind, there are sanctuaries in which Space Marines can
passed through the Watch Fortress. Some stay for extended            armour their soul. These scattered sanctums are often centred
periods, others barely a few hours. Some leave artefacts within      on the tombs of fallen Battle-Brothers and are reached by a
one of the Fortress’s vaults, sealed to all but them, or those to    long and tangled journey into the Fortresses’ deeps. Amid the
which they entrust the cipher, key or secret of its opening. Some    silent waft of incense, the Deathwatch meditate on their duty
vaults have remained sealed in this way for millennia; the horrors   and do observance to the traditions of their home Chapter.
or secrets within shut away even from the Deathwatch itself.         Many of these small devotional shrines hold banners and
   Despite the power of the Inquisition and the ancient and          relics given as a mark of honour by Chapters whose brethren
honoured role of the Inquisitor of the Chamber, the sole             have died as part of the Deathwatch. It is said that the marks
and final authority of the Watch Fortress, and thereby all           of over a hundred Chapters can be found in the sanctuaries
the Deathwatch Marines in the Jericho Reach is the Master            of Watch Fortress Erioch, including the liveries and icons
of Vigilance, a position held by the most senior Deathwatch          of Chapters forgotten in the long millennia. Each shrine
Captain in the Jericho Reach. Others that have thought to act        is venerated by any member of that Chapter that comes to
otherwise, including certain members of the Inquisition, have        the Fortress.
paid for this mistake with their lives.




                                                  The Erioch System
                                                                                                                   star is a crumpled,
                  ch  star  syst em   is, and  alw  ays  has  been  , a place of mystery and dread. The Erioch are seven planets,
        The Erio                                             measured in slow eons. Around this ancient
                                                                                                             star
        angry white dwarf whose death is being spacing distance between them mathematically exact as if drawn
        the orbit of each perfectly circular, and the rock of identical diameter, a little larger than the size of Holy
        by a cosmic artisan. Each planet is a bare           life and
                                                                                                                       r surface, with
                                                                        any sign of life having ever existed on thei aces. Stranger
        Terra itse  lf. All  are  com  plet ely  dev oid  of                                                thei r  surf
                                                               disturb the plains of grey dust that cover
        no atmosphere, no water, and no winds to r stellar debris mark these planets, and the footprints of the few
        yet, no impact craters of meteorites or othe their surface remain impressed in the dust as the only signs that
         Imperial survey teams to have ventured tos.
         anything alive ever touched their grim face
                                                                                                                  lain why the Watch
                   the  sixt h  plan et is the  Wa  tch  For tres s of the Deathwatch. No known records exp Navigator has been
         Circling                                             To this day, no ship can reach Erioch unle
                                                                                                           ss its
         Fortress was placed in the Erioch system. to locate it in the warp. Even then, visitors must enter Realspace
         granted the most secret information of how
          at the system’s edge, or not at all.
                                                                                                                       hes it to remain
                   em   itse lf seem  s to resi st bein g  foun d  by  chance, as if something about its nature wis
          The syst
          unobserved.
                                                                                                                       329
                         livinG QuarTers                                                    simplest laspack to the massive grav-stabilised macro-shells
                                                                                            fired by the fortress’s main batteries.
                         The Adeptus Astartes aboard Watch Fortress Erioch are                  In the deepest reaches of the armouries, curled in waiting
                         housed in sparse single cells. By the traditions of the Watch      sleep, are the ancients of the Deathwatch. Those who have
                         Fortress, each is bare and unadorned. The walls in each cell are   been grievously injured in serving with the Deathwatch may,
                         formed of unrendered stone or unpolished metal, containing         with the blessing of his Chapter, be granted the honour
                         no more than a stone plinth to lie on, and housings for the        of being installed in the cyborganic web of an armoured
XII: The Jericho Reach




                         storage of a Battle-Brother’s personal weaponry, devotional        sarcophagus so that in times of great need, they may once
                         items, and other equipment. These simple quarters are the          again serve alongside their Battle-Brothers as a Dreadnought.
                         same regardless of whether the Space Marine is a standard          There are believed to be three such rare and mighty ancient
                         Battle-Brother or an honoured Watch Captain (however, some         Dreadnoughts currently dormant within the armouries of
                         particularly individual Space Marines flout this tradition by      Watch Fortress Erioch, though they have not been awakened
                         displaying trophies, keepsakes, or other reminders of their        to war in over a century. Only the Forge Master knows the
                         home Chapter). By the same traditions, Battle-Brothers             truth of their number and state.
                         arriving at the Watch Fortress are grouped together in cells           Many of the most exotic and potent weapons of the
                         next to Battle-Brothers already in residence with no division      fortress, however, are held within sealed vaults deep within
                         by rank or fighting formation. Likewise, the taking of food and    the Watch Fortress, accessible only to those who bear the
                         drink is traditionally done together in one of the refectories,    secret of their opening. Some vaults only open to members
                         with the Battle-Brothers sitting on stone benches beside iron      of a particular Chapter or those who bear the gene-seed of a
                         topped tables beneath the light of devotional candles.             particular Primarch, being gifted or left in trust by one of that
                              hough the Watch Fortress is the domain of the Adeptus         Chapter’s number. Others only open to particular members
                         Astartes of the Deathwatch, other men and women live and           of the Inquisition or Adeptus Mechanicus. Most secret of
                         serve within it. Serfs and other important functionaries, such     all are the terrible devices kept in the outer catacombs of
                         as the fortress’s Astropathic choir, are housed in enclaves        the Omega Vault, the great sealed chamber at the heart of
                         well-removed from the Battle-Brothers of the Deathwatch            Watch Fortress Erioch. Such weapons include vortex torrent
                         and sealed away from ready access to the deep places of the        imploder charges, dread canisters of the life-eater virus, and
                         fortress and its many vaults. The Inquisitor of the Chamber of     the imprisoned nightmare childe. These weapons are only
                         Vigilance traditionally keeps residence in the Tower of Brass,     yielded one at a time and by the will of the systems that lie
                         which juts into the vacuum from the upper hull of the fortress     at the centre of the Vault’s many chambers, watching and
                         like a blade tip projecting from the back of a skewered foe.       waiting for the future.
                         This tower, while part of the fortress, is left alone by the
                         Deathwatch out of courtesy, unless duty or suspicion call
                         them there. Within this vast edifice, the Inquisitor of the
                                                                                            Defences anD voiD DocKs
                         Chamber houses his personal staff and entourage. It is, in         The exterior of Watch Fortress Erioch bristles with weaponry.
                         effect, his personal domain to maintain as he wishes. Other        Its sides are studded with the maws of macro canons, missile
                         Inquisitors who come to the Watch Fortress are often made          clusters, Thunderhawk launch bays, and plasma mortars, while
                         personal guests by the Inquisitor of the Chamber and housed        the spires that rise from its surface are serrated with hundreds
                         within the Tower of Brass. Some, however, are either not           of defence laser cupolas. The Watch Fortress has firepower
                         given the honour of such an invitation, or prefer to keep their    enough to vaporise a battleship in a single volley or to shatter
                         own company, and are housed in one of the fortresses many          a small moon should the need arise from any quarter.
                         sets of state rooms which lay empty until needed.                      Beyond these fearsome weapons, separate defence
                                                                                            platforms spin in thruster-corrected orbits, each armed with
                                                                                            deadly lance batteries and torpedo launchers. Additionally,
                         reliQuaries of The Tools of war                                    patrols of defence monitors roam in the cold void, cutting
                         The armouries of the Fortress are located deep beneath its         secret paths through deadly minefields; heavily armed and
                         armoured hull, secured behind the thickest blast doors and         armoured space craft that together are capable of matching
                         internal layers of void shielding of the kind more commonly        the firepower of a capital ship.
                         used to protect Battle Titans. This is the realm of metal and          Watch Fortress Erioch also has extensive void docks in
                         actinic light, of the beat of hammers and the fire of forges       which a dozen capital ships or battle barges could be docked
                         that arm and armour the Emperor’s angels of death. Made            and resupplied at the same time. However, most vessels that
                         up of workshops, magazines and armouries, these are the            come to the Watch Fortress are smaller ships such as the
                         domains of the Techmarines that serve in the Deathwatch,           Deathwatch’s rapid strike vessels or the occasional vessel
                         and all fall under the ultimate authority of the Forge Master      bearing a visiting dignitary.
                         of the Watch Fortress. Chainswords, power axes, bolters, drop          Both defences and docks are crewed by legions of servitors
                         pods, tanks, thunderfire cannons, and all of the tools of the      and ratings that are supervised by human serfs that are oath-
                         Adeptus Astartes are held here; their war-like machine spirits     bonded to serve the Deathwatch all their lives. In a crisis,
                         soothed by the machine buzz of servitors and the touch             overall command of the Watch Fortress and its defences is
                         of sacred oils until they are needed. There also are billions      taken by the Master of the Vigil as its presiding castellan.
                         of rounds, charges, and cylinders of ammunition from the


                                    330
 Relations between the Deathwatch and the Crusade




                                                                                                                  XII: The Jericho Reach
The Achilus Crusade and the Deathwatch have different concerns in the Jericho Reach, concerns which often
are in close concord, but not always so.

The Achilus Crusade is commanded by the standing decree of the High Lords of Terra to re-conquer the
Jericho Reach, to bring its worlds within Imperial rule, to deny them to the Enemies of Mankind, and to
destroy those enemies wherever it encounters them. Its undisputed master is the Lord Militant Tetrarchus.
Beneath him are his favoured generals, admirals, and arch-confessors. Also in alliance with the Crusade are
the commanders of the various Space Marine detachments, Titan Legions, and Mechanicus Archmagos, over
which the Lord Militant’s authority, while notionally absolute, is never quite as certain.

The Deathwatch, on the other hand, have a far older and sacrosanct duty, mandated by high and ancient
authority, to maintain a watch over the Jericho Reach and protect against the darkness that gathers within
it and the doom that shall one day come to pass. The Deathwatch perform their duties in many ways, but
chiefly by fighting the enemies of Mankind and in carrying out their unrelenting vigil without cease or
respite. They are not, in fact, part of the Crusade, nor are they bound to obey its master or his agents before
their own oath-sworn duty.

At present, the Deathwatch, by their own will and to their own design, mount missions to destroy Tyranid
aggressors, recover xenos artefacts from Chaos-held worlds, and interfere and destroy Tau attempts to expand
their interests in the region. They conduct their own missions to gather intelligence and look to gauge and
stop the threats they encounter. The Deathwatch does these things according to their own agenda, and
because it is their nature, not because they are ordered to do so by the Crusade’s masters. On occasion, the
Deathwatch’s agenda may coincide with that of the Achilus Crusade, or they may respond favourably to a
request for assistance from its high command, or even to the distress calls of members of the Crusade forces.
In those cases and for that time, the two may work in concert toward a common goal. Once that goal is
achieved, however, the Deathwatch will pursue their own plans and look to their own counsel.

This autonomy has, on occasion, led to friction between the Deathwatch and those involved in the Achilus
Crusade, particularly those who command the Crusade (and therefore know something of the Deathwatch’s
presence in the Jericho Reach).

The existence of the Deathwatch is not a widely understood fact amongst the forces of the Achilus Crusade.
Members of Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, Inquisitors, and other senior servants of the God-Emperor
know of the Deathwatch, but very few apart from senior commanders and powerful peers of the Imperium
are aware that the Deathwatch are active in the Jericho Reach. Fewer still of those worthies are aware of the
extent of Deathwatch operations or holdings in the area, let alone the existence of Watch Fortress Erioch.
However, thanks to its vigil, the Deathwatch has precise and in-depth knowledge of both the Crusade and
its dispossessions and progress. This knowledge outstrips that possessed by the masters of the Crusade, and
it is information the Deathwatch is not often inclined to share.

The duty of the Deathwatch is, after all, a secret one.




                                                                                                   331
                         The chaMBer of viGilance                                           or war makes such a shift in leadership unwise for its duration.
                                                                                            The Master of the Vigil remains within Watch Fortress Erioch
                         The Chamber of Vigilance is the war council of the Deathwatch      for the duration of his duty, with certain exceptions made
                         in Jericho Reach. Established by a tradition whose origin is       under critical circumstances.
                         now long forgotten, the primary purpose of the Chamber                  he Master of the Vigil’s only mark of rank is the bearing
                         of Vigilance is to discuss the import of developments in the       of a singular heraldic pauldron on his armour, the design being
                         Jericho Reach and to decide on how the Deathwatch should           of a gauntleted hand grasping a snarling serpent by its throat.
XII: The Jericho Reach




                         respond. The reasons for a gathering of the Chamber of
                         Vigilance are many and diverse. Usually, such gatherings are       The Inquisitor of the Chamber
                         connected to new intelligence on a threat to the Reach, or in
                         response to battlefield reports from Deathwatch in the field.        he Inquisitor of the Chamber is a member of the Inquisition
                         In recent decades, however, the periodic opening of a new          who, by ancient tradition, represents the interests of the Holy
                         portion of the Omega Vault has also caused the Chamber of          Ordos within the Chamber of Vigilance. This Inquisitor almost
                         Vigilance to be gathered with increasing frequency.                always heralds from the ranks of the Ordo Xenos, although
                              he Chamber of Vigilance takes its name from the central       there have been exceptions made in the past. The Inquisitor of
                         chamber of Watch Fortress Erioch’s primary command level.          the Chamber is a position of honour and a symbol of the ties
                         The Chamber is circular and over two hundred paces wide.           between the Deathwatch and Inquisition in the Jericho Reach.
                         Its ceiling is a great dome, in the centre of which is set a            he position and title of Inquisitor of the Chamber is
                         circle of armoured crystal that allows in the reflected light      bestowed on an Inquisitor by a conclave of his peers, and remains
                         of Erioch’s dying sun. When a gathering is called, braziers        his until he dies, chooses to relinquish the position, or another
                         burn incense wood in seven niches around the chamber’s             is sent to take his place. Part emissary, intermediary, facilitator,
                         edge, and servo-skulls, yellow with age, circle to record every    and watcher of the watchers, Inquisitors of the Chamber are
                         detail of what transpires before them. The floor is black stone    often chosen for their diplomatic and political skill. Many are
                         inlaid with symbols and words of the Codex Astartes worked         also great warriors or savants of huge erudition. Most have
                         in adamantine. The symbol of the Deathwatch rests at the           found, however, that being able to speak warrior-to-warrior is
                         chamber’s centre beneath the pale light of the void cast down      often an advantage when dealing with the Deathwatch.
                         from Erioch’s light. There are no chairs in the Chamber of
                         Vigilance; all who gather here stand as a sign that the duty
                         of their watch is unending and without respite. Embedded in
                                                                                            t
                         the floor and ceiling are null field generators and vox baffles,   The Omega Vault is a sealed series of ancient engines,
                         as well as hololith projectors and sound generators for when       catacombs, and chambers that sits at the heart of Watch Fortress
                         information must be displayed to a gathering.                      Erioch. The Omega Vault has been part of the Watch Fortress
                              he membership of the chamber is not fixed. The Chamber        since it was established in the Jericho Reach, though what it
                         consists of all senior members of the Deathwatch present at        contains at its centre remains unknown to any now living. The
                         the time of the gathering, plus any members of the Inquisition     vault itself is a broadly cylindrical portion of the Watch Fortress
                         present at the fortress who may be invited (their presence         that spans many levels running through its core. There is only
                         being at the Master’s discretion), or any other servants of        one entrance into the Omega Vault; a single door forty paces
                         the Imperium whose voice and knowledge is important to             high. The door is sealed and armoured by layered void shields
                         the Chamber’s deliberations. Although the membership of            and adamantine plating as thick as a warship’s prow. Engraved
                         the Chamber of Vigilance shifts and changes, there are two         upon it are the symbols of the Deathwatch and the elder Terran
                         positions that are permanent by tradition: the Master of the       rune ‘Omega,’ surrounding an image of the Emperor strangling
                         Vigil and the Inquisitor of the Chamber. Both must be present      a coiling serpent. Above these great doors are words in High
                         in order for a gathering to be called.                             Gothic that read, “And The Last Fortress Is Truth.” Each Battle-
                                                                                            Brother freshly stationed at the Watch Fortress is brought before
                         The Master of the Vigil                                            these words to take his oath of vigil.
                                                                                               No living being can open the doors of the vault; they open
                           he Master of the Vigil is a senior member of the Deathwatch      themselves at the command of mysterious ancient devices at the
                         Stationed at Watch Fortress Erioch, meaning that he is usually,    heart of the vault itself. Those who have been inside pass along
                         though not always, the Watch Commander or the ranking              corridors and down spiralling stairs lined with catacomb sub-
                         Watch Captain. The bearer of this honour is oath-bound to          vaults, each barred with its own blast door and surrounded with
                         act as the final arbitrator of decisions made by the Chamber       dust-dry parchment fragments and archaic marks etched in silver.
                         of Vigilance, and also to rule and maintain the Watch Fortress,    Through each door awaits a secret of the Omega Vault held in
                         Watch Stations, and the other domains of the Deathwatch            an armoured chamber, each protected by powerful automated
                         within the Jericho Reach.                                          defences and locks of unfathomable complexity.
                              he title of Master of the Vigil is conferred on a Battle-          he Omega Vault is known to yield up a portion of its cryptic
                         Brother only by a gathering of the Chamber of Vigilance and        artefacts and information in direct response to events unfolding
                         confirmed by the missive of the High Lords of Terra. This          within the Jericho Reach. There is also evidence that the central
                         honour is traditionally borne by an individual for a score of      data-reservoir of Watch Fortress Erioch is bound to something
                         years before it passes to another, unless a time of great crisis   deep within the Omega Vault. The vault has, on occasion,


                                    332
responded to new information sent in from Watch Stations or              At the centre of the Omega Vault lies another, inner vault:
operational reports from Deathwatch missions by revealing a          a secret of secrets, bound with scores of locking mechanisms
portion of what was placed within it many millennia ago.             which have slowly opened themselves, one-by-one, down the
    However, this process remains fraught with mystery,              centuries. The Chamber of Vigilance believes that sealed within
particularly as to whether the vault’s actions are based entirely    this chamber is the final truth and, perhaps, the last weapon the
on a pre-ordained sequence or are at least partly reactive in        Deathwatch will have need for in the Jericho Reach.
nature. Perhaps most tellingly, there are numerous events of great       What plan or pattern ordained in the ancient past may have




                                                                                                                                                 XII: The Jericho Reach
import that have transpired in the Jericho Reach and failed to       necessitated the construction of the Omega Vault—and what
trigger any response from the vault. Most recently, for example,     hands constructed it—remains a mystery many have pondered.
there was the incursion of the Tyranid threat into the Orpheus       Further riddles are posed by the seemingly precognitive abilities
Salient. So far, this event has drawn no response from the vault,    and resources required to create such a vault. What is without
although specific dangers since, caused by the Tyranids, have        doubt, is that the creators of the Omega Vault were human, a
triggered activity within the Omega Vault. It is an enigma that      truth evident not only from the elements of its design, but a
continues to trouble the thoughts of Deathwatch Space Marine         further significant detail. Contained within the vault’s air is an
and Inquisitor alike.                                                appallingly powerful synthetic pathogen that is entirely inert
    Only one chamber has ever been discovered and unlocked           outside the Omega Vault’s walls. This pathogen is an ancient
each time the Omega Vault has opened itself. Once whatever           and un-replicable weapon, utterly lethal to all kinds of life save
waits in the open chamber has been removed, the Vault seals          one: Mankind.
itself again, sounding a sonorous bell to warn of its closure            What is certain is that the Chamber of Vigilance has a
and of the fatal consequences that follow should anyone              duty to protect the Omega Vault and to use and follow what
tarry overlong.                                                      information it yields in the Imperium’s defence as they judge fit.
    In the past, the vault has provided tomes of archaic lore,       It is a duty they have had to discharge with greater frequency in
strange fragments of alien devices, ancient weapons forged in        the decades since the Warp Gate’s opening and the beginning
times long gone, world-slaying virus canisters, enigmatic star       of the Achilus Crusade. Now, only a handful of locks remain
charts, and bizarre xenological specimens. On one occasion,          closed on the innermost vault.
its gift was an ancient Astropath held in a stasis field. When
awoken, the Astropath sent one brief astropathic message and
spoke two words before expiring from extreme old age, his final      tations
duty discharged.
                                                                     “A warrior’s eye should seem to see everything: The movement of the
                                                                     enemy’s blade, the intent in their eyes, the doubt in their heart. But to
                                                                     achieve this, you must know where to place your gaze, and most of
                                                                     all, when to do so.”

                                                                                                              –Attributed to Rogal Dorn

                                                                       he Watch Stations are fortified outposts used by the
                                                                     Deathwatch in the Jericho Reach. There are many Watch
                                                                     Stations scattered across the worlds, moons, and cold void
                                                                     of the Reach, and no two Watch Stations are quite the same.
                                                                     Some take the form of single-blocked armoured bastions from
                                                                     which eagle-headed gargoyles glare out at the silent expanses
                                                                     of Dead worlds. Others are complexes of forbidding towers
                                                                     strung through the peaks of lunar mountain ranges, while yet
                                                                     others are small, jagged stations that watch from the blackness
                                                                     of space, bristling with auspex arrays and seer-webs.
                                                                        No matter their location, all Watch Stations exist to serve
                                                                     the Deathwatch as bases of operation, and as an ever-vigilant
                                                                     gaze on the Jericho Reach. Each station is fitted with highly
                                                                     advanced sensors that constantly gather information about
                                                                     the area around them. These sensors gaze far into space, scour
                                                                     the air for communications of all types, and even skim the
                                                                     warp with powerful witch-sight augurs. All the information
                                                                     gathered by a Watch Station is stored in data reservoirs in the
                                                                     heart of the station.




                                                                                                                            333
                                                                                                The following are three notable examples of the numerous
                                                                                              Watch Station present in the Jericho Reach:


                                                                                              waTch sTaTion arKhas
                                                                                              Watch Station Arkhas is an armoured space station resembling
                                                                                              a spiked iron pinwheel floating on the outer reaches of the
XII: The Jericho Reach




                                                                                              Arkhas system. The Watch Station is small, with space to
                                                                                              accommodate no more than a dozen Battle-Brothers. Most of
                                                                                              the station is given over to the systems of its massive sensor
                                                                                              arrays designed to both monitor the Arkhas system and gaze
                                                                                              beyond it. Unusually, Watch Station Arkhas is home as a matter
                                                                                              of course to an assigned Astropath dedicated to its service.
                                                                                              The current Astropath is a deeply experienced practitioner
                                                                                              of his craft called Varrus. However, it has been many months
                                                                                              since he has been able to personally send or receive messages
                                                                                              through the Warp with any reliability or clarity, thanks to the
                                                                                              growing shadowy presence that moves in Warp blocking out
                                                                                              both Astropathic signals and filling the Watch Station’s augurs
                                                                                              with static that buzzes like a swarm of locusts.
                                                                                                    he Arkhas system itself has a number of planetary bodies,
                                                                                              including two that are capable of supporting life. However,
                                                                                              both are desert worlds, possessed of little or no water from
                                                                                              which jagged spines of black rock emerge like the bones of
                                                                                              great fossilised beasts. There are a few sand-eroded remains
                                                                                              which indicate that these worlds played host to intelligent
                                                                                              life in the distant past; possibly even human colonies, though
                                                                                              nothing of them now remains.
                                                                                                    he system has long merited the Deathwatch’s vigil. It
                                                                                              has been both battleground of man and alien and the site of
                                                                                              several strange energy phenomena which remain unexplained.
                             When any Deathwatch Space Marine leaves a Watch Station,         The airless third moon of Arkhas II still bears the charred
                         it is his duty to take a copy of the information gathered by that    remains of an Ork Terror Ship brought down by a Deathwatch
                         station and return it to Watch Fortress Erioch for entry into        boarding action centuries ago.
                         its records. Small, high-speed, warp-capable vessels known as            In the last few months, the system and its inhabited worlds
                         Dark Hunters are designed to slip unseen through the stars           have formed the centre of an attempt by the Crusade forces,
                         while they make their rounds, harvesting the Watch Station’s         under the command of General Casterlix, to regroup and dig-
                         valuable data. Thus, the Deathwatch see much that passes in          in following massive casualties inflicted by the tide of Tyranids
                         the Jericho Reach that eludes most others.                           rising from the rimward depths. Casterlix and his forces are, so
                             All Watch Stations house weapons and material caches to          far, entirely ignorant of the Watch Station’s presence.
                         some extent, arms that can be accessed by any Deathwatch
                         Kill-team that needs them. Many also have extensive medical,
                         analysis, and armoury facilities that any Deathwatch Kill-team
                                                                                              waTch sTaTion MiDael
                         that needs them can avail themselves of, although to gain the        Watch Station Midael sits on a Dead world shrouded in
                         full extent of their use, the specialised skills of an Apothecary    metallic grey dust that lies close to the spinward extent of the
                         or Techmarine are required.                                          Chaos-held Charon Worlds. The Watch Station takes the form
                             Most Watch Stations are not physically manned by Battle-         of a single armoured tower that rises from a spur of rock above
                         Brothers except for when they function as a base of operations       one of the world’s dust plateaus. Watch Fortress Erioch has not
                         in the field. Many Watch Stations can go for decades without         received word from this station in over three decades.
                         a Battle-Brother crossing their threshold. During the normal             In truth, it is a dead and lifeless place, inhabited by a lone
                         course of events, Watch Stations are maintained, operated,           Deathwatch Battle-Brother, cut off from the outside by the
                         and if needs be, defended by the finest automated systems the        spreading baleful influence of the Charon Stars. For more than
                         Machine Cult can provide. If a Watch Station is attacked, its        thirty years, he has waited for others of the Deathwatch to
                         protection can sustain it from all but the most determined and       come and relieve him, standing guard over the thing that is
                         powerful assault. If breached, it will self-destruct, annihilating   held in the deepest chamber of the tower.
                         itself utterly, leaving nothing of its secrets for the enemy. A          Slowly, the Watch Station’s servitors have failed and died,
                         Watch Station’s greatest defences, however, are the secrecy,         and the tower’s systems have become corrupted and atrophied.
                         remoteness, and concealment of its existence.                        Every few years, enemy forces come again to claim it. So
                                                                                              far, however, they have failed to defeat the lone brother of


                                     334
the Deathwatch who waits within. Outside the tower, the                 d
screaming wind howls and the bloody light of the Hadex
Anomaly flares ever larger in the cold skies.                           The Thunder’s Word is a modified Gladius-class Frigate that
                                                                        has served the Deathwatch in the Jericho Reach for over two
                                                                        millennia. It is whispered that it was built in the holy orbital
waTch sTaTion oerTha                                                    docks above Mars itself under the direct supervision of the Arch-
Watch Station Oertha is a bastion under siege, situated on a            Fabricator Castilus. Compact, heavily armed, and swift beyond




                                                                                                                                            XII: The Jericho Reach
semi-arid world within one of the primary warzones of the               anything that might be expected of its class, this warship can
Canis Salient. The forces of the Tau Expansion believe the              only deploy a relative handful of Battle-Brothers into action
planet of Oertha possesses vast resources of fuel and primary           owing to the internal space given over to its massed batteries
material. It has been set in the Tau agenda for some time               and powerful engines.
as a prime candidate for exploitation and colonization. The                 Commanded by the venerable Battle-Brother Pellas, the
world’s largely uninhabited status has led the Tau to lay claim         Thunder’s Word has been used in some of the most dangerous
to the planet; a claim that is disputed by the Watch Station            operations undertaken by the Deathwatch in the Jericho Reach.
and the forces within it. Watch Station Oertha is a sprawling           Its list of battle honours has become legendary: over three
and heavily fortified compound that stands concealed in the             score of raider and xenos ship-kills to its name. Its most lauded
maze-like ravines of the equatorial Berrick Mountains. In a             mission remains the daring raid in which it slipped past the
rare instance of overt and ongoing cooperation between the              Chaos fleets above Samech to recover the records from the lost
Crusade forces and the Deathwatch, Watch Station Oertha has             Watch Station known as the Slaughterhouse. It was also the
now become the keystone of the efforts to deny the planet               Thunder’s Word that first glimpsed the bio-ships off the moons of
to the Tau. Twenty Deathwatch Battle-Brothers, under Watch              Freya and warned of the Great Devourer’s advance through the
Codicier Kurita, and fifty allied Space Marines of the Storm            rimward systems. The Thunder’s Word remains one of the Master
Wardens Chapter have garrisoned the Watch Station, using                of Vigil’s favoured instruments should a Deathwatch Kill-team
it as a base from which to launch a campaign of devastating             need to be deployed deep inside enemy-held territory.
raids against the Tau. So far, these raids have made it all but
impossible for Tau expansion on the planet. As matters stand
now, both sides are awaiting reinforcements, and only time              atch
will ultimately determine the fate of Oertha.
                                                                        “Look to your brothers. Know their hearts as you know your own.
                                                                        For if you do not, then all will be broken and lost to darkness.”
arships
                                                                                                         –Attributed to Lion El’Johnson
“Do not value strength and power too much, for they alone are no
guarantee of victory. Value speed and accuracy first: If you do this,     he established Deathwatch presence in the Jericho Reach
then power and strength will do naught but snap at your heels.”         means that, at any given time, there are a number of senior
                                                                        members of the Deathwatch within its borders. These senior
                                     –Attributed to Jaghatai Khan       Battle-Brothers consist of the Watch Captains, Epistolary
                                                                        Librarians, Forge Masters, and others of distinguished service
  he Deathwatch in the Jericho Reach maintains a number                 or mark.
of warships, light craft, and other diverse vessels for their              In addition to the Deathwatch themselves, members of
own uses. Most of these ships operate alone, transporting               the Inquisition have a close concern with the Deathwatch’s
Deathwatch Battle-Brothers to where they are needed,                    undertaking in the Reach, and their members, throne agents,
combating space-borne threats, and providing orbital support            and acolytes are those most likely to have close contact with
to Deathwatch operations. The majority of these craft take the          the Deathwatch.
form of destroyers, frigates, and other classes of rapid strike
vessel, along with modified Hunter-class destroyers known
as Dark Hunters. Larger warships and also several captured
                                                                        waTch coMManDer MorDiGael:
raider vessels and merchantmen are held in reserve should a             MasTer of The viGil
particular mission warrant their use.
      he lighter classes of vessels suit the needs of the               Watch Commander Mordigael is a quick and decisive
Deathwatch admirably, as their missions most commonly                   commander of men with a natural charisma bound to a
need to deploy and extract very small numbers of Deathwatch             terrifying skill in battle. A Blood Angel by origin, Mordigael
Battle-Brothers with great speed, precision, and when called            is a paragon of the qualities and traditions of his Chapter.
for, subterfuge. Like other Space Marine vessels, the warships          His features are sharp and handsome, as if cut from a pale
of the Deathwatch are primarily crewed by servitors and                 stone statue of an Imperial saint, while his eyes burn with
oath-bonded serfs, with a handful of Battle-Brothers serving            almost feverish intensity. He delights in the perfection of all
as command crew. These ships are often highly sophisticated             his undertakings, from practice in the martial disciplines to
in design, outfitting, and armament, even over those used by            the contemplation on the future implications of all things of
other Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes.                                 note that bears on his sacred duty.


                                                                                                                           335
                                                                                             episTolary axineTon
                                                                                             Epistolary Axineton is a Librarian of the White Consuls
                                                                                             Chapter who has only recently come to serve in the Jericho
                                                                                             Reach. Lean-featured, dark-haired, and possessing a grimly
                                                                                             superior demeanour, Axineton is caustic and blunt to his
                                                                                             peers. Never does he allow a flaw that he perceives rest
XII: The Jericho Reach




                                                                                             unmentioned, nor a failing unpunished, and his manner has
                                                                                             created a reputation for sneering arrogance and pedantry
                                                                                             among some. Despite this, he is a warrior of unquestionable
                                                                                             ability and a psyker of great power; a power that he can wield
                                                                                             with the subtlety of a torturer’s razor or the brute force of
                                                                                             an executioner’s axe. As a past veteran of war against the
                                                                                             Tyranid menace, he has already provided valuable insight for
                                                                                             his peers.
                                                                                                Axineton has been fascinated by the secret nature of the
                                                                                             Deathwatch’s mission in the Jericho Reach since learning
                                                                                             of it, and his hungry mind has devoured all he can of the
                                                                                             lore and history of the Omega Vault. He is a constant, but
                                                                                             often silent, presence during gatherings of the Chamber of
                                                                                             Vigilance, sometimes speaking only to condemn.


                                                                                             inQuisiTor carMillus:
                                                                                             inQuisiTor of The chaMBer
                                                                                             Inquisitor Hezika Carmillus of the Ordo Xenos has served
                                                                                             the Holy Ordos for over three centuries. In that time, she
                                                                                             has led pogroms that have scoured xenos infestations from a
                                                                                             dozen worlds, condemned and executed Lord Commanders
                                                                                             and Admirals, broken influential and traitorous Rogue
                             For over five centuries, Mordigael has served his Emperor       Traders, and denounced radicalism amongst her own kind.
                         and his Chapter; on three occasions, he has taken up the duty       Tall and blade-thin, she wears exoskeletal enhanced armour
                         of serving in the Deathwatch. One of these past terms of service    at all times and keeps a court of diverse and deadly warriors,
                         was in the Jericho Reach itself. Mordigael’s current watch has      collected from dozens of worlds, at her beck and call. Her
                         lasted over five decades, and has seen him achieve the honour of    voice is silken honey at one moment and unyielding steel the
                         being named Master of the Vigil a little more than a decade ago.    next as she desires. She will not, under any circumstances,
                         During this time, Mordigael has seen things change within the       allow herself to be perceived as anything other than what
                         Jericho Reach; the implications of the opening of the Warp Gate     she is: a warrior savant in the service of the God-Emperor of
                         have affected everything. The launching of the Achilus Crusade      Mankind. She is undaunted by the super-human killers whose
                         concerns him greatly, as he sees the possibility of a greater       company her duty now bids her keep, and she will brook no
                         disaster being created from a war prosecuted through ignorance      challenges to her authority, in particular by other Inquisitors,
                         and arrogance. He sees the encroaching threat of the Tyranids       although she is ever-conscious of its limitations.
                         in much the same light, quite apart from the terrible danger they      Inquisitor Carmillus has been the Inquisitor of the
                         hold by themselves. On more than one occasion, the Master of        Chamber and mistress of the Tower of Brass for sixteen years
                         the Vigil has had to remind Lord Militant Tetrarchus that the       and has executed her sworn tasks with precise dedication and
                         Deathwatch is not beholden to the needs of the Crusade.             utter ruthlessness. While possessing a warlike temperament,
                                                                                             she is also highly intelligent and subtle. These traits make her
                                                                                             an ideal emissary to the domain of the Deathwatch and well
                                                                                                      equipped to deal with its Adeptus Astartes masters. She
                                                                                                      has voiced the opinion in the Chamber that, although
                                                                                                      she is in favour of the Achilus Crusade, a contingency
                                                                                                      plan should be drawn up to destroy the Warp Gate
                                                                                                      should the Crusade suffer catastrophic failure. She
                                                                                                      believes that the Warp Gate possesses a vast threat if
                                                                                                      it is no longer under the Imperium’s direct control.
                                                                                                      Much of her other motivations, however, remain a
                                                                                                      tightly-held secret.



