Deathwatch is the third in the line of FFG's '40K RPG' lines, and the one that focuses primarily on Space Marines in many of their iterations (albeit under teh guise of the Deathwatch.) Unlike the last two RPGs, where Dark Heresy emphasized exploration of Imperial society and the political/mystery elements so prevalent amongst the Inquisition (EG Eisenhorn: the RPG), and Rogue Trader focused more on spaceships and high adventure and exploration and conquest type shit, Deathwatch is more assuredly war-centric since it involves Space Marines. It involves the Deathwatch acting amidst the backdrop of a larger, sector-scale Crusade involving warp gates and the far side of the galaxy, and an inexplicable confluence of events that bring all the major factions of 40K to bear in one locale (Tau, Imperium, Chaos, Tyranids, Orks, Necrons.. they all make an appearance.)
I actually think that, as far as an RPG goes, Deathwatch is a bit of a step down compared to the last two. Aside from the fact its yet ANOTHER Imperium-centric update (unlike Black Crusade, which at least introduces Chaos' side of things), the return to a more warlike focus slides back more towards 'wargame' territory, and as I've noted before I consider Space Marines difficult to write about because of their rather more limited scope. And yet they're still a part of 40K and the Imperium, and within the limits set up FFG does a rather good job of exploring it as best as they can (I doubt *I* could do any better.) and there is fo course that nerd side of me that always enjoys the booms, so I can shamelssly indugle that side of things I suppose. It also is probably fair to say that I probably won't be as harsh with Only War (the most recent 'iteration') since its IG, and I am most assuredly biased towards the Guard. Plus I've admitted I don't like Marines as much
Of the organizations to focus on, the Deathwatch is probably the best because its tied to the Ordo Xenos, which gives you more flexibility (scope, nature of threats, operations, etc.) as well as drawing on a much wider scope of Space Marine forces which can lead to internal strife and conflict. More, it requires a certain sort of person who can be more flexible mentally (by Space Marine standards) to serve in Deathwatch, both by the manner in which they execute their duties as well as the sorts of people they must interact with. The inclusion of things like the Omega Vault and the shroud of mystery surrounding the Deathwatch's presnce in the Reach also adds much to the atmosphere, especially against the backdrop of the current war.
Like with Dark Heresy, I'll start with the core rules and work out from there. I probably won't take as long with the rulebook as I did with DH, because I'm still in a 'don't stretch it out, try to catch up' frame of mind. Its not quite as huge as DH was (since by this poitn alot of details and such got replicated and I could skip over certain things, like critical charts.) and that helps. So call it probably 3 separate updates, in two pieces each.
This is part 1 of the core rules:
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1000+ MarinesOf the one thousand or more Space Marine Chapters thought to be in existence...
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Implies either that Primarchs are 100x greater than normal men, or 100x greater than Space Marines....each made using the genetic inheritance of one of the Primarchs, albeit diluted a hundred times for no human body could contain such power.
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Aftermath of the Heresy.The toll numbered in the billions, and uncounted worlds had been left as little more than corpse haunted wastelands as the raging inferno of the Horus Heresy was finally extinguished..
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As hinted at before, some sources speculate on a genetic predisposition to Chaos. I can't honestly say its impossible, but I'm really skeptical, given both how the Heresy novels pan out and what other source say. It really seems like external factors (politics, the Emperor's secrecy and general handling of the Primarchs, etc.) played a larger role than genetics did, although it's quite reaosnable to figure that it would paly some role.The Horus Heresy had revealed weaknesses in the geneseed of several of the early Space Marine Legions, which had been exacerbated by the need to keep the huge formations up to strength...
...
The insidious powers of Chaos had been able to manipulate this corruption to turn Horus and many of the Space Marines..
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They also reference the second founding and all the subsequent ones (24 additional) as we know already.It is not known exactly how many Chapters were created in the aftermath of the Horus Heresy, as many of the Imperium’s records are incomplete or lost entirely, and whole Chapters have been created and destroyed in the millennia that have followed. What is known is that there are just over a thousand Chapters scattered across the Imperium....
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The chapter 'system' - reliability was emphasized over practicality, basically.The Codex Astartes decreed that Space Marines would be created and trained over a controlled period of time. The genetic banks used to cultivate the implants that turn a normal man into a mighty Space Marine would be carefully monitored, and cultivated organs would be subject to the most stringent tests of purity. Young initiates would undergo rigorous trials of physical and psychological suitability before they were accepted, and only those of the highest calibre would be chosen.
