Gaming In a grim dark far future there is only war - A thread for Warhammer 40k

Suggest adding a result that's "unknown" since there are many Chapter's that don't know their linage. Maybe instead of Traitor or Lost Legion? Or maybe combine 19-20 into a Unknown/Traitor Legion/Lost Legion.

Regarding renegades, do one old renegade Chapter that has not fallen to Chaos appear in Carcharodons: Outer Dark and old WD #303 had a whole Chapter Approved article about renegade Space Marine Chapters.

 

Could work, tough my take was that even if they don´t know their heritage they would still have one. So its up to the creator to decide how much exactly the Marines know. So essentially if the players want they can declare it to be unkown IU but OOU there would still be an answer. Will see about the change tough. Maybe make 20 into Unkown/Lost Legion.

 

Just realised that there is a really good, possibly unintended. joke in just the concept of Carcharodons: Red Tithe where we have Night Lords figthing Space Sharks, that is: the evil 40k Batman Chapter are fighting sharks!




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On a more serious, Chapter creating business did the Deathwatch RPG's Chapter creation system have a Belief section: "Every Chapter has its own “Chapter cult,” the body of beliefs and practices unique to itself. The specifics of the cult develop over the millennia, so that two Chapters sired by the same Progenitor during the same Founding may, after several centuries, exhibit radically divergent religious practices. Some Chapters inherit a great deal of the rites and traditions of the culture from which they recruit, while many more are so steeped in their own history and tradition that they are quite unique. In general, the Successors of any given Progenitor share a core body of beliefs and practices, but even this is not always the case. This section presents just a few possible Chapter cults, and having some idea of their nature and history is a great way to add depth to a character." (Rites of Battle, page 34)

The table looked like this:
Table 1–24: Chapter Beliefs
d100 roll Result
1–40 Revere the Primarch
41–65 The Emperor Above All
66–75 Honour the Ancestors
76–80 Death Cult
81–85 Totem Creature
86–90 Purity of Man
91–95 Steel Over Flesh
96–100 Esoteric Beliefs

And well me being me, I begun to make lists of the possible ways the different belief system's culture could look, for easy references, basing it both on already established Chapters' cultures, other WH40k groups, RL and made up cultures, and my own ideas. I now share it here with the hope that it can be of some use for people. If peole think that some result is stupid or don't understand it, tell me, I want to know that. Also if you have any suggestions you think would fit in do say them

Death cult
“The Chapter’s beliefs are centred not on one particular figure, but on the more abstract notion of death itself. As the so called “Angels of Death,” the Space Marines’ very existence is defined by their ability to slay their foes. While Space Marines are extremely long-lived, the vast majority die in battle and this Chapter embraces the fact. Chapters that follow this belief system to an extreme, adorning themselves in all manner of deathly fetishes and even partaking of gristly trophy taking.”