                                    336
        The Achilus                                                     The GaTe opens
                                                                        The catalyst for the launching of the Achilus Crusade was the

         Crusade                                                        unexpected discovery of an active Warp Gate in the turbulent
                                                                        Halo Margins close to the Calixis Sector, in Segmentum
                                                                        Obscurus. This ancient and vastly cyclopean alien device
“I will see the God-Emperor’s domain extended to the furthest           of unknown age proved to be both active and stable, with




                                                                                                                                           XII: The Jericho Reach
reaches. To the places where the light of stars and moons shines on     a corresponding gate-aperture into Realspace far on the
ruin and casts only shadows, and the unclean walk unpunished. I         other side of the Galactic Core at the edge of the Jericho
will see those that have turned away at the tip of the sword, and the   Reach. Though the Jericho Reach had at one time been
defilers beneath the hammer. I will see my own blood run out before I   under Imperial control, the existence of this gate within its
turn from this path.”                                                   boundaries had never been discovered; a further mystery that
                                                                        has never been solved. The Warp Gate and the possibilities it
             –From the oath of Tiber Achilus, taken at the              offered only came to light in 755.M41, when the Navigator
       commencement of the Crusade into the Jericho Reach               of the Imperial Flag-Frigate Spear of Tarsus sensed something
                                                                        causing a localised area of calm in the great warp storm border


T
        he Achilus Crusade is a war being waged to bring the            through which she was steering passage. Dropping out of the
        Jericho Reach back into the dominion of the God-                Warp close to the source of this tranquil sea, the frigate found
        Emperor of Mankind. It has been waged for over four             itself in the presence of a vast Warp Gate of xenos design,
decades, and in that time, it has consumed millions of lives,           placed in the cold blackness of interstellar space far from the
seen the destruction of dozens of worlds, and its end is lost           orbit of any star; a gate that, though undoubtedly ancient,
in a blood-soaked future that none now living may see. The              had been activated (or re-activated at any rate) in the recent
Achilus Crusade exists because of a stable Warp Gate linking            past. With this discovery, a chain of events were set in motion
the Jericho Reach and the Halo Margins close to the long                that would cause the Achilus Crusade to be launched across
distant Calixis Sector. The first stage of the Crusade was              the stars.
launched through the Warp Gate within years of its discovery.               Once the Spear of Tarsus had returned to Imperial space
This was a bold attempt to retake the Jericho Reach quickly             bearing news of its discovery, it was not long until a secret
and use it as a staging point from which a greater re-conquest          expedition was launched to discover the nature of the gate
of lost areas of the Eastern Fringe could begin. From there, the        and where it led. Ships serving the Adeptus Mechanicus
Imperium could start a second front against the encroaching             Explorators and the Ordo Xenos sent scouting ships through,
designs of the expanding Tau Empire.                                    crewed with their most able agents and experienced Navigators.
    At first, the forces of Lord Militant Achilus enjoyed rapid         Their swift return not only told of another gate, also hanging
success, taking several worlds and establishing a core of systems       in the empty void far from any star, but also of the certain
to act as the basis for further conquests. Since these early            truth that this other gate lay in the Segmentum Obscurus,
victories, however, the Crusade has seen the death of its leader,       near the Jericho Reach on the other side of the galaxy. With
the division of its armies to fight wars on many fronts, and            that realisation, a plan was born within the minds of the great
the bleeding dry of its forces by attrition and the onslaught of        lords of the Imperium: The possibility of using the gate to
deadly enemies with unexpected numbers and strength. In the             launch a Crusade into the Jericho Reach and reclaim it for the
heart of the Jericho Reach, the forces of Chaos (entrenched in          Imperium as a stepping stone to other conquests. The idea
the millennia-long dark ages since the Jericho Reach fell) have         found favour with the High Lords, who gave it their blessing,
battled the Crusade to a corpse-choked standstill. Here, amid           and so the idea of a most singular Crusade grew in possibility
these worlds of horror, death, and iron, the slaves of the Dark         in the minds of the great until Lord Militant Achilus was given
Gods have drowned entire armies in their own blood. This has            mandate to make it a reality. The High Lords were mindful,
not been the extent of the Crusade’s woes. The expansionist             however, that the existence of the gate and what it portended
forces of the Tau have also made inroads into parts of the              offered dire peril as well as possibility, and decreed that the
region and clashed head-on with the Crusade’s outer edges               Crusade was to be launched from a staging point far from the
in a war for control over inhabitable planets and the resources         territory it intended to conquer under a shroud of the deepest
to feed their war efforts. Pirates, raiders, and hostile aliens         secrecy. But, like so many other great campaigns launched in
have proven far more numerous and troublesome than many                 the millennia that the Imperium has stood, it was intended to
in the Crusade’s high command had believed possible. So the             bring swift victory and to use the light of the God-Emperor
situation has stood for decades, but the worst was to come.             to drive back the darkness.
    A new threat, perhaps greater than any other, now casts its             On the eve of the Feast of the Emperor’s Ascension in
long shadow from the lifeless voids towards the Galactic Rim,           777.M41, countless millions of Imperial Guard, thousands
and this war teeters on the edge of disaster. In that rising tide,      of Adepta Sororitas, and as many as a dozen Space Marine
whole worlds have died, naval battlegroups have been lost to            Chapters advanced to conquer the worlds of the Jericho Reach
the howling dark, and a smothering cloud has spread across              in the shadow of Battle Titans and to the thunder of the guns
the warp. It is a war begun in secret, waged in darkness, and           of the Imperial Navy. It was a bold and fiery beginning.
without mercy or quarter. Yet the truth is that the carnage seen
so far is only the beginning.


                                                                                                                       337
                                The DeaTh anD ascension                                                    While travelling to review the progress of the primary
                                                                                                       forward battlegroups aboard the grand cruiser Proclamation of
                                Lord Militant Achilus was a war-forged veteran of many                 Wrath in 786.M41, the ship suffered a catastrophic Gellar Field
                                campaigns before the Aquila, primarily against the Orks                failure and was lost with all hands. The Lord Militant and his
                                and other alien threats such as the Khrave and the Ylarian             command staff were among those drowned in the raw energies
                                Collective in the Formorian Sector wars where he had earned            of the Warp.
                                his fame. He was also stubborn, blunt, and somewhat cautious               Until his death, Achilus had pursued a strategy that focused on
XII: The Jericho Reach




                                in nature, favouring a tried and tested strategy of ‘attack, pacify,   securing a stable, fortified base of operations near the Warp Gate;
                                and fortify’ over great sweeping advances. Acting on the best          a careful campaign to bring the Reach under his heel, followed by
                                intelligence he possessed, he had also badly underestimated just       a drive by the Crusade directly against those parts of the Jericho
                                how entrenched or dangerous ‘native’ resistance to the Crusade         Reach threatened by Tau expansion and perhaps beyond. His
                                would be within the Jericho Reach.                                     hope was to swiftly secure the coreward swathe of the Reach and
                                   His core belief was that the Crusade had been launched              continue to press mercilessly on, but aside from an initial string
                                primarily to open a new front against the alien Tau, and laid          of successes, the Crusade forces (often parcelled out piecemeal)
                                his plans to this long term goal, perhaps to the detriment of          met with repeated delays and, in some theatres, outright defeat
                                the Crusade as a whole. Whether or not he was correct in               at the hands of the vile and heretic inhabitants of the Reach’s
                                his assumptions, he would not live long enough to know, as             core worlds. Meanwhile, the Tau appeared to press the matter by
                                Achilus did not survive to see the end of the first decade of          their incursions into the region. The Crusade had begun to stall
                                his Crusade.                                                           dangerously, its forces slowly declining from hundreds of minor
                                                                                                       engagements, while Achilus’s intransigence caused discontent
                                                                                                       with his Space Marine and Mechanicus allies who pressed for
                                                                                                                                     more decisive action.

                                                                           Ignorant Armies
                              To protect the secrecy of the Warp Gate con
                              the Crusade’s forces do not know that                nection between the Jericho Reach and the
                                                                          they    are fighting a war on the other side of the gala Calixis Sector, most of
                              embarked on their vessels. Senior comman                                                                xy from where they
                              staff are, of course, aware of the truth, as ders, naval officers and other vital members of the senior Crusade
                              addition, the truth is known to those from are the members of the Adeptus Astartes and Adepta Sororitas. In
                              guide the Crusade fleets and the Astropaths whom it would be impossible to hide, such as the Navigators who
                                                                                  that transmit its messages.
                             The overwhelming majority of thos
                             that they are under the light of suneswho     fight and die in the Jericho Reach, however
                                                                                                                           , do so in complete ignoranc
                             As far as they are aware, they embarked onant that they would not be visible from the places they called home.e
                                                                     so  dist
                             the warzone that they must fight in. If anya ship which made passage through the Warp and brought them to
                             scheme of things, they most likely think that consider the position of the soil for which they fight in the great
                             of the Calixis Sector. However, few even they are fighting within the Halo Stars or on the untamed margins
                             an Imperial virtue.                            wonder about the nature of their place in
                                                                                                                           the galaxy, for ignorance is
                            The primary reason for this secrecy is, in part
                            the Jericho Reach and Halo Margin                   , to protect the vital supply line enabled by
                                                                     s.  It  is                                                the Warp Gate between
                            perhaps, no more than a few months, una a supply line without which the Achilus Crusade would die in,
                            to fight. The Warp Gate itself, if in enemble to arm or feed itself, let alone secure further soldiers with which
                            Imperial inroads into the Koronus Expans y hands, would pose a terrible threat to the Calixis Sector and the
                                                                             e. Thus, secrecy itself is a shield against this
                                                                                                                               happening.
                            There is another reason for the deception
                           tithes to an extent that it could not easily of no lesser importance: it allows the Crusade to feed on the military
                           keep on demanding, forces and assets as isotherwise do. While the Crusade’s masters might simply demand, and
                           at best compared to threats so much clos their right, sector politics would otherwise make such aid grudging
                           ignorant of the facts other than that theyer to home. It is better that the worlds involved in the tithe remain
                           see the stars of home again—a situation serve the God-Emperor’s will, and that the soldiers will likely never
                                                                          far from unique in the Imperium’s history.
                          As a result, most of the regiments raised from
                          believed to be for other wars and battlefr          worlds within the Calixis, Scarus and Ixaniad
                                                                                                                                  Sectors are currentl
                          Crusade—by all but a few, very senior memcloser to home—most commonly the endless, slow-burning Marginy
                                                                        onts
                          Corvinus’ Crusade into the Halo stars was bers of the Adepta. This is, in fact, a lie, for the High Confessor
                                                                            lost and presumed destroyed utterly over
                                                                                                                          two decades ago.
                          As the Achilus Crusade has continued to
                          has been kept in existence on paper as a consume men and material at a ravenous rate, the Margin Crusade
                         that leads to the Jericho Reach. This is a means to justify the heavy tithing by those sectors close to the gate
                         entirely ignorant of, lest they disrupt the fact that, of course, the planetary and sub-sector governors are kept
                         Meanwhile, the Ministorum preaches fortflow of flesh and iron into the killing machine of the Achilus Crusade.
                         Departmento Munitorum divert the disp h new recruits from the pulpit, and the scribes and procurators of the
                         resources with the338                          osition of tens of thousands of fighting sold
                                              cold flick of a quill.                                                        iers, support vessels and
                      Forces of the God-Emperor of Mankind
      Disposition at the Outset of the Achilus Crusade circa 7252.777.M41
Compiler’s Note: Cross-Ref: Secret Order Lamas-V




                                                                                                 XII: The Jericho Reach
Notable Imperial Guard Units                    Recorded Contingents Officio
Segmentum Reserve                               Assassinorum
Cadian Shock Troops: 2 Regiments                Assassins [RESTRICTED]
Tekarn Armoured: 1 Regiment
Iaxian Tithe Guard: 2 Regiments                  ecorded Contingents of the Adeptus
Terrax Guard: 3 Regiments                       Mechanicus
Harakoni Warhawks: 1 Regiment                   Adeptus Titanicus—Legio Venator: 3 Battle
Mordian Iron Guard: 1 Regiment                  Maniples, 2 Scout Maniples
29th Descaal Lancers: 1 Regiment                Centurio Ordinatus: 1 Ordinatus
                                                Skitarii Tech Guard: 4 Regiments
Calixis Sector Levy                             Ordo Reductor: 2 Siege Formations
Scintillan Heavy Infantry: 2 Regiments          Korvath Knight Household: 2 Formations
Scintillan Guard: 3 Regiments                   Legio Cybernetica: 1 Division
Maccabian 5th “Drusus’s Own” Guard
Maccabian 16th Janissaries                        ecorded Contingents of the Imperial
Mortressan 14th Highlanders: 1 Regiment
                                                Fleet
Gunmetalican 13th Armoured
                                                +Vessels of Note
Volg 3rd “Mercy Bringers”
                                                Belial – Emperor Class Battleship
Landrian 202nd Light Infantry
                                                Execution – Eternal Oberon Class Battleship
Monrass 25th Scythewind Recon
                                                Proclamation of Wrath – Vengeance Class Grand
Merov Penitentiary Indenture: 4 Penal Legions
                                                Cruiser [lost with all hands 786.M41]
Gathalamor Heavy Grenadiers: 8 battalions
                                                Eternal Requiem – Exorcist Class Grand Cruiser
                                                Caelestis Dictatio – Mars Class Battlecruiser
Known Adeptus Astartes Contingents
Angels Vermillion: 1 Company
                                                 ecorded Contingents Departmento
Space Wolves: 1 Battle Company
White Consuls: 2 Companies                      Munitorum
Dark Sons: 3 Companies                          Reclamation & Provender Army Inc.:
Grey Knights [RESTRICTED]                       3 Pioneer Regiments
Blood Swords: 2 Companies                       2 Field Enforcement Regiments
Relictors: 1 Special Detachment                 4 Labour Battalions
Storm Wardens: 7 Companies                      1 Administratum Assay Corps.
Also elements of the Death Spectres,
Subjugators, Disciples of Caliban, and Iron       ecorded Contingents Holy Ordos of the
Snakes represented in a sanctioned Crusader     Inquisition
Company as guardians of the Holy Crusade        Classified
Banner.
                                                 ecorded Contingents/Miscellaneous
 ecorded Contingents of the Adepta              Forces
Sororitas                                       The Vassals of Rogue Trader Kazandus Lan [5
Order of the Valorous Heart: 1 Commandery       ships of the line, equiv/3 Regiments Militant]
Order of the Bloody Rose: 4 Commanderies
Order of the Argent Shroud: 1 Preceptory
Order of the Fiery Tear: 1 Mission
Order of the Crimson Oath: 2 Missions




                                                                                         339
                             His successor to the mantle of Lord Militant was a very
                         different man. Solomon Tetrarchus was also an Imperial Guard
                         veteran, but one with a reputation for bold strategy, charismatic
                                                                                                    The Orpheus
                         leadership and a practise of delegating many strategic decisions
                         to the commanders beneath him. Within a year of his ascension
                         to the Lord Militancy, Tetrarchus had replaced or sidelined
                                                                                                      Salient
                         most of the ‘old guard’ generals who had served Achilus. In         “In ancient times it is said that men prayed to keep the monsters
XII: The Jericho Reach




                         their stead, he brought up new officers who possessed the           of the seas from rising from the black depths. Now I look out at
                         independent dynamism he valued. He then commanded that              the darkness between these stars and I feel the same prayers coming
                         the Crusade forces be split into three army groups, committed       unbidden to my lips.”
                         most of the reserves his predecessor had hoarded to the front,
                         and pressed the attack, predicting the fall of the Reach within          –Captain Ahabron to his first officer on the Deep Range
                         a decade.                                                                    Cruiser Admiral Ishmael, missing in Action 814.M41
                              he largest of these newly created Crusade forces would
                         drive towards the core of the Jericho Reach and crush the             he Orpheus Salient is the rimward-most advance of the Achilus
                         native resistance, while the other two would move swiftly           Crusade’s penetration into the Jericho Reach. Intended by Lord
                         through the sparsely inhabited rimward worlds, encircling the       Militant Tetrarchus to advance swiftly through what were largely
                         former sector’s core. The existing slow drive towards the worlds    uncontested and barren systems, the Orpheus Salient was once
                         disputed by the Tau expansion would become but one barb             the most successful of the Achilus Crusade, gaining ground
                         of the trident that would drive through the corrupted flesh of      rapidly ahead of the others and bringing more than sixty systems
                         the Jericho Reach and make it once more the dominion of the         under the Crusade’s control. These successes are no more, and its
                         God-Emperor of Mankind.                                             forces are now shattered and scattered, while the majority of its
                              he three salients were designated Canis, Acheros, and          commanders are lost and likely dead.
                         Orpheus respectively, and regardless of the relative wisdom              he doom that came upon the Orpheus Salient very recently
                         of his strategy, the war still continues three decades later.       has come out of the distant void like a surging tide sweeping
                         The Jericho Reach and the fate of the Crusade now hang in           away all past gains in a welter of confusion and death. In four
                         the balance.                                                        years, the all-devouring xenos-horror known as the Tyranids has
                                                                                             come to besiege and consume all before it. Unprepared for its
                                                                                             fury, the Salient’s Crusade forces have crumbled into a bloody
                                                                                             shambles. Only a few worlds are known to be holding out for
                                                                                             certain against the onslaught of the Great Devourer, and dozens
                                                                                             are believed to have perished. Others yet may be desperately
                                                                                             fighting the enemy, their plight unknown, or huddling ignorant
                                                                                             and fearful in the silent dark, not knowing that the jaws of a
                                                                                             monstrous enemy are fastening around them.
                                                                                                  he possibility of complete disaster now looms, as
                                                                                             only one thing is certain: what has happened so far is only
                                                                                             the beginning.


                                                                                             isaster
                                                                                             The Orpheus Salient was launched a year after Solomon
                                                                                             Tetrarchus ascended to the position of Lord Militant
                                                                                             commanding the Crusade into the Jericho Reach. At that
                                                                                             time, intelligence possessed by the Crusade’s High Command
                                                                                             strongly suggested that the systems running to the rimward
                                                                                             of the Reach were made up of sparsely populated frontier
                                                                                             worlds and a few formally Imperial worlds. These planets,
                                                                                             while much regressed, had kept faith with the Imperial Creed
                                                                                             and carried on in much the same way as they had before the
                                                                                             loss of the Jericho Reach to its millennia old Age of Shadow.
                                                                                             Some had even maintained very haphazard contact with the
                                                                                             Imperium and provided the Crusade’s scouting forces with
                                                                                             aid and intelligence. It was felt that if these and other nearby
                                                                                             worlds could be quickly brought back into Imperial control,
                                                                                             they could both provide valuable resources to the Crusade
                                                                                             and act as the staging point to open a second front against the
                                                                                             forces of the Archenemy that were already exacting a heavy
                                                                                             toll on the forces of Acheros Salient.


                                    340
    Command of the Orpheus Salient was given to General
Curas, the youngest and most dynamic of Tetrarchus’ senior
command, seen by many as his favoured protégée. Some
privately doubted that the young Curas had the experience
to drive the swift advance demanded by his commander.
Their doubts proved to be in error, however, as the Orpheus
Salient swiftly went forward, destroying the petty empires of




                                                                                                                                 XII: The Jericho Reach
secessionists and bringing loyal worlds back into the light of
the Emperor. As Curas’ forces progressed, they maintained a
steady stream of intelligence and assistance to the allied Space
Marine and Deathwatch forces, identifying suitable targets for
attack. In a decade and a half, the lead elements of the Orpheus
Salient had penetrated further into the Jericho Reach than any of
the Crusade’s other forces. The progress of the Orpheus salient
was so successful that Lord Militant Tetrarchus began to peel
elements away from it, increasing the stream of reinforcements
to the cauldron of death around the Cellebos Warzone.
     hen on 999812.M41, Astropathic communications
between the various worlds and battlegroups of the Orpheus
Salient began to blink out, and what limited messages did
get through were sporadic, sinister, and barely intelligible.
Astropaths and other sanctioned psykers across the length of
the salient awoke screaming from dreams filled with an endless
darkness and a thousand rustling whispers. Some took their
own lives and many others were reduced to babbling phrases
about ‘the rising tide,’ the ‘hungering depths,’ or similarly
doom laden ravings. Thanks to the communications blackout,
no-one in high command knew the disposition or activity of
forces along the salient, nor could they exert any cohesive
control over them, while the Adeptus Astartes grew withdrawn,
keeping their own grim council on the matter.                       which terrible events had begun to unfold. The doom of the
    Snatches of information that emerged over the coming            Orpheus Salient—and perhaps the entire Achilus Crusade—
months seemed to indicate that some elements had been lost,         was given a name only from a rare open communication from
and that previously secure worlds had come under siege. It          the mysterious Deathwatch. The Tyranids had come to the
was as if a creeping shadow had enveloped the Salient, within       Jericho Reach.



                                                 Hive Fleet Dagon
         The Tyranid attack into the Jericho Reach has left the forces of the Imperium confused and disordered.
         In part, this is because the Tyranids spread a shadow in front of their advance which disrupts the
         Astropathic communication on which the Imperium relies. Additionally, the Achilus Crusade has no
         means of knowing how many Tyranids swarm in the void towards the rim. This confusion has meant
         that no accurate verified estimation of the strength of the Tyranid forces has been made by the High
         Command, and both the Space Marines (and more importantly, the Deathwatch) have not shared their
         findings openly with the Crusade forces.

         In an atmosphere of rising panic and little information, some have claimed that the Tyranids must have
         vast numbers, while others judge that there is no evidence that supports anything other than an attack
         by a small splinter fleet, numbering perhaps a score of bioships. Most examining the unfolding situation,
         however, agree that they are facing a splinter of Hive Fleet Behemoth which became detached before or
         during the breaking of the great hive fleet in 745.M41.

         Although some amongst the Magos Biologos, Ordos Xenos and Administratum disputed the correctness
         of attaching a new designation to the Tyranid forces facing the Jericho Reach, such a designation was
         given on 989814.M41 by Lord Militant Tetrarchus. Once, it may have begun as a splinter of a greater
         fleet, but it was now a threat in and of itself—a threat of the present, not the victorious past. As such,
         it was given a name from ancient times that spoke of dooms and monsters dreamed of in an archaic age.

         That name is Hive Fleet Dagon.
                                                                                                               341
                             Since this time, the Crusade forces along the Orpheus Salient       screamed by the planet’s remaining Astropaths. On the eve
                         have been brutally hammered and now are estimated to muster             of 817.M41, dark spores began to fall on Castobel, despite
                         at less than fifty percent of their prior effective combat strength.    the many more gunned into oblivion by the world’s ancient
                         Their leadership is fractured and their morale severely, perhaps        defence networks. Deserted and doomed, many of the planet’s
                         fatally, compromised, while the vital fortress world of Hethgard        ruling elite became lost to despair and flung themselves from
                         has now come under siege from a massed Tyranid assault. The             the highest spires of Hive Cressos, while others determined to
                         Deathwatch estimates that at least nine formerly inhabited              sell the world dearly to the inhuman enemy. Castobel is now
XII: The Jericho Reach




                         worlds have already been completely overrun by the Tyranids.            a world at war against the most terrible enemy imaginable,
                         Six more are under immediate threat or are already engaged              its hive cities besieged and its hardy population fighting for
                         in fighting, while the fate of at least twenty other systems, lost      their very survival. Its fate, however, is yet to be sealed, as the
                         under the shadow in the Warp, remains unknown.                          Tyranid forces that have descended upon it were but a part of
                                                                                                 the greater whole, and were not so numerous as to overwhelm
                                                                                                 Castobel quickly or completely. The world’s barren surface
                         casToBel                                                                of lifeless wind-scoured deserts and volcanic plains have also
                                                                                                 proved an advantage in resistance, as they take their toll on the
                         “And the stars will be blotted out, and men shall despair saying that   invader and offer little biomass to fuel the enemy’s onslaught.
                         they are without light. And in that moment of heresy they doom          While two of Castobel’s six major hive complexes have fallen,
                         themselves most surely”                                                 one turned itself into an atomic funeral pyre while dying,
                                                                                                 which robbed the enemy of its flesh. The others are holding
                                                    –From the sermons of Sebastian Thor          out, however precariously, for the moment. The Deathwatch
                                                                                                 has also become aware of Castobel’s plight, and is now
                         Castobel is a battered Hive world, ruled by a noble-born elite,         considering its own plans for possible intervention.
                         that remained loyal to the Imperium’s ways through the Jericho                he fate of Castobel remains in the balance, although
                         Reach’s long Age of Shadow. It is also a world that is now all          one thing is certain—its future is even now being written
                         but alone, facing any enemy that wants nothing more than to             in blood.
                         consume it utterly. While other worlds fell to anarchy and the
                         lure of false gods, Castobel remained true to the Imperial Creed
                         and faithful to the belief that, in time, the Imperium would
                         return to restore it to its glory. Through the application of
                         brutal authority, a council of nobles called the Aquilan Pluracy
                         kept the population in order, the cathedrals un-profaned, and
                         the forges and manufactorums fed by resources harvested from
                         the lesser planets in its system. The Pluracy helped Castobel’s
                         hard-pressed defences weather the storms of intermittent
                         raiders and xenos predators from beyond. When the Crusade
                         forces reached Castobel, they were welcomed. The Crusade
                         found a world willing and able to give support and eager
                         to rejoin the Imperium. Since then, Castobel has revelled in
                         its importance to the prosecution of the Crusade; its rulers
                         apply greater and greater brutality to its somewhat threadbare
                         population in order to yield up weaponry, provisions, and
                         regiments of troops to aid the Crusade.                                 eleusis
                             Hive Fleet Dagon arrived without warning, and Castobel
                         was once again severed from all contact with the Imperium.              “Blasphemy is an older pursuit of Humanity than piety. It is rooted
                         Thanks to their brutal iron-fisted control, the Pluracy averted         deeper in the soul, and from there, it is likely to hatch when the mind
                         mass panic turning into riot, but soon, stories began to circulate      proves too weak for the horrors of this universe.”
                         of unholy things stalking the lightless depths of the hives and
                         rumours spread of the dark fates that befell the Crusade in the            –Witchfinder Paulos, in the First Principles of Persecution
                         cold void beyond. Work and production levels have fallen,
                         and the reports of seditious whispers from the Pluracy’s vast           Eleusis is a world of shrines and piety whose light flickers in the
                         network of informers have risen almost exponentially across             enveloping maw of Hive Fleet Dagon and where fear threatens
                         the entire system. Desperate attempts have been made to re-             to overturn holiness in favour of the promises of false gods. In
                         establish contact with the Imperium. However, a few lost                the time before the Age of Shadow fell across the Jericho Sector,
                         and beleaguered Crusade ships managed to make it to port                Eleusis was a Shrine world. Most of the surface of Eleusis was
                         to re-arm and re-fit. The crews of these ships spread tales of          covered with great seas, and on its few land masses, ten thousand
                         monsters stalking the stars and terrible battles lost. Afterwards,      temples and glass-blazoned shrines to the God-Emperor were
                         a great dark mass appeared in the night sky above Castobel,             built, forming the great Shrine cities. These wonders basked
                         blotting out the light of the stars. Troops were mustered and           in serene holiness for five thousand years, becoming a place
                         desperate and largely unheard pleas to the Crusade forces were          of pilgrimage for aspirants from as far afield as Macragge and


                                      342
Salem. With the coming of the Age of Shadow, the devotions
of the shrine priests, priestesses, and attendants were twisted
to the worship of the Dark Gods of the Warp as death stalked
the temples and the profane overcame the pious. When the
Crusade forces retook the planet, every inhabitant was ordered
to be burned and the shrines cleansed by fire. Since then, the
Ecclesiarchy has spent decades rebuilding the Shrine Cities and




                                                                                                                                               XII: The Jericho Reach
making Eleusis their new seat of power for the re-conquest
of the Jericho Reach. Perhaps, however, the stones of Eleusis
remember the dark past and whisper to the priests who look
up at the night sky. They see the dark shapes moving among
the stars, and already there are rumours of murderous fiends
stalking the crypts of the Shrine Cities.
    News of the oncoming Tyranids has brought panic in some,
but reaffirmed the zealous devotion of others, while some who
hear the whispers in their dreams are tempted to forsake their
beliefs and turn once more to the aid of old False Gods for
their protection.
                                                                        d

                                                                        “May the gates hold against the beast without.
freya                                                                   May the stones of the wall be firm beneath my feet.
                                                                        May my blade drink deep of the foe and never be satisfied.
“Just as the dead were once as we are now, so the dead places of this   May I not feel the touch of fear at the death that is my service.
galaxy may once have equalled our most mighty or glittering worlds.     May I stand a warrior, and if I fall, may I fall with my blade in my
As the cold wastes are now, then so too may our worlds be in times      hand.”
yet unborn.”
                                                                             –Spoken by Ivar Ravensclaw, Wolf Guard of the Space
          –Admonishment from the Seven Books of Vigilance                  Wolves Chapter, on the morning of the first spores falling
                                                                                                                        on Hethgard
Before the Jericho Reach fell into its Age of Shadow, Freya
was a mining world across which millions of indentured                  Hethgard is an Imperial Fortress world and the location
workers toiled in vast open-cast mines to feed the now lost             that has most recently come under attack from the Tyranid
Forge worlds of the Reach. During the long millennia of the             threat. Hethgard was a once mining world whose mountains
Age of Shadow, the world fell into disorder and anarchy; its            and chains of dormant volcanoes were long ago stripped of
mine-scarred surface the battleground for countless gangs               the great wealth of rare metallic ores they contained. What
of techno-barbarians, dark-souled cultists, and flesh-eating            remained afterwards were plains of shattered stone that
mutants. The last fragment of Imperial dominion remained in             glimmered with a metallic sheen, broken mountains riddled
space; a sensor array circling one of Freya’s many moons. This          with echoing passages, and numberless unmapped shafts.
special Astropathic relay was one of many scattered throughout              Although sucked dry of resources, the fortress engineers of
the reach that served the Deathwatch in their secret vigil. In a        the Achilus Crusade found Hethgard was perfectly suited for
warning of what was soon to befall the entire Orpheus salient,          Lord Militant Achilus’s strategic needs. Many of Hethgard’s
the Freya relay (which had endured through thousands of years           mountainsides were sheathed in armoured skins, and generators,
of darkness and cold) fell suddenly silent. On 001814.M41, the          storehouses and barracks were sunk deep into the abandoned
Deathwatch warship Thunder’s Word entered the Freya system to           mine-workings. The defences were ringed with thousands
investigate the troubling silence. It found no trace of the relay       of miles of walls, razorwire, and mines, while chambers
and no trace of any life in the Freya system. Preparing to leave        deep within the mountain fortresses were converted to vast
the system, Thunder’s Word encountered two Tyranid drone                magazines to feed the thousands of weapon emplacements that
ships that had been lurking in the orbits of Freya’s moons—a            crowned the armoured mountain summits. Thus, Hethgard was
rear guard left in the wake of larger predators—and did battle.         converted into a mighty fortress to protect the Crusade’s flank
Its hull scored and pitted with acid and its magazines nearly           and an armoury for its forces second only to Karlack itself. In
exhausted, Thunder’s Word arrived at Watch Fortress Erioch              the three decades it has stood, no enemy has taken Hethgard.
like a messenger riding before a storm: the Tyranids had come           However, its defences have been seriously tested twice: once
to Jericho Reach. Subsequently, no attempt has been made to             by the marauding Ork freebooters of the Brass Eye, and once
return to Freya.                                                        by an unknown, powerful, non-humanoid xenos-form who
                                                                        attacked in black orb-like war machines. These raiders were
                                                                        driven off thanks, in part, to the timely intervention of the
                                                                        Deathwatch.




                                                                                                                           343
                             Indomitable though it is, Hethgard has yet to face its greatest       forces that have taken possession of the Vanir system. The
                         test. Attacking in overwhelming numbers, Hive Fleet Dagon                 Imperials know that time is short and that the only chance
                         has fallen on the Fortress world in great strength. Millions of           of surviving the oncoming tide of Tyranids is to renew the
                         creatures were slain by the guns of Hethgard in the opening               system’s defences before the Tyranids come to destroy Vanir
                         hours of the conflict when the enemy first made planetfall.               and lay waste to loyalist and rebel alike.
                         However, the Tyranid spores and screaming winged-creatures                    During the Age of Shadow, Vanir was the seat of the false
                         came in ever greater numbers until they covered the glistening            ‘Kingdom of Vanir,’ a petty empire held together by the
XII: The Jericho Reach




                         grey plains between the mountains, their carapaces gleaming               military power of the Monarchs. A small fleet of warp-capable
                         like a living sea. Since the first spores fell, the assault has not let   ships kept the closely-situated worlds of the Kingdom together
                         up, and no matter how many Tyranids the Imperial defenders                through fear of orbital bombardment and the deployment of
                         slay, more seem to come. Aid and reinforcements have not yet              the Monarchs’ dreaded gene-enhanced Crown Guard. When
                         come to Hethgard. Though tens of thousands defend its walls,              the Crusade forces reached the worlds of the Kingdom, a year-
                         with contingents of the Space Wolves and Storm Wardens                    long battle ensued that was ended with a highly dangerous
                         providing battle-leadership, the numbers and extensive supplies           attack on Vanir itself by Space Marines of the Storm Wardens
                         of its defenders are not without limit. Hethgard will fail in time        Chapter and the bloody defeat of the Crown Guard. Many of
                         if the balance of the war cannot be swung in their favour.                the Monarchs fled before the wrath of the Imperium as Vanir
                             Should Hethgard perish, one of the greatest Fortress worlds           was forced brutally into compliance; some were hunted down
                         in the Jericho Reach will fall, and open a breach to the heart            and executed by being crowned with molten gold, but a few
                         of the Crusade.                                                           escaped into hiding. Later, communications were broken by
                                                                                                   the shadow in the warp cast before Hive Fleet Dagon. This
                                                                                                   threw the Imperials into disarray and the surviving monarchs,
                         vanir                                                                     long plotting the violent overthrow of Imperial rule again,
                                                                                                   seized the opportunity to spark off a revolt. This rebellion
                         “If Humanity will not unite, it will be destroyed. If the price of        lifted the yoke of Imperial rule once more, bringing down the
                         unity is a billion lives, or ten billion, or a number as like to the      overlord government in a bloodbath of civil war, and gaining
                         grains of sand on the shore, then we must pay it. If we do not,           control of Vanir.
                         if we are not united, then we stand weak and divided against the              Ragged elements of Battlegroup Icarus attempted to regroup
                         remorseless enemies of an apocalyptic age.”                               at Vanir after fighting the invading Tyranids along the Salient.
                                                                                                   However, they were attacked as they entered the system and
                                 –Cardinal Salazar Scrone, Sermon on Mount Amalath                 found themselves fighting a war against the resurgent forces
                                                                                                   of the Monarchs. In desperate need of the resources of the
                         Vanir is a system of inhabited worlds that is the site of a               Vanir system, the Battlegroup had no choice but to fight at a
                         frantic battle between the forces of the Achilus Crusade and              crippling disadvantage—their fleet-based firepower muzzled
                         rebels loyal to the self-proclaimed Monarchs of the Kingdom               by the fact that they could not risk destroying the infrastructure
                         of Vanir. The desperate forces of Battlegroup Icarus, having              or defences that they would need when the Tyranids arrived.
                         withdrawn after taking massive casualties from the advancing                  With the sands of time running short, Vanir remains a
                         Tyranids, are now locked in a race to overcome the rebel                  world divided and facing annihilation.


                            The faTe of BaTTleGroup arGo
                            Battlegroup Argo was the Crusade Command Battlegroup of the Orpheus Salient from which General Curas directed the
                            rapid advance of the Crusade forces under his command. The General always wished to oversee the leading edge of his
                            advance in person, and so Battlegroup Argo was almost invariably at the forefront of the Crusade advance, carrying with
                            it the personal regiments of his chosen command. In its most famous action, the Battlegroup had the honour of cleansing
                            Eleusis of the Charnel Oracles and seeing the long-desecrated shrines torn down and rebuilt in the worship of the God-
                            Emperor, while a strike force chosen from Battlegroup Argo broke the defiance of the monarchs of the false Kingdom of
                            Vanir. As was typical of Curas, when the then unknown threat of Hive Fleet Dagon darkened communications within
                            the salient, he ordered Battlegroup Argo to plunge into the heart of the shadow. Details of what occurred next have been
                            found only in the nightmarish memories of a handful of broken men who escaped from Argo’s death throes. Its last known
                            position was on the edge of the Phonos system when a massive attack of monstrous creatures descended on it from the cold
                            void. What few survivors escaped did so on trailing escort vessels that fled as writhing darkness fell on the fleet. All were
                            later executed by the Imperial Navy for cowardice.
                                No word has ever been heard from Battlegroup Argo since that day. Many believe the Battlegroup is irrevocably lost,
                            and General Curas with it. Others, however, suspect that the fate of Battlegroup Argo may have been far worse than mere
                            destruction at the hands of a ravenous enemy. Wrecked and scarred hulls of former Imperial Warships filled with harbinger
                            organisms have been observed arriving in advance of the main Hive Fleet, scattered like deadly seeds upon the wind. These
                            ships are of familiar line and measure and some are still broadcasting Crusade-encrypted distress calls like the automated
                            screams of the unquiet dead.