On Earth, the Adeptus Terra created genetic repositories to produce and store Space Marine gene-seed. These banks were used to provide all new gene-seed for Space Marines and, to prevent cross-contamination, the genetic material of each of the old Legions was isolated. Henceforth, the new Space Marine Chapters would receive gene-seed only from their own genetic stock.
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the Traitor Legion geneseed still exists. this might explain things if the Blood Ravens were indeed descneded from Thousand Son DNa, for example.The gene-seed of the Traitor Legions was placed under a time-locked stasis seal, although at the time, many believed these dangerous stocks should be destroyed. By taking direct control of the genetic stocks, the Adepts of Terra could ultimately control the Space Marines. Now they alone had the power to destroy or create Space Marine chapters at will.
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It must be theoretically unlimited, since most numbers for Legions vary between tens of thousands to a hundred thousand for the larger one.s Only the Smurfs had larger (250K, to be exact.)Where the old Legions were unlimited in size, the new formations were fixed at approximately one thousand fighting warriors. This corresponded to the existing unit called the Chapter...
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This is interesting, as it implies there were no more than ~60 or so Chapters to start, and merely a hundred thousand Marines at the beginning. Given what the HEresy era stuff in recent years has said, we know that many chapters had 100,000 marines at a minimum, and some (like the Ultramarines) were considerably larger (something on the order of a quarter million.) Given the Ultramarines size alone, there should be several hundred Chapters. Of course, this is likely a recycling of older fluff, and sometimes in doing that they don't quite make it "synch" with modern thinking or ideas.Most of the old Legions were divided into fewer than five Chapters, but the Ultramarines, being by far the largest of the Legions, were divided many times. The exact number of new Chapters created from the Ultramarines is uncertain: the number listed in the oldest known copy of the Codex Astartes (the so-called Apocrypha of Skaros) gives the total as 23, but does not name them.
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This was further expanded on in Space Marine codexes, and (in the opinion of some, as per the most recent) pretty much overblown to hell (due to one Matt Ward, usually.) Of course one of the beautiful things about 40K is that often the material is phrased so that something could be slightly, mostly or totally exaggerated, so there is always the possibility to dismiss or reassess a idea in light of other material.As a result of the Second Founding, the Ultramarines’ geneseed became the favoured genetic stock of most subsequent foundings.
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It also mentions how, through their control of the Gene Seed, the Adeptus Terra has indirectly enforced the Codex by favouring Ultramarine stock.. They do say that some have strayed from the letter of the Codex, whilst remaining largely faithful to it in spirit or principle.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.
..
A small number of Chapters are vastly different from the Codex, and owe little or nothing to it at
all.
..
The Adeptus Terra has never decreed it necessary to enforce the Codex absolutely. Indeed, it is doubtful whether it could.
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greater than 50% ultramarine-descended chapters (EG 500)It is believed that of the one thousand or more Chapters thought to be in existence today, more than half are descended from the Ultramarines, either directly or through one of the Primogenitor Chapters of the Second Founding.
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Recruiting practices and locales. They also mention they routinely observe the genetic purity (the job of Apothecaries) and spirtiual help (no Chaos taint) to keep the Space Marine genetics as pure as possible.Many are based on a single homeworld and recruit solely from that populace..
...
These worlds are often technologically backward with strong militaristic societies...
...
Because feral worlds are rough, primitive, and untamed, their inhabitants invariably provide excellent recruits. For true aggression and nigh-psychotic killer-instinct, however, few recruits can best the murderous city-scum that roam the darkest pits of the Hive worlds.
...
Some recruits are drawn from the more civilised worlds of the Imperium, but not very many.
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They better recruit a LOT of people in that time, cuz Space Marines can take hefty casualties despite all their special-ness. Usually though the novels tend not tho show much in the way of what we might call intelligent recruiting . Save for some chapters like the Fists, who recruit thousands from many dozens of differne tworlds.The Chapter’s officers might visit the culture once a generation...
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The Crusading Chapters.Other Chapters have no single home world and travel the galaxy in gigantic fleets of battleships, recruiting either from a regular series of worlds or from the war zones to which they are assigned
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Even before the implants, Marine recruits become enhanced in some way. One wonders if they are permanant or if they fade over time. Going by Nocturne, it seems more or less permanant.Once accepted, the young aspirants become Neophytes and begin their regimen of training and biological enhancement.
...
Each Chapter has its own traditions regarding the initiation of the recruit into its legends and secrets. This process often runs parallel to the bio-genetic treatments the Neophyte must undergo.
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The interesting thing is if they become menials, there is a good chance that the menials had some measure of enhancement done before being kicked out. Given that many serfs seem to breed and produce families, this could have implications for the genetics of Chapter Serfs vs the rest of humanity, assuming the changes are permanant and don't fade over time (and assuming they can be passed genetically.)Such are the rigours of the training that many do not survive.