Spoiler

1. Secretly uses the forbidden Cybernetic Resurrection maletek.
2. Power sicles are the symbolic weapon-of-office for higher officers.
3. A Chapter that’s allied with an Death Cult.
4. A Chapter that after battles treat the dead with proper burials and death rituals. Be they allies or enemies (even if the burials and death rituals for the latter is very different than the formers).
5. The Chapter’s halls are filled with rows of skulls taken from the bodies of fallen Space Marines and the main chapel is filled with the skulls of foes claimed in the aftermath of victory.
6. Is seen as overtly morbid, their teachings focused on death and mourning.
7. Believes that each and every Battle-Brother is already dying and outwardly they appear consumed by grief at the approach of their doom, but as Space Marines they are immune to detrimental effects of such thoughts.
8. Knows that death is inevitable and believe that they are slowly dying themselves. Possibly this leads them to them being free of any inhibitions and doubts which one such as them, a Space Marine, may still grasp.
9. Power and/or chain scythes are the symbolic weapon-of-office for higher officers.
10. Have traditions of meditating before battle to reach a death-like trance in an attempt to commune with the Primarch and their ancestors.
11. The Chapter’s battle-brothers seal themselves away in vast stasis crypts when not on campaign.
12. Similar to the Blood Angels do this Chapter use medical sarcophagi to transform aspirants into transhumans.
13. A Chapter that recruits from the near dead.
14. The battle-brothers are seen as the revenants of the dead by the people of their homeword.
15. Use their dead’s skin to make leather and parchment.
16. Recruit from the young fallen on battlefields.
17. A Chapter that practise cannibalistic rituals of their own dead in such manner that they might be declared renegade if they was witnessed by outsiders.
18. A Chapter that make servo-skulls out of all their fallen brothers’ recovered skulls and every marine is accompanied by at least one of those servo-skulls.
19. Recruits solely from the children of workers and mourners of Cemetery World/s.
20. Their homeworld is also a Cemetery World.
21. The Chapter’s dead are ritually mummified.
22. The battle-brothers bodies resembling that of a mummified corpse, their skin a peeling, powdery vellum of decay. This may or may not affect their physical capability.
23. The bones of the Chapter’s dead are used as building material or for parts in equipment.
24. The battle-brothers armour adorned with images of bones and/or similar symbols of death.
25. Many/all of the Chapter’s battle-brothers paint or tattoo their faces to resemble skulls and/or corpses.
26. See the Dreadnoughts as the honoured dead returning to fight alongside their kin again.
27. Are viewed by the population of their homeworld as cursed ghosts.
28. Their Librarians are able to reanimated the Chapter’s just dead to fight on for a short time.
29. Spend their time of rest in medical sarcophagi.
30. Honoured dead are mummified and kept near to the living so the later can ask them for advice. Holydays or rituals where the dead are taken out of their tombs and niches and carried around are possible.
31. Wrap themselves in bandages before donning their armour. The bandages may or may not be covered in glyphs, writings or similar.
32. Wrap themselves in bandages before deeper meditation. The bandages may or may not be covered in glyphs, writings or similar.
33. Specialise in fighting zombies and their master. Likely allied with Ordo Sepulturum.
34. The insides of the Chapter’s fortress-monastery and ships are covered in the bones of the Chapter’s fallen.
35. The battle-brothers’ armour are covered in the scrimshawed bones of the earlier wearers of the armour.
36. The Chapter’s battle-brothers rest in coffins and/or grave niches.
37. Executioner axes and swords are the symbolic weapon-of-office for higher officers.
38. Hangman’s noses hang from the battle-brothers necks.
39. Many of the Chapter’s helmets are painted or sculpted to resemble skulls.
40. Recruit from the children of Imperial Death Cult members and followers.
41. Chapter that try to protect cemeteries and areas used for burial, and maybe even stay after the conflict have ended to help the people rebuild their cemeteries.
42. A group of the Chapter (1th Company, [Xeno] War Veterans, rad weapon squads, etc.) is marked with their armour being covered in death shroud.
43. The Chapter use alchymyst fleshteks to resurrected their dead into a false half-life with toxic blood and their minds stripped of whatever shreds of humanity they once had. This is likely only done to battle-brothers of note.
44. In the Chapter there exist “slayer-prophets” who has perfect their art of killing to a religious and definitely unorthodox standard, with each type of wound caused being significant in some spiritual way.
45. A Chapter that, like the Moritat death cult, disdain non edge-weapons as crude and spiritually unfulfilling.
46. Only recruit their Chapter-serfs from widows/widowers and orphans.
47. Meditative rituals during which the battle-brother is buried alive and has to claw themselves out when finished.
48. Before becoming Scouts, aspirants are buried alive and has to claw themselves out.
49. Use alchemical- and/or cyber-resurrected war-beasts.
50. Try to capture enemies so they can ritually be sacrificed to the Emperor. The greater the enemy captured, the better.
51. They drinking the blood and eating the flesh of their enemies after battle. Possibly severing their heads and flensing their skulls before or after that.
52. Have a practice of letting their foes' blood and dedicating it as an offering to the Primarch and/or Emperor. Possibly they see captured enemies as making for the worthiest offering.
53. See their own death in battle as a sacrifice to the Emperor. This possibly makes some of the battle-brothers suicidal in their want to martyrdom.
54. The Chapter’s Chaplains drink the mixed blood of gathered battle-brothers to receive visions of guidance from the Chapter’s ancestors.