                                      344
       The Acheros                                                      afterward at over 160,000 troops and ancillary personnel in
                                                                        less than six weeks Terran standard. The majority of these
                                                                        casualties were killed either inside their transport ships or cut

         Salient                                                        off on the world of Khazant, itself a former Crusade conquest
                                                                        when it was overrun by the forces of enemy in an orgy of
                                                                        slaughter. In addition, more than a dozen ships of the line
“In war, nothing is certain save that the price for victory is always   where either lost outright, or captured by the enemy. The




                                                                                                                                                    XII: The Jericho Reach
paid in blood, both yours and your enemies.”                            most grievous loss was that of the Storm Wardens Space
                                                                        Marine Battle Barge Warchilde, whose lifeless hulk was left
                                              –The Tactica Imperialis   drifting in orbit amid the radiation-swept storm zone of the
                                                                        Magog binary pulsar.


T
        he Acheros Salient is the central advancing arm of the
        Achilus Crusade. Ever since the launch of the three
        Crusade salients by the Lord Militant Tetrarchus, it has        arlack
been bogged down in blood and infamy. It has shown the
least progress in terms of worlds captured and, even given the          “I’ve always liked a good fortress: given one to sit in, most enemies are
recent massive losses on the Orpheus Salient, has consumed              happy to stay where you might find them easily, and sleep soundly in
the greatest amount of Imperial lives and war materiel on the           their beds as you slip in to eat out their hearts.”
pyre of battle. The Acheros Salient, initially given the larger
part of the Crusade’s heavy line regiments, was given the task                        –Lady Miram Saynay, Epicure & Corsair Captain
of driving directly into the heart of the inhabited core of the
Jericho Reach. This area was known to be plagued by warp-               Karlack is a Fortress world, the principle seat of the Achilus
worshiping human renegades and xenos slavers. It was home               Crusade, and the single most powerful concentration of the
to several petty empires, and dominated geographically by               Imperium’s military might in the Jericho Reach. In the lost days
the Hadex Anomaly, a warp-realspace distortion known to                 of the old Jericho Sector, Karlack was little more than an outlying,
have swallowed the former sector capitol within its vortex              largely unremarkable, colony world. Its population never rose
some thousand years previously.                                         high enough to make it a power in sector politics, nor did it
   From the beginning, the Crusade’s assault into the area              possess resources of sufficient calibre to make it of particular
occupied by the former Cellebos sub-sector of the Jericho               interest to the Adeptus Terra. When the Age of Shadow came,
Reach ran into trouble. Tetrarchus’s plan disregarded                   Karlack’s relatively marginalised status protected it somewhat
intelligence dossiers (in part based on data provided by the            and cushioned its slide into isolation, sparing it much of the war
Deathwatch) compiled by former adjutants of Lord Militant               and disaster that stalked worlds closer to the sector’s core. Over
Achilus as ‘exaggerated and over-cautious.’ The Lord Militant           the centuries, it descended slowly into pre-industrial feudalism.
called for a disbursed assault on several fronts. He believed               After the discovery of the Jericho-Maw Warp Gate, Karlack’s
this plan would allow the Crusade to make steady rolling                fate was decided by a simple expediency of stellar geography:
progress and ‘flush out’ serious resistance. In the latter, the         it was the closest life-sustaining system of any strategic worth
new Lord Militant was rapidly proved correct, but the scale             in the Jericho Reach in proximity to the Warp Gate. Thus, it
of that resistance was far greater than anything the most               was the first system on which Lord Militant Achilus set his eye.
pessimistic projections had warned of.                                  The mass forces of the Crusade were welcomed with open arms
     he Crusade was confronted by a massive, well-organised,            by Karlack’s natives whose local culture had long kept alive
enemy counter-attack. Although the Crusade was expecting                the hand-me-down traditions of the Imperial Creed and the
smaller warp-capable raider vessels, this new foe also                  Mastery of the Emperor. The Crusade’s Ministorum contingent
possessed deadly space hulks and several cruiser-class capital          quickly set about bolstering that faith and rooting out heresy and
ships, some of which were known to be in the hands of the               corruption in the population. Swiftly, mountains were levelled to
dread Chaos Space Marines of the Traitor Legions.                       provide raw materials, rolling steppe land planed into mustering
     The Acheros Salient’s fleet assets were in dispersed               grounds for tens of thousands of troops, and vast fortifications
formation across more than twenty sub-battlegroups. Faced               raised both on the ground and in orbit. Not to be outdone,
with such opposition, the result was a bloody disaster. Dozens          the Adeptus Mechanicus hollowed out orbiting asteroids into
of Naval ships were isolated and destroyed, while troop                 gun-stations and crafted orbital docks to serve as the Crusade’s
convoys with woefully inadequate escorts were hunted down               primary anchorage.
and systematically ravaged. Thus, thousands of guardsmen,                   Since this time, Karlack has remained the primary seat of the
who would not live long enough to fire a shot in the Crusade’s          Crusade’s power and the principal rallying point and supply hub
service, were slain in the cold vacuum of space. Only the               for the Imperial forces in the Jericho Reach. Its orbital stations
bravery and skill of the fleet’s naval commanders and the               house key command and control elements for the Crusade fleets,
resolute skill of the Space Marine contingent assigned to               a Naval repair and provender base, and the Crusade’s primary
the Crusade forces prevented the sudden, savage losses from             Astropathic Choir. Karlack is also the keystone in a wide arc of
turning the Salient into a disorganised rout. These determined          listening posts and defence stations known as the Iron Collar,
survivors organised a fighting withdrawal back to the security          spread out across the portion of the Jericho reach bordering the
of Karlack and the Iron Collar. Losses were heavy, rated                Well of Night, from which the Crusade salients are supported.


                                                                                                                              345
                             In the nearly forty years since Achilus’s forces set foot     have revealed these problems to be steadily increasing over
                         upon Karlack, all has not gone well for the world or its native   recent months. They have also turned up previously unknown
                         inhabitants. Karlack’s climate has grown unstable due to the      examples of non-human artefacts of ancient age amongst the
                         alteration of the planetary surface coupled with the rapid        construction on the islands. These artefacts feature strange
                         industrialisation and forced agriculture methods employed to      mathematical and geometrical patterning that have caused great
                         feed the Crusade’s forces.                                        concern amongst the Ordo Xenos. Until recently, Inquisitor
                              Karlack’s seas and air are slowly being poisoned, its        Zaer Vincent presided over the investigation. However, the
XII: The Jericho Reach




                         people increasingly suborned to the war effort, indentured        Inquisitor went missing at the beginning of 817.M41, and he
                         and outcast on their own world. This has led, in turn, to         is presumed to have been slain. The Deathwatch have taken a
                         an increasing ‘resistance’ movement in some outlaying             keen interest in how matters develop here.
                         areas, which has slowly gathered strength despite heavy-
                         handed attempts to crush it by the Departmento Munitorum
                         enforcement cadres. Some Imperial observers have noted
                         rising evidence of cult activity, and there are reports of off-         The Cellebos
                         world agitators among the indigenous humans. These factors
                         might turn sporadic civil unrest and incidents of sabotage—
                         at the moment, a minor thorn of irritation for the Crusade                Warzone
                         forces—into something far worse.
                                                                                           “These stars and planets have been the sights of battles such as I had
                                                                                           never dreamed of in my darkest nightmares. Yet I fear for all the
                         The cenoTaph of achilus                                           nightmares that have passed, there is worse to come.”
                         Rebuilt in monolithic, glittering grey-black marble over the
                         ruins of a former Imperial cathedral destroyed during Karlack’s             –from the private Journals of Colonel Havius Blan,
                         Age of Shadows, the Cenotaph of Achilus towers over the                  Landrian 202nd Light Infantry, Officer Commanding,
                         city of Kar’thir. This monument was constructed in the centre                                Cellebos Warzone, 443817.M41
                         of Karlack’s largest indigenous settlement as a grand tomb,


                                                                                           S
                         intended to stand forever empty of its planned occupant, the              ince the Acheros Salient’s appalling reversal of fortune,
                         Lord Militant. However, the Lord Militant’s untimely death                Lord Militant Tetrarchus has resumed his assault on
                         made this cenotaph a shrine to the Crusade’s first master.                the region, pouring all the reinforcements he can
                            It also serves as a place of devotion for its soldiers and a   muster into what has become a war of bloody grinding
                         memorial to the fallen. The names of the lost are engraved        attrition spanning over fifty star-systems and twenty-five
                         into its soaring vaults and chambers, and many believe the        years of struggle. The war has focused around the control of
                         Cenotaph to be the spiritual heart of the Imperial war effort.    key systems in what is what is now referred to as the Cellebos
                         For those who have come to see the Imperial presence on           warzone, most notably Khazant, Vanity, and the Blood Trinity.
                         Karlack as a curse rather than a blessing, however, it is the     Solid Imperial gains have been few and hard-fought, with the
                         greatest symbol of their oppression and woe.                      heretic forces giving ground in some areas, but control of
                                                                                           others remaining elusive or outright impossible. Meanwhile,
                                                                                           the baleful influence of whatever unnatural powers reside in
                         The ciTy in The sea                                               the Charon Stars of the Hadex Anomaly have become ever
                         Considered little more than a local myth by most, the wide        more apparent as time progresses.
                         ocean that covers much of Karlack’s southern hemisphere is            Despite these difficulties, the Acheros Salient was at last
                         said to contain a mysterious sunken city. There, the tormented    beginning to show slow signs of progress, with fresh Imperial
                         spirits of the dishonoured dead are said to be dragged by         reinforcements, channelled in from the Calixis Sector and
                         dark-robed spectres amid its drowned towers and darkened          stripped from the other Crusade salients, adding to its power.
                         ziggurats, to be devoured for all eternity. All ill-fortune and   However, all this ended thanks to the recent disasters on
                         disaster experienced by the Karlack people are assigned to        the Orpheus Salient and the coming of the Tyranid menace.
                         this watery underworld, and those natives that live on the        This has lead to a re-entrenchment in the face of a possible
                         scattered islands of the south are viewed with deep suspicion     onslaught on a second front and could cause the collapse of
                         by their fellows.                                                 the entire Orpheus arm, threatening the very existence of the
                            Myth or not, the construction of strategically necessary       Achilus Crusade. In these last years of tribulation, the character
                         defence structures and orbital batteries on the southern island   of Lord Militant Tetrarchus himself has changed, and while
                         chains have proven deeply problematic for the Crusade forces      he still remains a charismatic leader, he has become subject to
                         on Karlack. The problems stem from both local resistance and      macabre turns of mind. Tetrarchus has evidenced a growing
                         the high frequency of unexplained accidents, disappearances,      paranoia about ‘traitors’ in the ranks, a paranoia perhaps well
                         power-outages and equipment failures experienced in the           justified, given the nature of the enemies he faces, but a very
                         southern ocean zone.                                              dangerous behaviour for a man with a Lord Militant’s unbridled
                            Inquisitorial investigation in the area—communicated to        authority.
                         the Deathwatch for verification—has failed to discern a direct
                         cause for the incidents. However, the Inquisition’s reports


                                    346
                                                                         in the Cellebos region began to increase dramatically, and
                                                                         the Acheros Salient, under Tetrarchus’s direct command,
                                                                         found its main assault meeting massive, organised resistance
                                                                         head-on. During this period, Khazant was temporarily cut off
                                                                         and overwhelmed, its garrisoning forces suffering near total
                                                                         casualties before an Imperial counter-attack could once again
                                                                         contest the system.




                                                                                                                                                 XII: The Jericho Reach
                                                                             Since then, control of Khazant has swung back and forth
                                                                         numerous times, and its now wrecked surface has become the
                                                                         principal battleground of the war in the salient. Its star system
                                                                         is now littered with the wrecks of craft destroyed in action,
                                                                         and it has become the hunting ground of raiders from both
                                                                         sides. These raids are punctuated by attempts from heretic and
                                                                         Imperial alike to run the gauntlet of enemy blockades to land
                                                                         reinforcements on the surface. On Khazant itself, Crusade
                                                                         regiments are still doing battle daily against the forces of the
                                                                         Stigmatus and their unholy allies on a dozen fronts across a no-
                                                                         man’s-land, which is now little more than a tangled morass of
                                                                         bunkers, trench works and reeking mud. It is a war of endless
                                                                         artillery barrages, poison gas, grinding armour, and brutal
                                                                         hand-to-hand fighting that shows no sign of relenting.


                                                                         vaniTy
                                                                         “It would be better for a man to die screaming in the jaws of the
                                                                         Tyranid and know release into the Emperor’s grace, than to die easy
                                                                         in his bed on this cold world: for here, the souls of the dead hunger
                                                                         for company.”

                                                                         –Malin Grey, Psyker Primaris, Special Inquisitorial Taskforce
t
                                                                         A barren, radioactive, and haunted wasteland of shattered
“Why weep comrade? Is it the blood we wade in? The thunder of            hive cities and fallen grandeur, ‘Vanity’—as it has long been
the guns perhaps? Or this sodden corpse-hole of a trench? Friend,        known—was once the Hive world of Corulsiem. A prominent
be of good cheer, our saviour the Emperor has brought us to this fine    world, Corulsiem was once capitol of the Cellebos sub-sector
world with its open skies and wide vistas, and as plentiful scavenging   and second only to Varrus itself in its economic and military
as I’ve ever seen, and all he asks is that we kill a few of those        might. During the Age of Shadows, the prideful and fractious
godless bastards yonder. Why, it is a fine thing, to be an Imperial      rulers of Corulsiem were among the first to fall to internal
Guardsman.”                                                              division and strife. Its hive cities erupted into a savage civil
                                                                         war, which quickly escalated to the use of forbidden atomic
                   –Trooper Morlok Drax, 3rd Volg Regiment               weapons, rendering the planet into a lifeless cinder-shrouded
                                                                         carcass of a world.
Khazant is a War world: a planet-wide battlefield over which                For many centuries afterwards, Corulsiem was little more
blood has been shed almost continuously since the coming of              than a target for the most desperate or foolhardy of scavengers
the Achilus Crusade to the Jericho Reach. Renowned for many              willing to brave its deadly fallout-strewn wastes in search
years as a corsair stronghold, this former Imperial planet and its       of spoils. It became known more commonly by the name
oppressed population have long been enslaved to one warlord              ‘Vanity’ by those in the Reach, in reference to the hubris and
or another, with Khazant’s naval dockyards and plentiful                 folly of its former masters. With the coming of the Hadex
resources its principal prize. From the Achilus Crusade’s outset,        Anomaly, Vanity’s reputation grew even darker: engulfed
Khazant was always considered a primary target, and its initial          for a time within the burgeoning warp storm, legend has it
conquest, and the driving of heretic forces from the Khazant             that the tortured souls of Corulsiem’s billions of dead rose
system in a year long campaign, was the last great victory of the        up screaming. Since then, Vanity has become legendary as a
Crusade under Lord Militant Achilus’s leadership. The former             deadly, haunted place. These legends were proved to be lethal
overlords of Khazant were allowed to escape; a development               truth as this world became a second line in the war between
that, in hindsight, would later have the darkest consequences            the advancing Imperial Crusade and the Chaos forces of the
for the Crusade effort. Shortly afterwards, the newly-acclaimed          Stigmartus; both have suffered at the hands of this world’s
Lord Militant Tetrarchus divided the Crusade to form the three           spectral phenomena.
salients. Raids by heretic forces into Imperial-held territories


                                                                                                                              347
                            The fighting on Vanity has been both sporadic and brutal,           abandoned human populations embraced barbarity and the
                         with both sides trying and failing to gain the upper hand              false promises of the Dark Gods to save them from the brutal
                         and use the system as a base for their own operations, or at           predations of off-world slavers and the obscene hungers of the
                         least deny it to their enemies. Owing to the extremely adverse         alien. In 920.M37, Mataras IV was subject to the final sanction of
                         conditions here, both sides have taken to deploying troops             Exterminatus. This sanction was carried out by the Deathwatch
                         more likely to survive rather than more numerous fodder                in order to prevent a parasite-colony of the horrific Hadrus
                         unlikely to live long enough to be tactically effective. For           Skin-Weaver xenoform from spreading to neighbouring worlds.
XII: The Jericho Reach




                         the Crusade forces, this means the deployment of elite Space           As the populations of the Mataras Sisters slowly succumbed to
                         Marine strike teams, while the Stigmartus has formed its               the worship of Chaos, they strove to excel over each other in
                         favoured forces from twisted mutants well-suited to operate            savagery and slaughter. The three surviving worlds of Mataras
                         on the poisoned world, backed by witches and with deadly               became known as the Blood Trinity, thriving on violence and
                         contingents of the Traitor Legions to lead them.                       fighting unceasingly amongst themselves for the favour for their
                                                                                                gods, united only against anything foolish enough to attempt
                                                                                                their conquest from without. The Deathwatch has long suspected
                         The BlooD TriniTy                                                      that the warlike natives of the Blood Trinity were chosen as a
                                                                                                harvesting ground for fresh recruits for certain warbands of the
                         “I shall crush my enemies, drive them before me, and hear the          Traitor Legions, with the most vicious among their warriors
                         lamination of their slaves. All this I do in thy name, oh Great Gods   selected for their ranks.
                         of Blood and Night”                                                        When the Crusade forces first probed into the Cellebos war
                                                                                                zone and stirred the servants of Chaos into response, the god-
                                                                             –Maratan Oath      clans and witch-covens of the Blood Trinity served as a ready
                                                                                                base of manpower for the rising powers of damnation. Some
                         Once known as the Mataras Sisters during the day of the                of the most vicious shock-troops of the Stigmatus have been
                         lost Jericho Sector, this system was regarded as a jewel of the        drawn from the worlds of the Blood Trinity.
                         Imperium. The system supported four verdant and paradise-                   he heretic forces are well aware of the importance of the
                         like Agri-worlds that served as a breadbasket for the planets of       Blood Trinity to their cause. The system is now heavily patrolled
                         the sector core. The Age of Shadows heralded a slow descent            by renegade warships which have, so far, defeated any attempt
                         into blasphemy for this system as, over time, the severed and          by Crusade forces to forge a beachhead into the system or


                                                               The Face of the Enemy
                         The heretic and Chaos forces contesting the Crusade in the Acheros Salient are highly diverse, but well-
                         organised groups. Enemy forces range from near-mindless mutant abominations harvested from worlds on
                         the edge of the Charon Stars, to Warp-spawned daemons conjured forth by hellish rituals; from savage feral
                         warriors recruited from the warring tribes of the Blood Trinity, to void-born pirate clans who have spent
                         millennia beyond the reach of Imperial law.

                         The two most powerful groups the Crusade must contend with, however, are the binding forces which
                         maintain the Chaos war effort: a heretic army known as the Stigmartus, and several elite warbands of the
                         Traitor Legions that have come to the Reach to make war on the Imperium.

                         The Stigmartus are named for the ritual branding of their flesh with the sigil of their masters. Although they
                         are brutal and frenzied in the extreme, they maintain harsh discipline and military order from their cult-
                         overseers. The Stigmartus are organised very closely along lines which parody the structure of the Imperial
                         Guard itself. The commanding echelons of the Stigmartus are believed to be the remainder of the previous
                         rulers of Kharzant, who fled when displaced by Lord Militant Achilus’ campaign. Now, they are bound to
                         the charismatic leadership of a cult-general called Elak Sarda, said to be sworn by dark pact to some nameless
                         daemonic entity within the Charon Stars.

                         One of the most terrifying and powerful contingents within the Chaos forces are the warbands and armies
                         of the Chaos Space Marines. These super-human killers and arch-servants of the Dark Gods have already
                         accounted for massive casualties on the Crusade forces. Factions of the infamous Alpha Legion, Word
                         Bearers, Berserkers of Skatherax, and The Pyre have all been confirmed present in the Cellebos warzone.
                         There have been unconfirmed reports of daemon hordes, traitor Titan Legions, and even an entire Chaos space
                         fleet located on a Daemon world near the heart of the anomaly.




                                     348
conduct an effective raid. Furthermore, the infamous Carnage-           red light that their corrupt priests and commanders make their
Class Cruiser Black Grail and its attendant fleet—believed to           sacrificial offerings. Many rumours claim that these minions of
currently be in possession of a splinter faction of the Word            the Ruinous Powers seek to appease the Anomaly itself, as if it
Bearers Traitor Legion—has been repeatedly recorded at orbital          were some ancient and powerful beast that had carried them here
anchorage over Matarus III, which provides some measure of the          upon strange tides of the warp.
dangers faced by any forces attempting to conquer this system.
                                                                        saMech




                                                                                                                                              XII: The Jericho Reach
THE HADEX ANOMALY
AND THE CHARON STARS                                                    “What profiteth a man if he gains the world, but in doing so loses
                                                                        his soul?”

“Come signs, come figures, all hell dance before me in bloody light,                                             –Ancient Terran Proverb
Come woe, come pleasure, drown me in infernal night.”
                                                                        Also known as ‘the iron pit’ by the debased human renegades
            –From the proscribed play ‘The Banquet of Malfi’            that travel there to trade and barter, Samech was once an
                                                                        Imperial Forge world, an outpost of the Adeptus Mechanicus
In the Cellebos warzone, there exists twin aspects of one malefic       within the Jericho Sector, famed for the skill of its tech-adepts
phenomena: the Hadex Anomaly. Although unclassified, it is              and the quality of the cogitator systems produced there. During
similar to a Class III Warp disturbance, an overlapping vortex of       the slow fall of the Jericho Sector into barbarity and isolation,
turbulence in the Æther that spills over into Realspace, distorting     Samech maintained its power and independence far longer
and twisting its fabric and making navigation and observation           than any of the other worlds of the sector core. Watch Fortress
almost impossible within its baleful influence. While considerably      Erioch maintained communications with Samech for more than
smaller than the great and legendary reality-lesions such as the        two hundred years after Varrus fell. As the centuries wore on,
dreaded Eye of Terror or the Maelstrom, it is no less dangerous. The    however, the Magos of Samech grew increasingly insular and
Charon Stars, in turn, is the name of those stellar bodies trapped      paranoid. Ever beset by xenos raiders, warring former allies,
within the warp-breach’s grasp, stars that now cast a murderous         and human renegades, Samech began firing on any vessel that
and unclean radiance wherever their light falls. Resembling a “red      entered their system. Samech’s true infamy came to light in 325.
hole” in space, the Hadex Anomaly rarely stays in the same place        M40, when a Mechanicus Explorator flotilla managed to battle
for long, having been reported in different regions of space on         its way through the warp storms shrouding the Jericho Reach to
numerous occasions. The Anomaly’s mobility suggests that it may         re-contact Samech and was lured into close orbit and blasted to
have some malign sentience. One theory amongst the Adeptus              atoms. This act of treachery would lead the Cult Mechanicus to
Mechanicus forces in the Achilus Crusade is that the Anomaly            declare the Forge world Apostate under a penalty of death—a
spews time from other dimensions into our own, distorting all           penalty that has yet to be carried out.
attempts to monitor it more closely. The outer rim of the Anomaly           Matters no doubt worsened when the Hadex Anomaly first
contains a debris-strewn ring of ghost ships, starfaring vessels that   erupted and swallowed Samech. Scattered intelligence gathered
have become trapped in some kind of stasis from which there is          by the Deathwatch painted the Magi of Samech as increasingly
no release.                                                             corrupt, embracing forbidden technological blasphemies and
      he Hadex Anomaly came into being during an-ill portended          trading weapons, and even warp drives, to debased renegades
planetary alignment in 656.M40. The Deathwatch’s records state          and consorting with the vilest forms of xenos without favour or
that the vortex was the result of some great and bloody design of       distinction. Some reports claimed that the Magi were raising up
the mortal worshipers of Chaos come to fruition on one of the           altars to the Dark Gods to consecrate their nightmarish works.
lost worlds it now has swallowed: a ritual unleashing the abyss of          Over the centuries since then, the emissaries and works of
the Warp into reality. Thanks to the sector’s fall into anarchy, no     Samech have been a repeated and bitter foe for the Deathwatch.
Agents of the Throne were there to stop it.                             They are not only allies to hostile alien forces, they are also
    In the fury of its birth, the Anomaly briefly swelled to more       sometimes rival claimants for xenos artefacts and lore the
than twice its current diameter before swiftly receding again. The      Imperium can ill-afford to have fall into the hands of the enemy.
Anomaly has since grown steadily by fractions, year-by-year, until      Samech’s rust-coloured spider-like vessels have been reported as
it reached its present size. Drowned in its hellish radiance were a     far afield as the ruins on Jove’s Fall and hunting at the edges of
dozen inhabited worlds that once made up the core of the Jericho        Tau colonies for ‘specimens.’
Sector of old. This includes its once-vaunted capitol, the hive             As matters stand, Samech is an abiding factor in the failure of
world of Varrus, long since fallen into bloody civil war and the        the Acheros Salient, as it is the principal supplier of baleful war
worship of the Ruinous Powers. Some say that Varrus has since           engines and arms to the Chaos forces of the Cellebos warzone
been transformed into a daemon world, where the servants of the         and the raider ships that harry the fringes of the Crusade. The
Chaos Gods plan the destruction of the Reach.                           twisted masters of Samech deal freely with any creature, human
     Whatever dark powers are in control of the heretics that           or otherwise, that can meet their price in slaves and secret lore.
contest the Cellebos warzone, it is those same powers that called       Samech possesses the firepower and terrifying servants of its own
on the might of the Traitor Legions to their battle standards. The      to destroy any that would think to take what it offers by force.
Charon Stars are their domain, and it is under these stars’ blood


                                                                                                                            349
                            Noteworthy                                                       olyphemnos
                                                                                             An infamous Death world, forbidden to human contact even

                           Worlds of the                                                     during the rule of the Jericho Sector, Polyphemnos is a huge,
                                                                                             heavy-gravity primordial planet. Its surface is forested with
                                                                                             noisome fungus plants tens of metres across and stalked by

                            Outer Reach                                                      a multitude of predatory species, many without analogue
XII: The Jericho Reach




                                                                                             elsewhere in known space. Of the plethora of monsters that
                                                                                             walk its fetid forest floors, the so-called ‘Eaters’ are among
                         “…Here be Dragons.”                                                 the worst. It is believed that the Eaters were once abhuman
                                                                                             Ogryns left behind long ago by beast-slavers. These twisted,
                                                               –The Encarta Universalis      starveling, and gangrel-like things have been mutated by
                                                                                             hundreds of generations of exposure to the vile poisonous


                         B
                                 eyond the troubled warzones of the Crusade salients,        spores that infest the air. Eaters are infamous for their
                                 a great many worlds lie untouched since the fall of         unending hunger and congenital madness, coupled with the
                                 the old Imperial sector millennia ago. These worlds         strength to rip a power-armoured Space Marine in half with
                         are located on the spinward side of the Jericho Reach and           their bony claws.
                         lurk amongst dark stars whose abandonment far predates


                                                                                                      The Canis
                         even that long lost time. The nature and paths of these largely
                         unexplored stars are all but unknown save to the Deathwatch,
                         certain Rogue Traders, and travellers of a far darker hue. A
                         few noteworthy examples of these worlds are listed here.


                         rift                                                                          Salient
                                                                                             ‘Don’t tell me we don’t have the manpower! Don’t tell me it can’t be
                                                                                             done! Tell me how many heads are spiked on our battlements! Tell
                         A Desert world, now the domain of a few debased mutants             me how deep the mass graves must now be dug!’
                         and scattered clans of warring Orks, Shedu once marked the
                         outer boundary of the old Jericho Sector’s civilised worlds and                            –Lord Commander Sebiascor Ebongrave
                         the start of its spinward frontier. Despite being a largely arid


                                                                                             T
                         wasteland, it remains a crossroads and way-station for outlaw              he Canis Salient is the largest and oldest warzone in the
                         traffic and xenos slavers. Shedu’s importance reflects its status          Jericho Reach. Lying to the coreward side of the Reach,
                         as the only life sustaining world found on the edge of a long              its first battles were fought in a Crusade to liberate
                         and drawn out star cluster known as the Slinnar Drift. The          dozens of human-inhabited worlds from Tau expansion. All
                         Drift is a stellar formation whose planetary systems, although      did not go well, however, for the Imperial Crusade became
                         hostile, are rich with mineral resources and exotic chemical        the target of a very different, but equally malevolent, xenos
                         elements produced by its active proto-stars. The Slinnar Drift      species: the Tyranids. A splinter of the Tyranid hive fleet
                         is also remarkable for the curious stability of local Warp-space    slammed into the Imperial thrust and only terrible sacrifices
                         conditions in the region.                                           stopped the aliens from invading and stripping life from every
                                                                                             world in the Salient and beyond.
                                                                                                 Under Lord Commander Ebongrave, Imperial forces in the
                         escent                                                              Canis Salient fight a war on two fronts. Regiments of the
                         Jove’s Descent is a strange and impenetrably mysterious world,      Imperial Guard fight endless conventional battles against the
                         whose promise and legend has drawn both human renegades             Tau and their auxiliaries, hoping for the foothold that will let
                         and Rogue Traders to its vine-tangled deeps and curious             them push on to the Sept capital. The second front is a bloody
                         creeper-shrouded obelisks. The planet’s surface features            defensive action to stem the Tyranid tide. Imperial forces are
                         numerous dense jungles and strange, inhuman ruins overrun           stretched thin, fighting both wars at once, and few truly
                         and overgrown by ages. It is thought it may have once been          believe that the Tyranids can be held at bay forever. With the
                         the centre of a xenos empire believed destroyed during the          Tau fomenting rebellion and desertion through their Water
                         Great Crusade, referred to in some records as the Ghanathaar.       Caste ambassadors, it is surely only a matter of time before
                         Of the dead Ghanathaar themselves, even the Deathwatch              the Imperial lines break and an alien tide pours over Fortress
                         can say little for certain, save that they were ancient, non-       Spite and into Imperial space. Without some master plan to
                         humanoid, and highly advanced. Evidence suggests that               break the stalemate, the millions of Imperial lives sacrificed in
                         those Ghanathaar that were destroyed by the Great Crusade           the Canis Salient will be for nought.
                         were but a shadow of a race long since laid low by some great
                         enemy in the unknowable past.




                                    350
pite                                                                  The BlacK zone
Spite is the Fortress world from which Lord Commander                 ‘First, you say, “Where are your papers?” If it goes further than that,
Ebongrave marshals the Imperial Crusade against the Tau. It is        it’s too late to be saying anything at all.’
a world recovering from a terrible attack by human malcontents,
widely assumed to have been supported by the Tau, which killed                      –Sergeant Okkus, 14th Mortressan Highlanders.
millions and left Spite a ruined and shaken planet. Captured




                                                                                                                                                XII: The Jericho Reach
relatively intact from Tau infiltrators early in the Crusade, Spite     he Black Zone is the military headquarters of Lord
is a heavily settled and industrialised world, which turned its       Commander Ebongrave, standing apart from the cities of
whole production over to the war effort. Less than three years        Spite. The Zone is out of bounds to civilians, and anyone
ago, it was subject to an unexpected and devastating attack           without proper identification approaching the walls is shot.
known as the Blasphemy.                                               In its centre is the Achilian Bastion, ringed by massive
    Fanatics calling themselves the Vengeance Sept hijacked a         fortifications which were severely damaged in the earthquakes
factory ship loaded with fuel and crashed it into a major fault       following the Blasphemy. The Bastion itself is a squat tower
line on Spite’s largest continent. The resulting earthquakes and      of black rockcrete, its plain walls decorated with thousands of
volcanoes devastated several cities and rendered vast swathes of      gibbets. In each gibbet swings the body of a citizen or soldier
the continent uninhabitable. Fortress Spite has barely been able      who fell afoul of Ebongrave’s purges. The fortifications of the
to function as a military headquarters since the Blasphemy, and       Black Zone enclose countless execution grounds, with every
refugees choke the remaining cities in the millions.                  other wall riddled with firing squad bullets and every flagpole
    A great many cities still stand on Spite—the largest is home      and beam pressed into service as a gallows. All the usual bustle
to tens of millions. These cities are patrolled by Moral Hygiene      of military life can be found in the Black Zone, under a pall
Militias, raised under Ebongrave’s orders to watch for sedition       of fatalism and fear that finds its expression in the execution
and xenos sympathisers, and suffer frequent visits by the Field       sites and the morbid humour of the Guardsmen.
Purgation Platoons of Imperial Guard sent to hunt down the
worst offenders. Each city is now so paranoid it is effectively its
own isolated state, with citizens refused entrance or exit without
                                                                      The sorrow
authorisation from Ebongrave’s command. The millions of               The Sorrow is the massive tectonic scar left by the Vengeance
refugees created by the Blasphemy cower outside the city gates,       Sept’s attack. It is a ruination of crevasses, lava flows and
begging to be let in before Spite’s merciless winter descends.        newborn volcanoes, scarring the planet’s surface for over
                                                                      three thousand miles. The Sorrow runs through a dozen major
                                                                      cities, the populations of which are now dead or displaced.
                                                                      The lowest of the low on Spite scavenge among the ruins.
                                                                      Always in danger of a sudden lava burst or earthquake,
                                                                      they hunt for the riches supposedly left behind by wealthy
                                                                      refugees, or buried under the ash beside the dead. The Silent
                                                                      Pilgrim, the container ship used by the Vengeance Sept, also
                                                                      lies as a pile of melted slag somewhere in the Sorrow. It has
                                                                      yet to be located by Ebongrave’s agents, and he is certain
                                                                      it must contain crucial intelligence on the network of xenos
                                                                      spies and saboteurs he sees around every corner.


                                                                      sepulchre siGMa
                                                                      ‘I’m telling you, I don’t know anyth… [illegible] damn you, where
                                                                      are your souls? How can you… no, no… [illegible]… all right.
                                                                      All right, filth take your hide. It was me! I was the man in the augur
                                                                      relay, guiding them in! Is that what you want to hear?’