...
Many possible fates await those who fall by the wayside in this manner. Most are mind-scrubbed and become Chapter serfs—manservants and menials. The less fortunate are transformed into living servitors—mindless biomechanical automatons who exist only to assist the Chapter’s Techmarines in the operation of heavy and frequently dangerous machinery.
Rynn's world mentions that The Crimson Fists once tried breeding
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The amusing thing is that this implies that the Primarchs and Emperor had augmented bones and redundant skeletons, although we might read too much into that in the case of the GEOM, since he was an uber-psyker.Over the course of several years, the youth will be surgically altered, a number of unique organs implanted into his body, turning him slowly into a Space Marine. Although much diluted, each of these organs is drawn from the genetic stock of one of the first Primarchs, and through him, of the Emperor himself.
Another interesting bit is the physical/genetic connection and what that might imply. Even diluted, this implies the Emperor should have some psychic/genetic bond with all Space Marines, the same way he did with his Primarchs (and the way some Primarchs, like Sanguinius, had strong psychic bonds with the Blood angels) This could perhaps be the "flaw" referred to in the Gene seed, and what makes PSace Marines such good Chaos Champions. At the same time, it also implies all "loyal" Space Marines are/were potential Avatars/vessels for the Emperor's power. It may even give some measure of psychic influence or empathy (which could oftne manifest as the dreams/visions/prophecies some Marines receive, eitehr directly or through some intermediary like a "Primarch".)
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The long and involved implantation process for scouts.. this probably goes a long way towards explaining why so few people (relatively speaking) can be Space marines.The various implants cause vital changes in the recipient’s physique and mental state. Many of these changes are controlled by natural hormonal secretions and growth patterns. Implants may not prove effective, or may not become fully-functional, if they are implanted once the recipient has reached certain stages of natural development. It is therefore inevitable that recruits must be reasonably young. Tissue compatibility is also essential, otherwise organs may fail to develop properly.
The third consideration is mental suitability. Several of the implants will only develop to a usable condition under the stimulus of hypnotic-suggestion. A recruit must therefore be susceptible to this particular treatment.
...
They must be male, because zygotes are keyed to male hormones and tissue types, hence the need for tissue compatibility tests and psychological screening.
...
With the completion of organ implantation and attendant chemical and hypnotic training, the subject is ready to take his place in the Tenth (Scout) Company
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The 'misfits' in question are those Neophytes who survive the process physically but not mentally This passage is a disturbing echo of the actions of the Raven Guard post Istvaan.When a Chapter is at full strength, these misfits may be put out of their misery. However, if the Chapter is short of Space Marines, they may be allowed to live and may be placed within their own special units. Those who display controllable psychotic tendencies can be recruited into suicide assault squads.
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Geneseed is complex stuff, and needs to be constnatly monitored and adapted... is also very prone to mutations and failures if the slightest detail is out of whack, it seems. This can lead to some wildly varying results, or evne the loss of abilities (or the creation of others, or wildly varying performance.)...the efficiency of each organ differs from Chapter to Chapter, depending on the condition of the Chapter’s gene-seed and the degree of debasement of its surgical procedures. In some Chapters, mutation of gene-seed, poor surgical procedure, or inadequate post-operative conditioning has twisted the functioning of implants.
Many of the organs only work properly when another organ is present, the loss or mutation of one organ often affecting the exact functioning of the others. For these reasons, implants must be constantly monitored, and many Space Marines must undergo corrective surgery to re-balance their metabolisms.
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From scout to Marine. The hypnotherapy is important not just for indoctrination and knowledge training, but it also facilitates the proper functioning of some of the Geneseed....the Neophyte undergoes chemical treatment, psychological conditioning, and subconscious hypnotherapy...
...
...a Neophyte must submit to constant tests and examinations. The newly implanted organs must be monitored very carefully, imbalances corrected, and any sign of corrupt development treated. This chemical treatment is reduced after completion of the initiation process, 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.
...
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.
Also note the importance of 'maintenance' of the space Marine's body and metabolism.. there are evidently many requirements that are needed to keep them at peak performance (they can survive and function without them, but I imagine they run risks and can degrade over time.
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The 'mental' powers of a Marine. As impressive as the physical abilities are, I'd say many of these qualities are as important, if not more 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.
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The Progenoids. As noted before, Progenoid glands can be removed after a fixed period of time and each contains the nucleus of all the implants a recipient has and develops. Each can be used to create a new marine (its a sort of redundancy. gene seed is vulernable to genetic disturbance.Each organ grows within the Space Marine, absorbing hormonal stimuli and genetic material from the other implants. After five years, the neck gland is mature and ready for removal. After ten years, the chest gland becomes mature and is also ready to be removed. A gland may be removed any time after it has matured, and it represents the Chapter’s only source of geneseed.
