# Dark Heresy - "Tankpriest" Help



## Khorothis (May 12, 2009)

The moment I read up on Dark Heresy I knew I'd be playing a Techpriest. Eventually, I decided to go for a "tankpriest" concept that revolves around being tough as rock and serving as my group's objective holder (to use a tabletop term), fire support (hopefully heavy later on), Mr. Fixit and loremaster in all things tech, eventually becoming a Magos Militant. Fome demolition skills would be nice too if I can squeeze it in somehow.

While I'm good at coming up with a decent personality, I'm very much a pre-beginner when it comes to the rules and the inner workings of the system. So I was wondering if you could help me out? What should I focus on? Whats worth taking for this role and what should I avoid? Am I daydreaming here and I'm expecting the impossible from Techpriests?

Thanks.


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## Anarkitty (Jul 29, 2008)

I don't have my books in front of me, so I can't give real specifics, but this is a very doable concept.
There's two or three things you'll want to invest in as the game goes on:
Dragonscale Armor (Inquisitor's Handbook) - Mechanicus-only power armor. It runs off your internal power supply so it doesn't need to be recharged.
Machinator Array (Inquisitor's Handbook) - Upgrade to your entire body that makes you harder to kill, and lets you mount more weapons on your mechadendrites. It also increases your body weight significantly, so be careful on flimsy walkways.

Between these you'll be almost as hard to kill as a Space Marine, but they're very expensive in terms of Thrones, and hard to find. In the short term, just get the best armor you can afford.

For firearms, I recommend the D'Laku-pattern Hellgun early on, as you will already be skilled in it, and it is an excellent gun. It is also in-character, as it is carried primarily by the Skitaari.

As far as advances go, take Toughness and Ballistic Skill as much as you can. As you progress, you'll need to decide what kind of heavier weapons you will want to use. I like Melta, but it is largely a matter of preference.


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## Khorothis (May 12, 2009)

Thanks a bunch mate, its much appriciated.


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## Klomster (Oct 9, 2008)

It's a bit trickier if you are only a dark heresy character to be super tank.
The best armour you can get is a safe bet.

Also, try to be nice with your gm and ask if you can buy some skills from rouge trader.
The explorator has a cool skill called... the flesh is weak or similar.

It basically gives you one machine trait level per level the skill is taken.
Perhaps a bit out of range of you character depending on how the gm wants things, but it is a very good skill and fits perfectly.

If the gm sais it's too puwerful you can say that some really powerful enemies might carry a mag of tempest bolt rounds, and then you cry.


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## Khorothis (May 12, 2009)

Klomster said:


> It's a bit trickier if you are only a dark heresy character to be super tank.
> The best armour you can get is a safe bet.
> 
> Also, try to be nice with your gm and ask if you can buy some skills from rouge trader.
> ...


We're not sure who is going to be the GM yet but when we do I'll try not to forget this part. Thanks a lot! 

Fortunately I have read enough of the rules of DH that I don't have unrealistic expectations of tanking but I do want to provide my group with a solid support they can rely on in a pinch. My current character is a D&D 3.5 sun elven wizard so I'm kind of yearning for that feel of safety when I'm taking damage instead of that "OMFG please GM don't roll too well or I'm gonna die in one shot... ;_;"


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## Klomster (Oct 9, 2008)

If you have power armour, there's a lower chance that will happen.

(Emperors fury can still be crazy though, i've disintegrated heavily armourd men with my compact las pistol several times.)

Have fun beeing a techpriest, they can be a bit challanging to play correctly but if it is done right, you will have a cool character.


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## Anarkitty (Jul 29, 2008)

Tech Priests are not the most combat-oriented characters in Dark Heresy. They're more utility-types that can be pretty good at a lot of things. They're like Bards, but without the Charisma.
If you really want to tank, there are better classes early on.

That said, the Tech Priest does have access to the only Power Armor you don't have to recharge though, and in the later game he can be _very_ effective in combat if you spec him that way.


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## Khorothis (May 12, 2009)

I'm not expecting my Techpriest to be Bruce Willis in red robes with a rebreather (as awesome as that might be ), only that I can be a reliable support character to my team in combat and an odd Wikipedia outside of it.

I know its pretty off topic but is it possible for a Techpriest to be interested in cooking? As a hobby, of course, and without being particularly interested in biology.


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## Anarkitty (Jul 29, 2008)

Sure, hobbies and things are what make characters unique.
Every character should have at least one skill totally unrelated to his primary usefulness in the game. It doesn't have to be a useless skill, just something that people wouldn't guess just by looking at the rest of your sheet. It helps characters seem more "real".


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## Iron Angel (Aug 2, 2009)

I can see it now, a Techpriest with an apron that says "Kiss the Cook" standing over a stir fry skillet, using his mechanical arms to measure and add seasonings while using his hands to shake the pan and flip the contents into the air.

That sounds almost as awesome as it does hilarious.


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## Khorothis (May 12, 2009)

Iron Angel said:


> I can see it now, a Techpriest with an apron that says "Kiss the Cook" standing over a stir fry skillet, using his mechanical arms to measure and add seasonings while using his hands to shake the pan and flip the contents into the air.
> 
> That sounds almost as awesome as it does hilarious.


I don't like giving away my plans so easily but yes, thats the idea. :grin:

Though his built-in rebreather will turn cooking into science. 

I just realised, how does a Tech Priest with a built-in rebreather "eat"? Some intravenous solution I assume. And power to feed his machine parts. I never thought Tech Priests would be this high maintenance.


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## Anarkitty (Jul 29, 2008)

My Techpriest can partially remove his rebreather. It's built in, but he still has a mostly-human mouth underneath. But then, he's a bit more attached to his human flesh than most Techpriests, and in fact is looked at as being a little weird by older Mechanicus.
He prefers to enhance his body instead or replacing it.
I figure he will eventually go down the Magos Biologis/Explorator route, with weapon design and construction being more of a hobby.


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## Khorothis (May 12, 2009)

Anarkitty said:


> My Techpriest can partially remove his rebreather. It's built in, but he still has a mostly-human mouth underneath. But then, he's a bit more attached to his human flesh than most Techpriests, and in fact is looked at as being a little weird by older Mechanicus.
> He prefers to enhance his body instead or replacing it.
> I figure he will eventually go down the Magos Biologis/Explorator route, with weapon design and construction being more of a hobby.


Good idea, I haven't thought of that.  Maybe I'll get him a full mask that has a rebreather and hopefully night vision at some point instead of ramming it in his face.


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