# Space Marines in Dark Heresy



## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

One thing stood out at me about Dark Heresy—there’s no way to be a Space Marine. What if you wanted to be a Grey Knight, or a member of the Deathwatch? Both are equally valid possibilities given the scope of Dark Heresy as an Inquisitorial game. So, this is what I came up with, based solely on what’s in the main Dark Heresy rulebook. The baseline characteristics require a couple dice beyond the standard D10 the game uses, but that shouldn’t be a problem for anyone who plays RPGs—the D20 system really is the standard, after all, so most folks have a couple D4’s and D8’s handy.

It’s worth noting that if there’s a Space Marine in the party, the whole party probably should be Space Marines and comprise an entire squad of Grey Knights or Deathwatch, and the challenges presented to them should be sufficiently greater relative to their experience level than what the GM might throw at a party of lesser men.

-Space Marines are Hulking. Wearing Power Armour does not increase their size further.

Space Marines’ bio-engineered implants and excessive physical training can be represented using a combination of standard bonuses to skills and ‘counts as’ cybernetics/bionics. 

-Space Marines are many times stronger than a normal human, and it is not uncommon for one to be able to flip a civilian ground vehicle on his own, if not outright lift it. They count as having bionic arms (which never cease to function due to damage short of loss of limb) of Good quality, and bionic legs (which also never cease to function due to damage short of loss of limb) of Good quality. 

-A Space Marine’s Black Carapace implant allows him to interface with his power armour. Count this particular ability granted by the Black Carapace as a Mind Impulse Unit of Best quality that only assists in Weapon Skill, Drive, Pilot, and Tech-Use tests. 

-Space Marines can see in near total darkness. They suffer no penalties on vision-based Perception tests in darkness or at night. 

-Space Marines count at all times as wearing a Respirator/Gas Mask. 

-The baseline stats for an initiated Space Marine are as follows:

Weapon Skill- 36+D10
Ballistic Skill- 36+D10
Strength- 40+D8
Toughness- 40+D8
Agility- As standard on pg.23
Intelligence- As standard on pg. 23
Perception- 2D10 + D8 + 20
Willpower- 50+D4
Fellowship- 2D10 + 25

-Space Marines receive a +20 bonus on Fellowship-based Tests when it involves a non-hostile human loyal to the Imperium—such is their legendary reputation.

-A Space Marine’s homeworld is by and large irrelevant. While a Chapter’s homeworld and traditions influence the Space Marine’s personality, it has very little to do with what the Space Marine is able to become. A Space Marine’s homeworld should be noted, purely for the sake of the bonuses it imparts to the character. Assume that the homeworld is not the birth world, but the Chapter homeworld. A Space Marine can follow either the Guardsman or Imperial Psyker career paths. If the Guardsman path is chosen, he must choose to take either the Assault Veteran or Lieutenant branch; or, if the Imperial Psyker is chosen, he must select Savant Militant when the path branches. A Librarian would be the only instance where Imperial Psyker would be warranted, and even then, there is only likely to be a single one in the squad.

-Space Marines gain a +10 bonus on tests involving Awareness, Climb, Command, Common Lore (All but Underworld), Demolition, Forbidden Lore (Xenos), Intimidate, and Scholastic Lore (Heraldry, Imperial Creed, Judgement, Legend, Tactica Imperialis) . They suffer a -10 penalty on Gamble, Forbidden Lore (all but Xenos), Performer, Psyniscience, Scholastic Lore (Archaic, Bureaucracy, Chymistry, Cryptology, Numerology), Shadowing, and Slight of Hand skill Tests. 

-All Space Marines speak High Gothic, Low Gothic, the dialect of their Chapter homeworld, and their Chapter’s combat-cant (which may be the same as their Chapter’s homeworld dialect.) Space Marines also know Secret Tongue: Military.

-Space Marines start with the following Talents: Ambidexterous, Autosanguine, Basic Weapon Training (Bolt), Chem Geld, Die Hard, Heavy Weapons Training (Bolt), Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), Pistol Weapon Training (Bolt), Unshakable Faith. They do not select an additional Talent when generating the character.

-Space Marines’ starting equipment consists of the following, all of Good quality:
Bolt Pistol (2 clips), Boltgun (2 clips), Frag Grenades x4, Krak Grenades x2, Combat Knife with Mono upgrade; Four large pouches, Chrono, and five ration packs (Space Marines need only eat once every 48 hours).

-Space Marines’ bolt weapons add 2 to each damage roll, as they use a higher caliber bolt than the “non-military” issue bolts described in the main rulebook. Functionally, this means that a boltgun does 1D10+7 X damage per bolt, rather than 1D10+5 X. 

-Space Marines all wear and start with Astartes-issue Power Armour. As military-issue rather than not, the power supply lasts 2D10+7 days before requiring recharging. The helmet incorporates an auspex, infra-red goggles, photo-visors, and a rebreather. The armour as a whole incorporates a void suit. Astartes Power Armour has an AP of 9, weighs 200kg, and has no value—were a normal man to be found with Astartes armour, he would invite the wrath of the owning Chapter, and a Space Marine will not willingly part with his armour. Astartes power armour also incorporates numerous injectors, though a Space Marine will need to acquire the appropriate drugs to administer through them.

-Space Marines require the attentions of an Astartes Apothecary rather than a medic trained to treat normal men. Medical care is unavailable, rather than using the table found in the main rulebook.