When mature, each organ contains a single gene-seed corresponding to each zygote implanted into the recipient.
...
As each Space Marine has only two Progenoid glands, the rate at which a Chapter can create new Space Marines is restricted. It may take many years for a Chapter to rebuild itself after heavy losses. Gene-seed is often rendered useless if a Space Marine is exposed to high radiation levels or other forms of genetic disturbance. The efficiency of different Chapters’ Progenoid gene-seed also varies, so some Chapters are able to make up their numbers faster than others.
The interesting point is that gene-seed growth and other factors mean that Space Marines can vary the 'recruitment' rate of marines. Some can grow faster than others.
The only bit of the Gene seed listing I cared to quote aside from a part of the Black Carapace. I suppose I could have ddone more, as they tend to go into quite a bit of detail of the various effects, but it's been covered in so many sources look here for a fairly good listing.
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Interesting mainly for its "self-aware" reaction when implanted, as well as the functions of power armor it impacts. also the implication that they CAN operate power armour without it, just less effectivley than with. (a possible backup system.)Within a few hours, the tissue expands, hardens on the outside, and sends invasive neural bundles deep inside the subject. After several months, the recipient is fitted with neural sensors and transfusion points, cut into the hardened carapace. These artificial interface points mesh with features integral to the power armour, such as the monitoring, medicinal, and maintenance units. Without the benefit of the Black Carapace, a Space Marine’s power armour would be far less effective.
Other sources have noted the Carapace also acts as a layer of armor for the vitals.
Page 19 - Another section I won't detail but briefly. Basically it outlines the path of a marine.. first as a Scout, then as apart of the Devastator squad (first providing escort./support to the heav weapon operators, then operating the weapons themselves) then in the assault squads. Tactical squads, it seem, are the second highest post... with the Veteran squads the highest (aside from the officer ranks of course.)
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Durability of Terminator armor. The last bit about Titans is a reference to a short story involving a space wolf terminator. It is a bit exaggerated. Veterans also use normal power armor. We also see the fruits of 5th edition popping in, with the mention of Vanguard and Sternguard Vets.So resilient is the armour that it is reputedly able to operate inside plasma reactors, within volcanoes, and inside highly irradiated areas of deep space. Legend has it that the armour can even survive the tread of a Titan.
..
Most of the time, Veterans take to the field wearing ordinary power armour...
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Space Marine recruitment is less than 1% in other words. One in one hundred (or one in fewer than 10,000) good for Deathwatch. It is unlikely tha tthis is physical, but probably more a mindset thing."Amongst a hundred men, there may be none fit for the Adeptus Astartes. Amongst a hundred Space Marines, there may be one fit for the Deathwatch."
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A useful ability.Space Marines are naturally ambidextrous..
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Bolter described. The interesting thing is the core.. "depleted deuterium' may suggest some sort of high density (metallic) hydrogen core (which corresponds to other sources) this may explain the detonating ability or it may not. Alot of sources tned to vary and its quite likely bolter rounds all vary in construction and damage mechanisms. It's not as if there isnt umpteen million different kinds of ammo after all."It is a Godwyn-pattern model with an ammo counter, sinister/dexter locking mechanism, and a sickle magazine containing 30 rounds. Each round is a .75 calibre bolt with a diamantine tip, depleted deuterium core and mass-reactive detonator. It fires in four-round bursts."
Also, aside from the four round burst ability, they all fire a .75 calibre bolt.. the same calibre as the human grade bolters.
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- General armament outlined here (for deathwatch at least): Standard is power armor, bolt pistol, 3 frag grenades, 3 krak grenades, combat knife, reair cement.. etc.
Some specialities (Apothecary, Librarian, Tactical and Techmarine) get bolters with fire selectors. Tacmarines get one clip of special ammo. Devastators have a backpack ammo source for a heavy bolter (at least for that kind of Devastator) and Assault marines have their hand weapon and jump pack, whislt Apotecaries have their medical stuff.
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This implies that much of the "mass" gained for an Astartes comes largely from the implants, with small variations depending on things like height and build. I suppose the young age of implantation and the years of therapy and surgery and suchnot also help to "standardize" the development of marines (make it controllable) to iron out such dramatic variations (Marines are not "left on their own" to grow like normal people are.) You can still get variation amongst marines of course, its just that the 'averages' for the astartes are distinctly superhuman. And then there are ones like Haegr...Whilst wearing their power armour, an unarmed Space Marine typically stands slightly over 2.1 metres tall and weighs between 500–1,000 kg.