                                                                                                         –Prisoner HX331-43-omicron

                                                                        he codename given to Ebongrave’s interrogation facility is
                                                                      Sepulchre Sigma. It is a place from which very few people—
                                                                      including the soldiers who guard it—ever return. Anyone
                                                                      too valuable to be executed on the spot is brought here for
                                                                      interrogation by officers whose uniforms display no rank
                                                                      or regiment. They report what they know to Ebongrave
                                                                      in person. Ebongrave does not care how they get their
                                                                      information, only that it keeps coming. Sepulchre Sigma


                                                                                                                           351
                         was once a memorial to Achilus’ victories, a series of tombs        make use of human troops, but they never arm or direct them
                         nestling in a valley lined with titanic statues of the Crusade’s    in person. Instead, the wishes of the Tau are passed on to
                         early heroes and leaders. Now each tomb is divided into cells       the leaders of human worlds who then equip and command
                         with restraints on the walls and drains in the floors, its stone    their own planetary forces. The Imperial Guard fighting on
                         coffins now housing medicae units and lifesign monitors.            the fringes of the Sept in the Greyhell Front find themselves
                                                                                             fighting these human forces as much as xenos foes.
                                                                                                  he Tau face constant challenges in their fight to keep the
                         orlds
XII: The Jericho Reach




                                                                                             Velk’Han Sept viable. The Tyranids and the Imperial Crusade
                         Ebongrave is aggressive, some say fanatical, in rooting out Tau     force them to commit huge numbers of auxiliaries. Even
                         influence on the Imperial worlds of the Canis Salient. Three        before the Crusade hit the Canis Salient, however, the Sept
                         such worlds—Argoth, Kaggeran and Rheelas—were deemed                had its problems. Chief among these was the baleful influence
                         by Ebongrave so riddled with Tau emissaries and sympathisers        of the ruins found in the Black Reef and on many human-
                         that they were beyond hope. He ordered them quarantined,            settled worlds. These ruins, the remnants of a xenos species
                         meaning that no craft were allowed in or out. Fragmented            long dead, are without exception inimical to life, and seem
                         transmissions from these planets, which are clustered close to      to defend themselves by infecting human and Tau alike with
                         Spite, paint a picture of mass starvation, riots and apocalyptic    madness. Imperial aggression forced the Tau to abandon their
                         cult activity. Ebongrave has not permitted any cargo to reach       efforts to understand these ruins, and their secrets remain
                         the planets, fearing that moral threats will escape on returning    hidden under the soil of Sept’s worlds.
                         transports, and has said on many occasions that he would call
                         down the fleet to bomb their cities into oblivion if he could.
                         To many, the horrible fates of the quarantined worlds are the       alor
                         starkest evidence of Ebongrave’s madness.
                                                                                             ‘What need you understand but the Greater Good? What more than
                                                                                             the Greater Good can hold any concern for you? Ask not where your
                         ept                                                                 husband went. Rather, rejoice that his absence benefits us all!’
                         The Velk’Han Sept is the empire ruled by the Tau and the
                         primary objective of the Imperial Crusade in the Canis Salient.                      –Maskin Quiore, Gue’la Water Caste Liaison
                         It consists of several dozen populated worlds. While several
                         worlds are properly colonized Tau worlds, many others are             sua’Malor is the capital world of the Velk’Han Sept and
                         mostly human-populated and are ruled by proxy through               the headquarters of the Mal’caor Shi. Once a populous
                         sympathetic human leaders. The Sept capital world, Tsua’Malor,      and advanced human world, it was transformed by Earth
                         acts as the central seat of Tau governance and rule.                Caste architects into a shining example of civilisation and
                               he Sept’s humans (referred to by the Tau as ‘Gue’la’)         enlightenment. Few sights in the Jericho Reach are as
                         adhere not to the Imperial Creed, but to the Tau ideal of           magnificent as the skyline of Tsua’Malor’s vast Equatorial
                         the Greater Good. The Tau teach that the perfect society,           City. Stretching around the Desert world’s circumference,
                         one modelled after the Tau themselves, has a place for every        it houses millions of Tau settlers and the great edifices of
                         creature; with every creature in that place, fulfilling their       learning and government. The Mal’caor Shi’s ruling council,
                         assigned roles without question, for the good of the Sept as        a small number of Ethereals and ambassadors, gather in the
                         a whole. Imperial religion is prohibited and the Tau Water          kilometre-high edifice known in the gue’la tongue as the
                         Caste run education (and re-education) programs that instil         Transcendence. Each caste has its own district in Equatorial
                         an understanding and love of the Greater Good into the              City, from the floating tethered platforms of the Air Caste
                         sometimes reluctant gue’la minds. Populations are regularly         to the bronze-walled fortresses of the Earth Caste. Several
                         sterilised to prevent population growth outstretching Tau           billion humans also live on this world, in the planet’s other
                         methods of control. Human transgressors against the Greater         cities cut from the rocky desert by Imperial pilgrim-settlers
                         Good are not publicly executed, as is the Imperial way, for the     thousands of years before. Every city has a Tau quarter of
                         Tau see no need to publicise the fates of those who oppose          glittering spires and grand pavilions, where the human leaders
                         them. Instead, such gue’la simply disappear, and it is the          gather to listen to the wisdom of Tau ambassadors. One such
                         way of the Greater Good to convince oneself that they never         city, Beldar, is home to the Gue’Retha, a research institute and
                         existed at all.                                                     university to which the Tau transport all the brightest and
                               he Mal’caor Shi, the Tau taskforce that rules and defends     most talented humans to educate them in Tau philosophy and
                         the Sept, has at its disposal several contingents of Tau military   technology. Attached to the Gue’Retha is a place which the
                         units and spacecraft. The Tau force contains many veteran           Tau decline to name, but which human malcontents call the
                         forces of Fire Warriors and Air Caste pilots, and its leaders are   Lacuna. This underground research facility, it is rumoured, is
                         highly motivated to add the Reach to the expansion of the Tau       where the Tau conduct psychological experiments on gue’la
                         Empire. It also commands many auxiliary forces drawn from           prisoners. The results supposedly help the Tau refine their
                         species that have joined the Tau in the pursuit of the Greater      methods of social manipulation, but no one can be sure since
                         Good. The most numerous xenos auxiliaries are the Kroot,            any heard to utter such thoughts vanish, quite possibly into
                         with substantial numbers of insectoid Vespid and smaller            the Lacuna itself.
                         units of other, more specialised xenos warriors. The Tau also


                                    352
IphIgenIa                                                              Each station is a huge re-education facility. Many of the
                                                                   gue’la sent here are trained in Tau technology and sent to
The world of Iphigenia is, in many ways, typical of the            work elsewhere in the Sept under Earth Caste work teams
Velk’Han Sept. It is a human world with a population of            or Air Caste starship crews. Others are sent back down
around seven billion, living mostly in the polar cities spared     to Iphigenia, radiant with their new purpose and eager to
the fierce heat of the planet’s nearby red sun. Its people are     spread their understanding of the Greater Good among their
all born into one of several dozen tribes, each tribe having its   tribemates.




                                                                                                                                     XII: The Jericho Reach
own king in turn united under the High King. All laws are              Iphigenia’s people are far from universally convinced about
decided according to the tribe; transgressions in one tribe are    the Greater Good. The ‘enlightened ones’ who return from
often accepted in another, even though the populations of the      orbit, however, are quick to address such concerns with anyone
various tribes live side by side in every city. Since Iphigenia    who wishes to accompany them to the strange structures the
was absorbed into the Sept, however, another power structure       Grey Kings are building in the southern wastes.
has come to exist alongside the tribal kings: the Grey Kings,
the name given to the Tau emissaries who have entered into
an agreement with the High King. In return for allowing the
tribes to rule themselves, the Grey Kings require Iphigenia’s
armed forces to fight for the Tau. In addition, the tribal kings
are to hand over the most technically skilled of their people
to the orbital stations on which the Grey Kings live.




             Lord Commander Ebongrave
             Sebiascor Ebongrave was a capable, even heroic officer who
             distinguished himself among the cavalry of the Dhkasin Hussars
             and became a trusted advisor to Warmaster Tetrarchus before
             being given command of the Canis Salient. Ebongrave has not
             borne his role well. This once-dashing cavalryman is a bitter,
             greying man who rarely leaves his fortified situation rooms in the
             Achilian Bastion. He has become increasingly paranoid and has
             ordered purges of regimental commanders, naval officer classes
             and Imperial governors, sometimes at the vaguest suggestion of
             Tau sympathies or ideological weakness. No matter how impossible
             the fight against the Tyranids becomes, he refuses to countenance
             diverting troops and ships from fighting the Tau. Some believe he
             is losing his grip on reality, while others think he sees reality all
             too well and is the only man who appreciates just how devious his
             xenos foes really are.

             The 14th Mortressan Highlanders
             When Ebongrave needs people he can trust to execute their fellow
             Imperial citizens or soldiers, he calls upon the 14th Mortressan.
             Recruited from the Calixian Death world of Mortressa, these
             veterans believe that life is meaningless and that only the manner
             of a man’s death matters. They have no compunction or guilt
             about what they do, a psychological foible that Ebongrave values
             greatly. Mortressans serve in the Field Purgation Platoons who
             root out ideological failings among Guard regiments, and in the
             execution details in the Black Zone. The guardsman standing
             watch over an interrogation cell in Sepulchre Sigma is likely to
             hail from Mortressa.




                                                                                                                  353
                         tikit                                                                    dancing through contorted orbits as the fluctuating gravities
                                                                                                  pull them apart. Some of these planets were once inhabited,
                         This world is, on the surface, a featureless rock, but is riddled        long before the age of Imperium, and the tormented ruins
                         right down to its core by crystalline caves. Never settled               of ancient cities can just be glimpsed on slabs of planetary
                         by humans, Krrk’tikit was given by the Tau to their Vespid               crust as they float through the Reef ’s currents. The Reef ’s
                         auxiliaries, and the insectoid xenos now inhabit city-hives              reflection in the warp is an impassable mass of positive and
                         built into the largest chambers. Hatcheries, nutrient lakes and          negative energies constantly colliding and annihilating one
XII: The Jericho Reach




                         warrior mustering chambers have been constructed, while the              another, in a dance of destruction that no Navigator would
                         Vespid strain leaders blood their warriors in huge warrens of            conscience sailing towards.
                         jagged crystal designated as battlegrounds.                                   he presence of the Black Reef makes it much easier for
                            Deep in the core chambers, where the crystals are bathed in           the Tau fleets to watch over the approaches to Tsua’Malor.
                         deadly radiation, Krrk’tikit’s indigenous creatures have been            This does not satisfy the Mal’caor Shi, however, and several
                         contacted after millions of years of isolation. Strange floating         cadres of auxiliary species well suited to space exploration
                         beings with bodies of crystal, manipulating energy fields as             have been despatched to explore the Black Reef and chart any
                         weapons, these creatures are targeted for absorption into the            possible routes through it. These xenos suffer a high attrition
                         Sept and education in the Greater Good. Early attempts to                rate, even though they can survive conditions that would kill
                         contact them however, have not gone well, with Water Caste               a Tau or a human. The information they are bringing back
                         ambassadors killed or missing. More aggressive Fire Caste                is worth their sacrifice, however, for along with charts of the
                         commanders advocate abandoning or even attacking Krrk’tikit,             Reef they are bringing back glimpses of a catastrophe that
                         fearing that the indigenous creatures may be connected with              created the Reef and the beings that once inhabited it before
                         the long-dead race still plaguing the Velk’Han Sept.                     the cataclysm.


                         kapula
                                                                                                       The Greyhell
                                                                                                          Front
                         ‘By your will, Fio’Ui. The relief seems to depict iconography relating
                         to the gue’la religion. I shall remove the panel for further study.
                         Work-brother, pass me the fusion cutter… there, that should…
                         [sound of rapid laser fire, then static.]’


                                                                                                  O
                                                                                                            ne of the two main battlezones where Imperial
                                               –Intercepted Earth Caste communication                       forces are concentrated, the Greyhell Front is a belt
                                                                                                            of worlds where the Imperial Guard and Navy are
                         Watch Station Skapula is a Deathwatch space station,                     struggling to establish footholds closer to Tau space. They
                         abandoned long ago, that orbits a barren world in Tau space.             are opposed in this by some Tau auxiliaries, but most of
                         While deactivated, the station is protected by automated                 all by Fire Warrior cadres. Chief among the auxiliaries are
                         defences that are still operational in spite of the time the             armies of Kroot, who are well suited to the lush jungle worlds
                         Watch Station has spent empty.                                           especially common along the front. The Kroot’s capacity to
                              he Tau are interested in the Watch Station, believing               rapidly evolve according to the genetic material they absorb
                         it to have a religious purpose that could be significant to              has led many new strains of Kroot along the Greyhell front.
                         understanding the gue’la mindset. Human pioneers led by                  Human armies are also fighting here under orders from the
                         Earth Caste archaeologists have tried to examine and enter               Tau, leading to a paranoid atmosphere where any soldier’s
                         the Watch Station, but the defences have held them off in                squadmate could be an infiltrator sent by the other side.
                         spite of spirited attempts to understand and deactivate them.            Ebongrave’s purges are most frequent on the Greyhell Front
                             Watch Station Skapula could prove a hugely valuable asset            and a Guardsman is almost as likely to be executed by his
                         for the Imperium. It is highly advanced and is even capable of           own side as he is to be killed by the xenos. Life is no better
                         short warp jumps, making it extremely useful as a jumping-               for the gue’la auxiliaries, who are wont to be abandoned
                         off point for Deathwatch operations against the Velk’Han                 by their Tau overlords or betrayed by Imperial intelligence
                         Sept. A mission to capture Watch Station Skapula from the                officers who have worked their way into their ranks.
                         Tau and reactivate it is surely on the Deathwatch’s agenda for                he Greyhell Front is regarded as a meat grinder by the
                         operations in the Jericho Reach.                                         troops serving there, but Lord Commander Ebongrave is
                                                                                                  adamant that only by forcing through the front and reaching
                                                                                                  Tau space can the Crusade push on into a direct assault on
                         eef                                                                      the Velk’Han Sept. In spite of the thinly stretched nature of
                         Much of Tsua’Malor’s suitability as the Sept capital comes from          Imperial forces in the Canis Salient, Ebongrave refuses any
                         the Black Reef, a stellar phenomenon that protects it from               suggestion that Imperial forces should withdraw from the
                         most angles of approach. The Reef is a series of gravitational           Greyhell Front.
                         anomalies that few but the bravest human pilots and the
                         fastest ships could hope to navigate. Hundreds of planets and
                         millions of asteroids are caught in the Black Reef, endlessly


                                     354
                                               Priority Targets
The members of the Mal’caor Shi high command (collectively ‘the Transcendence’) are named herein, by the order of
the 31st Intelligence Cohort (Black Zone Liaison Section). Quality of said intelligence, while representing the sum
total of relevant knowledge at Imperial disposal, is provisional at best. In addition to the following, intelligence
projections suggest two to four lower-ranked Ethereal Caste members, thus far unobserved.
Aun’El Basel’kyth
Suspected head researcher/philosopher, Ethereal Caste. Elimination projected to affect enemy morale only. Priority




                                                                                                                                   XII: The Jericho Reach
target. Projected location: Beldar Academy, Tsua’Malor.
Aun’O Tsualal
Confirmed presence Velen battlezone, Greyhell front. Significant Tau strategist, Ethereal Caste. Translated comm-
grabs suggest overall command of forces on Tsua’Malor. Priority Omega target. Personal armoured grav-unit, Fire
Caste bodyguard, shield/gun drone swarm present at all contacts.
Shas’O M’yen
Senior tactical advisor, fire caste. Referred to by sympathisers as ‘Commander Scornfoe’. Projected Location:
Unknown. Priority Omega target. Crisis battlesuit/support weapon suit, multiple gun drones, fire caste command
section.
Aun’Ui Kol’denh
Social engineering advisor, Ethereal Caste. Multiple contacts, Warzone Epsilon. Armoured anti-grav unit, life
support system (possible deteriorating health). Projected location: Orbital installation, Iphigenia. Defensive/
offensive capabilities unknown.
Kor’O Volescur
Senior ambassador, Water Caste. Projected location: Orbital dockyards, Tsua’Malor. Personal craft known among
sympathisers as the Liberation. Significant evasive/offensive capabilities, Fire Caste marine/boarding detail.




araban                                                            ekrin
Baraban’s endless temperate forests are home not only to
huge Vespid and Kroot armies, but to spectral presences that      A
                                                                  ‘ uto vox-beacon 1145EG-BK.Quarantined world, turn back. A
                                                                                                                           ‘ uto
prey on the sanity of the Guardsmen fighting there. The           vox-beacon 1145JH-BK. Quarantined world, turn back. Auto vox-
war on Baraban is a conventional one, with battle lines of        beacon …’
trenches and fortifications, attacks and counter-attacks, as
each side tries to push the other back. Time and again the                                      –Wide-channel voxcast, Bekrin
Imperial Guard launch armoured spearheads that shatter the
xenos lines and it seems that surely a crushing victory will      Bekrin is a Cardinal world, religious capital of the diocese
at last be won. Then the ghosts of Baraban make themselves        covering much of what is now the Canis Salient. Its clergy
known, and the Guard forces fall apart in terror and madness.     evacuated the world to escape the approaching Tyranids,
A whole army can suddenly be assailed by bizarre visions          and though the Tyranids were turned aside before they
and sensations, and must fight to save themselves from crazed     could reach Bekrin, the world has never been resettled.
comrades as well as the xenos.                                    The Adeptus Ministorum often petitions Lord Commander
     he source of Baraban’s ghosts is unknown, but everyone       Ebongrave to reclaim Bekrin and install a new Cardinal to
who has been there and survived has his own explanation.          serve as the spiritual leader of the Canis Salient. Ebongrave,
They appear to each Guardsman differently: some as voices         for reasons unknown, has bluntly refused at every turn, and
in the mind, others as visions of loved ones long dead or on      has even proclaimed Bekrin a Quarantined world. No one
distant worlds. Even the Deathwatch who have participated         knows why, though there is no shortage of speculation about
in the Battle for Baraban report witnessing their Primarch        what horrible sights might be found among Bekrin’s fabled
wading into battle, or feeling the agony of the Emperor as        natural beauty and gilded temple-cities. To some, Bekrin is
Horus dealt him his mortal wound. Many Guard commanders           an example of Ebongrave’s paranoia, but others insist that
believe the Tau have a hand in Baraban’s ghosts, but others       there must be something terribly wrong with the planet. In
believe the Kroot and the Vespid have their own difficulties on   any case, no official word on Bekrin has been forthcoming in
the planet. The Kroot, in particular, develop into strange and    more than forty years.
apparently useless strains very easily, with dead-end strains
like mindless cattle or uncontrollable predators resulting from
the planet’s cruel influence.


                                                                                                                355
                                                                                                   veRen
                                                                                                   For reasons the Imperial forces cannot ascertain, the Tau are
                                                                                                   very interested in keeping the Imperium from conquering
                                                                                                   Veren. The planet, a world of glassy black mountains and
                                                                                                   shallow oceans teeming with corals and algal blooms, is of
                                                                                                   little obvious strategic value. Stable warp routes from the
XII: The Jericho Reach




                                                                                                   vicinity of Veren end at the Black Reef, so it would be no
                                                                                                   use for staging an attack on Tsua’Malor. Nevertheless, the
                                                                                                   expeditionary force sent to scout the world was immediately
                                                                                                   opposed by Tau Hunter cadres attacking in force.
                                                                                                       Ebongrave is convinced that something lies on Veren the
                                                                                                   Tau want to defend, and that sending so many Tau to defend
                                                                                                   it indicates its importance. Ebongrave has ordered for Veren
                                                                                                   to be captured and held, but the Tau seem to know the planet
                                                                                                   very well and use the air-filled coral tunnels beneath the
                         Ravacene                                                                  shallow seas to move around Veren with impunity. The battles
                                                                                                   through Veren’s tunnels and in its mountain passes are vicious
                         ‘You wanna know who’s in charge, sir? You see that? Yeah, the little      and at close-quarters, and the Tau suffer greater losses here
                         guy with all the legs crawling over your shoe. He’s in charge. He’s the   than anywhere else in the Canis Salient. Some in Ebongrave’s
                         only one knows what the hell he’s doing, anyway.’                         command believe that Veren is a huge feint, intended to draw
                                                                                                   Imperial Guard regiments away from worlds that are truly
                                            –Specialist Vynes, 11th Ornsworld Regiment             important, and that the Tau will either leave and force the
                                                                                                   Imperial Guard to tie up men garrisoning the world, or draw
                         Few assignments are less welcomed than a posting to Ravacene.             in more and more Guard until they can wipe them out in
                         The ash-choked forests are said to have given the Greyhell                some huge Tau-engineered cataclysm. Such views are near-
                         Front its name, and the Imperial Guard battling to wipe out               heretical to Ebongrave’s ears, and the war on Veren continues.
                         the Kroot on this world fight a bleak, horrific battle against the
                         planet and their alien foes alike. Ravacene’s ecology is based
                         on the volcanoes covering its single planet-wide continent. The
                         toxic ash spewed by these volcanoes feeds the dense black-grey
                         jungles covering its plains and valleys. The jungles are resistant
                         to the most enthusiastic attempts to burn or defoliate them, and
                         provide the perfect environment for the Kroot to fight a fluid
                         war based on ambush and misdirection.
                                                                                                                     Prophecies and Patterns
                                                                                                                                                         that the
                             Ravacene chews through Imperial Guard regiments at an
                                                                                                              Some amongst the Ordo Xenos believe telling
                         appalling rate. Only Death world veteran regiments can expect
                                                                                                              Jericho Reach is the centre of a bizarre foreprophet
                         to last more than a few weeks before being withdrawn. Worst
                                                                                                              laid down in 744.M33 by the blind
                         of all is the psychological effect of fighting through its dense
                                                                                                              Satarrion.
                         jungles, expecting Kroot ambushers behind every tree or
                                                                                                                                                          damned
                         fending off the illnesses that result from the ash-choked toxic
                                                                                                              “To the east of the Emperor’s realm lie ains of
                         atmosphere. Even with respirators and chem-suits, every soldier
                                                                                                              worlds, a reach of cold stars and dom ighted
                         eventually suffers from the corrosive and poisonous air.
                                                                                                              death. The fires of war shall light these ben
                                                                                                                                                         devoured
                             Imperial Guard objectives on Ravacene are simple. Ravacene
                                                                                                              planets, some ignited with faith, others without,
                         is ideally placed to act as a staging post for a push into Tau
                                                                                                              by darkness. Foes strike from within and to arise
                         space, and its several moonlets would make ideal orbital
                                                                                                               all ignorant of the Dark Patterns waitingoblivion.
                         dockyards. Before the planet can be used in this way, the Kroot
                                                                                                               and destroy until nothing remains but of night
                         must be exterminated. The dense jungles mean this task must
                                                                                                               Only those who stand watch in the depths
                         be carried out on the ground, one Kroot at a time, no matter
                                                                                                               may tip the balance.”
                         how many Guardsmen it takes. For their part, the Kroot have
                         evolved to match the ash jungles of Ravacene.




                                      356
Tiers of enemies
        •
    Hordes
        •
     CHaos
        •
    THe Tau
        •
    Tyranids
        •
  non-Player
  CHaraCTers
                      Chapter XIII:                                                           encounters are either devastatingly powerful or cunning
                                                                                              Masters of command and control whose presence can turn
                                                                                              a rabble into a force to be reckoned with. Some of the most


                      Adversaries
                                                                                              powerful Master tier enemies are both terrifying foes and
                                                                                              cunning commanders.


                    “The Imperium is a fortress built against the enemies of mankind. I
                                                                                              CreaTing an enemy forCe
XIII: Adversaries




                    have seen those enemies; I have stood on the walls of the fortress, and   The antagonists in Deathwatch are intended to be used both on
                    I have looked into their soulless eyes. I have watched them swarm         their own and in mixed groups. Such a mixed group represents
                    and multiply in the darkness, and I know that we are all that stands      a substantial enemy force that the Deathwatch Battle-Brothers
                    between them and the end of days.”                                        must face and defeat. When creating such an enemy force there
                                                                                              are some useful guidelines to bear in mind.
                          –Ignatius Sable, Captain of the Exorcists 4th Company,              Mix a small number of Elites and Masters with Hordes
                                     address at the outset of the Angevin Crusade             of troops: A Horde is a substantial threat because it takes time
                                                                                              to wear down, whereas Elites and Masters have to be focused


                    T
                           he destiny of the Deathwatch is to guard against the               on in concerted manner to bring them down. Combining them
                           most terrible enemies that threaten mankind. They                  together means the Battle-Brothers have to make tactical choices
                           must face towering alien monstrosities and warp                    about how they are going to survive and emerge victorious.
                    tainted tyrants of battle. This chapter provides Games Masters               A combat capable Master can be faced alone: Some
                    with rules for the enemies that Battle-Brothers must face in a            Master tier enemies are so powerful that it can be best to use
                    game of Deathwatch. Included are a selection of the servants              one as an enemy on his own. If this is part of a larger battle, he
                    of the Dark Gods of Chaos, the forces of the Tyranid Hive                 might appear from the middle of a fleeing Horde to face the
                    Mind, and the dynamic and advanced warriors of the Tau                    Battle-Brothers alone.
                    Empire. In addition to these, a small selection of other Non
                    Player Characters are presented that will be useful for GMs to
                    create Deathwatch adventures and campaigns.


                    The Tiers of enemies
                    The       enemies      presented       in
                    Deathwatch are broken into tiers.
                    Each tier represents a level of
                    challenge to the Battle-Brothers
                    of the Deathwatch and also
                    provides Games Masters with an
                    indication of how that enemy fits
                    into either a small skirmish or a
                    large battle. The enemies presented in
                    this chapter are broken into three tiers:
                        Troops: Enemies in the Troop tier
                    make up the bulk of enemy forces in
                    large scale engagements. From Tau Fire
                    Warriors to Tyranid Hormaguants, some
                    antagonists in this tier may be highly
                    trained, whilst others are little more than
                    cannon fodder. In general, an individual
                    or small number of Troop tier enemies are
                    no match for an individual Battle-Brother,
                    let alone an entire Kill-team.
                        Elites: Individually or in small groups,
                    Elite enemies are worthy foes for a single Battle-
                    Brother no matter how mighty he may be. In
                    equal numbers, Elites can pose a deadly threat
                    to a squad of Battle-Brothers. Enemies in the
                    Elite Tier come in the form of Chaos Space
                    Marines, Tau Stealth Suits, and Tyranid Warriors.
                        Masters: Hive Tyrants and Daemon Princes
                    are both Master enemies. This tier of enemy


                                 358
                  Hordes                                                aTTacking a horde
                                                                        A character can damage a Horde by shooting it with ranged
“Their numbers darkened the land, and blotted out the sun. As many      weapons or attacking it in melee. These attacks are treated
as there are stars in the sky, or grains of sand on the seashore they   as if they are against a single creature even though they may
came to slay us and take what we would deny them.”                      represent mowing down ranks of enemies or scything through
                                                                        many foes.
       –Varrus, Captain of the Storm Wardens’ 3rd Company,                  Characters must still roll to hit a Horde, but the appropriate




                                                                                                                                                XIII: Adversaries
                    spoken of the second defence of Karlack             size bonus should apply to these tests based on the Horde’s
                                                                        Magnitude.


T
          he enemies of Mankind can attack in vast numbers; howling         Weapons that can fire on full, or semi-auto will cause additional
          heretics, skittering Hordes, and ranked warriors. Alone,      hits. These hits must be allocated against the Horde and not any
          such enemies would stand no chance against the might of       individual Lieutenants or Masters that may also be present.
the Adeptus Astartes. Together in large groups, however, they can
pose an overwhelming threat. Hordes have the potential to defeat
the Emperor’s finest by sheer weight of fire and numbers. The
                                                                        damaging a Horde
rules presented here are intended to help Games Masters reflect           • Each hit that causes any amount of damage reduces a
these massed forces that the Deathwatch may face in battle.                 Horde’s Magnitude by one. Therefore, an attack that,
    It is important to note that not every enemy is suitable to form        after accounting for armour and Toughness Bonus, causes
a Horde. The GM should use his discretion to decide whether or              15 points of damage reduces the Horde’s Magnitude by
not an enemy can form a Horde. For example, it is unlikely that             1. The deliberate consequence of this is that sustained
50 jungle snakes would be a threat to a Space Marine, even as a             fire and blast weapons are much more effective against
Horde! However, 50 Tyranid Hormagaunts will certainly threaten              Hordes than weapons which fire only one shot; a
a Kill-team of Deathwatch Space Marines.                                    lascannon is a weapon for destroying tanks not mowing
    When a creature has a special Quality for its attacks (e.g.,            down large numbers of infantry.
Tearing or Toxic), the default method is to apply that Quality to         • Weapons that inflict Explosive Damage (X) gain a
all of the attacks for a Horde made up of that creature. However,           bonus against Hordes, and count as having inflicted one
the GM should use his discretion for when the Quality should                additional Hit.
not apply (for instance, if over half of the creatures in the Horde       • Locations are not used when fighting a Horde.
do not possess that Quality). Also, the GM should be aware that           • A Horde has a single armour value at is applied to all
special Qualities for the Horde’s attacks can make an encounter             damage rather than different armour values for different
with a Horde particularly dangerous for the Space Marines, and              locations.
adjust accordingly.                                                       • Hordes may be Pinned as normal (with the entire Horde
                                                                            making a single Willpower Test). However, Hordes gain
                                                                            a bonus to their Willpower Tests to resist pinning equal
Using a horde                                                               to its Magnitude.
A Horde should be treated by the Games Master as a single vast
creature. The Horde has the same profile as the base creature which     melee
makes up its numbers. A Chaos Heretic Horde, for example, has
the same profile as an individual Chaos Heretic on page 364,            When fighting against a Horde in Melee, a Space Marine
for example. The only exception to this is that a Horde replaces        inflicts one hit for every two Degrees of Success on his
the individual creature’s Wounds value with its Magnitude and           Weapon Skill Test. Melee weapons with the Power Field
location based armour with a single armour value.                       Quality inflict one additional hit.


magniTude                                                               Blast Weapons
A Horde is a vast number of one type of enemy or creature               A Blast weapon that hits a Horde hits a number of times equal
attacking in large numbers. The abstract number of enemies              to its Blast value. So a grenade with Blast (4) will automatically
making up such a Horde are reflected in the Horde’s                     hit four times if successfully lobbed into the Horde.
Magnitude. This represents the Horde’s determination and
numbers as an abstract value: one point of Magnitude does
not equal one individual enemy or creature.
                                                                          Table 13–1: Example Horde Magnitudes
                                                                                             D e s c r i p t i v e Size and To Hit
                                                                           Magnitude         Equivalent            Modifier
Horde TraiTs                                                               30                A mob                  Massive (+30)
A creature entry may have a Trait listed that has (Horde)                  60                A thronged phalanx Immense (+40)
written next to it. These Traits represent the way particular              90                A massed assault       Monumental (+50)
creatures fight in large numbers, and only apply when that                 120+              A serried tide of foes Titanic (+60)
creature is used as the basis of a Horde.


                                                                                                                           359
                    flame Weapons                                                         Modifiers or range and sustained fire apply as normal, but
                    A flame weapon used on a Horde will hit it a number of times       a Horde can never aim.
                    equal to one quarter of the weapon’s range (rounding up),             Ammo expenditure and Jamming are never applied to
                    plus 1d5. So a flame weapon with a range of 10 will hit a          Hordes—they always have enough bullets to keep firing.
                    Horde 1d5+3 times.

                    Psychic Powers
                                                                                       damage Caused By Hordes
                                                                                       Any attack from a Horde that hits has the damage it causes
XIII: Adversaries




                    Psychic Powers used against a Horde will hit it a number of        increased by a number of d10s equal to the Horde’s Magnitude
                    times equal to the Psy Rating used in the power, no matter         divided by ten, with a maximum bonus of +2d10. This is
                    what the power may be. If the psychic power affects an area,       in addition to the normal damage dealt by the weapon that
                    it adds an additional 1d10 hits. At the GM’s discretion, if        the Horde is armed with. It will also include the Strength
                    a particular psychic power does not inflict damage (such           Bonus added to damage caused by melee weapons. The
                    as Compel), it still inflicts “hits,” meaning that portions of     damage is reduced by the target’s Toughness bonus and
                    the Horde have been convinced not to attack, and so forth.         armour as normal. Thus, a Magnitude 25 Horde of heretics
                    Furthermore, the GM should take care to adjudicate the             armed with axes will add 2d10 to the normal damage that a
                    effects of certain psychic powers (such as Vortex of Doom)         heretic would do with its axe (1d10+5), and therefore causes
                    in specific situations against Hordes (such as a Horde tightly     3d10+5 damage if they hit in combat. Likewise, the same
                    packed into a small space).                                        mob armed with autopistols will cause 3d10+2 damage with
                                                                                       its ranged attacks. This represents an enemy being mobbed
                                                                                       with enemies that strike it countless times or bullets striking
                    Breaking a Horde                                                   like rain on a single target.
                      • When a Horde’s Magnitude is reduced by 25% in a turn,
                        it must make a Willpower Test when it is its turn to act
                        again. If it passes, it may continue to act. If it fails, it   creaTing a horde
                        breaks and flees at its highest move value.                    To create a Horde is simply a matter of taking a minion
                      • If the Horde’s Magnitude is less than 50% of its starting      entry from this chapter and replacing its wounds with the
                        value, it suffers a –10 to the Willpower Test. If the          Magnitude value of your choosing.
                        Horde’s Magnitude is less than 25% of its starting value,
                        it will automatically break.
                      • Hordes composed of enemies with the Fearless talent do
                                                                                       examPle Horde
                        not have to test to see if they break as their Magnitude is    S
                        eroded: they have to be wiped out to the last.


                    hordes aTTacking
                    A Horde can make both melee attacks against enemies in close
                    proximity and ranged attacks at enemies that are at a distance
                    in a single turn as an attack action.
                        Melee: A Horde will attack all adjacent enemies, or
                    enemies that are in close proximity (the GM is the final arbiter
                    of whether a target is in close proximity or not) if not using
                                                                                                       S      T     ag int Per WP fel
                    a map; if there are five Battle-Brothers in close proximity of a
                    Horde all will be attacked. A Horde that has multiple attacks       35 25 30 30 30 20 30 40 20
                    from being armed with two weapons or the Swift Attack or
                    Lightning Attack Talents may use its full number of attacks        Movement: 3/6/9/18;                         Magnitude: 34
                    against every eligible target. Although a Horde represents a       Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Speak Language (Low
                    large number of attackers, a Horde does not gain the benefits      Gothic, Unholy Tongue) (Int), Swim (S), Survival (Int).
                    of Ganging Up (see page 248). Instead, the Horde’s sheer           Talents: Berserk Charge, Furious Assault, Melee Weapon
                    weight of numbers is represented by the fact that its target       Training (Primitive), Pistol Training (SP).
                    may not Dodge or Parry. Melee Attacks made by Hordes               Traits: Blood Soaked Tide (Horde), Size (Massive).
                    cannot be Parried or Dodged unless otherwise noted.                Armour: Flak Robes and Brazen Carapace Armour
                        Ranged: A Horde may make ranged attacks equal to the           (Horde 5)
                    first digit of its Magnitude. Thus, a Magnitude 25 Horde can       Weapons: Monoedged blade (1d10+3 R; Pen 2), Autopistol
                    make two ranged attacks. Any additional hits from sustained        (30m; S/—/6;1d10+2 I; Pen 0; Clip 18; Reload Full).Gear:
                    fire can be applied to any eligible target. Therefore, if the      Respirator, 3 reloads for autopistol.
                    heretics hit Brother Silas well enough that they cause an extra
                    hit with their stub autos, the additional hit will be applied to
                    Brother Silas.


                               360
                     Chaos                                                 All these beings, from the lowliest warp-predator to the
                                                                       four great so-called Gods of Chaos—Khorne, lord of battle
                                                                       and bloodshed; Tzeentch, Arch-conspirator and mutator of
“Every moment of anger, hate, deceit, pain, suffering, pleasure, and   flesh; Slaanesh, perversion incarnate and Master of excess;
desire is mirrored in the power of Chaos. When its legions march,      and Nurgle, the decayed one, source of uncleanness—to the
they march to return upon us a ruin that is of our own making.”        numberless legions of daemons between, dearly desires to
                                                                       destroy and rupture physical reality to feed their hunger and
                                                   –Arenal, Farseer    plunge the cosmos into eternal, living hell.