55. The Chapter place much spiritualism on blood; to them it represents the blood of the martyrs who have died in service to the those who are living and they believe that no lesson can be learned without blood being shed.
56. Recruit from those who have already been "marked" by tragedy and bloodshed to serve the Emperor as a bringer of death to His enemies.
57. After battle the Chapter dedicated the dead to the Emperor as they do the funeral rituals for the dead.
58. After battle the Chapter build, near or on the battlefield, mausoleums, catacombs and/or tombs for their fallen to rest in.
59. The Chapter is seen as grim, somber and insular.
60. Cremate their dead and the Chapter always take with them the right kind of wood for a proper cremation.
61. Cremate their dead and paint themselves and their wargear with the ashes from the funeral pyre.
62. Bury their dead in great mausoleums, the more important the greater the mausoleum.
63. The battle-brother paints themselves and/or their armour in calaca/calaveras style.
64. Chapter’s honored dead include not just Astartes but also chapter-serfs.
65. Chapter’s honored dead include not just Astartes but also machine-spirits.
66. The Chapter’s fortress-monastery is also a necropolis, and the Chapter and its serfs are constantly quiet and calm so not to disturb the dead. Possibly is there a “day of the dead” when it’s believed that the dead return for that day and its costume to have a great party to celebrate the dead and the living can let lose since the dead are already there and can’t be disturbed.
67. The Chapter highly respect the dead and punish populations they find wanting in their treatment of their dead.
68. Use flowers as a way to honour the dead, or maybe even offerings, and keep great flower gardens to constantly have access to flowers.
69. The Chapter’s fallen have been known to rise again and fight alongside the living.
70. Battle-brothers always carry around candles they light at any graveyard or lone grave they pass, including the ones they dig themselves.
71. Many to all of the battle-brothers mutilate themselves so their faces resemble skulls.
72. The Chapter’s members all have sunken eyes and their pale skin appear stretched over their skulls.
73. The brothers of the Chapter all have a gaunt and corpselike appearance.
74. When not on duty the Chapter’s battle-brothers are expected to clean and repair the gravesites on the Chapter’s world/s.
75. Part of the Scout training is that the aspirants construct their own gravesite, too mark their own inventible death and their acceptance of it.
76. Beside the normal nutrient-past and similar when on mission do the Chapter’s food only consist of what is traditional served on the day/s for prayer and remembrance of the dead on their homeworld/recruitment-world/near space.
77. When not on duty the Chapter’s battle-brothers are expected to leave prayers and offerings/markings on the gravesites on the Chapter’s world/s.
78. Go to battle to funeral music. Maybe with the battle-brothers singing hymns.
79. All the Chapter’s serfs are trained mourners.
80. The battle-brothers have sad, pathetic faces and an air of melancholy around them.
81. Are often more interested in protecting the dead than the living.
82. There is something wrong with the Chapter’s gene-seed, making them rot while alive. The battle-brothers are likely under constant medical check-up when not in battle and are followed by a smell of the grave. The use of stasis-coffins is possible.
83. The Chapter take with them their dead when on mission and anoint the soil of the planets they will fight on by bury one of their fallen on it.
84. Each battle-brother of the Chapter carries a vial of their dead’s ashes/grave-soil/similar with him when on active duty, and with which the soil of any other planet he steps on is anointed.
85. After battle the Chapter keep a great memorial service for the fallen, they will likely expect any allied Forces to participate, and react hostile to any who don’t.
86. The Chapter’s fortress-monastery lay beneath great catacombs.
87. The parts of the fortress-monastery use by the living are simple and austere, while the parts used to host the dead are bedecked and ornate.
88. Battle-brother’s write death poems before important battle.
89. The battle-brothers carry with them calaveras or similar to give to children and/or the dead.
90. All battle-brothers are trained in the embalming arts.
91. The Chapter’s spiritual belief involves ancestor worship (likely with the Emperor as their greatest ancestor) and a belief that their forebears can talk to them thought their skulls.
92. Each battle-brother’s cell is also the crypt for a fallen brother.
93. A quiet, sombre, and melancholic Chapter that has great revelling feasts for the death after battle and at certain returning times.
94. A high position among the chapter-serfs is that of the Death Singer, who sing for the Chapter’s dead. Likely each company, if not squad has their own Death Singers.
95. All battle-brothers have sallow faces and sunken eyes, around which are tattooed rivers of black tears flowing across their cheeks.
96. The battle-brothers are silent, grim, and pallid figures
97. The battle-brothers can often be found conducting inscrutable rituals to grieve for and tend the dead.
98. All the Chapter’s servitors look embalmed and/or are painted to resemble skeletons.
99. Lots of psyber-linked carrion eater animals (ex. jackals, crows, vultures, etc.).
100. The skulls, bones and feathers of carrion birds are used as decorations and marks of honour.
101. Carrion eaters are somehow drawn to the Chapter’s presence and follow them.
102. Each fallen battle-brother has a great state funeral once their bodies are returned to the Chapter’s homeworld.
103. The Chapter controls the ships that have the heredity charter right-n-duty to ship the dead and dying to Cemetery Worlds in their sector/subsector.
104. When not on duty the Chapter’s battle-brothers secretly serve as sin eaters among the population of their homeworld.