...
Generally speaking, Space Marines rarely vary to a large degree in height or weight...
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Black Templars fleet assets. It is mentioned they are considered a rogue element for their extreme independenc eform the Adeptus Terra.. which is pretty funny considering how zealous they are.The Black Templars have no single home world. Instead, they live in their Crusade fleets, upon many battle-barges, strike cruisers, training vessels, and gigantic forgeships
...
The Eternal Crusader is gigantic, even for a battle-barge, having been expanded and refitted over ten thousand years with extra docking facilities for escort ships, additional launch bays for shuttles and Thunderhawk gunships, as well as accommodation for twice as many Space Marines than a normal battle-barge.
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The devastation of Baal.
Yet, at some time around the end of the Dark Age of Technology, utter devastation was visited upon Baal and its moons. In a nameless, long-forgotten war, viral and nuclear weapons were unleashed, their effects so potent that many thousands of years later, all three worlds are still subject to deadly radiation storms.
Their surfaces are scarred by vast plains of blackened glass and endless tracts of polluted desert. What must once have been oceans are now poisoned seas of toxic sludge, covered in layers of pallid dust. The people of the system must have died in their millions. But somehow, humanity prevailed.
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This is more or less from 2nd edition fluff.The people of the Baal system became nomads, shifting from place to place, picking the ruins clean, and warring to preserve what spoils could be gathered. They constructed ramshackle vehicles and learned how to make rad-suits—and more importantly, rad-counters—to protect them from their hellish, blasted environment.
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The interesting implication of this is that there is a high survival rate for the process. It could be that there are only ever fifty at a time because that's how many caskets there are (functioning.) Which could be something of a bottleneck, although the supposedly shorter cycle time probably compensates somewhat. Or it would, were they not having to deal with the Black RAge and REd Thirst.Once fifty or so victors have been separated from the unsuccessful aspirants, they will be taken by Thunderhawk gunship to fulfil the next stage of their trials.
...
Soon after sipping the precious liquid, the aspirants fall into a profound sleep and are taken to the Hall of Sarcophagi. The walls of this vast, cathedral-like chamber are lined with mighty golden caskets, each twice the size of a man. The sleeping aspirants are entombed within, dwarfed by the size of the huge sarcophagi, and attached to an array of life-sustaining nodes. There they remain for a full year, fed intravenously with nutrients and injected with the Blood of Sanguinius.
..
Through this arcane process and lost technology, the scrofulous wastelander is transformed into a being of radiant purity and noble purpose.
Oh and this has some pretty funny implications when we apply it to the Blood Angels novels.
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I have to note they seem to pull alot of mateiral from the early second edition on Blood Angels - which is hardly a bad thing from my perspective, cuz I like much of the second edition fluff. The lifespan thing is also interesting in light of what we learn from the HH series about Space marines being virtually ageless. apparently their aging is one of those inevitable changes to the Geneseed, or something.The Blood Angels are amongst the longest-lived of all of the Space Marine Chapters, their gene-seed granting a vastly increased lifespan on all who possess it. It is not uncommon, therefore, for a Blood Angel to live for a millennium or more, if death in battle or the Red Thirst does not claim him first
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Sounds like a vampire Space Marines, but it also reminds me of the Sarcophagi from Stargate. Also acutal RESEARCH done to cure the plague. HERESY!The Blood Angels’ cadre of Sanguinary Priests—the equivalent of Apothecaries in other Chapters—tirelessly pursue a cure to the Red Thirst. But each year, more and more brethren succumb to it. Perhaps in an effort to hold the curse at bay, many Blood Angels sleep in the same casket where their bodies were transformed from the ravaged Baalite wastelanders to the perfect forms they emerged as, the arcane machinery filtering and purifying their blood as they slumber. This is even true of many Blood Angels seconded to service in the Deathwatch. Their caskets are stored within a watch station or watch fortress, and the Blood Angel sleeps there to heal any wounds suffered during a mission, emerging whole and unsullied once more.
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This is an obvious retcon for the "Deathwing" short story by Bill King, and to be honest, it's not a bad one for in-universe.The first such allegory a Dark Angel is told recounts the so-called Tale of Two-Heads-Talking, in which a band of Deathwing Terminators returned to the planet of their birth to find their people enslaved by hideous xenos overlords. Daubing their armour white, as was the tradition of their people, the Terminators began their death-quest. They defeated their enemy, but at the cost of the life of their beloved librarian. Similar tales are told at every stage in a Dark Angel’s progression through the ranks, the details changing from one story to the next, but the essential truth remaining. Each tells of a group of heroes returning to their home world to find their people enthralled by a traitor, and only at the cost of eternal shame are the enemies defeated. Even then, some always escape.