                                                                                                                                           XIII: Adversaries
                                                                           The daemons and powers of Chaos, however, are confined


C
        haos is Mankind’s waiting damnation, a dark fate that          to the Warp, unless freed either by the intervention of their
        screams and hungers for the souls of Humanity in the           worshipers or the vagaries of cosmic disaster. In order to secure
        Warp beyond. The ever-present threat of Chaos is that          the release of the children of the Warp, the Ruinous Powers
of the taint of the Warp. Twisting bodies, and searing minds, it       plot and scheme. They prey upon the vice and corruption
gnaws at the fabric of reality and lures the souls of the weak and     of Humanity and other races, and shower their dubious gifts
unwary to their doom.                                                  on those who swear themselves to the daemon’s service and
    The Warp is the shadow-realm that mirrors Realspace (that          call it Master. Among these servants of Chaos, the lost and
which makes up the tangible reality of the universe), a realm          the damned, a great many are mortal humans either laid low
vital to mankind. Without the Warp, travel between the distant         by their own sins or unfortunate enough to have been born
stars would be all but impossible, and the Imperium itself would       on worlds beyond the Emperor’s Light where the lies and
crumble. The Warp is little understood and holds the most              whispered promises of the Dark Gods hold sway. Others are
terrifying dangers imaginable. Warp-space is a parallel realm          former faithful servants and soldiers of the Imperium turned
of dark emotion, madness, and eternal change. Where the veil           Traitor to their own kind, in return either for the promise
between realms is thin, the Warp sometimes breaks through to           of power or simple survival. Among the greatest servants of
the physical world with catastrophic results. Within the Warp          Chaos are the greatest Traitors to the Imperium—the Chaos
are entities vast and inexplicable things that feed off negative       Space Marines.
emotion and sup upon mortal souls. Mankind, with its capacity              Also known as the Traitor Legions, the Chaos Space
for fanaticism, violence, vice, despair, and change, is meat           Marines harken back to the dark days of the Horus Heresy—
without equal to these entities. This myriad sea of unholy beings      an apocalyptic civil war fought many millennia ago at the end
and their baleful influence is known collectively as Chaos.            of the Great Crusade which saw half of the Imperium’s own
                                                                       strength turn against it, led astray by the whispers of Chaos
                                                                       and under the leadership of the Warmaster Horus, formerly
                                                                       the right hand of the Emperor himself. The war was brutal
                                                                       and bitter. It ravaged the fledgling Imperium from end to end,
                                                                       and in its bloody aftermath, the Traitors were defeated and
                                                                       scattered to find refuge within the dark places of the galaxy
                                                                       where the vengeful warriors of the Imperium could not easily
                                                                       follow. Such refuges include the vast warp storm known as the
                                                                       Eye of Terror and the unknown fringes of the Halo Zone on
                                                                       the edge of explored space. Down the long millennia since,
                                                                       the Traitor Legions have become true things of Chaos, their
                                                                       superhuman bodies a better canvass for the Warp’s touch than
                                                                       any merely human frame. The Chaos Space Marines grew ever
                                                                       more embittered, fractious, corrupt, and insane. Some gave
                                                                       themselves over fully to one great power of Chaos or another,
                                                                       becoming its exemplars and champions, while others merely
                                                                       brooded in the bottomless pits of their own malice, refusing
                                                                       to bend the knee fully to any Master, even the Dark Gods.
                                                                       Instead, these renegades sought to use Chaos as a means to
                                                                       an end, that end being power and bloody vengeance on the
                                                                       Imperium that scorned and cast them out.
                                                                           Owing to the effects that the twisting hand of the Warp has
                                                                       upon the flow of time and also perhaps due to their own undying
                                                                       hatred, some of the Chaos Space Marines encountered now at
                                                                       the end of the 41st Millennium are the very same Traitors who
                                                                       turned on the Emperor nearly ten thousand years ago, while
                                                                       others are newer scions, chosen from hellish worlds steeped
                                                                       in blood and sorcery to replenish ranks depleted by endless
                                                                       warfare. Yet more are renegades of a more recent vintage, gone
                                                                       over to the service of Chaos either as a Chapter turned from


                                                                                                                       361
                    the light (although this occurrence is extraordinarily rare) or as   S
                    individuals who have forsworn their past allegiances or fallen
                    into corruption. For their treachery and betrayal, for the very
                    fact of their existence, the Chaos Space Marines are hated and
                    hunted by the loyalist Space Marines of the Adeptus Astartes.
                    For those Space Marines of the Deathwatch, this antipathy
                    remains undimmed, although on occasion their own unique
                    role will mean another target or the needs of the Deathwatch
XIII: Adversaries




                    must take priority over ancient oaths of vengeance, at least for a
                    time. However, such oaths are never forgotten, and for a Space
                    Marine, facing such a dark mirror of themselves can be the
                    greatest danger they ever encounter, both in body and spirit.


                    daemon Prince
                    (masTer)
                    “The power of Humanity is nothing compared to the gifts of the
                    Warp: any who deny this are blind to the torment and death that
                                                                                                         S      T     ag int Per WP fel
                                                                                                      (18)   (12)
                    awaits them as a price of their blindness.”
                                                                                          75 60 66 45 48 48 48 75 30
                           –from the Proclamation of Khazant delivered by Dark
                                                          Apostle Bellephrades                                                         Wounds: 80
                                                                                         Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Climb (S), Command (Fel) +20,
                    Daemon Princes are incredibly powerful entities of the warp,         Dodge (Ag) +10, Forbidden Lore (Daemons, Psykers, Warp)
                    vast and nightmarish beings whose essence is the immortal hell-      (Int) +20, Intimidate (S) +20, Literacy (Int), Scrutiny (Per)
                    stuff of the Warp embodied, concentrated, and given form. No         +20, Speak Language (Low Gothic, Unholy Tongue) (Int).
                                                                                         Talents: Ambidextrous, Astartes Weapon Training, Combat
                                                                                         Master, Crippling Strike, Crushing Blow, Hammer Blow,
                                                                                         Hatred (Loyalist Space Marines), Heightened Senses (All),
                                                                                         Killing Strike, Preternatural Speed, Swift Attack, Thunder
                                                                                         Charge, Two Weapon Wielder (Melee).
                                                                                         Traits: Brutal Charge, Daemonic, Fear 4 (Terrifying) Dark
                                                                                         Sight, From Beyond, Size (Enormous), Unnatural Strength
                                                                                         (x3), Unnatural Toughness (x2), The Stuff of Nightmares,
                                                                                         Touched by the Fates (3).
                                                                                         Armour: Armour of Chaos (All 12).
                                                                                         Weapons: Chaos-forged sword (2d10+25 choose R or E or
                                                                                         I; Pen 6; Felling, Unwieldy).
                                                                                         Gear: None.

                                                                                         Special Rules

                                                                                         Aura of Despair and Death: The Daemon Prince is
                                                                                         surrounded by an unholy aura which saps the will from their
                                                                                         enemies. The aura has a range of 75 metres. All opponents of
                                                                                         the Daemon Prince within this area suffer a –10 penalty to
                                                                                         their Willpower. In addition, the first time any member of a
                                                                                         Kill-team finds himself within the Aura of Despair and Death,
                                                                                         he must take a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test, taking
                                                                                         the –10 penalty imposed by the aura into account. If he fails,
                                                                                         the squad takes 1 point of cohesion damage. This means that
                                                                                         the potential cohesion damage from the Aura of Despair and
                                                                                         Death is equal to the number of Battle-Brothers making up
                                                                                         the squad. The Aura of Despair and Death is a mind-affecting
                                                                                         fear-based effect, so any Talents, Traits, Equipment or other
                                                                                         rules which offer resistance to Warp-based attacks or psychic
                                                                                         powers will apply.


                                362
                                                                 chaos sPace marine
   marks of CHaos
   A Champion of Chaos who has shown exceptional
                                                                 (eliTe)
   devotion to one of the four great Chaos Gods may be
   marked by that God. At the GM’s discretion, a Mark of
                                                                 S
   Chaos can be given to a Daemon Prince or another servant
   of Chaos to create new variations on existing enemies.
   mark of kHorne




                                                                                                                                 XIII: Adversaries
   Khorne is the murderous God of blood and battle.
   Those marked by Khorne are savage warriors who lust
   for spilt blood and slaughter.
      Effects: Bearers of the Mark of Khorne gain the
   Berserk Charge, Frenzy, Furious Assault, Resistance
   (Psychic Powers), Swift Attack, and Whirlwind of
   Death Talents. If they already have the Swift Attack
   Talent, they gain the Lightning Attack Talent.
   tch

   Tzeentch is the Great Sorcerer, the God of magic,
   conspiracy, and fate. Those Marked by Tzeentch are
   subtle manipulators and powerful sorcerers.
      Effects: Bearers of the Mark of Tzeentch gain the
   Unnatural Willpower (x2) Trait, and the effects of
   the Daemonic Trait. Many are also granted sorcerous
   powers represented by a Psy Rating and a selection
   of Psychic Powers. Appropriate powers to consider are
   powers such as Augury, Possibility Shield, Lifting the
   Veil, Compel, and Dominate.
   mark of nurgle
   Nurgle is the Lord of Decay who presides over physical
   corruption, decay and dissolution. Those marked by                            S     T     ag int Per WP fel
   Nurgle are swollen by corruption, their bodies dead to                     (14)   (8)
   pain as they rot and gestate the scared plagues of the         50 50 65 45 40 35 40 43 17
   Lord of Decay.
      Effects: Bearers of the Mark of Nurgle increase                                                          Wounds: 29
   their wounds by 25% and Gain the Stuff of Nightmares          Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Command (Fel) +10,
   and Unnatural Toughness (x2) Traits. If the creature          Dodge (Ag) +10, Forbidden Lore (Daemons, Warp) (Int),
   already possesses Unnatural Toughness, increase the           Intimidate (S) +20, Literacy (Int), Scrutiny (Per), Speak
   multiplier by 1 instead.                                      Language (Low Gothic, Unholy Tongue) (Int), Survival (Int),
   h                                                             Swim (S).
                                                                 Talents: Astartes Weapon Training, Bolter Drill, Die Hard,
   Slaanesh is the Prince of Pleasure, a God of unholy           Fearless, Hatred (Loyalist Space Marines), Heightened Senses
   beauty whose domain is every secret pleasure and              (Sight, Sound, Smell), Jaded, Killing Strike, Quick Draw,
   delight. Those marked by Slaanesh take perverse               Rapid Reload, Swift Attack, True Grit.
   pleasure in all experience, have a deeply seductive aura,     Traits: Dark Sight, Size (Hulking), Unnatural Strength (x2),
   and move with an unnatural fluidity and grace.                Unnatural Toughness (x2).
      Effects: Bearers of the Mark of Slaanesh gain the          Armour: Astartes Power Armour (Head 8, Arms 8, Body 10,
   Heightened Senses (All) Talent, and the Unnatural             Legs 8).
   Agility (x2) and Unnatural Fellowship (x2) Traits.            Weapons: Astartes Bolt Pistol (30m; S/3/—; 2d10+5 X;
                                                                 Pen 5; Clip 12; Rld Full, Tearing), Astartes Bolter (100m;
Slaves to Darkness: Those lesser beings who serve a Daemon       S/2/4; 2d10+5 X; Pen 5; Clip 28; Rld Full, Tearing), Astartes
Prince in war are enslaved by fear and bound by terrible oaths   Combat Blade (1d10+14 R; Pen 2), Astartes Chainsword
to do the Prince’s bidding. They would slay themselves at his    (1d10+14 R; Pen 4; Balanced, Tearing).
command and fear him more than the weapons of the enemy.         Gear: 2 bolt pistol magazines, 4 bolter magazines.
Any Horde that accompanies the Daemon Prince regains 1d5
Magnitude at the start of their turn as the places of the dead
are taken by fresh fanatics.


                                                                                                              363
                    renegade miliTia                                                                                      Wounds: 10
                                                                             Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Speak Language (Low
                    (TrooPs)                                                 Gothic, Unholy Tongue) (Int), Swim (S), Survival (Int)
                                                                             Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Las, SP), Melee Weapon
                    “The rewards of tolerance are treachery and betrayal.”   Training (Primitive), Pistol Training (SP).
                                                                             Traits: Disciplined (Horde), Horde.
                                                                             Armour: Flak Armour (All 4, Horde 4).
                                                                             Weapons: Combat Knife (1d5+6 R; Primitive), Autogun
XIII: Adversaries




                                                                             (90m; S/3/10; 1d10+3 I; Pen 0; Clip 30; Reload Full) or
                                                                             Lasgun, (100m; S/3/—; 1d10+3 E; Pen 0; Clip 60; Reload
                                                                             Full; Reliable).
                                                                             Gear: Respirator, 3 reloads for either autogun or lasgun,
                                                                             unpleasant trinkets, ritual fetishes.
                                                                             Horde: Renegade Militia can be used as a Horde (see Hordes
                                                                             on page 359 of this chapter).


                                                                             chaos hereTic (TrooPs)
                                                                             S




                                  S
                                  S T ag int Per WP fel

                     35 35 35 35 30 20 30 35 20




                                                                                            S      T    ag int Per WP fel

                                                                              28 25 30 30 30 20 30 40 20

                                                                                                                          Wounds: 10
                                                                             Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Speak Language (Low
                                                                             Gothic, Unholy Tongue) (Int), Swim (S), Survival (Int).
                                                                             Talents: Berserk Charge, Furious Assault, Melee Weapon
                                                                             Training (Primitive), Pistol Training (SP).
                                                                             Traits: Blood Soaked Tide (Horde), Horde, Resistance (Fear)
                                                                             Armour: Flak Robes and Brazen Carapace Armour (Arms 5,
                                                                             Body 6, Legs 4, Horde 5).
                                                                             Weapons: Monoedged blade (1d10+3 R; Pen 2), Autopistol
                                                                             (30m; S/—/6;1d10+2 I; Pen 0; Clip 18; Reload Full).
                                                                             Gear: Respirator, 3 reloads for autopistol.
                                                                             Horde: Chaos Militia can be used as a Horde (see Hordes on
                                                                             page 359 of this chapter).




                                364
                 The Tau                                                many years, and if they survive for long enough, they may
                                                                        become Commanders. Eventually, they will be allowed to retire
                                                                        from active service, join the council of advisors, and play a
“This is a message to the peoples of the Imperium, and to the           greater part in Tau politics.
honourable Emperor of that realm. We offer you peace should you             Tau technology is the product of the Earth Caste, and it
join us, and war should you prefer it. We await your response, for we   is thanks to their innovations that the Tau have expanded
recognise in your race beings of honour and courage.”                   their empire so rapidly. Tau military technology is extremely
                                                                        advanced, predominantly a mixture of high energy plasma




                                                                                                                                          XIII: Adversaries
              –Last known transmission of Por’el Tau’n Ukos,            weaponry and rail guns. The rail gun is particularly potent and
                                    Water Caste Negotiator.             its technology is eagerly sought by certain factions within the
                                                                        Adeptus Mechanicus. Anti-grav technology similar to that of


T
        he Tau hail from a small, yet densely packed stellar cluster    the Eldar is widely employed by the Tau in their Hammerhead
        on the Eastern Fringe. The Tau Empire is declaratively          tanks and Devilfish armoured transports. These technology
        young, but the dynamic nature of the species is driving         bases are carried over into non-military applications.
a rapid expansion into surrounding space. It is this unchecked              Certain items of Tau technology are in the possession of
conquest of systems neighbouring the Tau Empire that has                the Imperium, mainly confiscated agricultural and construction
brought the species into conflict with Humanity and other               equipment seized on frontier worlds from settlers who
races. While Mankind and the Tau sometimes enter into a truce           have traded with Tau merchants. Such technology has been
when facing greater threats, the two frequently come to blows           transported back to Mars for further study, where the Adepts
as the Tau seek to absorb more and more worlds and cultures             of the Machine God hope to penetrate its secrets.
into their empire.
    Compared to many of the galaxy’s species, the Tau are
not overtly aggressive or especially strong in body. However,           TaU commander
in its short history, the empire has very quickly developed a
range of massively sophisticated technology, much of which
                                                                        (masTer)
completely offsets any inherent weakness the Tau might have.            S
While a single Tau is no match for a Space Marine, for example,
when equipped with an armoured battle suit with its array of
weapons, sensors, and other exotic equipment, he is a fearsome
enemy indeed. The Tau utilise technology at every level of
warfare—even the lowest ranked Fire Warrior is supplied with
advanced systems that in some cases approach the level of those
carried by Space Marines and far outclass anything issued to
an Imperial Guardsman. Even the Fire Caste’s standard issue
weapon, the pulse rifle, is a marvel of technology, surpassing
even the Adeptus Astartes boltgun in its destructive capability.
    All Tau are born into one of five castes, which determines
their role in their culture. The Fire Caste is the most
aggressive and bold, and from
its ranks the armies of the Tau
are formed. The Fire Caste
are the most numerous
and strongest of the Tau,
as broad as a human,
but standing slightly
shorter. Fire Warriors
are strongly motivated
by a strict code of
                                                                                         S     T     ag int Per WP fel
                                                                                      (10)   (10)
honour in battle. They
see ranged combat                                                        35 55 50 57 45 40 55 55 30
as more desirable
to the carnage                                                          Movement: 12/24/36/72                       Wounds: 90
of hand-to-                                                             Skills: Acrobatic (Ag), Awareness (Per), Command (+20),
hand combat,                                                             Common Lore (Tau Empire) (Int), Dodge (Ag), Speak
preferring      to                                                        Language (Tau, Kroot, Low Gothic) (Int).
use their advanced weaponry                                                   Talents: Air of Authority, Ambidextrous, Dual Shot,
rather than brute force to                                                         Independent Targeting, Meditation, Rapid
win battles. Tau Fire                                                                    Reaction, Sprint.
Warriors serve for


                                                                                                                       365
                    Traits: Auto-stabilised, Dark-sight, Flier (12), Size (Enormous),      Tau BaTTlesuiT WeaPon sysTems
                    Unnatural Strength (x2), Unnatural Toughness (x2).
                    Armour: XV8 Crisis Suit (All 9).                                       The Tau manufacture a staggering range of weaponry, from
                    Weapons: Plasma rifle, missile pod.                                    the compact and efficient pulse pistol, to the devastatingly
                    Gear: Crisis Battlesuit, incorporating Failsafe Detonator              powerful rail cannon. Many utilise technologies entirely
                    or Ejection System (choose one), micro-bead, xenos-crafted             unknown by the Tech-Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus,
                    auspex.                                                                and to the order’s horror, the Tau are continuously refining
                    Failsafe Detonator: So dedicated to the Greater Good are some          their advancements in an effort to make them lighter, smaller,
XIII: Adversaries




                    of the Tau Empire’s heroes that they will equip themselves to make     and more deadly. Tau military doctrine emphasises an ‘all-
                    the ultimate sacrifice should defeat be inevitable, and in so doing    arms’ approach, in which the various types of unit support
                    they might allow their compatriots to escape and fight another         one another, compensating for any capabilities lacking in one
                    day. Should the Commander’s Wounds reach 0, do not roll on             unit. Fire Warrior teams, for example, do not carry their own
                    the Critical Hits tables. Instead, one of two things happens. The      heavy weapons. Instead, they work very closely with other
                    Commander may, in the instant before he looses consciousness,          units, such as Crisis Battlesuit teams and vehicles, and call in
                    override the Failsafe Detonator, shutting the battlesuit down, and     fire support with flawless efficiency.
                    thus he will play no further part in the encounter. Or, if he judges       The larger weapons are mounted on Battlesuits and vehicles,
                    it will further the Greater Good, he may allow the explosive           which are able to supply sufficient power and ammunition to
                    charge embedded in the Battlesuit to detonate, in the hope             last an entire engagement without the need for replenishment,
                    of slaying his enemies and saving his friends, even as he dies.        making such units supremely effective on the battlefield.
                    The Failsafe Detonator explodes the instant the Commander’s                Integrated Systems: Tau Battlesuit weapons systems
                    Wounds reach 0 (unless overridden), inflicting 4d10 Explosive          are fully integrated and supplied by continuous, high yield
                    Damage over a blast radius of 10 metres.                               power relays and ammunition hoppers. These weapons have
                        Ejection System: Some Tau Commanders are considered                no Clip or weight characteristic, as the Battlesuit is assumed to
                    too valuable to the Empire to be allowed to die, yet they will         have sufficient ammunition and power to last at least a single
                    not serve anywhere other than the front lines. As a compromise,        encounter. The GM need only keep track of such issues if
                    some allow their Battlesuit to be fitted with an ejector system,       the Battlesuit is unable to return to a base station in between
                    which throws their body clear of the Battlesuit should it              encounters.
                    sustain overwhelming damage. The instant the Commander
                    is reduced to 0 Wounds, the Ejector System comes online and
                    throws him 2d6 metres in a random direction.
                                                                                           Pulse WeaPons
                        A Commander that has ejected has a Strength of 32,                 These weapons are commonly referred to as Pulse Weapons,
                    Toughness 37, and 10 Wounds. His Movement becomes                      as they fire micro-pulses of accelerated plasma at high
                    3/6/9/18 and he loses all the Traits listed on his profile (those      power and great distance. The specialized Pulse Carbine
                    are provided by the Battlesuit). The Commander is equipped             variant sacrifices range for portability and contains a built-in
                    with a micro-bead and a pulse pistol, the better to aid him in         underslung photon grenade launcher (treat this as an auxiliary
                    his subsequent bid for escape.                                         grenade launcher with a clip of 1).
                        The Patient Hunter: Tau Commanders are Masters of
                    the ancient doctrines of the Fire Caste, which are founded
                    in martial philosophy and wisdom. They weigh the strengths             TaU sTealTh sUiT (eliTe)
                    and weaknesses of their own troops, and of their enemies,              Stealth suits are a highly specialised form of Tau Battlesuit,
                    striking at the most opportune moment with overwhelming                designed for reconnaissance, infiltration and ambushing
                    force. Should the Kill-team be reduced to 0 Cohesion, the Tau          missions. They are significantly smaller than the ‘Crisis’
                    Commander may spend a full action in order to invoke the               battlesuits, and carry less weaponry. What the Stealth Suits
                    Patient Hunter. All units under his command equipped with a            lack in firepower, however, they make up for in the ability to
                    micro-bead may re-roll any missed ranged attacks against the           move almost unseen by the enemy until the very last instant.
                    Kill-team while it remains at 0 Cohesion.                              Stealth Suits operate in two modes. The default, passive mode
                                                                                           utilises a range of technologies to dampen the suit’s electro-
                                                                                           magnetic signature, so that enemy scanners are far less likely


                      Table 13–2: Tau Weapons
                       Name               Class              Range       ROF        Dam           Pen        Clip     Rld     Special
                       Plasma Rifle       Basic              90m         S/2/–      2d10+9 E      8          —        —       Tearing, Mounted
                       Missile Pod        Basic              90m         S/2/–      2d10+6 X      5          —        —       Mounted
                       Burst Cannon       Basic              60m         –/–/10     2d10+2 E      4          —        —       Mounted
                       Pulse Rifle        Basic              150m        S/2/4      2d10+2 E      4          36       Half    Gyro-stabilised
                       Pulse Carbine      Basic              60m         S/–/3      2d10+2 E      4          24       Full    Gyro-stabilised
                       Pulse Pistol       Pistol             30m         S/2/–      2d10+2 E      4          16       Half    —



                                366
S                                                                  Stealth Field Generator: The Stealth Suit’s Stealth Field
                                                                   Generator is always in one of two modes—Active or Passive.
                                                                   The mode may be changed as Free Action from one turn to
                                                                   the next.
                                                                        In Passive Mode, all Tests of any sort to detect the Stealth
                                                                   Suit and any Ballistic Skill Tests to hit the Stealth Suit suffer
                                                                   a –10 penalty (senses other than sight are unaffected). In
                                                                   Active Mode, any sort of Test to detect the Stealth Suit and all




                                                                                                                                       XIII: Adversaries
                                                                   Weapon Skill or Ballistic Skill Tests suffer a –30 penalty (this
                                                                   penalty applies to all senses, including those augmented by
                                                                   auto-senses, scopes, and similar devices). Anyone attempting
                                                                   to locate a Stealth Suit may attempt an Awareness Test (keeping
                                                                   in mind the above penalties). Passing this test by one or more
                                                                   degrees of success will alert the character that his sensors are
                                                                   being interfered with by the Stealth Suit’s systems.
                S      T      ag int Per WP fel                        If the test is passed by one or more Degrees of Success, the
              (8)
                                                                   searcher will be aware of the Stealth Suit’s interference with
 30 42 42 47 38 30 40 40 40                                        his sensors, but otherwise he will not detect its effects.

Movement: 4/8/12/28                               Wounds: 30
Skills: Acrobatic +10 (Ag), Awareness +20 (Per), Common            gUn drones (TrooPs)
Lore (Tau Empire) (Int), Concealment +20 (Ag), Dodge (Ag)          S
+10, Speak Language (Tau, Kroot) (Int), Tracking +10 (Int),
Shadowing +20 (Ag).
Talents: Hard Target, Rapid Reaction, Sprint.
Traits: Auto-stabilised, Dark-sight, Flier 12, Unnatural
Strength (x2).
Armour: XV15 Stealth Suit armour (Head 8, Body 8, Arms
7, Legs 7).
Weapons: Burst cannon.
Gear: Stealth Suit, incorporating stealth field generator, burst
cannon, micro-bead, scanner.




                                                                                    S      T     ag int Per WP fel

                                                                    20 25 20 40 40 15 25 20 10

                                                                   Movement: —                                     Wounds: 15
                                                                   Skills: Acrobatics (Ag), Awareness (Per), Dodge (Ag).
                                                                   Talents: Fearless, Weapon Training (Pulse Carbine) (may
                                                                   only use integrated weapon system).
                                                                   Traits: Fire Drill, Flier 12, Machine (5).
                                                                   Weapons: Two linked Pulse Carbines (counts as one Tau
                                                                   Pulse Carbine with the twin-linked Quality).
                                                                   Gear: Built-in micro-bead (for receiving instructions only).
                                                                   Networked Machine Intelligence: For every Gun Drone
                                                                   in the squadron, the BS, Int and Per statistics are increased
                                                                   by +2. This is recalculated immediately should any be
                                                                   destroyed.


                                                                                                                   367
                    TaU fire Warriors
                    (TrooPs)
                    S
XIII: Adversaries




                                    S     T     ag int Per WP fel

                     25 35 30 30 25 30 20 30 30

                    Movement: 3/6/9/18                          Wounds: 12
                    Skills: Awareness (Per), Common Lore (Tau Empire) (Int),
                    Speak Language (Tau) (Int).                                               “To follow any path other than the Tau’va is to
                    Talents: Exotic Weapon Training (Tau Pulse Weapons).                      doom us all. Only together and with courage
                    Traits: Fighting Withdrawal, Fire Drill.                                  and discipline will we stand victorious. Fight
                    Armour: Tau Fire Warrior Armour (Head 6, Arms 6, Body                     with fire and courage, and nothing can stand
                    6, Legs 6).                                                               against us.”
                    Weapons: Pulse Rifle or Pulse Carbine.
                    Gear: Micro-bead, photo-visor.                                               –Commander Shadowsun




                      THe TWo faCes of War
                      The Tau practice a wild array of martial philosophies, but in essence, all are variations on two main doctrines. The first,
                      called the Mon’ka, or ‘Killing Blow’, dictates that the Fire Warriors wait patiently in ambush, often for days, before
                      unleashing an overwhelming attacks upon their foes. In this style of warfare, timing and placement are all, with much
                      preparation and reconnaissance being undertaken to ensure that the Tau dictate every aspect of the attack. The second
                      philosophy is the Kauyon, or ‘Patient Hunter’, in which a lure, often a Tau unit but sometimes a position the enemy
                      wish to secure, is used to draw the foe onwards. At the most opportune moment, the Tau unleash a devastating counter-
                      attack against which few can stand. A Tau Commander must be a Master of both faces of war, and of the countless
                      variants of each. Many go on to establish training academies having retired from active service, where new generations
                      of commanders study under the august tutelage of a true Master in the arts of war.



                              368
               Tyranids                                                      Since the coming of the Tyranid menace, the Deathwatch and
                                                                          the Imperium’s armed forces have seen them rightly as a priority
                                                                          threat that must be met with and defeated, lest Mankind itself
“There is a cancer eating at the Imperium. With each decade, it           some day perish in its jaws.
advances deeper, leaving drained, dead worlds in its wake. This
horror, this abomination, has thought and purpose which functions on
an unimaginable, galactic scale, and all we can do is try to stop the     hive TyranT (masTer)
swarms of bio-engineered monsters it unleashes upon us by instinct. We




                                                                                                                                                   XIII: Adversaries
have given the horror a name to salve our fears; we call it the Tyranid   “And I looked upon the great hive beast, and knew that hope was lost.”
race, but if it is aware of us at all it must know us only as Prey.”
                                                                              –attributed to Hector Prime, commander of the Tower of
                     –Inquisitor Czevak at the Conclave of Har                              Adamant, Hethgard, executed for cowardice



T
        he Tyranid threat is a menace unlike any other faced by           The Master of the battle-swarm, the Hive Tyrant is a massively
        the Imperium, massive in scale and wholly alien in its            built and powerful creature which serves in some part as a
        nature and need to devour, not just mankind, but all life         ‘leader’ of the Tyranid attack on the ground. Akin in power to
in the galaxy. The Tyranids are a vast swarm of predatory beasts          a living tank, able to rip through armour plate like wet paper
driven and controlled by a single Hive Mind: one flesh, one will,         and wreak indiscriminate slaughter, they are also incredibly
and one biology, all designed to consume and absorb biomass               fast and lithe. Some may even possess wings and extreme
on a monumental scale and focused solely on satiating a hunger            biomorphic mutations, often taking the place of unwholesome
without end. From the cold depths of intergalactic space they have        weapons which may burn or strangle their victims at range.
come—the tendrils of the Great Devourer—an all destroying                 Each is also a powerful psychic node for the greater Tyranid
swarm composed of billions of organisms, each one the agent               Hive Mind, not merely providing the swarm with a strategic
of a great and immortal intelligence. They have left nothing but          focus and overriding purpose, but also harnessing the Hive
dead husks of former life-bearing worlds in their wake, and if the        Mind’s raw power offensively to drive fragile human minds
Imperium cannot stop them, all hope is lost.                              insane with fear and burn out the brains of enemy psykers
    Named for the doomed Explorator outpost on Tyran which                who would match their paltry powers against it.
fell before the onslaught of what would come to be named
Hive Fleet Behemoth in 745.M41, the Tyranid threat has since
ravaged hundreds if not thousands of star systems, principally
in the Segmentum Ultima, like a vast and monstrous set of jaws
biting down on the galactic plain, although no corner of the wide
Imperium has so far proved beyond the reach of the fragmented
tendrils of the onrushing nightmare tide. Indeed, the Genestealer,
long an insidious threat that has troubled Mankind for millennia
appears now to be a harbinger of the Tyranids, and the dim secrets
of the ancient past hint at past threats, but never so widespread or
potentially catastrophic as at present.
    In battle, the Tyranids are a horror beyond comprehension, a
monstrous tide of merciless claw, venom, and fang that cannot be
bargained with, reasoned with, or surrendered to. It strikes with the
relentless fury of a rabid beast, yet it is driven by a cold and alien
intelligence that makes every component of the swarm—from
lowly flesh-boring parasites to gargantuan war-creatures the size
of a Battle Titan—far more dangerous than any mere animal could
ever be. Carried through the void on immense living bioships, the
seemingly numberless and inexhaustible hive fleets are attracted to
worlds rich with life like a great ocean predator may be drawn to
blood in the water. They descend upon their prey-world, raining
down poisonous spores that taint and pollute the atmosphere and
unleashing murderous hunting creatures to slaughter any animal
life that might pose a threat to consumption. Depending on the
particular fleet’s resources and size, other adaptive and mutating
war-beasts and biologically created leader-creatures will also be
unleashed to wage an unrelenting war of extermination on the
world, a war that will only end in one of two ways: the defeat and
purging of the Tyranid assault by the defenders, or the complete
consumption and reduction of all living matter by the Hive Fleet,
a dead world left in its wake.


                                                                                                                              369
                                                                                      The Horror (Psychic Power): As a Half Action, the Hive
                    S                                                                 Tyrant may unleash a wave of horror that gnaws at the resolve of
                                                                                      its enemies. This power may be used to target a Kill-team within
                                     S     T     ag int Per WP fel                    75 metres. Each member of the Kill-team within the range of this
                                  (18)   (15)                       (14)              power must take a Willpower test with a –30 modifier. The Kill-
                     78 33 60 53 45 45 49 70 ––                                       team takes one point of cohesion damage per member that fails
                                                                                      this test. All other non-Tyranid (and non-Space Marine) NPC’s
                    Movement: 7/14/21/42                           Wounds: 120        within range of the Hive Tyrant must pass a fear-based Willpower
XIII: Adversaries




                    Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Swim (S).                     Test with a –30 modifier or flee in panic.
                    Talents: Ambidextrous, Combat Master, Crushing Blow,              Death Shock: When a Hive Tyrant is slain, its death sends a
                    Fearless, Heightened Senses (All), Psy Rating (8), Two            shockwave through the Hive Mind. When a Hive Tyrant is slain,
                    Weapon Wielder (Melee), Swift Attack, Lightning Attack.           all Tyranid Creatures within synapse range (Willpower Bonus
                    Traits: Brutal Charge, Dark Sight, Fear 4 (Terrifying), Natural   x 10 metres) that do not have the Fearless Talent or Synapse
                    Armour (Bonded Exoskeleton), Multiple Arms, Unnatural             Creature Trait will automatically break and flee as quickly as they
                    Strength (×3), Unnatural Toughness (×3), Improved Natural         can (this effect overrides the effects of Instinctive Behaviour in
                    Weapons (Scything Talons), Shadow in the Warp, Size               this instance). Any Tyranid Creature with the Fearless or Synapse
                    (Massive), Synapse Creature, Tyranid.                             Creature Trait must pass a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test or
                    Armour: Bonded Exoskeleton (All 10).                              be stunned for one round.
                    Weapons: Scything Talons (1d10+22 R; Pen 3).
                    Gear: None.
                                                                                      Tyranid Warrior (eliTe)
                    Special Rules
                                                                                      “Every one of the myriad of Tyranid warrior-creatures is a killing
                    Biomorph: At the GM’s discretion, a Hive Tyrant may be            machine, perfectly adapted to slaughter its victims. They are the
                    given the Toxic (1d10) Trait. This Trait will also apply to       ultimate predators, and we are their prey.”
                    the Hive Tyrant’s Natural Weapon and Ranged attacks. They
                    may be given Bone Swords and Lash Whips in addition to                               –from the reflections of an unknown Adept
                    their scything talons from the Tyranid Weapons onpage 372
                    in this chapter. They may also remove the Lightning Attack        The Tyranid Warrior is death incarnate; a biological engine
                    talent and take a ranged weapon from the Tyranid Weapons          designed for murder, in every aspect of strength, size, and
                    listed in the Tyranid Weapons on page 372 in this chapter.        resilience it is literally superhuman. They are also incredible
                    Monstrous Tyranid Psyker: The Hive Tyrant is a psyker             fighters, each more than equal to a Space Marine in combat
                    but their powers drawn upon the power of the Hive Mind            power, be it with their great scythe-like talons of augmented
                    rather than direct manipulation of the Warp. Because of this      bone (sharp enough to bisect an armoured Man in a single
                    and the monstrous power of the Hive Mind they do not need         stroke) or the nightmarish living weapons they carry that
                    to test to use their psychic powers and never suffer Psychic      spit flesh-boring parasites for ammunition and consign their
                    Phenomena or Perils of the Warp. A Hive Tyrant may only           victims to a death too vile to contemplate. Tyranid Warriors
                    use a single psychic power during its turn.                       also act as vital psychic resonators for the Tyranid swarm,
                    Catalyst (Psychic Power): As a Half Action, the Hive Tyrant       receiving, amplifying, and transmitting the Hive Mind’s
                    may send out a signal from the Hive Mind that infuses lesser      controlling will and purpose to the lesser creatures around
                    Tyranid creatures with an unnatural vitality. This power may      them.
                    be used on a single Tyranid Horde within 75 metres: until
                    the beginning of the Hive Tyrant’s next turn, the Horde gains
                    10+1d10 Magnitude.
                    Psychic Scream (Psychic Power): As a Half Action, the
                    Hive Tyrant may let forth a terrible silent scream that echoes
                    in the mind as a crippling shriek. All those sentient, living
                    creatures (not soulless machines or daemons) within 20
                    metres suffer a hit that deals 1d10+8 Impact Damage to their
                    head with the Shocking quality (see page Weapon Special
                    Qualities on page 142 in Chapter V: Armoury). The victims
                    suffers a –30 penalty to his Toughness Test to resist Stunning.
                    If the Toughness Test is failed, the victim is stunned for 1d5
                    rounds.