-Space Marines may not have further cybernetic or bionic implants beyond what they count as having initially. Should a limb be lost, a bionic replacement will be Very Rare and require a highly experienced tech-priest familiar with the differences of Astartes physiology to install the device.

-Space Marines who opt to be Imperial Psykers must select from either Pyromancy or Telekinesis as their discipline.


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## ACoz (Oct 23, 2007)

Interesting stuff, TSoH, but I think I have a different point of view on the subject.

The characters as they stand in the game, now are peons who will eventually grow up to be Inquisitors (if they can live that long).

I don't honestly think I've ever heard convincing arguments that there've been any Big I's that were Astartes.

That said, there's stats for a Deathwatch marine in one of the supplements (I'm at work, my books are at home, sorry), and honestly... he falls kind of flat forwhat I always thought they should be.


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## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

While it's true that the assumption is that the characters are on the path to being Inquisitors, and no Space Marines have ever been Inquisitors, nor will they ever be, you could suspsend the assumption that they're on the path to becoming an Interrogator or Inquisitor, and just happen to be Space Marines in the current service of the Inquisition (i.e., Deathwatch.)


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## ACoz (Oct 23, 2007)

Fair enough, I suppose.

I still think an Astartes, with the appropriate stats, would be too powerful for most games of Dark Heresy. 

And, from all the published adventures I've so far gotten my hands on: entirely ineffective for the roles the mission calls for.

I can understand (barely) Astartes infiltrating and sneaking up on enemies in a battlefield situation, but they'd stand out entirely too much for most of the stuff in the game that requires characters to blend in with the locals.

So, just my opinion, Astartes in Dark Heresy should be relegated to NPC-status.

Now, in this rumored 'Rogue Trader' ruleset... it might open up more options.


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## Dragonlover (Oct 17, 2007)

Rogue Trader may open more possibilities, but Deathwatch (if FFG do it) will be all about playing Marines and similarly high powered characters. Also whilst Dark Heresy in and ofd itself is the wrong theme to use for Marines, nothing wrong with using the ruleset.

OT: I like your take on it, but why the discipline limitation for Librarians? Seems a tad arbitrary to me.

Dragonlover


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## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

Limiting oneself to published adventures, sure-- Space Marines don't fit the bill. Plenty of folks write their own, and when infiltration isn't the name of the game, but a bit of brute force is required...then there you go.

My thoughts in limiting the disciplines is that Librarians aren't astropaths or more "mundane" witches-- they're battle psykers, in many cases pulled aside off of the contents of a Black Ship due to their talents and physical strength to be sent to a Chapter to become a Librarian. Pyromancy and Telekinesis struck me as the most unsubtle and aggressive-- things that even if the Librarian wasn't naturally inclined towards, he'd be developing all the same due to his role within the Chapter.


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## ACoz (Oct 23, 2007)

I agree with you, honestly, I do.

I guess I just simply prefer the idea of something Imperium-related that _doesn't_ have to revolve around Astartes.

I dunno.


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## NsaneDragn (Jan 27, 2009)

I have to say, just from the initial read, you put a lot of thought into this. well rounded characters, even for an Space Marine. If I ever intend to write a campaign a little more intense, I will consider using your stats. Hope you don't mind if I steal them and make a note of them for myself somewhere in the future. If I do write a campaign for Deathwatch or Grey knights, I will let you know.


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## xiawujing (Mar 2, 2009)

Space marines would be fairly game breaking in DH. Now if you had an equivalent "Scout marine" from the Deathwatch, that wouldn't be so bad. But they're massively unfair to the rest of the party, mainly because to present a challenge to the group, the GM will have to constantly have to throw new crap at you that is BADASS. Think fluff genestealer swarms.


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## Lord Lucius (Sep 18, 2008)

umm...I started a thread on space marine pcs on rpg rescorces,I would have aprreaceated it if you had asked me to put this there (or had a look there at all because Druchi in space has made a thread for threads specifically like this to go in) ,but this is a good charachter generator,and astartaes power armour is (also) solar powererd


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## Galahad (Dec 21, 2006)

While the houserules you suggest seem pretty good, I've got to counter with this...

When you look at a space marine's daily life, I mean really look at it (I think the 4th ed SM codex had a breakdown of their average day and it was something like 20 hours of prayer and combat drills, 15 minutes of free thought (or more prayer), a few minutes to choke down nutrient sludge, then a bit of kip (optional)), who the hell would WANT to be a space marine?

This was always why I felt that most 40k RPGs were pretty much doomed to failure. Everyone wants to be a space marine (or aspect warrior, or battlesuit pilot) but that's just because they're powerful and cool. As far as being actual, role-playable characters, who have interesting personalities and the like go, space marines, and the other noted asskickers of the 40k verse, are about the dullest people imaginable. Most of them are just living munitions. 

As fun as it is to wade into combat toting power armor and superhuman strength, the whole rest of the game, you're pretty much screwed. Spend your time training, being brainwashed, thinking about how much you love being brainwashed, wishing you could do some more training, and then maybe if you're lucky they let you out to go kill someone. The only time they're actually allowed to have experiences is in the battlefield, and even then it pretty much revolves around blowing shit up.

Marines make great subjects for FPS and tactical video games, but I would never want to roleplay one. Not a real marine as laid out in the game books.


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## hereticGM (Aug 1, 2010)

*marines stats*

Is there any reference stats if i wanted to include maibe one space marines or 2 or a chaos marine as an encounter?


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