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Space Wolf processes.. they dont seem to differ from what we know from other sources. notice that the body mass almost doubles... and this is before the full implantation process. A 70-80 kg human becomes (for example) 126-144 kg. Given the size and toughness of Fenrisians i wouldnt be surprised if the males average out at 100 kilos easily though.The gene works its hideous changes upon the warrior’s mind and body; he reverts to a primal state where his bones split and buckle, hair sprouts across his body, and his only desire is to gorge on fresh meat and blood. His body mass grows by almost eighty percent, many of his bones fuse, and vestigial fangs sprout from his gums as he undergoes the transformation.
...
If the aspirant finds his way back to the Fang... ...he is implanted with the remainder of the Space Wolves’ gene-seed, stabilising the Canis Helix and completing his genetic indoctrination..
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What they are scanning for, we don't know... possibly to monitor for nearby threats, or warps torms..Ever since this time, the Storm Wardens have redoubled their diligence, and their fortress-monastery mounts sophisticated scanning technology placed reluctantly by the Adeptus Mechanicus as payment for an ancient pact.
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Like Fenris, the Storm Wardens have deep undeground automated fabrication facilities.Highcastle’s lower halls extend deep below the moon’s surface and contain ancient automated furnaces to provide the raw materials and conditions necessary to craft new weapons and vehicles for the Chapter’s use, overseen by the Master of the Forge.
Page 53
Implies closer to 2/3 of the Chapters of Sace marines are Ultrasmurfs. It also means that they are the closest to breaking the rstricitons on Legions .The gene-seed from which the original Ultramarines Legion was 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 material. This shared inheritance often ensures that when the Ultramarines go to war, they are supported by many other Chapters..
Page 68
Apothetcaries can remotely interact with the medical capabilities of power armor.Interfacing remotely with a Battle- Brother’s armour systems, the Apothecary might disable a limb, limit blood oxygen levels or simulate the effects of any number of poisons, all in the cause of maintaining combat readiness.
Page 69
They cna also make poisons....the Apothecary can create a virulent poison that he can hand out to the members of his Kill-team to help destroy a particular enemy. The Apothecary needs a tissue sample of a particular enemy, his narthecium, and one hour to create the toxins.
Page 72
Some aliens for some reason can only be defeated by melee weapons.In addition, many are protected by such tough armour (technological or biological) that they can only be defeated in the deadly whirl of close combat. Ranged weapons may be all but useless against such foes, or the environs in which they lurk may preclude the use of ranged weaponry.
Page 76
Assuming a 3x3 meter wall 10 cm thick (about roughly the area a multimelta is known to effect).. we'd be tlaking 4-5 GJ.This weapon is an even more powerful version of the standard meltagun, and is capable of 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 heads of the Kill-team instead of burning a tunnel through an obstacle.
Page 76
Devastator add-ons.Many carry suspensors, small devices attached to the heavy weapon that utilise a miniature anti-grav generator to provide sufficient lift to offset the weight of the weapon. Other devices include additional targeting gear built into the Devastator arine’s helmet and integrating with pick-ups on the weapon itself, allowing him to see his target from the point of view of his weapon’s barrel. Some Devastator Marines utilise rare or exotic systems, often supplied on a mission-specific basis by a Techmarine. These include motion predictors, psych- ocular buffers and wide band electro-magnetic filters.
Page 79
Estimates on the number of renegade Chapters.It is thought that several dozen Chapters have reneged on their oaths of service, some through seduction by Chaos, others through hubris, alien intervention, or the fostering of heretical elements of their particular Chapter dogma.
Page 80
[qote]
To be a Space Marine is to be one in a billion—a man judged strong, tough, and bold enough to stand against the horrors of the galaxy.[/quote]
1 Space Marine in a billion (or so) people. That would suggest a population roughly in the quadrillion range.
Page 80
Librarians can cremate enemies.. apparently amplify the same power through their sword... or shot from the eyes as laser eyebeams.....Librarian is able to unleash withering blasts of searing energy at his foe, reducing them to ashes with but a thought. Often, the energies are directed and multiplied through the blade of a specially crafted weapon uch as a force sword or halberd...
...
.. launching deadly bolts from a staff, an outstretched hand, or through his very gaze.