                               370
S
                  S       T     ag int Per WP fel
               (12)    (10)
 55 30 60 50 44 20 35 50 ––
                                                 Wounds: 48




                                                                                                                                                  XIII: Adversaries
Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Swim (S) +10.
Talents: Fearless, Swift Attack.
Traits: Dark Sight, Fear 3 (Horrifying), Natural Armour
(Hardened Carapace), Multiple Arms, Unnatural Strength (×2),
Unnatural Toughness (×2), Improved Natural Weapons (Scything             S
Talons or Rending Claws), Shadow in the Warp, Size (Enormous),
Synapse Creature, Tyranid.
                                                                                           S       T      ag int Per WP fel
Armour: Reinforced Chitin (All 8).
Weapons: Scything Talons (1d10+14 R; Pen 3), or Rending                   45 20 35 30 55 10 40 30 ––
Claws (1d10+12; Pen 5 Razor Sharp), Devourer (30m, —/—
/10; 1d10+6 R; Pen 0; Clip —; Reload —; Living Ammunition,                                                            Wounds: 9
Storm, Tearing) or Death Spitter (40m, S/3/—; 1d10+6 E; Pen              Skills: Acrobatics (Ag) +20, Awareness (Per), Dodge (Ag)
4; Clip —; Reload —; Living Ammunition, Tearing).                        +10, Silent Move (Ag), Swim (S) +10.
Gear: None.                                                              Talents: Leap Up, Swift Attack.
                                                                         Traits: Dark Sight, Natural Armour (Chitinous Carapace),
Special Rules                                                            Improved Natural Weapons (Scything Talons), Instinctive
                                                                         Behaviour (Feed), Tyranid, Overwhelming (Horde), Unnatural
Biomorph: At the GM’s discretion, A Tyranid Warrior may                  Speed.
possess the Toxic (1d10) Trait. This Trait will also apply to            Armour: Chitinous Carapace (Arms 3, Head 3, Body 3, Legs
the Tyranid Warrior’s Natural Weapon and Ranged attacks.                 3, Horde 3).
They may also remove their ranged weapon and gain the                    Weapons: Scything Talons (1d10+5 R; Pen 3).
Lightning Attack talent.                                                 Gear: None.
Shrikes: At the GM’s discretion, A Tyranid Warrior may
possess the Flyer (10) Trait. Tyranid Warriors possessing                Special Rules
wings are known as Shrikes.
                                                                         Horde: Hormagaunts can be used as a Horde (see Hordes on
                                                                         page 359 of this chapter).
hormagaUnT (TrooPs)                                                         Biomorph: At the GM’s discretion, Hormagaunts may
                                                                         also be given the Toxic (1d10) Trait. This Trait will also apply
“We cannot live through this. Mankind cannot live through this. In a     to the Hormagaunt’s Natural Weapon attacks.
single day they have covered this planet with a flood of living blades
and needle-fanged mouths. Kill one, and ten take its place. If they
are truly without number, then our race is doomed to a violent death     TermaganT (TrooPs)
before every shred of our civilisation is scoured away by a force more
voracious than the fires of hell themselves. Death! By the Machine       “As I looked into its dead black eyes, I saw the terrible sentience it
God, Death is here!”                                                     had in place of a soul. And looking back from the deepest recesses of
                                                                         the alien’s mind, I perceived what I can describe only as an immortal
                                       –Magos Varnak, last words         hunger.”

A seemingly stable bio-mutation of the Gaunt genus of                                             –Ultramarines Chief Librarian Tigurius
Tyranid war-beast, the Hormagaunt is a biological machine,
a living weapon designed and bred with but a single purpose              The Termagant is one of the basic warrior units of the
in mind: to close with a living enemy as rapidly as possible             Tyranid Swarm, and one of the most commonly encountered
and eviscerate it with its long-bladed talons and do so again,           creatures on the battlefield. They are bred and unleashed in
and again, and again without remorse or relent until nothing             their thousands by the hive fleets in great waves to blunt the
living opposes it. Unleashed in huge, restless swarms made               fire of their enemies and overwhelm them in an unstoppable
up of close packed ranks of rippling claws and hard-edged                tide of flesh and fang. Man-sized, but low and hunched
chitinous plates, Hormagaunts move across the ground like                in appearance, they are agile, fast, and extremely deadly.
lighting quick shoals of deadly fish. Drawn to the scent of              Termagants are usually armed with a variety of symbiotic
blood, they close in for the kill, leaping, screaming, and               weapon-creatures of various forms, as well as needle-teeth
scuttling. They leave nothing alive in their wake.                       and ripping claws with which to rend and devour their prey.


                                                                                                                              371
                                                                                              (Weapon Quality) Living Ammunition: The ranged
                                                                                           weapons of the Tyranids use ammunition that is grown, gestated,
                                                                                           or excreted by the creature or weapon. As such, ranged Tyranid
                                                                                           weapons do not have a clip value (it is considered to be infinite),
                                                                                           and do not need to be reloaded. The weapon also never Jams.


                                                                                           ranged WeaPons
XIII: Adversaries




                                                                                           Barbed strangler and stranglethorn cannon
                                                                                           The Barbed Strangler shoots a seed pod the size of a man’s
                                                                                           fist using muscle contraction along the fleshy barrel of the
                    S                                                                      weapon. Upon impact, the strangler seed-pod grows to
                                                                                           maturity in seconds, sending out hooked tendrils to bind and
                                      S      T     ag int Per WP fel                       tear at its prey. The Stranglethorn Cannon is a more potent
                                                                                           species of Barbed Strangler that shoots seed pods that spawn
                     30 33 32 30 40 10 40 30 ––                                            deadlier and more aggressive tendrils.

                                                                   Wounds: 9              deathspitter
                    Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Dodge (Ag), Silent Move
                    (Ag), Swim (S) +10.                                                    A Deathspitter is a complex weapon symbiote that shoots
                    Talents: Leap Up.                                                      maggot-like organisms at targets with a spasm of agonised
                    Traits: Dark Sight, Natural Armour (Chitinous Carapace),               muscle. Upon striking the target, the squirming projectile
                    Improved Natural Weapons (Teeth and Claws), Instinctive                disintegrates in a spray of corrosive slime.
                    Behaviour (Lurk), Tyranid.
                    Armour: Chitinous Carapace (Arms 3, Head 3, Body 3, Legs               devourer
                    3, Horde 3).
                    Weapons: Fleshborer (20m; S/–/– , 1d10+5 R; Pen 3, Clip                A Devourer is a conical lump of flesh that showers its target
                    N/A, Reload —; Living Ammunition, Tearing) Teeth and                   with a mass of worm-like parasites that burrow through flesh
                    Claws (1d10+3 R; Pen 3).                                               and armour, thus eating the target alive.
                    Gear: None.                                                                Brain Leech Worms: A Devourer may be host to these
                                                                                           more voracious and deadly variety of creatures. A Devourer
                    Special Rules                                                          with Brain Leech Worms does 2d10+6 R damage, and if it
                                                                                           inflicts any damage on a squad of Battle-Brothers, the squad
                    Horde: Termagants can be used as a Horde (see Hordes on                suffers one additional point of Cohesion damage.
                    page 359 of this chapter).
                       Biomorph: At the GM’s discretion, Termagants may                    fleshborer
                    also be given the Toxic (1d10) Trait. This Trait will also
                    apply to the Termagant’s Natural Weapon attacks and their              A Fleshborer is a nest for razor-fanged borer beetles which it
                    Fleshborer attacks.                                                    ejects towards enemies.

                                                                                           venom cannon and heavy venom cannon
                    Tyranid WeaPons
                    Tyranid weapons are living things. In many cases the weapons           The Venom Cannon uses an electrostatic charge to shoot
                    wielded by the various species of Tyranid are symbiotic creatures      highly corrosive crystals coated with a metallic, venomous
                    that grow and live together with the host creature that wields them.   residue. On impact, the crystals shatter, creating a deadly
                    Presented here are a selection of Tyranid weapons; there are many      cloud of fragments. Some larger species of Tyranid also use an
                    more which may appear in future Deathwatch supplements.                even larger and more potent species of the Venom Cannon,
                        Weapon Training: Only creatures with the Tyranid Trait             referred to by Imperial Forces as a Heavy Venom Cannon.
                    may use Tyranid weapons. No weapon training Talent is required
                    for a Tyranid to use a Tyranid weapon.
                        (Weapon Quality) Deadly Snare: The weapon envelops the
                    target in snares which not only constrict but seek to strangle and
                    flay their victim. This weapon quality functions in the same way
                    as the Snare weapon quality (see Weapon Special Qualities on
                    page 142 in Chapter V: Armoury), except that any character
                    entangled by the weapon suffers the weapons damage again in
                    their turn every round if they do not break free.



                                372
  Table 13-3: Tyranid Weapons
  Ranged Weapons
  Name        Class Range ROF                Dam           Pen         Clip    Rld      Special
                                                                                        Blast (10), Deadly Snare, Tearing,
  Barbed Strangler Heavy 80m        S/–/–    1d10+5 I      3           —       —
                                                                                        Living Ammunition
  Stranglethorn                                                                         Blast (10), Deadly Snare, Tearing,
                    Heavy 80m       S/–/–    1d10+5 I      3           —       —
  Cannon                                                                                Living Ammunition
  Deathspitter      Basic   40m     S/3/–    1d10+6 E      4           —       —        Living Ammunition, Tearing




                                                                                                                                   XIII: Adversaries
  Devourer          Basic   30m     –/–/6    1d10+6 R      0           —       —        Living Ammunition, Storm, Tearing
  Fleshborer        Basic   20m     S/–/–    1d10+5 R      Pen 3       —       —        Living Ammunition, Tearing
                                                                                        Blast (6), Living Ammunition, Toxic
  Venom Cannon      Heavy 100m      S/–/–    3d10+5 I      6           —       —
                                                                                        (1d10)
  Heavy Venom                                                                           Blast (6), Living Ammunition, Toxic
                    Heavy 100m      S/–/–    4d10+10 I     6           —       —
  Cannon                                                                                (1d10)
  Melee Weapons
  Name                                       Dam           Pen                          Special
  Bonesword         Melee                    1d10 R        6                            Drain Life
  Lash Whip         Melee                    1d10+3 R      3                            Flexible, Snare
  Scything Talons   Melee                    1d10+2 R      3                            —
  Rending Claws     Melee                    1d10 R        5                            Razor Sharp


melee WeaPons                                                      lash Whip
                                                                   A Lash Whip is a living scourge of muscle and sinew. Its
Bonesword                                                          tendrils snake around an opponent’s defences to strangle and
                                                                   ensnare those that are not sliced apart by the bony hooks at
Boneswords are living blades of chitin that possess a              the tip of each tentacle.
rudimentary sentience slaved to the will of the wielder that
infuses the blade with crackling psychic energy and drains         scything Talons
the life-force of its victims.
   Drain Life: When a victim takes any damage from                 Scything Talons are razor-edged claws of fused chitin and
a Bonesword, the wielder and victim make an Opposed                serrated bone used to stab and slash.
Willpower Test. For every degree of success, the Bonesword’s
wielder deals an additional 1d10 points of Damage, ignoring        rending claws
the victim’s Armour and Toughness Bonus.
                                                                   Rending Claws are diamond hard growths of bone capable of
                                                                   crushing reinforced ceramite and ripping through the thickest
                                                                   of armour with frightening ease.




  modifying enemies
  The enemies presented in this chapter can, and should, be modified by a Game Master to create the types of enemies
  they require for their game. Some options and variations are presented as part of the enemy profiles but the possible
  variety of enemies far exceeds these, and a Games Master should feel free to make adjustments to them as they see fit. If,
  for example, a game requires a group of Renegade Militia armed with missile launchers they can be created by removing
  their autoguns, giving them missile launchers and the Heavy Weapon Training (Launcher) Talent.

  enemy Profile PresenTaTion
  In all the entries presented in this chapter the characteristics, movement values and weapon damages have been presented
  with all modifications included. For example, a Chaos Space Marine’s Strength includes the +20 increase from his
  Astartes Power Armour, and his Strength Bonus matches this and the effects of the Unnatural Strength Trait. Weapon
  damages include the effects of the enemy’s Strength Bonus and Talents that always apply to damage such as the Crushing
  Blow talent. Talents, Traits and Special rules that have a variable effect or will only apply in particular circumstances,
  such as the Hammer Blow Talent, have not been combined into the profiles presented here. It is also important to note
  that NPCs are not necessarily bound to follow the same strictures for their profiles as player characters.



                                                                                                                  373
                            Non-player                                                 S
                            Characters                                                                 S      T     ag int Per WP fel

                    “Nothing crushes the spirit of man! The Imperium overcomes—and      20 20 30 30 30 25 20 20 25
                    WE ARE THE IMPERIUM!”
XIII: Adversaries




                                                                                                                                         Wounds: 8
                        –Sergeant Hektor Voss of the Hyrkan 4th Infantry at the        Skills: Common Lore (Imperium or Outworld) (Int), Speak
                                                         Battle of Blood Ridge         Language (Low Gothic or local tongue) (Int).
                                                                                       Talents: Literacy if from an advanced world, Survival if from a


                    T
                           he entries presented in this section are intended to        primitive world, one other skill relevant to daily occupation.
                           provide a Game Master with profiles for non-player          Traits: None.
                           characters that may be encountered by Battle-Brothers       Armour: None.
                    in the course of a game of Deathwatch.                             Weapons: Improvised weaponry (1d10+1 I, Primitive,
                                                                                       Unbalanced).
                                                                                       Gear: Appropriate possessions and trappings.
                    CHaPTer serf
                    S
                                                                                       t
                                                                                       S




                                     S     T      ag int Per WP fel

                     30 30 30 35 30 30 30 30 35

                                                                     Wounds: 10
                    Skills: Awareness (Per), Common Lore (Imperium) (Int),
                    Literacy (Int), Speak Language (High Gothic, Low Gothic)
                                                                                                       S      T     ag int Per WP fel
                    (Int), Scrutiny (Per), Logic (Int) and one other skill pertinent
                    to their role at +10.                                               38 38 30 35 30 40 35 40 35
                    Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Las, SP), Melee Weapon
                    Training (Primitive), Pistol Training (Las, SP).                                                                   Wounds: 12
                    Armour: None.                                                      Skills: Awareness (Per), Barter (Fel) +10, Charm (Fel) +10,
                    Weapons: None.                                                     Command (Fel), Common Lore (Imperium, one or more
                    Gear: Robes of office, seal of serfdom.                            others as relevant) (Int), Evaluate (Int) +10, Literacy (Int),
                                                                                       Security (Ag), Speak Language (High Gothic, Low Gothic)
                                                                                       (Int) +10, Scrutiny (Per) +10, and Logic (Int).
                    Civilian                                                           Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Las, SP), Melee Weapon
                    Humanity is spread across the stars in countless billions.         Training (Primitive), Pistol Training (Las, SP).
                    The majority go about their lives as they can and their            Armour: Hardened body glove under heavy robes (Arms 3,
                    circumstances dictate, from hive workers to hardscrabble           Body 3, Legs 3).
                    colonists to individuals born on far-flung worlds that have        Weapons: Compact Laspistol (15, S/—/—; 1d10+1 E;
                    never known the Imperial Creed.                                    Shots 15; Reload Full; Reliable), Mono Sword (1d10+3 R;
                                                                                       Pen 2, Balanced).
                                                                                       Gear: Robes of office, respirator, personal encrypted comm-
                                                                                       link, articles of authority, data-slate.




                               374
imPerial guard senior offiCer                                   (Int) +10, Scrutiny (Per) +10, Speak Language (Low Gothic,
                                                                High Gothic) (Int) +10, Scholastic Lore (Tactica Imperialis)
S                                                               (Int), Swim (S), Survival (Int).
                                                                Talents: Air of Authority, Basic Weapon Training (Bolt, Las,
                                                                SP), Melee Weapon Training (Chain, Power, Primitive), Pistol
                                                                Training (Bolt, Las, SP).
                                                                Traits: Touched by the Fates (2).
                                                                Armour: Flak Armour with Carapace Breast Plate (Head 4,




                                                                                                                               XIII: Adversaries
                                                                Arms 4, Body 6, Legs 4) .
                                                                Weapons: Boltgun (90m; S/2/—; 1d10+5 X; Pen 4; Clip 24;
                                                                Reload Full, Tearing), Bolt Pistol (30m; S/2/—; 1d10+5 X;
                                                                Pen 4; Clip 8; Reload Full, Tearing), Power Sword (1d10+8
                                                                E, Pen 6, Balanced, Power Field) or Chainsword (1d10+5 R;
                                                                Pen 2; Balanced, Tearing).
                S     T     ag int Per WP fel                   Gear: Personal comm-link, respirator.
 35 35 30 35 35 45 45 40 40
                                                                imPerial guardsman
                                                Wounds: 18     The Imperium is protected and expanded chiefly by the lives
Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Command (Fel) +20,          and disciplined action of the Imperial Guard, a trained mass
Common Lore (Imperium, War) (Int) +20, Deceive (Fel),           of soldiery whose vast numbers are themselves their chief
Evaluate (Int), Intimidate (S) +10, Scrutiny (Per) +10, Speak   weapon against the enemies of mankind. Uniform in function
Language (Low Gothic, High Gothic) (Int) +10, Scholastic        if not appearance and organisation, most Imperial Guardsmen
Lore (Tactica Imperialis) (Int) +20, Swim (S).                  are simply equipped and motivated by faith in the Imperium
Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Las, SP), Melee Weapon          itself and the rigours of an unflinching regime of order and
Training (Power, Primitive), Pistol Training (Las, SP).         obedience. Behind their serried ranks are ranged armour and
Traits: Touched by the Fates (3).                               artillery enough in most regiments to grind a world into
Armour: Mesh Woven Dress Uniform (Arms 3, Body 3,               submission.
Legs 3) .
Weapons: Power sword (1d10+8 E; Pen 6; Balanced, Power
Field), Compact Laspistol (15, S/—/—; 1d10+1 E; Shots
15; Reload Full; Reliable).
Gear: Medals and marks of rank, data-slate, personal
encrypted comm-link.


imPerial guard field offiCer
S




                S     T     ag int Per WP fel

 40 45 35 40 40 35 38 45 45

                                             Wounds: 15
Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Dodge (Ag) +10,
Command (Fel) +20, Common Lore (Imperium, War) (Int)
+20, Deceive (Fel), Intimidate (S) +10, Navigation (Surface)


                                                                                                            375
                                                                                        monoTask serviTor (erioCH-PaTTern)
                    S
                                                                                        S
                                     S      T     ag int Per WP fel

                     30 30 30 35 30 20 30 35 20
                                                                     Wounds: 10
XIII: Adversaries




                    Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Common Lore (War),
                    Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int), Swim (S), Survival (Int)
                    Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Las, SP), Melee Weapon
                    Training (Primitive), Pistol Training (Las, SP).
                    Traits: Disciplined (Horde).
                    Armour: Flak Armour (All 4, Horde 4).
                    Weapons: Combat Knife (1d5+6 R; Primitive), Lasgun,
                    (100m; S/3/—; 1d10+3 E; Pen 0; Clip 60; Reload Full;
                                                                                                        S      T      ag int Per WP fel
                                                                                                      (8)
                    Reliable).
                    Gear: Respirator, 3 lasgun reloads, lho sticks, The Infantryman’s    25 25 40 40 20 20 20 30 ––
                    Uplifting Primer.
                                                                                        Movement: 4/8/12/24                         Wounds: 15
                                                                                        Skills: Awareness (Per), Trade (any one) +10, Trade
                    BaTTle serviTor (erioCH-PaTTern)                                    (Technomat) +10.
                    S                                                                   Traits: Machine (4), Natural Weapon (servo-fist(s)), Sturdy,
                                                                                        Unnatural Strength (x2).
                                                                                        Armour (Machine): All 4.
                                                                                        Weapons: Servo-fist (1d10+8, Pen 6).
                                                                                        Gear: Internal vox.


                                                                                        servo-skull
                                                                                        S




                                     S      T     ag int Per WP fel
                                  (10)    (8)
                     35 35 50 48 30 20 30 35 ––
                                                                                                        S      T      ag int Per WP fel
                    Movement: 4/8/12/24                              Wounds: 20
                    Skills: Awareness (Per), Trade (any one) +10, Trade                  15 15 10 20 30 15 35 20 ––
                    (Technomat) +10.
                    Talents: Ambidextrous, Two-Weapon Wielder, plus any                 	                                                Wounds: 4
                    Weapon Training appropriate to its armament.                        Skills: Awareness (Per)+10, Concealment (Ag) +10, Dodge
                    Traits: Armour-Plated, Auto-stabilised, Darksight, Machine          (Ag), Silent Move (Ag) +10, One other skill to suit its function
                    (4), Natural Weapon (servo-fist(s)), Sturdy, Unnatural Strength     (Int, etc.) +20.
                    (x2), Unnatural Toughness (x2).                                     Talents: Fearless.
                    Armour (Machine): All 6                                             Traits: Dark Sight, Flier 6, Machine (2), Size (Puny).
                    Weapons: Servo-fist (1d10+10, Pen 6), plus any weapons              Armour (Machine): All 2.
                    installed by the servitor’s Master.                                 Gear: Integrated vox and cogitator, plus one of the following:
                    Gear: Internal vox.                                                 Auspex, Combi-tool, Las-pistol (30m; S/–/–, 1d10+2 E;
                                                                                        Pen 0; Clip 3-; Reload Full (by owner); Reliable) with red-dot
                                                                                        laser sight, or quill, ink, and expanded memory storage.




                               376
g
      •
 Mission to
  tantalus
      •
seek, locate,
  Destroy
      •
exit strateGy
                        Chapter XIV:
                         Extraction
                  “What is courage then? Is it the response of fight over flight when
                  danger looms sudden and unexpected? No, such mere animal instinct!
XIV: Extraction




                  Courage rather is the willful scorn of death, and the deliberate
                  acceptance of suffering, for honour, for duty, or for the Emperor.
                  Beyond this, the true glory—this is the will to face horror, to turn
                  death upon itself, to strangle nightmare with bare hands, and to do it
                  unsung and unknown for the salvation of Mankind.”

                               –Inquisitor Silas Marr, Reflections in a Glass Darkly



                  T
                           he Jericho Reach is a damned stretch of stars drowned in a
                           bloody tide of war. This once-Imperial domain is beset on
                           all sides by the terrors of the xenos and the evil of dark-
                  hearted men. Cast amid its war-torn and threatened worlds is the
                  industrial moon of Tantalus in the embattled Castobel system in
                  that part of the Reach known as the Orpheus Salient. For more
                  than five Solar months now, the Castobel system has come under
                  the assault of the all-devouring Tyranid menace, and Tantalus is
                  no exception. While the fate of the hive world of Castobel that
                  gives this star system its name hangs in the balance still, Tantalus
                  has not been so fortunate, and the outlying colony is now in its
                  final death throes.
                      With the battle for Tantalus lost, and the jaws of the Tyranids
                  closing inexorably around this moon, the few survivors that
                  remain are desperately caught between a doomed struggle to
                  survive and desperate hopes for escape. However, the lives of all        transmissions from the Magos indicate both his personal survival
                  that remain can now be measured in no more than hours. The               and that of the vital datacore he is carrying. The Deathwatch
                  fall of Tantalus and the horrific deaths of its inhabitants may not      frigate Thunder’s Word that had been due to rendezvous with the
                  have been entirely in vain—a small Adeptus Mechanicus Biologis           escape shuttle is now scrambling a last minute extraction mission;
                  contingent was present studying local life on Tantalus at the time       a Kill-team is to be deployed immediately to Pyroclast Gamma-9.
                  of the first attack. Stranded on Tantalus, they took the opportunity     The last transmission was three hours ago before contact was lost
                  to turn their unflinching gaze upon the monstrous life forms that        in the static storm. This communication indicated that vanguard
                  came to devour the world. Their priceless data on the bio-forms          Tyranid predators had been sighted and the great devouring
                  and attack-patterns of Hive Fleet Dagon, bought at the sacrifice of      swarm could not be far behind. The sands of time are running
                  most of the Magos’ own lives, may yet prove invaluable to the war        out, and it remains to be seen whether the Deathwatch player
                  in the Orpheus Salient and must be claimed by the Deathwatch,            characters can locate Magos Vyakai and escape with the datacore,
                  whatever the cost.                                                       or whether the horror of the Tyranids will lay claim to all.
                      For Tantalus, the end has come very abruptly. The battle was
                  tipped in the Tyranids’ favour by the appearance of one of their
                  bio-ships bringing heavy reinforcements in orbit around the
                  industrial moon. As fighting against the vanguard organisms was               GM’s Briefing
                  already desperate below, the bio-ship was able to encroach almost


                                                                                           E
                  unopposed, and unleashed wave after wave of spore pods heavy                     xtraction is a short Deathwatch adventure based
                  with monstrous predator-forms and lethal parasites which have                    around an elementary objective-based combat mission.
                  already slaughtered the last serious Imperial resistance and begun               It is intended to provide an example of the typical
                  to poison and consume Tantalus’s biosphere. Unable to break              type of ‘meat and drink’ mission that the Deathwatch Space
                  through the Tyranid assault and escape off-world, the shuttle            Marines are built for, as well as to give you (the GM) a useful
                  carrying the last member of the Mechanicus team, Magos Vyakai,           framework to expand upon what is presented here as much or
                  fled for Tantalus’s southern polar regions that had not been overran     as little as you like.
                  thus far. Unfortunately, it was brought down by the Tyranids a               The adventure itself has a clear and easily defined goal —the
                  few dozen kilometres short of the relative safety of the polar ice       recovery and extraction of Magos Vyakai and the datacore
                  fields, crashing near a promethium extraction complex designated         that he is carrying. The adventure also has a well-defined
                  Pyroclast-Gamma-9. Since the shuttle’s crash landing, fragmented         area of remit—the geographic area of Pyroclast-Gamma-9.


                              378
This ‘sandbox’ provides the scope and setting for places and        Length of Time
encounters within the adventure and can be further elaborated       The adventure has been written with the assumption that the
on or adapted as you wish. The adventure also has a very simple     player characters have about five hours after their drop pod
mechanism for controlling pace and building up tension: a           lands on Tantalus until the swarm reaches Pyroclast-Gamma-9
countdown. After several hours of in-game time, the advancing       and all life in the area is extinguished. You might wish to
tide of the Tyranid swarm will engulf and overwhelm the area,       extend this deadline for novice players or even foreshorten
and if the members of the Deathwatch are still there when it        it for a more tense adventure. The player characters should
happens, their own brutal demise is certain. Thus they must         know in advance that this is to be the case, but also that it
escape before this occurs, successful or not.                       is only a rough ‘best guess’ estimate, not a guarantee, as the




                                                                                                                                        XIV: Extraction
                                                                    swarm is a living thing and subject to forces and motivations
                                                                    that cannot be so accurately predicted.
usinG a countDown
In this adventure you can use a countdown, which represents         Marking Time
the ‘sands of time’ running out until the adventure ends,
either in triumph or tragedy. In this particular instance, the      You should secretly prepare a tally chart for the time the player
encroaching Tyranid swarm provides the catastrophe that             characters spend on the surface of Tantalus. You can do this
ends things.                                                        simply by allotting ten units of abstract time to each hour the
    It is recommended that you use the countdown for this           player characters have, and marking them off as they proceed.
adventure, but you do not have to if you prefer. Indeed, if this    You should make your own judgements about how long the
is your first time ever GMing a roleplaying game of any sort,       player characters’ activities take in the game, and this is not
feel free to leave it out, as you’ll have enough to do already!     meant to be an exact science. Here are a few suggestions:
    The countdown is useful for the game’s structure in a             • Covering Ground: Using the grid map of the area,
number of ways:                                                         covering five squares might take approximately 1D5+2
   • Providing a narrative framework: Giving the player                 time units if the Kill-team is moving cautiously, 1d5 units
      characters a set time period in which to accomplish               if moving at a good speed, and 1D5–2 (minimum of 1)
      their mission both establishes the nature of the story            units if moving flat out.
      the GM is telling, and also gives it a structure. This is       • Searching buildings: A cursory search of a building
      particularly important given the otherwise open scope             might take a single time unit, while a detailed search
      of the adventure as far as the player characters’ actions         takes 1d5 units. It will take more time units to search a
      are concerned. The players can choose where they wish             large structure.
      to go and what they want to do, get involved in as many         • Combat: A short fight might take a single time unit,
      fights as they like, and so on, but they know from the            whereas a longer protracted battle takes considerably
      outset that the clock is ticking.                                 more, as the in-game events dictate.
   • Building tension: The further along the countdown
      goes, the less time the player characters have in which       Communicating the Countdown
      to achieve their goals, which should serve to focus their
      efforts and draw their plans accordingly. Also, as the        The player characters are free at any point to ask you how
      adventure draws closer to its conclusion, the number          they are doing for time. Although you should not show them
      of Tyranids in the area should increase, and the more         the tally chart itself, you should give them information such
      dangerous things will become for the Kill-team.               as “you are well into your first hour” or “about half the time
   • Five minutes to Doomsday—call in the Deathwatch:               is gone”, and so on. It is also importantly to volunteer this
      One other good thing about using a countdown in this          information at important intervals in order to ratchet up
      kind of an adventure is that it is very much in keeping       the tension.
      with what the Deathwatch are about, and perfectly
      represents the kind of missions they undertake. They are       nakes and Ladders
      not mere soldiers fighting in grinding wars or conducting
      patrols, or even ‘standard’ Space Marine Battle-Brothers      You also have the option of interfering with the countdown
      engaging in surgical assaults and lightning raids. Instead,   one way or another, either to give the players more time or
      they must often fight alone and unaided, and operate          to rob them of it as they see fit (in a way that will make the
      against insurmountable odds with the slimmest margins         adventure more enjoyable all round). This can be done simply
      of error in terms of time and action.                         by having the Deathwatch Kill-team receive a data burst
    There are a number of ways you can use a countdown in a         update that makes it through the interference informing them
game. You can do this literally using an actual ticking clock,      on the movement of the swarm, which may either be further
or in a more abstract fashion, marking the passage of time          away than first estimated or much, much closer…
based on what the player characters do in the game rather
than how long the players take in the ‘real world’ around
the gaming table. The latter choice is recommended for this
adventure using the following broad guidelines:



                                                                                                                    379
                  PyroCLaST-GaMMa-9                                                  local conDitions
                  The adventure’s location is the area in and around Pyroclast-      The area around Pyroclast-Gamma-9 is sub-arctic tundra,
                  Gamma-9, an industrial facility and promethium refinery            and the terrain is riven with spars of granite, broken ground,
                  in Tantalus’s extreme north, set amid sharp-edged rocks,           steep crags, scree hills, and muddy sinkholes worsened by
                  tumbledown crags and coarse tundra. One of a string of similar     industrial traffic and chemical pollution. The air is cold and
                  facilities scattered across these latitudes, it is a sprawling     thick, heavy with the stench of burning chemicals and drifts
                  complex, with numerous buildings, stations, and supply             of black smoke. The light levels are low—noon on Tantalus
                  dumps spanning several square kilometres in size, although         corresponds to a bright twilight on most other habitable
XIV: Extraction




                  much of its uninhabited infrastructure (such as the chemical       worlds, and while the skies to the polar north are a harsh icy
                  storage tanks) is actually buried deep underground beneath         grey, the southern horizon has already been swallowed by a
                  the steel domes, pipe-farms and dull ferrocrete blockhouses        rolling purple-black maelstrom, shot through with unnatural
                  that make up the facility. During full operations, the area is     veins of cankerous yellow—the atmosphere of the moon itself
                  staffed by a crew of Departmento Munitorum functionaries           is being changed and devoured by the Tyranid spores.
                  and technomats, their attendant servitors and a sizable                Dotted around this bleak natural landscape are the obvious
                  workforce of convict labour kept in check through the use          signs of the Imperium’s hand in exploiting the moon’s
                  of pain-inducing punishment collars and the overseer’s lash.       resources in the shape of metal grillwork pathways, strings
                  Unfortunately, the crisis has seen tragedy and death come to       of battered lumen globes, machine workings, and the brutal
                  the area. In recent days, vanguard organisms of the Tyranid        scars of past excavations. The tracks of heavy vehicles have
                  swarm have attacked, and many of the technomats have already       churned up the ground. The architecture in evidence is
                  fled or been killed, leaving the prisoners out of control and      brutally functional and prefabricated in origin, constructed
                  the station’s servitors on emergency protection programming,       of harsh square-sided ferrocrete bunkers stamped with code-
                  but without any form of central control. Hormagaunts and           signs and Departmento Munitorum admissions to workers
                  Termagants already lurk in the shadows of the nearby ravines       to obey and remain productive. Looming iron-black engines
                  and have forced their way within several of the buildings,         and rusted pipe-work crisscross the landscape. Here and
                  butchering everyone within, while the dark-winged shapes of        there are signs of recent violence and destruction, machinery
                  Shrikes arc across the cold skies in increasing numbers. The       overturned, areas blackened by fire (some still smoking) and
                  swarm is on its way, and Pyroclast-Gamma-9’s existence can         the grey bodies of dead convict-workers. Many have been
                  now be measured in hours.                                          stripped of their flesh by the claws and fangs of Tyranid
                                                                                     vanguard organisms, but others bear evidence of gunshot or
                                                                                     stab wounds caused by other humans.
                  usinG the Map                                                          Tantalus has almost succumbed to the Tyranids’ shadow.
                  This adventure uses the maps of Pyroclast-Gamma-9 provided         Vox communication and auspex tracing on its surface have
                  (see pages 386 and 388) as a framework for the action and          become almost impossible. Teleport access is also impossible,
                  events that take place. Each named location on the GM’s map        and any craft that approach the moon’s near orbit and upper
                  is a distinct area in which it is possible that Magos Vyakai       atmosphere are subject to swift attack and destruction by the
                  has gone to ground. Each one of these numbered locations           Tyranids. A single drop pod fired in from high orbit has the
                  is described briefly in the adventure’s second part, but no        best chance of evading detection, and that’s where the player
                  attempt has been made to detail them exhaustively (as this         characters’ Kill-team comes in.
                  would not only take up a lot of space, but would largely be
                  extraneous). As GM, you can build these locations up further
                  as you wish, possibly making your own sketch maps ahead
                                                                                     the pliGht of MaGos Vyakai
                  of time, and peopling the map with additions and encounters        Having crashed in his shuttle in one of the few open areas
                  of your own.. Alternatively, you can simply exploit your           of ground within the facility’s precincts, Magos Vyakai,
                  freedom to reduce what’s not important to a few lines of           guarding his precious datacore, managed to get one final
                  verbal description for the players in order to set the scene and   communication out establishing his survival and intention
                  move on to more important and exciting events.                     to seek shelter before static interference cut him off. After
                     It’s important that the players have the freedom to go          this, Vyakai and his small band of comrades that survived
                  where they will on the map; it’s their mission and they are        the crash were ambushed by Hormagaunts, and all save the
                  in charge of how they carry out their task. It is up to you,       Magos were killed. However, Vyakai sustained serious head
                  as GM, to determine what they encounter as they carry out          injuries during the battle, wounds that would have felled
                  their decisions.                                                   anyone but an individual so blessed by the Omnissiah as he.
                                                                                     The Magos’s machine-augmented body is still carrying out its
                                                                                     last given instructions; self-defence and the search for shelter,
                                                                                     while the Magos himself fades in and out of consciousness
                                                                                     as his auto-repair systems attempt to stave off the death of
                                                                                     his organic components. To Vyakai, life has become a hazy,
                                                                                     illogical nightmare, where his grasp on reality is shifting and
                                                                                     tenuous, a fever dream from which he cannot awake.