Page 81
Librarian precog.In addition to this, many Librarians are gifted with some degree of prognostication—whether by way of visions, meditation , consulting the Emperor’s Tarot, or seeming intuition, Librarians can often discern something of what will come to pass. Though such a premonition is rarely clear enough to provide complete certainty, it often provides clues that enable an experienced Librarian to make a sound judgement concerning potential dangers that may be faced in an upcoming mission,
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Librarian astrotelepathic abilities.Many Librarians are skilled enough to send messages from the surface of a planet to a vessel in orbit, and more powerful Librarians might even be able to contact a fellow Librarian in another sector. Generally, the further the message is projected the less clear it becomes. However, in several cases, a Kill-team that has been considered to be lost has been recovered due to the efforts of a Librarian, who managed to invoke a simple insight from the mind of a Battle- Brother light years away
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Bolter ammo variants.Hellfire rounds for example, have been introduced following the lessons learned in costly battles against Hive Fleet Behemoth, each containing a small payload of mutogenic acid that is devastating to organic matter. Dragonfire rounds explode on contact with their foe, erupting in a burst of incandescent chemical fire that soon engulfs the target. Kraken rounds contain a super-dense core that affords them improved range and penetration compared to a conventional round, making them ideal against heavily armoured targets.
Metal Storm rounds are examples of highly sophisticated and barely understood technology, a miniscule proximity detector triggering the round’s detonation microseconds before impact, and lacerating the foe with thousands of razor-sharp fragments, causing him to bleed out in seconds.
Stalker shells are optimised for range and stealth, allowing a Tactical Marine to use his bolter as a makeshift sniper rifle, increasing his flexibility and lethality still further.
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~1 million marines, ~1 million worlds, no accurate number on Marine numbers or on the human population of the Imperium.Compared to the teeming masses of Humanity, the numbers of warriors that the Space Marine Chapters can field is utterly miniscule. No census of the Imperium’s population has ever, or indeed could ever, be taken, and the true numbers of Space Marines is also vague. Yet, there can scarcely be more than a million Adeptus Astartes in service, which roughly equates to the number of worlds held to be ruled by the Senatorum Imperialis.
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Conversion beamer...the conversion beamer, a rare weapon that works by converting matter to energy in a beam that becomes stronger the further it extends and the more matter is converted. It is only by the constant ministrations of a Techmarine that such a weapon can be utilised
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Decimating entire cities in a single blast seems to be "unprecedented" levels of destruction. This may be context dependent of course.There are weapons kept within the Vault the likes of which are thought to be unique in the galaxy, their secrets impenetrable even to the highest of the Tech-Priests of Mars.
...
Such weapons might be lost relics from the Dark Age of Technology, or the product of alien technologies long since vanished from the galaxy. Some are known to be capable of unleashing unprecedented levels of destruction, perhaps laying waste to entire cities in a single blast.
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high orbit bombardment. Tens of thousands of km bombardment range.Void Combat: Covers starship combat between anything from lightly armoured escorts up to battle barges and space hulks. It is also includes knowledge of high orbit fire support doctrines and the best way to use ships in orbit to aid ground troops
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Apparently ritual can fortify against the warp.The Battle-Brother spends the time before battle armouring himself against the power of the warp by reciting canticles and litanies of hate and contempt against the unclean powers.
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Phased ability.A creature with this trait can transform its body into an insubstantial state, passing ghost-like through solid objects or barriers of any sort.
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A creature in a phased state cannot cross psychically charged barriers, holy wards, or energy fields designed to flux space or manipulate the warp such as a Gellar Field or a Void Shield.
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Possession and variants thereof.Certain spirit-beings and denizens of the warp have the ability to possess mortal bodies. This is a far more insidious and damaging process than most forms of mental control, or even the power of the stron gest psykers to ‘ware’ the bodies of others, as the very fabric of the assaulting warp being is merged with the victim’s living body on a fundamental level so as to allow it to remain in our reality.
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Note that Daemonhosts, being extraordinary powerful examples of deliberate, ritualistic possessions, designed to bind and control daemons in living vessels,...
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Years to fabricate Terminator armor.Replacing a suit of Terminator Armour may take years...
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Posisbly one reason why hand crafted or special itesm are better than regular ones. This could explain things like Titans, or battleships.Imperial governors and the richest noble families are lucky to own a single treasure that rivals the fine make of the most Common Adeptus Astartes equipment.
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Exceptionally crafted items are produced in venerated forges by senior artificers, and their design reflects the additional effort devoted to their making.
..into which untold years and the most precious and advanced materials are poured.
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Deathwatch supply lines.The Deathwatch draws its arms from a vast array of sources. Countless forge worlds, factories, and artificers labour to supply the thousand Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, each tithing some portion in turn to the Deathwatch.