                             380
Placing Magos Vyakai on the Map                                         gait and posture. The Magos is also largely uncommunicative.
The location of Magos Vyakai on the map of Pyroclast-                   His damaged machine systems may misinterpret the player
Gamma-9 is left up to you to determine. You should do this              characters as a threat and react accordingly. Use the following
before the adventure begins. Suffice to say, however, that he           as guidelines how to handle this encounter as it unfolds:
should not be placed at the crash site (although he may be                • Simply shouting at Vyakai or attempting to order him
tracked from there—see the crash site’s description on page                  about has no effect other than to elicit a garbled chatter
385). How far away the Magos has travelled is a good way for                 of machine cant and makes him move away.
you to pace the adventure. If he’s somewhere obviously logical            • Making threatening gestures with weapons or attempting
and nearby, the adventure is likely to be shorter than one                   to encircle him results in him swiftly readying his




                                                                                                                                             XIV: Extraction
in which he’s been forced to escape a considerable distance                  weapons and mechadendrites for immediate use.
from the crash site before going to ground. Simply modify                 • Attempts to manhandle Vyakai or subdue him by force
the details of one of the location encounters to include the                 are met with a violent response proportional to that used
Magos’s presence there.                                                      against him. This might result in the Magos unleashing
   Of course, you have the option of changing your mind                      his infernus pistol on the player characters.
mid-game about where the missing Magos is. This of course                 • Overcoming Vyakai without killing him first is possible,
should only really be done for the ‘right reasons’, i.e., because            but both problematic and dangerous. Any fight or
it makes for a better game, either to prevent a premature                    gun battle puts the datacore he’s carrying in danger.
ending, or to reward the players for good roleplaying and                    The amount of damage the datacore sustains in such
decision-making, and to end things in a timely fashion.                      an instance is left up to your judgement, but if the
                                                                             Deathwatch simply gun down Vyakai in a hail of bolter
Interacting with Vyakai                                                      fire or use heavy weapons on him, it should be at the very
                                                                             least damaged and quite possibly destroyed completely,
When the Deathwatch Kill-team finally catches up with                        damaging or failing their mission.
Vyakai, there are a number of ways they may wish to                       • It is possible to communicate directly with Vyakai and
proceed given his somewhat unexpected state. Firstly, there’s                get him to come to his senses by logical and clear verbal
something clearly wrong with him—one entire side of his                      means, or better yet using the proper machine cant.
cowled head and shoulders are thick with wet, crimson-black                  This can be either role-played successfully by the player
blood, and one of his back-mounted mechadendrites is broken                  characters (in which case no test is needed) or by the use of
in half and sparking occasional pulses of electrical discharge.              either a Hard (–20) Fellowship Test or a Challenging
His movements are a curious mixture of drunken swaying                       (+0) Forbidden Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus) or
counteracted with sudden stops and precise corrections to his                Speak Language (Techna-Lingua) Test.


   a few extra notes for the GM
   The Tantalus Extraction is an adventure based on an ongoing situation into which the player characters are thrust. It is important
   to remember that the characters that the Kill-team may find awaiting them at Pyroclast-Gamma-9 have their own motivations
   and fears, and have no idea that the Deathwatch has become involved in the situation (the exception is Magos they have come to
   rescue). This means that the NPCs may react in any number of ways, from sudden hope, to awe and outright terror. Remember
   that Space Marines, while Mankind’s saviours on countless occasions, are often feared by normal men and women throughout
   the Imperium. They are known as ‘The Angels of Death’ for a reason. Once inside Pyroclast-Gamma-9’s environs, the player
   characters have a free hand about how to proceed and what leads and plans to follow. It is up to you, as the GM, to respond to
   their actions, as you feel appropriate. When GMing an adventure like this one, where there is no set ‘right’ path for the player
   characters to follow, you should always feel free to embellish the details, come up with new encounters, and have events and
   individuals react to the player characters’ actions. This will always make for a tighter story, give a sense of empowerment to your
   players and, accordingly, ensure a better game all round. Adventures like this one, even though they can be very combat oriented
   and have a relatively simple goal, demand a little more from the GM than a simple ‘dungeon bash’ style combat mission, simply
   because they are so freeform. As the GM, you will be required to think on your feet, keep an idea of what’s going on in your
   head and respond to whatever plans and ideas your player’s might come up.
       The key things are to be firm but fair; don’t be afraid to have NPCs act or react adversely and violently if the player characters’
   actions make this the logical outcome. Of course, reward quick thinking and good ideas on the players’ part with additional
   information, aid, and assistance as warranted.
       It is important to be familiar with the details of the adventure itself, not simply so you know who is where and doing what,
   but also so you can gauge how the significant NPCs will react to the unexpected. Thus you can add to things as you go along
   without risk of messing up the plot. Although it may sound obvious, a handy notebook to record names and the like as you go
   along, not to mention details such as the countdown tally, is essential. This is all a bit of work, as you may have guessed, but
   can also be hugely rewarding in its own right. If you’ve volunteered to be the GM, you’re probably something of a storyteller
   at heart, and will enjoy because the experience—you are master of your own epic story, packed with as much action and dark
   adventure as you wish.



                                                                                                                            381
                     If any of these methods are successful, read aloud or
                  paraphrase the following:                                                    “You descend on wings of fire to the tormented earth of a dying
                                                                                           world.
                                                                                               Within the thunderous, claustrophobic hold of your drop pod,
                        Beneath the bloodied cowl a vox unit crackles into life and an     the assault on your senses and the agonies the crushing G-force
                    imperious voice barks out:                                             exert on your body would kill an ordinary man, while outside
                        “Deathwatch Kill-team is recognised. I am Magos Biologis           the armoured ceramite burns like a falling star. But you are no
                    Zardos Vyakai… [code interrupt, failure]…I am injured and              ordinary men who endure this fiery trial—you are Space Marines,
XIV: Extraction




                    operating on emergency protocols [warning, warning] the full           the Emperor’s chosen Angels of Death.
                    maintenance of consciousness is [dev, dev, deviation] no longer            Within your mind, you recall the mission briefing, replaying
                    possible, lead me immediately to extraction, [Omnissiah vult]          it with perfect clarity. The world below is Tantalus, a resource
                    Acknowledge compliance. The swarm approaches, this moon                moon on the edge of the Castobel system, a system around which
                    dies. Acknowledge compliance. Message repeats…”                        the jaws of the Great Devourer are tightening shut. Your minds
                                                                                           focus on the goal of the mission, and you recall the last broadcast
                                                                                           from the world’s surface—an icy, harsh voice barking from the
                     The message will repeat until one of the player characters            vox-net through howling static:
                  acknowledges the message. The Magos will then follow the                     “Attention Deathwatch vessel Thunder’s Word. This is Magos
                  largest concentration of Deathwatch Space Marines wherever               Biologis Zardos Vyakai. My conveyance has been fatally damaged
                  they go, but will neither allow his person to be closely                 and forced to crash-land en-route to rendezvous zone. I survive,
                  examined, nor engage in conversation. Most importantly, he               the datacore survives. I require immediate extraction from this
                  will not allow the datacore to be taken or his injuries touched          location. The swarm approaches, Crash site unsafe, I will seek
                  without resorting to violence to prevent this.                           shelter nearby until your arrival. The datacore must survive and
                     Magos Vyakai’s profile can be found on page 391 in the                be retrieved. Location Encarta follows. I will set this message to
                  NPCs and Antagonists section of this adventure.                          repeat as long as the anima endures. Message ends.”
                                                                                               The voice cut off and was followed by a rapid chatter of


                           Mission to
                                                                                           sacred binary code, before beginning again:
                                                                                               “The swarm, five hours and counting, five hours until the
                                                                                           whole area is swept clear of life under an unholy tide of fang,


                           Tantalus
                                                                                           venom, and claw. Five hours. Five hours and counting.”
                                                                                               The retro-thrusters hammer into you like a blow from an
                                                                                           enraged god. The drop pod doors blast open and you spring forth
                                                                                           from your crash harnesses, power armour systems already engaged,


                  A
                           s befits a high-action adventure with time running              auto senses tracking, weapons in hand. The daylight wanes, and
                           out, this adventure starts in the heart of the deadly           through your suit’s filters you detect two pervading scents on the
                           events on Tantalus as they unfold, with the player              bitterly cold air: burning chemicals and human blood.”
                  characters hurtling towards the moon’s surface to begin
                  their mission. Once everyone has their character ready and is
                  settled down, commence…                                                g
                                                                                         After the opening narration, you can either fly straight into the
                  ll                                                                     thick of things, allowing the player characters to ask questions to
                  Read aloud or paraphrase the following:                                find out more details of what they are up to and why, or choose
                                                                                         to pull back out of the game’s events and give the players a full
                                                                                         briefing at a more leisurely pace. If you wish, present them with
                                                                                         the area map (seepage 386) showing the crash site. Either pick a
                                                                                         likely landing point for them, or ask them where they would have
                                                                                         assigned their landing coordinates, (being a Deathwatch Kill-team
                                                                                         means that they have their own tactical decisions to make).
                                                                                             Regardless of which approach you choose, you should convey
                                                                                         the following key points of information to the players:
                                                                                            • The player characters are on an emergency extraction
                                                                                              mission to the area of the Pyroclast-Gamma-9 refinery
                                                                                              in the northern sub-arctic zone of the industrial moon of
                                                                                              Tantalus, an Imperial world in its death throes and already
                                                                                              considered lost.
                                                                                            • They must retrieve the datacore belonging to the Magos
                                                                                              Biologis Vyakai, and, if possible, extract the Magos himself.
                                                                                              The datacore contains vital data on the Tyranid organisms of
                                                                                              Hive Splinter-Fleet Dagon.


                             382
  • In approximately five hours, the main Tyranid swarm will
    reach the area. The chances of survival of anyone caught on
    the ground at that time are negligible.
                                                                            Seek, Locate,
  • Once the objective is achieved, or time runs out, the Kill-team
    must gain high ground and activate an extraction beacon. A
    specially modified Thunderhawk will brave the tempest in
                                                                              Destroy
                                                                      H
    the atmosphere and retrieve them.                                          ow the player characters conduct their search of the
  • Tyranid harbinger and vanguard organisms are expected to                   crash site and the refinery workings is left to them to
    be in the area already—they are hazardous in the extreme.                  decide. They can be as impulsive and urgent, or as




                                                                                                                                          XIV: Extraction
  • Imperial survivors may be in the area, either as remnants of      calm and methodical as they wish, and it’s up to you as the GM
    the refinery’s personal, or others fleeing ahead of the swarm.    to accommodate their chosen tactics and respond accordingly.
    They should be considered expendable, the Emperor have            Remember to keep in mind where you have chosen to locate
    mercy on their souls.                                             Magos Vyakai, and also keep track of the countdown of events.
  • The player characters should be equipped as per a standard        The location notes presented in the following section should
    Kill-team mission, and in addition each will be carrying a        be viewed as guidelines, and you should feel free to expand
    double load for their main weapon. They will also possess a       their detail, modify, add to or omit as many as you wish to run
    map-image of the area viewed from orbit just after the crash,     a game you and your players will enjoy.
    pinpointing the crash site, and a one-use emergency-beacon
    transmitter to enable their retrieval.
  • The Deathwatch frigate Thunder’s Word is holding a perilous       s
    orbit above the area, evading detection by Tyranid destructor-    The main body of the Tyranid swarm has yet to arrive at
    organisms, and will remain so until extraction is needed,         Pyroclast-gamma-9, and swallow the area in a tide of claw and
    when it will break cover to effect a rescue.                      venom. However, their vanguard creatures are moving ahead
                                                                      of the swarm and erupting from dark and hidden corners of
                                                                      the terrain. They have already made their presence known,
choices & tactics:                                                    and sown havoc and death across the facility. The first and
One other thing you must do is assign the priorities for this         among the most dangerous to show themselves have been
mission, take Oaths, set requisition, and so on (see Missions         isolated broods of Termagants and Hormagaunts, regurgitated
on page 226). However, as this is an introductory adventure,          from stray spore pods that have crashed away from the main
fraught with considerable danger to the player characters, it         assault. These foul creatures crept in from the darkness of the
is recommended that you do not use the option for Mission             tundra in small groups, drawn by the lights and life of the
Complications. Here are some logical mission priorities based         facility. They have already succeeded in gaining entrance to
on the task at hand:                                                  several of the bunkers and blockhouses, and worked bloody
    Primary Objective—Retrieve the Magos’s Datacore:                  ruin inside, contributing to the collapse of the facility’s
This is without doubt the focus of the mission.                       command and control. As a consequence, the authorities have
    Secondary Objective—Rescue Magos Vyakai: The                      freed the convicts in order to fight the menace, an action that
person of the Magos is valuable to the Imperium and the war           has only resulted in further disorder and bloodshed—several
effort in the sector—allowing his death would diminish the            parts of the facility are already aflame from rioting. In recent
completion of the mission.                                            hours, flocks of Shrikes have appeared in the sky in steadily
    Tertiary Objectives (and personal goals): The mission             increasing numbers. Precursors of the great swarm as it
has a number of encounters and elements that could inspire            approaches, these winged terrors hunt down isolated victims
tertiary objectives and various personal mission goals, some          and scout ahead for the swarm.
of which will become apparent as the adventure unfolds.                  As the Deathwatch arrive, Pyroclast-gamma-9 is already
These might include:                                                  out of control, and many of its inhabitants have died either to
   • Pride of Arms: Slay a Tyranid creature in hand-to-hand           panic, fire, vengeful convict workers or in the jaws of the alien
     combat                                                           predators stalking amongst them. Matters are only going to
   • Trophy Kill: Recover a significant and glorious trophy           get rapidly worse.
     (such as a Hormagaunt skull) from a personal kill                   When presenting combat with the Tyranids, it is important
   • Honour the Adeptus Mechanicus: Rescue the Magos                  to convey their savagery and utterly alien horror. They are
     in person (particularly appropriate if one of the Kill-team      no mere beasts; they are willful, implacable things without
     is a Techmarine)                                                 fear or concern for their own safety when they fight, and
   • Honour the Emperor’s Loyal Servants: Intervene on                often display not only suicidal bloodlust but also a malevolent
     the side of Commissar Sander and perhaps even rescue             cunning that belies their nightmarish appearance. This is
     him when extraction occurs                                       particularly the case with Shrikes, massive, terrifying killers
   • Purge the Xenos: Kill as many of the Tyranids                    that are powerful, vicious, and lightning fast, yet stealthy and
     as possible                                                      patient when they need to be. Each is more than a match for
   • Deny the Enemy What is the Emperor’s Just Due:                   even a Space Marine on its own terms.
     Destroy the refinery facility on departure



                                                                                                                      383
                     planetary Datafax: tantalus
                     System reference: Principle satellite moon of Castobel (aka Halsadt),
                     designated ‘Tantalus’, Atlas Stellarum Jericho, M.35 reference.
                     Population: Approximately 79 million.
                     Tithe Grade: Exactus—[Crusade Specis]: (The moon is host to
                     considerable natural resources in sub-strata promethium [grade
                     Vulcan-989] and other geologically attendant chemicals, exploitation
XIV: Extraction




                     of which is fully established and tithed to the consumption of the
                     Achilus Crusade via Departmento Munitorum Edict.)
                     Geography/Demography: Tantalus is a world approximately two
                     thirds the mass of Holy Terra in stable orbit around a type III gas
                     giant, whose length of day, gravity, and climatic conditions point to
                     deliberate alteration during the High Dark Age (see extant examples
                     throughout the Segmentum, i.e. Typha-IV, Magna Borallia, Jaegers
                     Folly et al), and was an agri-world serving the primary Castobel hive
                     world (see Castobel I) during the period of established Imperial rule of the Jericho Sector. Over the last millennia while
                     out of Imperial control, Tantalus has undergone a transition towards a climatic cooling associated with the slow onset of
                     a rotational ice age and prevalent conditions on the moon are now predominately stormy, and topography succumbing
                     to sub-arctic/tundra with polar ice caps advancing to cover 32% of the moon’s surface.
                     Human life had dwindled considerably during the local ‘Age of Shadow’ to fewer than ten million living as pre-industrial
                     hunter-gatherers. However, with the coming of the Achilus crusade and the resurgence of the hive world of Castobel,
                     extensive promethium refinery infrastructure, the starport/city of Tantalus Landing and other settlements have been
                     constructed and the population has trebled through forced immigration of tithed workers and crusade forces.
                     Governmental Type: Crusade Dictatorship/Departmento Munitorum Satrapy.
                     Lunar Governor: Quastor-Intendant Charlotta Grimes.
                     Adept Presence: Extensive Departmento Munitorum officio presence, sub-directorate level, minor presence Adeptus
                     Mechanicus/Chthonic, Adeptus Mechanicus/Biologis. Other adept presence not considered noteworthy.
                     Military: Crusade military forces garrison station: Tantalus used as ‘second line’ rotation post for the Orpheus Salient
                     war zone crusade forces. Median garrison levels approximately ten to fifteen thousand troops on rotation (High/High.)
                     Additional forces of the Adeptus Munitorum provost command overseer/disciplinary corps are charged with maintaining
                     order and ensuring production, and comprise roughly two hundred thousand operatives (Average/Low.)
                     +++Deathwatch Addendum: Code Omega-Black+++
                     Tantalus overran by Tyranid xeno-forms. Imperial resistance has been crushed. The primary starports and habitation
                     zones have been lost, mainline Imperial Guard garrison effectively destroyed, lunar governance destroyed, estimated
                     population causalities 89% and rising. Catalytic organisms now entering environmental prevalence in the Tantalus
                     Equatorial zone—estimate twenty to seventy hours until biospheric conversion begins. Fragmented resistance holding
                     out in the Polar Regions for the moment. However, armament and size of remaining forces totally inadequate to prevent
                     the Tyranid swarm systematically advancing to scour the world of all life.
                     +++Tantalus is lost: May the God-Emperor cherish the souls of its defenders+++


                      While certain encounters with Tyranids in this adventure are          • For each hour that has elapsed on the countdown: +10
                  keyed to certain locations on the map (see page 386), the Kill-             (cumulative)
                  team should also encounter the talons of the Tyranid menace               • The Kill-team is proceeding at speed, is travelling by
                  while they search the Pyroclast complex. Just how frequent these            vehicle or otherwise calling attention to itself: +10 to
                  encounters are remains up to you, but once an hour or so of in-             +20 (GM decides)
                  game time should be sufficient for a novice team. As a rule of            • The Kill-team has recently engaged in a firefight or other
                  thumb, the more circumspect and cautious the player characters              battle: +10
                  are, (i.e., they avoid discharging their weapons unnecessarily,           • The Kill-team is in an area abundant in corpses or other
                  and try to proceed fairly stealthily, etc,) the less frequent these         carrion: +10
                  encounters will be. However, the more the Kill-team draws                 • The Kill-team is with a group of living humans, ten or
                  attention to itself, the more likely it is to be attacked. Matters will     more strong: +20 or more (GM decides)
                  worsen as the countdown approaches the final hour, with ever
                  more numerous and more deadly Tyranids reaching the area. As
                  a guideline to these roving attacks and ambushes, refer to Table
                  14–1 Tyranid Encounters, to determine what may occur. To use
                  the table, roll a d100 in secret and apply the following criteria to
                  the result, totalling any applicable bonuses:


                              384
 Map Locations                                                           Tracking down Magos Vyakai
                                                                         Any player character with the relevant Skills and Talents can
                                                                         attempt to physically track the progress of Vyakai and the
                                                                         other survivors from the crash site, although this is particularly
1: crasheD shuttle                                                       difficult and by no means a guaranteed endeavour. Tracking
                                                                         is made difficult by the ground conditions underfoot, which
Read aloud or paraphrase the following to the player                     vary between chemical-thick mud, broken rocks, and steel
characters when they approach this location:                             gridwork panels sunk into the surface to provide footing in
                                                                         the pathways between the various buildings. There is also a




                                                                                                                                              XIV: Extraction
                                                                         lack of visibility due to the poor light.
      “The jagged scar the crash has left in the scorched-black             • Tracking Vyakai’s party from the crash site and learning
  earth is visible long before you come to the broken body of the             the general direction of their travel requires a Difficult
  shuttlecraft itself. Once a mighty machine, the spearhead-shaped            (–10) Tracking Test. Succeeding on this test by two
  Kestral-class interplanetary lighter lies shattered against a rutted        degrees or more (or by blind luck if the GM wishes), the
  bank of earth ramped up by its crash-landing, its back broken               Kill-team will find the site where the Magos was ambushed
  and its hull plating torn apart like paper. Despite the ruin of the         among the rocks after some twenty minutes walk. There
  wreckage, it is apparent that this ship’s reactor and fuel lines did        they discover the still-sparking and juddering body of a
  not rupture on impact, for otherwise there would be nothing left            bisected combat servitor, two dead naval crewmen, and
  here but a glowing crater. The doors in the rear armoured prow              a shattered servo skull. There are also the bodies of two
  compartment hang open where their emergency explosive bolts                 dead Hormagaunts, one turned partly to fused ash by a
  have been loosed for the occupants to escape, but there is no sign          melta-blast. There is no sign of the Magos. A few drip-
  of them or any other life.”                                                 splatters of blackish blood lead away from the fight, but
                                                                              soon stop.
                                                                            • Further Skill tests can be made to draw some conclusion
    The wreck of the shuttlecraft leaves little evidence save                 from this scene. A Difficult (–10) Medicae Test
for the violence of its crash landing. Searching within reveals               determines that the blackish blood is indicative of someone
that four crewman, including the pilot, died on impact, their                 using elite Mechanicus methods of blood augmentation
bodies left where they died. Several servitors were also either               and self-healing, and the blood loss, while indicating a
pulverised or shredded in the central hold as the shuttle                     serious wound, does not look in itself fatal. Conversely,
started to come apart. In the control compartment, various                    if the semi-active combat servitor is examined closely,
post-crash modifications have been made to the shuttle’s                      either a Hard (–20) Tech-Use Test or a Challenging
broadcast vox systems. A Routine (+10) Tech-Use Test or                       (0) Forbidden Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus) Test
a Hard (–20) Intelligence Test made after studying the rig                    can recover and download the last few images from
will determine that it has been expertly repurposed to boost                  the servitor’s visual cortex into a data-slate or auspex
its signal strength, and properly anointed with the rites of                  display. This shows a grainy green-tinted picture of a
extreme unction of the Cult Mechanicus. It is doubtlessly                     Hormagaunt’s flashing claws, and a brief, desperate fight
the source of Magos Vyakai’s last transmission, an act that                   viewed from ground level, showing the savage deaths
appears to have irretrievably burned it out in the process.                   of the two naval armsmen despite a valiant attempt at
Power on board the wreck was properly shut down before it                     defence. Quickly coming into view, a looming figure
was abandoned.                                                                in a quartered black and white cowled robe fights back
                                                                              in deadly combat with the lightning-quick monsters,
                                                                              flailing and striking with whirling mechanical limbs and
                                                                              unleashing searing blasts of energy at them. The figure


  Table 14–1 Tyranid Encounters
   Total Score Encounter
   01–30            No encounter
   31–50            2d5 Termagants set up an ambush ahead of the Kill-team
                    1d5–2 Shrikes (minimum 1) attack from the sky (exterior) or 1d5+2 Hormagaunts attack from the shadows
   51-70
                    (interior)
   71–110           1d5 Shrikes sweep down from the sky (exterior) or 2d5 Hormagaunts close in for the kill (interior)
   111–130          2d5 Shrikes attack, surrounding the Kill-team and attacking from all sides
                    A major Tyranid splinter swarm descends upon the Kill-team’s current location. The Kill-team may make Routine
                    (+10) Awareness tests to detect its approach minutes before it arrives. This swarm comprises of a Horde attack
   131+             containing Termagants or Hormagaunts led by a brood of three Tyranid Warriors. If this attack occurs during the
                    last hour of the countdown, or when the Kill-team is retreating towards the extraction point, the attacking force is
                    led by a Hive Tyrant instead (see page 370).



                                                                                                                            385
XIV: Extraction




                      is victorious, but a dark stain clearly and rapidly spreads        since hiding in the storage basement of the station’s office,
                      across its cowl as its staggers out of the fallen servitor’s       although now his meagre supplies of salvaged food and water
                      field of vision, which shortly thereafter breaks up in             are exhausted.
                      static before failing into darkness.                                   Halis is terrified of the Kill-team, but will also seek to
                    • Tracking Vyakai after this point quickly becomes                   cling to them as his last desperate hope of a lifeline once he
                      impossible thanks to the ground conditions, although a             recognises what they are. He has heard of Space Marines in
                      Hard (–20) Tracking Test will provide a reasonable                 parables and stories since his childhood, but has never seen
                      idea of the general direction in which he went.                    one himself before now. Low ranking, and none too bright,
                                                                                         Halis has locked himself in a 4’ by 4’ room for the three
                                                                                         days, and consequently knows very little of worth about the
                  g                                                                      immediate environs or events. Talking to him, however, can
                  Read aloud or paraphrase the following to the player                   glean the Kill-team the following information:
                  characters when they approach this location:                              • Pyroclast-Gamma-9 lost all contact with the southern
                                                                                              cities nearly five days ago, and with its neighbours further
                                                                                              south in the chain of refineries two days ago.
                        “Coming across an area of rough but open ground, the                • The Intendent of Works and the ranking adepts and
                    terrain levels off considerably. Two parallel hundred metre-long          guards left via the last mag-train car two days ago,
                    ferrocrete loading platforms surmount rough sidings of piled              sparking general disorder and panic among those that
                    earth and compacted rock either side of a raised industrial mag-          remained, and Pyroclast-Gamma-9’s hundred plus
                    rail, running east to west. Emergency lighting flickers in a squat        convict labourers were left to fend for themselves.
                    station-post at the far end of the opposite platform.”                  • Halis has heard the sounds of fighting and screams in the
                                                                                              distance since those in charge left, but hasn’t been brave
                                                                                              enough to go out, not since he heard something ‘big and
                     Part of the mag-train network, these platforms are now                   rasping’ come into the station last night and sniff around
                  deserted save for a lone and frightened notary adept named                  while he cowered behind a stack of promethium cans in
                  Halis. He has been left behind in the panic of the general                  the storage room. Eventually, he heard it flapping off.
                  evacuation from the area some days ago, and has been                      • He’s seen no sign of any Magos.


                             386
   If the members of the Kill-team treat Halis civilly, he                the few still viable terminals, and make a successful Routine
attempts to accompany them from now on for his safety,                    (+10) Tech-Use Test, they can get a security report for the
believing that they have been sent by the Emperor to keep                 Pyroclast-Gamma-9 facility. Picture and vox relays, however,
him from harm, in answer to his prayers. If not actively                  are completely dead. The report reveals the following
convinced otherwise (an Easy (+20) Intimidate or Charm                    usable information:
Test will be sufficient for this), Halis will attempt to follow             • Main Refinery—Security Comprised: Defensive
the Kill-team as best he can, quite likely attracting the worst                systems inoperative, multiple bulkhead breaches, no
possible kind of attention to them.                                            further information available.
   Halis’s profile can be found on page 391 in the NPCs and                 • Workers’ Blockhouse: Full System Failure: Last file




                                                                                                                                                  XIV: Extraction
Antagonists section of this adventure. Note that he possesses an               recording available (the recording briefly shows a static-
encoder device (a small metal amulet bearing the symbol of the                 filled screen with the sound of hideous screaming in the
Munitorum fitted with a single button), which enables him to                   background, before abruptly cutting off ).
signal the facility’s servitors that he is not a hostile.                   • Comms Uplink: Security Nominal: Two servitor units
                                                                               reporting area secure.
                                                                             Additionally, if the test to access the system is passed with
3: MaG-train, Main line                                                   three or more degrees of success, the Kill-team also learns that
Read aloud or paraphrase the following to the player                      the same security information has been recently accessed from
characters when they approach this location:                              another remote location. This should point to the direction of
                                                                          Magos Vyakai.
                                                                             For every few minutes or so that the Kill-team spends inside
     “As you round a gap in the crags you see an open area carved         the bunker, there is a chance that the thing that slaughtered
  from the rough terrain, dominated by an elevated mag-train rail,        the enforcers will return. Roll 1d10. On any odd number,
  running east-to-west. The rail is high and silent, the characteristic   a Tyranid Warrior (see page 370) erupts from the collapsed
  hum of its operation stilled and absent.”                               tunnel in the earth below them.


   Used to ferry men and material along the chain of Pyroclast’s
                                                                          5: coMMs uplink
extraction stations in the area, the mag-train is completely              Read aloud or paraphrase the following to the player
deactivated and without power. The evened-out and ferrocrete-             characters when they approach this location:
paved depression over which it runs can provide the Kill-team
with relatively easy access east-west along its route, and may hide
them from anything that might spot them visually. Ground can be                 “At the very top of a rough, craggy mount that looms above
covered along the mag-train about twice as fast as normal.                  the area, a weather-beaten, steel-sided, conical tower reaches into
                                                                            the frigid sky, topped by a skeletal uplink dish.”
4: security Bunker
Read aloud or paraphrase the following to the player                         The tower itself is a hollow structure that merely serves to
characters when they approach this location:                              keep the foul sub-arctic weather off the automated machinery of
                                                                          the comms uplink. Inside are two industrial servitors (see page
                                                                          392) obeying their emergency programming to defend the area.
      “Surrounded by a razor-wire fence, on which are hung                Stacked neatly off to one side are the bodies of three convict
  several notices warning that trespassers face death, stands a           labourers and a Tyranid Shrike that came too close to the tower.
  small, armoured bunker. Littered about the ground before it are            The comms uplink is the best place in the area for the Kill-
  the shredded remains of nightmarish bat-like creatures that you         team to effect an aerial extraction, as it is high ground, away
  recognise as Tyranid Shrikes. The automated heavy bolters which         from the main facility. Should the narrow path to the summit be
  crown the bunker’s roof, and which probably caused their demise,        used defensively to mount a stand, it grants fighters a +10 bonus
  now hang silent and deactivated. The bunker and its armoured            in combat (both to hand-to-hand attacks and shooting) against
  door appear intact.”                                                    anyone or anything struggling up the slopes below them.


    The bunker’s door is deadlocked from within and requires
                                                                          6: oVerturneD lanD hauler
considerable force to open (the door has an AP of 15, and 30              Read aloud or paraphrase the following to the player
points of damage are required to cause a breach.) Within is a             characters when they approach this location:
scene of carnage—the large, single room is strewn with the
dismembered remains of provost enforcers. A giant hole yawns
in the centre of the floor leading to a collapsed dirt tunnel.
    There is little within the gore-splattered bunker of use to
the Kill-team (a few shotguns, enforcer gear, ration packs etc).
However, if the Kill-team uses Deathwatch override codes on


                                                                                                                               387
XIV: Extraction




                                                                                           has determined that he and his remaining men will sell their lives
                        “As you approach a broad ravine dipping into the earth,            as dearly as they can. A vanguard of the oncoming swarm is about
                    you hear the distinctive sharp crack of lasfire and the dull roar      to give them that opportunity.
                    of hastily bellowed orders. Advancing stealthily up a nearby               The Kill-team remains unobserved by both the Guardsmen
                    escarpment to get a clearer view of the tactical situation, you        and the Tyranids. There are a number of ways the player characters
                    look downwards into the ravine to see the overturned wreck of an       can react to the scene. They can simply turn away and let the
                    eight-wheeled cargo hauler below. Taking up a defensive position       Guardsmen die, hopefully distracting or destroying a number of
                    with the crashed vehicle on one flank are a ragged squad of            Tyranids in the process. Alternatively, if their warlike pride will
                    sixteen Imperial Guardsmen hunkered down in firing positions           not allow them to turn away, they can intervene—an act that will
                    in the rocks. The bodies of more Guardsmen are scattered around        put them in harm’s way and may consume valuable time, but will
                    the area, and among them are the mangled and burned remains            no doubt turn the tide in the Imperial Guardsmen’s favour.
                    of a dozen Tyranid Shrikes, huge, bat-winged nightmares with               The Guardsmen’s firing line is about to be attacked by a Horde
                    blood-drenched, scythe-like claws.                                     of twenty-three Hormagaunts and two Tyranid Warriors—a mere
                        Stood stark and straight amidst the soldiers is the unmistakable   probing claw of the swarm to come. If this combat occurs, you
                    figure of a young Imperial Commissar, his long black coat              should focus on the player characters’ roles, and determine the
                    tattered and bloodstained. Displaying no fear or concern for his       rest of the action based on the players’ success and actions. For
                    own safety, he is shouting admonishments to his men to stand firm      example, if the players intervene quickly and do well, then Sander
                    and die for the Emperor’s glory. Beyond them, on the far side of       and the majority of his troops will also survive, but if the Kill-team
                    the ravine, movement ripples through the rocks as the Tyranids         fairs less successfully, only Sander and a handful of Guardsmen
                    muster for another attack.”                                            will make it out alive. If the Kill-team does not intervene, then the
                                                                                           young Commissar and his men all die valiantly.
                                                                                               Profiles for the Hormagaunts and Tyranid Warriors can be
                      In the ravine below unfolds what is quite possibly the last stand    found on pages 371 and 370 respectively, while profiles for
                  of Imperial Guard Commissar Sander and his remaining command.            Sander and his troops can be found on page 392.
                  Sander, leading his men in a fighting retreat to rendezvous at the           If rescued, Sander will first look to the Kill-team for news
                  polar base, has nowhere else to go. The cargo hauler that was the        of a regroup and counter-attack, but if told the truth about
                  last of his convoy lies overturned and wrecked in the ravine, its        Tantalus’s fate, he will accept this stoically. He will then offer the
                  primary driveshaft shattered. Sander knows the end is nigh and           services of himself and his surviving men—“In whatever work


                              388
the God-Emperor sees fit to grant us a part in.” This might include
joining up with the Kill-team, holding the ravine (or some other                   “The wide hanger doors of the refinery complex’s gatehouse hangs
location) as long as they can, conducting a search of an area, or              open like a broken maw, leading to the darkness of the transportation
even securing the extraction zone for the Kill-team while they                 sheds within. The place seems deserted and abandoned, with debris
continue their search. Allow the players to decide. Sander will not            and old adept-scribed printouts thrashing around it in the chill wind,
ask for rescue, but will gladly accept eventual extraction with the            the papers no doubt scattered in the panic of a fearful flight. Of the
Kill-team if it is offered.                                                    cargo haulers and other vehicles that were housed here, there is no sign
                                                                               save for the track-rutted earth.”




                                                                                                                                                          XIV: Extraction
7: priMary refinery unit
Read aloud or paraphrase the following to the player                             The gatehouse and transport station is indeed deserted except
characters when they approach this location:                                 for a pair of Hormagaunts lurking high in the rafters ready to
                                                                             pounce. In order to determine if they succeed in their ambush,
                                                                             make an Opposed Skill Test (see page 203) versus the player
      “The main refinery complex sits on a jagged plateau of rock            characters’ Awareness Skills and the Hormagaunts’ Concealment.
  jutting up from the tundra below. Only a portion of its true extent            At the rear of the transport sheds is an open access passageway
  is visible as an irregular crown of pipe networks, antenna masts, and      to the interior of the main refinery.
  squat, metal-buttressed buildings standing out against the rock. All is
  silent save for the swaying of overhead cable-lines in the bitter wind.”
                                                                             9: central control
                                                                             Read aloud or paraphrase the following to the player
    The refinery, shut down and sealed when the adepts fled,                 characters when they breach the door to this location:
has since been breached, first by scattered bands of convicts,
and then by darker predators following their scent. Inside is a
lightless tangled maze of corridors cut into the bare rock, lined                 “With the sealed door breached, a dim chamber can be seen,
with a mess of cabling, and patched through with prefabricated                 heavily cluttered with machinery, consoles, and hanging cables.
bulkheads, storage chambers, adepts’ cells, and wide chemical                  Dim green emergency lighting flickers on and off around the
processing vaults. No map or specific encounters for this area                 room, when suddenly with a clatter of falling metal, the heavy
have been provided, and it is left to you to decide on the level               bulk of an industrial servitor unfolds itself against the far wall.”
of detail you wish to employ here, although bands of raving
convicts, Tyranid ambushes, and damaged industrial servitors are
all likely encounters within. Although the player characters may                 The servitor will attack anyone who enters the room without
always choose to retrace their steps out of this labyrinth once              presenting the right access code, but will not leave the control
they have entered it (thanks to their genetically engineered gifts),         chamber itself. The machinery and monitors in the chamber,
finding their way swiftly and accurately through the often illogical         which primarily serve to control and regulate the flow of the
tangle of darkened passageways inside requires a Routine (+10)               refinery’s processes, are in full shutdown mode and it will take
Awareness Test from whomever is taking the lead.                             more time to restart than the Kill-team has, even if they wished
    Gaining entry from the surface first requires the Kill-team              to do so. Within the control chamber, the Kill-team can find
to scale the cliff walls, which requires a Routine (+10) Climb               two medkits, three demo-charges with timed fuses, and security
Test. Then they must either find an open entrance via a broken               encoders that allow free access to any part of the facility.
access hatch, or must force entry through one. This may be done                  Unless you have chosen to place Magos Vyakai in this chamber,
with force (AP 10, 10 damage needed, internal bulkheads are the              the Kill-team may make a successful Challenging (+0) Tech-
same) or using skill, requiring a Routine (+10) Security Test.               Use Test (and expend 1d5–1 time units if the countdown is being
Alternately the facility can be entered via the transport pool sheds         used) to partially activate the facility’s energy scanning auspex
(see below), which have a passageway through the rock to the                 system from this control chamber. This can be used to roughly
refinery workings.                                                           pinpoint the Magos’s location anywhere in the area thanks to his
    At the rough centre of the refinery workings, three levels               unique energy signature.
below the surface is the still sealed central control chamber for
the facility. Breaching this door may be done with violence (AP
13, 20 damage needed) or by bypassing the door’s deadlock seal
                                                                             10: Main coMpression tanks
with a Challenging (+0) Security Test.                                       Read aloud or paraphrase the following to the player
                                                                             characters when they approach this location:
8: Gatehouse/transport station
Read aloud or paraphrase the following to the player
characters when they approach this location:




                                                                                                                                      389
                                                                                          s
                         “Set off away on their own, a row of huge iron-black domes
                    jut from the rocky plateau, emblazoned with ancient warding           After what seems to be an agonisingly long wait at the
                    symbols of danger and death. You know that these are probably         extraction point, (in fact about twenty minutes) while the
                    only the mere tips of the facility’s vast storage and mixing tanks,   dark boiling clouds on the horizon sweep in with appalling
                    filled with volatile promethium and gases under pressure.”            speed, a sudden data-burst proclaims the imminent arrival of
                                                                                          the Kill-team’s rescue.
                                                                                             Read aloud or paraphrase the following, modified to fit
                      These domes cannot be directly accessed, although there are         the circumstances of the adventure’s final moments:
XIV: Extraction




                  a number of inspection hatches and gantries criss-crossing their
                  surfaces. Should the player characters want to work mischief with
                  them, they are understandably very heavily armoured, and will                  “You detect a sudden sound, unexpected and dreadful, like a
                  require anti-tank weaponry to breach. Breaching them will result           dull continuous thunder growing quickly closer. With shock you
                  in a massive flash fire and a column of flame thirty metres long           realise that the sound you can hear is the coming of the Tyranid
                  exploding from the breach (treat anything caught in this blast             swarm, made up of a thousand, thousand running clawed feet
                  as being hit with a heavy flamer every round). However, getting            and the clashing of numberless fanged maws in expectation of
                  the domes to properly detonate requires a player character to              the feast. Death has come.
                  make a Routine (+10) Demolitions or a Challenging (+0)                         It is then, like deliverance sent from the Emperor himself, that
                  Intelligence Test, and either a single well-placed melta-bomb or           the Thunderhawk breaks the boiling purple-black clouds above
                  a series of commonplace krak grenades or demo charges placed               you, its dark hull pitted and scored with acid pockmarks, but
                  at strategic locations around the domes. A timed fuse is also              its engines roaring white-hot in defiance of the storm. The pilot
                  necessary of course. If this is done, the entire main refinery and         dares not land, but with consummate skill drops the main hatch
                  everything in it will be destroyed, and everything else past this          at the hover, and you and your companions leap aboard to safety.
                  point up to the edge of the mount on which the comms uplink                You glance back as the hatch draws shut to see a limitless tide of
                  sits will suffer 4d10 E damage, as the area is drowned in a sea of         horror begin to roll across the tortured earth below, and at last
                  fire for a few seconds as the tanks’ fuel expends itself and debris        doomed Tantalus dies beneath you.
                  rains down on the area.                                                        However, you have escaped the jaws of death, and will
                                                                                             continue your watch another day.”


                      Exit Strategy                                                       rewardS

                  O
                            nce the player characters have hold of Magos Vyakai,          In terms of XP reward, this should be based on how well the
                            or decide that they have run out of time, they must           Kill-team fulfilled its mission parameters, as set out in Part I.
                            make good their exit from this doomed world. This             The following are suggested rewards for starting level (1–3)
                  entails them striking their signal beacons and getting to a             characters:
                  chosen piece of high ground with their charge in tow (either              • Primary Objective Completed: 500 XP each
                  the comms uplink or the crags above the main refinery are                 • Secondary Objective Completed: 200 XP each
                  suitable for this purpose). You can choose to make this final             • Tertiary/Personal Objectives Completed: 50 XP each
                  flight as hard or easy for the players as you wish, but bear               In addition, you should award extra bonuses in XP at your
                  in mind that the player characters may well be battered,                 iscretion for particularly good roleplaying, effective plans,
                  injured, and low on resources by this point, so manage                  and for players who have engaged both their characters and
                  your threat accordingly. Offering them a last desperate fight           the adventure well.
                  to escape will add to the drama of the adventure’s ending
                  and the player’s sense of accomplishment, but throwing in
                  an encounter whose threat they can no longer handle and                 s
                  wiping the Kill-team out at this stage will rather defeat the           You can spin whatever further developments you wish from the
                  purpose of the game!                                                    Tantalus extraction, or let it fall simply as an isolated mission, and
                      If, however, the Kill-team has had a rather easy time of            move on to further battles and missions of your own devising.
                  it for one reason or another so far, have the first dark shape             Possible plot hooks you may wish to develop include:
                  that appears through the clouds not to be the expected                    • Escape from orbit: Getting free of Tantalus might not be
                  Thunderhawk, but rather the horror of a winged Hive Tyrant                  over yet, and the Thunder’s Word might be attacked and
                  (see page 370). This beast will attack the Kill-team and                    boarded by Tyranid parasite creatures as it breaks free. It is
                  engage them in combat for 1d5 Rounds before retreating                      up to the Kill-team to repel these monsters, battling in the
                  with a screech to lead the swarm into the area.                             corridors and vaults of their own vessel to survive.
                                                                                            • The Uninvited Guest: Perhaps Vyakai or one of the others
                                                                                              rescued from Tantalus (if any indeed were) was secretly
                                                                                              carrying a Tyranid parasite. It might grow to consume him
                                                                                              and threaten others, or worse, its psychic spore could act as a


                              390
    homing beacon for the Hive Mind or cause the ship’s Gellar                                                            Wounds: 11*
    field to flicker and let the Warp break in.                       Skills: Awareness (Per), Chem-Use (Int), Ciphers (Biologis)
  • The Secrets of the Datacore: What mysteries the datacore          (Int) +10, Common Lore (Imperium, Machine Cult, Tech)
    holds is left up to you—perhaps its data must be taken to         (Int) +10, Drive (Ground Vehicle, Walker) (Ag), Forbidden
    other infested worlds, or delivered into the hands of the         Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus, Xenos) (Int), Inquiry (Fel), Logic
    Inquisition or the Mechanicus at some perilous location. It       (Int) +10, Pilot (Civilian, Spacecraft) (Ag), Scholastic Lore
    may be the Kill-team’s task to get it there and defend it from    (Archaic, Chymistry, Numerology, Genecraft) (Int) +20,
    unexpected enemies.                                               Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int), Security (Ag) +10, Secret
  • The Fate of Castobel: Tantalus is but one world in the            Tongue (Machine Cant) (Int) +10, Tech-Use (Int) +20.




                                                                                                                                              XIV: Extraction
    Castobel system, and the fates of the others have yet to          Talents: Autosanguine, Binary Chatter, Concealed Cavity,
    be decided. The Deathwatch could intervene to tip the             Electrical Succour, Electro Graft Use, Energy Cache, Ferric
    balance.                                                          Lure, Iron Jaw, Luminen Charge, Luminen Shock, Jaded,
  • Bringing Down Hell: With Tantalus doomed and its                  Maglev Grace, Mechadendrite Use (Gun, Manipulator,
    biomass about to be harvested by the Hive Fleet, the powers-      Utility), Meditation, Melee Weapon Training (Primitive,
    that-be among the Deathwatch might very well decide               Power, Chain), Orthoproxy, Pistol Training (Bolt, Las, SP,
    that the time is right to deny the Tyranids their victory         Plasma, Primitive, Melta), Rite of Pure Thought.
    in the most abrupt and deadly way possible. A judgement           Traits: Touched by the Fates (2).
    of Exterminatus carried out on Tantalus might very well           Implants: Bionic Arms (Good Quality), Bionic Locomotion
    require the Kill-team to carry it out, and as the Tyranids        (Good Quality), Bionic Respiratory System (Superior Quality),
    are notoriously resistant to viral weapons, and sufficient        Auger Arrays (Good Quality), Manipulator Mechadendrite,
    fleet-based firepower to turn the moon into a cinder cannot       Utility Mechadendrite, Cybernetic Senses (all Superior
    be brought to bear in time, other means might be needed           Quality, incorporating Dark Sight, Photo-Visor, Recording
    to enact the Emperor’s will. These might include planting         Capacity, Microscopic Vision, Sonar Sense and a full vox
    seismic charges at geologically weak spots on the moon’s          system), MIU interface (Good Quality).
    sub-surface, detonating a huge star freighter filled with         Armour: Augmetic implanted armour (All 5).
    radioactive waste in the moon’s upper-atmosphere, or even         Weapons: Infernus Pistol (10m, S/—/—; 2d10+4 E; Pen:
    bringing down an asteroid or orbital base on the doomed           12, Clip 12 [belt flask]; Reload Full), Las-Scalpel (1D10 E,
    world like a falling comet.                                       Pen 5), Mechanised hands (1d5+6† I Primitive).
                                                                      †Includes Strength and Augmetic Bonus.
                                                                      Gear: Encrypted data-core box chained to belt, spare flask
ists                                                                  for inferno pistol, cipher keys, portable bio-auspex.
                                                                      * Vyakai’s machine-parts are keeping his body alive and mobile at the
                                                                      moment, and he is only partly conscious, the rest being run based on
MaGos Vyakai                                                          programmed commands and automatic mechanisms. Were he restored
A Magos Biologis of great standing and repute among his               to health all the characteristics marked with a * would be at double
fellows in the Adeptus Mechanicus, Vyakai was caught on               the current scores.
Tantalus at the time of the Tyranid attack and has used the
opportunity to record vital data about the nature of Hive
Splinter Dagon and its myriad horrors. His shuttle was brought
                                                                      aDept-Minoris roGe halis
down over Pyroclast-Gamma-9 while attempting to escape, and           Halis is a gaunt, stricken man, prematurely middle-aged, with
he has sought shelter and awaits retrieval by the Deathwatch.         watery blue eyes and skin almost as grey as his threadbare
Unfortunately things have not gone according to plan and he           adept’s robes. He is on the edge of malnutrition and nervous
has been badly injured and suffered extensive cranial damage in       collapse when encountered by the Kill-team, cowering in the
battle with a Hormagaunt not long after his last communication        basement storage room of a deserted mag-train platform, left
with the Deathwatch. Now his half-machine body’s self-repair          behind when the senior staff evacuated Pyroclast-Gamma-9.
systems are struggling to keep his wounded brain alive, and its       The player characters might quickly come to regard Halis as a
Machine Spirit is methodically fulfilling its last ordered task, to   ‘dead man walking’—and they would be right.
seek refuge and defend itself.
    See page 381 for details concerning how to communicate
with the Magos.                                                       adept-Minoris roge halis Profile
                                                                       wS BS            S      T      ag Int Per wP fel
Magos Vyakai Profile
                                                                       16 20 25 30 30 27 29 21 28
 wS BS           S       T     ag Int Per wP fel
                                                                                                                    Wounds: 8
 30 20* 40 45 29 23* 23* 24* 09*                                      Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Common Lore (Imperium)
                                                                      (Int), Speak Language (Low Gothic, High Gothic) (Int),
                                                                      Literacy (Int), Trade (Technomat) (Int)


                                                                                                                         391
                  Talents: None                                                     sanDer’s iMperial GuarDsMen
                  Traits: None
                  Armour: None                                                      See page 376 for the game statistics for Imperial Guardsmen
                  Weapons: None                                                     and their officers. Those found in the area of Pyroclast-
                  Equipment: Insulated bodyglove of poor quality, adept’s           Gamma-9 should be considered and portrayed as particularly
                  grey robe, pocket tabulator and data-slate, lesser encoder key    exhausted and desperate. Many are low on ammunition and
                  for Pyroclast-Gamma-9.                                            supplies, and numbed by the horrors they have witnessed. They
                                                                                    are all doomed, and know this beyond doubt, but a mixture of
                                                                                    hard discipline, ingrained training, faith, and in no small part,
XIV: Extraction




                  coMMissar falco sanDer                                            Sander’s presence and leadership is keeping them going.
                  Sander is a young Imperial Guard Commissar on his first
                  active duty deployment who has found himself the last
                  surviving ranking officer in his detachment, and possibly
                                                                                    inDustrial/MininG serVitor
                  even on Tantalus. Sander’s unit was trying to make it to the      There are a number of heavy industrial and mining servitors still
                  polar regions when his convoy was ambushed and laid waste         in operation around the Pyroclast-Gamma-9 facility. These are
                  by vanguards of the Tyranid swarm. He managed to lead a           huge, hulking brutes, with a vaguely simian form, far more heavily
                  group to the hoped-for refuge of Pyroclast-Gamma-9 when           augmented than most servitor drones, with armoured hydraulic
                  their luck finally ran out and their land hauler crashed at the   exoskeletons fused into their once-human flesh and a plethora of
                  outskirts of the facility under Shrike attack. Taking refuge in   implanted machine-tools. Most are still operating on emergency
                  the wreckage and nearby rocks, Sander has marshalled what         orders to defend their assigned posts, asking for the security signal
                  remains of his men, most wounded and low on ammo, in a            in a strained guttural voice to any human that approaches and
                  hopeless last stand to die for his Emperor.                       attacking remorselessly until the intruder is dead or driven away if
                                                                                    the watchword is not spoken within ten seconds. While slow and
                                                                                    not designed for combat, they are nerveless extremely strong and
                  Commissar falco Sander Profile                                    well-protected, and more than able to obliterate a human being
                                                                                    into a bloody smear with a single blow.
                   wS BS           S     T     ag Int Per wP fel

                   46 46 35 38 40 35 38 50 35                                       Industrial/Mining Servitor Profile

                  Movement: 4/8/12/24; Wounds: 9 (when encountered)
                                                                                     wS BS            S      T      ag Int Per wP fel
                  Skills: Awareness (Per), Climb (S), Dodge (Ag), Command
                  (Fel) +20, Common Lore (Imperium, War) (Int) +20,                  25 10 50 50 15 10 20 30 05
                  Deceive (Fel), Intimidate (S) +10, Navigation (Surface) (Int)
                  +10, Scrutiny (Per) +10, Speak Language (Low Gothic,                                                           Wounds: 20
                  High Gothic) (Int) +10, Scholastic Lore (Tactica Imperialis,      Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Climb (S).
                  Imperial Creed) (Int), Swim (S), Survival (Int)                   Talents: Heightened Senses (Vision), Melee Weapon Training
                  Talents: Air of Authority, Basic Weapon Training (Bolt, Las,      (Primitive), Thrown Weapon Training (Primitive)
                  SP), Melee Weapon Training (Chain, Power, Primitive), Nerves      Traits: Armour Plating, Dark Sight, Machine (5), Improved
                  of Steel, Pistol Training (Bolt, Las, SP, Plasma), Unshakable     Natural Weapon (Implanted Tools), Size (hulking), Sturdy,
                  Faith                                                             Unnatural Strength (x2)
                  Traits: Touched by the Fates (1).                                 Armour: Reinforced structure and armour plate (All 7)
                  Armour: Flak armour with carapace breast plate (Head 4,           Weapons: Implanted machine tools, i.e. saws, drills, grinders
                  Arms 4, Body 6, Legs 4)                                           and servo claws (1D10+12 R or I, Pen 4),
                  Weapons: Chainsword (1d10+5 R; Pen 2; Balanced, Tearing),         Equipment: Internal micro-bead (to relay data and receive
                  plasma pistol (30m, S/—/—; 1d10+7 E; Pen: 6, Clip 10;             instructions only), in-built respirator.
                  Reload Full; Recharge, Overheats), compact laspistol (15m,
                  S/—/—; 1d10+1 E; Shots 15; Reload Full; Reliable),
                  Equipment: Personal commlink, respirator, copy of the
                                                                                    tyraniD shrikes
                  Dictates Imperialis, data-slate (contains personal notes,         Shrikes are a common variation of the Tyranid Warrior
                  commendations for the fallen, details of summery judgements       genus—winged predators that often precede the main
                  and casualty reports).                                            force of a Tyranid swarm scouting out points of resistance
                                                                                    and concentrations of prey, often attacking the vulnerable
                                                                                    and exposed, shredding and devouring, ever restless, ever
                                                                                    hungry.
                                                                                       Shrikes use the Tyranid Warrior profile as found on page
                                                                                    371, but in addition have the Flyer (10) trait. They are
                                                                                    somewhat clumsy when forced onto the ground, and so halve
                                                                                    their ground movement speeds.


                             392
                         114
                          115
           113            206
     234, 236            216
           94            211
           25            234
          237            115
          113            115
          237            115
          113            100
          158            115
          230            260
          160            282
          165            115




                                 Index
          113            246
          113            115
          204             94
                         140
                          115
    113                  250
    244                  262
    221                  115
    113         

           25              250
          92             247
         113             115
         114             262
         114             115
         114              64
         114              68
         114              72
         114              76
         130              36
         114              80
         146             168
         238              84
         227              88
         114              36
         205    

                   238
          238      223
         114      115
                  203
          208      238
         114       32
         153      116
         364      247
         363      116
          66      239
         217      116
          57      189
          57      192
         251    
          25
         238      116



                     393
                172              246
                116              210
                116              150
                116              241
                                  119
                                 119
                 116    
                116
                 59               236
                116              119
                117              119
                247              119
                117              271
Index




                118              119
                152              261
                117              262
                269              119
                236              120
                203              248
                247    
                117
                          248
                         120
              27, 204     359
                 251     120
                 248     205
                 118   
                 277
                 118               120
                 118               33
                 239              120
                  25              120
                 118         234, 235
                 118              234
                 148              250
                 118              278
                 118              120
                 210               25
                 239              275
                 185          94, 275
                 248              120
                 100               94
                 206              120
                 166              121
                 155
                 118   
                 236              121
                 119   
                 236
                 239       207
                 119       241
        
                  10
                248
                 60
                119
                240


        394
             
       121                                                     205
      273                                                    234
      241                                                    123

             
       121                                                     228
      149                                                    272
      152                                                     94
      121                                                    203
      208                                                    123
      209    Other Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay Characters and
      262                                                     34




                                                                      Index
      121                                                    241
      121
      121    
      121                                                      242
      121                                                      25
      248                                                186, 188
      121                                                     248
      122                                                     147
      122                                                     249
                                                              273
                                                               160
        122                                                28, 161
       122                                                    185
       122                                                    154
       359                                                    227
       241                                                    249
       122                                                    187
       363                                     180, 184, 185, 189
       122                                                    184
       123                                                    208
       123
       123   
       123                                                     124
       153                                                    125
       123                                                    236
       148                                                    242
       123                                                    167
       123                                                    242
       123                                               139, 232
       248                                                    270
       231   
       230
       226                                                   125
       270                                                   232
       241                                                   245
   27, 205                                                    35
       206                                                   234
        94                                                   243
       241                                                   206
                                                              207
                                                              207

              
                                                               248


                                                     395
                                                              101       
                                                              228
                                                              242                                                                   243
                                                              125                                                                  112
                                                              247                                                                  108
                                                              249                                                                  108
                                                              206                                                                  189
                                                              249                                                                  190
                                                               58                                                                  203
                                                               94                                                                  202
                                                               94                                                                  277
                                                               92                                                                  151
                                                              202                                                                  209
                                                              126                                                                  173
Index




                                                              149                                                                   25
                                                              213                                                                  156
                                                              215                                                                  130
                                                              126                                                                   32
                                                               36                                                                  128
                                                               36                                                                  234
                                                              159                                                                  246
                                                               26
                                                                         
                                                              245
                                                              219                                                                   245
                                                              211                                                                  249
                                                              213                                                                  261
                                                              219                                                                  243
                                                              126                                                                  261
                                                              242
                                                              207       
                                                              207
                                                                                                                                     261
                                                              243
                                                               28       
                                                              243
                                                               25                                                                  171
                                                              234                                                                 249
                                                              243                                                                  25
                                                              249                                                                 142
                                                              213                                                                 156
                                                              243                                                                 249
                                                         234, 235                                                                  10
                                                              186                                                                 129
                                                              220                                                                  25
                                                              207                                                             27, 250




        s
        “The Bolter & Chainsword Playtest Group” Matthew Hunt with Andrew Binsack, Ruben DeJong, Richard Galvez, Austin W.
        Hoffman, Anders Lang, Scott Mallinson and Ryan Powell “Bring the Noise” James Savage with Davie Gallacher, Thomas S. Ryan,
        and Stewart Strong, “Curious Pastimes” Paul Tucker with Colin Brook, Ben Cawkwell, Sarah Cawkwell, Edd Duggan, Liam Eyers,
        Alexander Lampson and James Littlewood “No Guts, No Glory” Sean Connor with Mathieu Booth, Nick Hodge, Stephen Pitson,
        Mark Smith, and Michael Thompson “Sons of a Rogue Trader” Robin Everett-McGuirl with Chris Brandmeier, Adam Hargraves, Peter
        Larotta, Bob Leuzarder, Matthew Robenhymer, and Nate Taylor “Veterans of a Psychic War” Benn Williams with Robert Adducci,
        Derick Adkins, Chris Doyscher, Chris Lancaster, John Ross, Aric Wieder, Rebecca Williams, and Eric Young, David Schumpert with
        David Hudock, Martin Linde, Adam Schumpert, and Pierre Wagenseil, Craig Williams with Chenoa Crabb, Stefan Elliot, Leonard
        Goulds, David Thatcher and Danica Zuks, “FFG Special Ops,” Kevin Childress, Tim Flanders, Tod Gelle, J. R. Godwin, James Hata,
        Mack Martin, Thaadd Powell, and Sam Stewart, plus extra thanks to Bo Hasle Buur and Gav Thorpe



                396
         CharaCter Name _____________________________________ Player Name _________________________________
        ChaPter _____________________________________________ Past eveNt ____________________________________
    ChaPter DemeaNour ______________________________________ PersoNal DemeaNour ______________________________
sPeCiality __________________________ raNk ____ Power armour history _____________________________________________
n ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________


                                                                                               CHARACTERISTICS
weaPoN skill           BallistiC skill                streNgth                     toughNess                   agility                iNtelligeNCe                 n                      will Power             p
   (ws)                     (Bs)                         (s)                          (t)                       (ag)                      (iNt)                           (Per)              (wP)                    (Fel)




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Index
                                                                                                             SKILLS
                                                      Trained




                                                                                                                                           Trained




                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Trained
                                                                +10%

                                                                       +20%




                                                                                                                                                     +10%

                                                                                                                                                            +20%




                                                                                                                                                                                                                            +10%

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    +20%
                                              Basic




                                                                                                                                   Basic




                                                                                                                                                                                                         Basic
  Acrobatics (Ag)           o o o o                                              Evaluate                   n o o o                                                Scrutiny (Per)             n o o o
  Awareness (Per)           n n o o                                              Forbidden Lore (Int)†      o o o o                                                Search (Per)               n o o o
  Barter (Fel)              n o o o                                                 Xenos                   o n o o                                                Secret Tongue (Int)†       o o o o
  Blather (Fel)             o o o o                                                 _______________________ o o o o                                                   _______________________ o o o o
  Carouse (T)               n o o o                                                 _______________________ o o o o                                                   _______________________ o o o o
  Charm (Fel)               n o o o                                              Gamble (Int)               n o o o                                                Security (Ag)              o o o o
  Chem-Use (Int)            o o o o                                              Inquiry (Fel)              n o o o                                                Shadowing (Ag)             o o o o
  Ciphers (Int)†            o o o o                                              Interrogation (WP)         o o o o                                                Silent Move (Ag)           n n o o
    Chapter Runes           o n o o                                              Intimidate (S)             n o o o                                                Sleight of Hand (Ag)       o o o o
    _______________________ o o o o                                              Invocation (WP)            o o o o                                                Speak Language (Int)†      o o o o
  Climb (S)                 n n o o                                              Lip Reading (Per)          o o o o                                                   High Gothic             o n o o
  Command (Fel)             n o o o                                              Literacy (Int)             o n o o                                                   Low Gothic              o n o o
  Common Lore (Int)†        o o o o                                              Logic (Int)                n o o o                                                   _______________________ o o o o
    Adeptus Astartes        o n o o                                              Medicae (Int)              o o o o                                                Survival (Int)             o o o o
    Deathwatch              o n o o                                              Navigation (Int)†          o o o o                                                Swim (S)                   n o o o
    Imperium                o n o o                                                 Surface                 o n o o                                                Tactics (Int)†             o o o o
    War                     o n o o                                                 _______________________ o o o o                                                   _______________________ o n o o
    _______________________ o o o o                                              Performer (Fel)†           o o o o                                                Tech-Use (Int)             o o o o
  Concealment (Ag)          n n o o                                                 _______________________ o o o o                                                Tracking (Int)             o n o o
  Contortionist (Ag)        n o o o                                              Pilot (Ag)†                o o o o                                                Trade (Int)†               o o o o
  Deceive (Fel)             n o o o                                                 _______________________ o o o o                                                   _______________________ o o o o
  Demolition (Int)          o o o o                                                 _______________________ o o o o                                                Wrangling (Int)            o o o o
  Disguise (Fel)            n o o o                                              Psyniscience (Per)         o o o o                                                _________________________ o o o o
                                                                                                                                                                   †denotes Skill Group
  Dodge (Ag)                n o o o                                              Scholasic Lore (Int)†      o o o o
                                                                                                                                                                                             total 〔  〕
  Drive (Ag)†               o o o o                                                 Codex Astartes          o n o o
                                                                                                                                                                   WOUNDS:                CurreNt 〔   〕
    Ground Vehicles         o n o o                                                 _______________________ o o o o                                                                        Fatigue 〔  〕
    _______________________ o o o o                                                 _______________________ o o o o                                                CritiCal Damage ________________________
                                                                                                                                                                   ______________________________________

                                     〔 SPACE MARINE ABILITIES 〕                                                                                                    INSANITY:               CurreNt PoiNts 〔                     〕
Secondary Heart/Ossmodula/Biscopea/                                       Sus-an Membrane: You may enter suspended animation.                                      Battle Fatigue _________________________
Haemastamen: You gain the Unnatural Strength and                          Oolotic Kidney: You may re-roll any failed Toughness                                     ______________________________________
Toughness Traits.                                                         Test ro resist poisons and toxins, including attacks with the
                                                                                                                                                                   PrimarCh’s Curse _______________________
Larraman’s Organ: You do not suffer from Blood Loss.                      Toxic Quality.
Catalepsean Node: You suffer no penalties to Perception-                  Neuroglottis: You may detect any poison or toxin by                                      ______________________________________
based Tests when awake for long periods of time.                          taste with a successful Awareness Test. You gain a +10 to
                                                                                                                                                                   MOVEMENT: Full 〔                     〕 Charge 〔                         〕
                                                                                                                                                                                            f
Preomnor: You gain +20 to Toughness Tests against                         Tracking Tests against a target you have tasted.
ingested poisons.                                                         Mucranoid: You may re-roll any failed Toughness Tests                                                                  〔      〕   n 〔                            〕
   mophagea: You may gain a Skill or Skill Group by                       caused by temperature extremes.
devouring a portion of an enemy.                                          Betcher’s Gland: You may spit acid as a ranged weapon                                                                        total 〔                  〕
Multi-Lung: You may re-roll any failed Toughness Test                     with the following profile:                                                              FATE POINTS:                      CurreNt 〔                  〕
for drowning or asphyxiation. In addition, you gain a +30                 Range: 3m; Damage: 1d5; Pen 4; Toxic. If you hit your target by 3
to Toughness Tests made to resist gases, and may re-roll                  or more degrees of success, you have blinded him for 1d5 Rounds.
failed results.                                                           Progenoids: These may be retrieved with a successful                                     CORRUPTION:                       CurreNt 〔                  〕
   cculube and Lyman’s Ear: You gain the Heightened                       Medicae Test.
Senses (Sight and Hearing) Talents, +10 to relevant                       Black Carapace: While wearing Power Armour, enemies
Awareness Tests.                                                          do not gain a bonus to hit you due to your size.                                                                                                 TM




                                                                                                                                                                           397
                                Permission granted to photocopy for personal use. © Games Workshop Ltd 2010. Character sheet also available for download at www.FantasyFlightGames.com
                                                                                    CHARACTERISTICS
        weaPoN skill    BallistiC skill           streNgth               toughNess                  agility             iNtelligeNCe            n                       will Power   p
           (ws)              (Bs)                    (s)                    (t)                      (ag)                   (iNt)                    (Per)                 (wP)       (Fel)




                                      WEAPON                                                                                                            WEAPON
    NAME                                                                                                     NAME

    CLASS                                        PEN                                                         CLASS                                             PEN
Index




                       CLIP                                                        RLD                                          CLIP                                                 RLD

    SPECIAL RULES                                                                                            SPECIAL RULES


                                      WEAPON                                                                         ARMOUR                   HEAD                          ARMOUR ADDITIONS
                                                                                                                                               (1-10)
        NAME
                                                                                                                                           Type:                                                    ✔✓?
        CLASS                                    PEN                                                                                                                                            〔         〕
                                                                                                                      RIGHT ARM                                   LEFT ARM
                           CLIP                                                    RLD                                  (11-20)                BODY                (21-30)

        SPECIAL RULES
                                                                                                                                              (31-70)
                                                                                                                     Type:                                      Type:
                                                                                                                                                                                                    ✔✓?
                                                                                                                                          Type:
                                      WEAPON                                                                                                                                                    〔         〕

    NAME

    CLASS                                        PEN                                                                         RIGHT LEG                      LEFT LEG
                                                                                                                               (71-85)                       (86-00)                                ✔✓?
                       CLIP                                                        RLD                                                                                                          〔         〕
                                                                                                                           Type:                          Type:
    SPECIAL RULES


                                                                                                                                〔 POWER ARMOUR ABILITIES 〕
                 SPACE MARINE TALENTS & TRAITS                                                                Servo-Augmented Musculature: +20 Strength
                                                                                                              Auto-senses: Dark Sight, immune to Photon Flash and Stun Grenades;
    Ambidextrous                                  ____________________________                                Called Shots are Half Actions; +10 to Sight and Hearing Awareness Tests
    Astartes Weapon Training                      ____________________________                                (total of +20 bonus with Heightened Senses)
    Bulging Biceps                                ____________________________                                Built-in Vox Link
    Heightened Senses (Hearing, Sight)            ____________________________                                Built-in Magboots
    Killing Strike                                ____________________________                                Nutrient Recycling: Can operate for two weeks without re-supply
    Nerves of Steel                               ____________________________                                Recoil Suppression: May fire Basic weapons 1-handed without penalty
    Quick Draw                                    ____________________________                                Size: Hulking (Black Carapace means no bonus for enemies to attack)
    Resistance (Psychic Powers)                   ____________________________                                Poor Manual Dexterity: Delicate tasks suffer a –10 penalty, unless using
    True Grit                                     ____________________________                                equipment designed for Space Marines
    Unarmed Master                                ____________________________                                Osmotic Gill Life Sustainer: With the helmet on, the armour is
    Unnatural Strength (x2)                       ____________________________                                environmentally sealed
    Unnatural Toughness (x2)                      ____________________________
    ____________________________                  ____________________________                              RENOWN:                                CurreNt 〔 _________________________ 〕

                              PSYCHIC POWERS                                                                 EXPERIENCE:
                                                                                                                                             nd                〔 _________________________ 〕
                                                                                                                                        total XP sPeNt 〔 _________________________ 〕
        Psy Rating: 〔 _____ 〕     ___________________________
    _____________________________ ___________________________
    _____________________________ ___________________________                                                                                             GEAR
    _____________________________ ___________________________                                               _____________________________ ___________________________
    _____________________________ ___________________________                                               _____________________________ ___________________________
    _____________________________ ___________________________                                               _____________________________ ___________________________
    _____________________________ ___________________________                                               _____________________________ ___________________________
    _____________________________ ___________________________                                               _____________________________ ___________________________
    _____________________________ ___________________________                                               _____________________________ ___________________________
    _____________________________ ___________________________
    _____________________________ ___________________________                                                                                                                              TM




                                  398
                            Permission granted to photocopy for personal use. © Games Workshop Ltd 2010. Character sheet also available for download at www.FantasyFlightGames.com
                                    399
                Permission granted to photocopy for personal use. © Games Workshop Ltd 2010. Character sheet also available for download at www.FantasyFlightGames.com
                                                                            SQUAD MODE
             Character Name:                                            Player Name:                                                  Chapter:
             Squad Mode Abilities (pg 219)
             Attack Patterns                   Action              Cost        Sustained          Effect
             Fire Support                      Half / Free         1           Yes                The Kill-team concentrates suppressing fire.
             Tactical Advance                  Half / Free         1           Yes                The Kill-team crosses dangerous ground in concert.
             Tank Buster                       Free                1           No                 A Space Marine distracts a target to create an opportunity.
             Fire for Effect                   Half                1           Yes                The Kill-team fires at targets as they appear.
             Bolter Assault                    Free                3           No                 The Kill-team rushes forward firing their bolters.
   16
   15        Furious Charge                    Free                3           No                 The Kill-team charges an enemy in unison.
   14
             Defensive Stances                 Action              Cost        Sustained
             Tactical Spacing                  Full                1           Yes                The Kill-team spaces itself to react to danger.
   13
             Go to Ground                      Reaction            1           No                 A Space Marine calls for movement into cover.
             Regroup                           Full                2           No                 A Space Marine calls to move the Kill-team together.
   12
   11        Soak Fire                         Reaction            2           No                 A Space Marine takes automatic fire with his Kill-team.
             Dig In                            Full                3           Yes                The Kill-team makes expert use of cover.
   10        Strongpoint                       Full                3           Yes                A Space Marine coordinates fire to defend a position.
    9
                                                                                                                                                                          SQUAD DESIGNATION:




    8
    7                                                                                                                            OATH:
    6
    5
                                                             Effects:                                                                                          Effects:
    4                                           Required Rank:                                                                                    Required Rank:
    3                                       Solo Ability Name:                                                                                Solo Ability Name:
    2
    1
                                                             Effects:                                                                                          Effects:
                                                Required Rank:                                                                                    Required Rank:
                                            Solo Ability Name:                                                                                Solo Ability Name:




Index
 COHESION:
                                                             Effects:                                                                                          Effects:
                                                Required Rank:                                                                                    Required Rank:
                                            Solo Ability Name:                                                                           Chapter Ability Name:
                                                                                                                                                             Chapter:
                                                                Player Name:                       Rank:                                         Character Name:
                                                                              SOLO MODE
        400
Index
                                                                             ™




    ROLEPLAYING IN THE GRIM DARKNESS
        OF THE 41ST MILLENNIUM
    You are a Space Marine, one of the Imperium’s supreme
      warriors. Genetically enhanced and engineered with
     special implants to be the ultimate soldier, you are far
      stronger, tougher—and deadlier—than any human
     being. You have been selected to join an elite warrior
    brotherhood of alien-hunters known as the Deathwatch.

      As a Deathwatch Space Marine, your duty is to seek
       out vile alien ruins on forbidden worlds, venture
      behind enemy lines to perform special missions no-
        one else can accomplish, and confront the most
     dangerous challenges the galaxy possesses...challenges
     that only the heroes of the Space Marines can defeat.
            Fast character creation to get you into the game
             quickly, followed by a lifetime of possibilities
                  with an expanded Speciality system.

               Dynamic rules for all eventualities that let
             you handle everything from social interaction




                                                                                                     ™
                 to deadly fast-paced combat, psychic
              powers, and structured adventures known as
                Missions, perfect for Deathwatch games.

               Comprehensive background on Space
              Marines and the Deathwatch, written by
              Warhammer 40,000 Novelist Andy Hoare.

               Place your players directly into the front
                 lines of the crusade with a complete
                     adventure to get you started.

              The Deathwatch core rulebook contains
            everything you need to start your adventure
                in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.                                         781JUN10
                                                                Deathwatch                  DW01
                                                                ISBN:978-1-58994-778-8
                                         ™


              www.FantasyFlightGames.com                        9 781589 947788           55995
™