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Human simulation of Astartes equipment. I assume this refers to human bolters, human power armor, etc.Many designs throughout the Imperium are simply the best attempts to mimic Astartes designs on a scale that a normal human can control. The original, unadulterated versions of their arms and equipment shame such replicas.
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"Volatile" weapons include some of the plasma weapons. I'll include those as i go along. This tends to suggest, though, that 40K 'plasma' is some really fucking weird sort of battery.Volatile matter is charged with potential energy, and reacts violently on a solid hit.
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For the most part I'm going to ignore most weapons, because alot of them will be repeated elsewhere, so I'll just giv ethe AStartes weapons.
Astartes bolt pistol has range 30m, ROF single/semi(3) 14 shot clip and weighs 5.5 kg
Astartes Bolter (Godwyn): 100m range increment, Single/semi(2)/Full(4) 28 shot clip, 18 kg weight
Astartes Boltgun(Stalker) 200m range increment, 24 shot clip, 17 kg weight.
Combi weapon is same as regular bolter but has 25 kg weight.
Astartes HEavy Bolter: 150m rance increment, Full(10, 60 shot clip, 68 kg weight
Astartes Storm bolter is same as regular bolt gun, escept for 60 shot clip and weighing 26 kg.
Astartes Plasma cannon: 150m range, 16 shot clip, Blast (1), Volatile qualities, 70 kg weight.
maybe some 60 MJ per shot.
Astartes Plasma gun (ragefire) 100m range increment, single/semi(2), 40 shot clip, Volatile quality, 27 kg. 9.5 MJ per shot.
Astartes plasma pistol: 30m range, single/semi(2), 12 shot clip, Volatile quality, 6 kg weight.
7 MJ per shot.
Astartes Infernus pistol: 10m, 4 shot clip, 5 kg
Astartes Vulkan Meltagun: 20m, 6 shot, 14 kg
Astartes Multimelta (Maxima): 60m, 12 shot, Blast(1) quality, 72 kg
Flamer is 20m, 6 shot, 15 kg. Hand flamer is 10m, 4 shot 6 kg. Heavy flamer is 30m, 10 shot, 65 kg. All Flame are Astartes scale:
Astartes ASsault cannon (mounted, as on Terminator) 150m range, Full(10), 200 shot clip, 80 kg
Astartes shotgun: 30m, Single/semi(2), 18 shot clip, 10 kg
Astartes Lascannon: 300m, 6 shot clip, 75 kg. Assuming a sodium sulfur battery of 540 kj/kg we're getting 4.1 MJ capacity for the pack. 680 kj per shot.
Astartes Cyclone missile launcher: 300m, single/semi(2), 12 shot clip, 95 kg.
Astartes missile launcher (SoundStrike) 250m, 8 shot, 50 kg.
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They also refer to them as temperamental. Again note the 'super dense metlalic core' - implying metallic hydorgen.,The standard bolter round is .75 calibre with a super-dense metallic core and diamantine tip.
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bolt pistol vs bolter. The similarity in destruction probably refers to the explosive part (the most damaging) as they use the same bolt. They have differing ranges however and fire at different velocities.As destructive as its full-size counterpart, a bolt pistol’s primary drawbacks are its smaller clip and slower rate of fire.
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Shot selectors a standard modification.The Deathwatch-pattern bolter incorporates a shot selector....
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Silenced capacity of the Stalker pattern boltgun.It significantly muffles the sound of any shell fired, and produces no muzzle flash.
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Heavy bolters.These weapons are potent in a wide variety of roles, capable of turning entire infantry platoons into a carpet of gore as well as assailing vehicles in a hail of large, armour-penetrating explosions. Heavy bolters fire rounds of a much larger calibre than the standard bolt, contain more propellant and are capable of achieving longer ranges.
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supposedly uncommona gain, but practice tends to suggest otherwise.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 since their Founding.
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Maximal setting provides the overheat/recharge qualities both. A retcon for the differneces in plasma bolt capability I suppose.Plasma weapons work using hydrogen fuel suspended in a photonic state in either fuel flasks or backpack containers. As the fuel is fed into the miniature fusion core inside the weapon, the hydrogen energises into plasma, held in the core by powerful magnetic containment fields. When fired, the fields dilate open and the plasma is ejected via a linear magnetic accelerator in a bolt of superheated matter akin to a solar flare in appearance and temperature.
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Plasma weapons tax their cooling systems considerably, and the Space Marines push the limits of their own resilience by using hydrogen in a higher quantum state than standard Imperial patterns.
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..a higher-powered blast with a longer range and higher temperature.
note the 'higher quantum state' of Space marine plasma guns - what that means I dont know - maybe that it stores more energy or something.
)
Along with AdMech support.