105. A Chapter that is (secretly?) close to a Resurrectionist cult.
106. Specialise in finding and fighting heretical Resurrectionist cults.
107. Whippoorwills follow the battle-brothers.
108. Has a complicated and long mummification process with mummy-bindings, death masks, many sarcophagus, burial gifts and/or similar. Likely has a notable portion of the chapter-serfs as their single duty to prepare and help with the burial rituals.
109. Believe it’s wrong to not treat dead enemies with at least the minimum of respect that they treat their own dead.
110. When a Marine fall all his squad mates take a lock of his hair and put it in an armoured etui that they then carry on themselves.
111. Recruit from a world where the dead rest uneasily.
112. After having taken out an enemy force, at least one battle-brother or a specialised serf stays and put silver coins in the mouth of the fallen, so they can pay their way to the afterlife. This is likely only done toward enemies that could have a soul (even if it is a foul and/or xeno one), so not tyranids.
113. When not in armour they dress similar to the stereotypical image of a Victorian undertaker.
114. Make mourning jewellery of their fallen brothers’ hair.
115. When not in armour they dress similar to the mourning attire worn by Victorian middle-/upper-class women.
116. Hanging from the top of the Marines’ helmets to their knees are crepe weeping veils.
117. The battle-brothers’ armour and other wargear are covered in the bones of their fallen brethren.
118. Have animal companions whose remains, when fallen, are treated in the same way as a Marine’s.
119. Has a group of serfs whose only duty is to constantly recite the names and deeds of the Chapter’s fallen.
120. All battle-brothers carry scissors to symbolise their role as cutters of life threads.
121. At certain times the Chapter’s fallen remains are exhumed to be periodically re-wrapped in fresh silk shrouds before being replaced in the tomb. It’s likely this is seen as an occasion to celebrate the honoured forbearer's memory, reunite with Chapter and community. This may be a very solemn affair or it may be an occasion with a festive atmosphere.
122. On the Chapter’s home- and/or recruitment world is it customary to fly kites to help unite the dead with the living. The Chapter also do this in time of honouring the dead or when they want the guides of a forbearer, like before or during an important battle.
123. The Chapter’s dead are bury within beautifully designed gardens.
124. The Chapter’s expose the bodies of their dead to the winged scavengers in specially built, open-topped towers.
125. The Chapter’s dead are buried or entombed together with a guardian/guiding animal.
126. The Chapter’s fallen’s gravestones, death plaques or similar only have their name and the Chapter’s symbol carved into the, because they believe that all titles and honours are lost when the spirit moves to join the Emperor
127. The Chapter’s funerals are noisy, wild affairs, with drums, flutes, wailing serfs and emotional Atartes.
128. The Chapter perform their funeral rites every time battle-brother/s leave on missions since they may never return to the Chapter.
129. The Chapter’s funerals are noisy, wild affairs. Drums, flutes and wailing serfs make sure to drown out the cries of the serf/s and/or beast/s who accompany their masters into the path toward the Emperor’s side.
130. For the Chapter three days is the rude minimum for a proper funeral, and Chapter heroes and high officers have rites that can last for a month.
131. A group of Aeldari Howling Banshee warriors are constantly harrying the Chapter when possible.
132. The Chapter has been known to fight alongside a group of Aeldari Howling Banshee warriors.
133. Recruit from cultures that only build stone houses for the dead, and consider the Marines revenants because they live in a stone fortress. This belief has been adopted by the Marines we consider themselves as being more akin to undead than alive.
134. When burying their dead the Chapter sacrifice at least one captured enemy to be placed at the feet of the dead Marine, the higher the rank or heroism of the dead the more sacrifices are placed at his feet in the grave. If no captured enemies are available, most likely are chapter-serfs sacrificed instead.
135. While traveling the Warp the Chapter have a constant celebration honouring their dead.
136. The Chapter’s dead are honoured during times of remembrance with song, dance, offerings and animal sacrifice.
137. Each battle-brother carries a portable shrine with them where they honour their forbearers and prey for their guidance.
138. Each battle-brother’s cell has an altar for remembrance, sacrifice and prayer to the fallen marines who previously resided in the cell, who (it’s believed) guide and protect the battle-brother now living there.
139. The Chapters dead are wrapped up and hang from the branched of great trees in sacred groves.
140. Will-o’-wisps manifest around the Marines from time to time.
141. The corps-ashes of the Chapter’s dead are thrown on the living battle-brothers and their equipment before missions.
142. The Chapter believe that in exchange for fruit, flowers, incense and an altar beside the fire (or similar), the Chapter’s dead provide prophetic dreams, ghostly advice and as many lucky breaks as possible for their living gene-seed-kin.
143. The Chapter’s members have pale chalk-white skin; completely pitch black eyes that are notably wide and round, and their hair either drains of all colour or darkens to blackest black.
144. The members of the First Company all have forsaken their former identity and name, they never remove their helmet, seldom speak and when they do it is with the same ghostly voice. Who they were are officially listed as being killed in action, so nobody but them knows if a KIA battle-brother is truly dead or have joined the ranks of the First Company.
145. The Chapter is believed by the humans of their homeworld to be psychopomps and have begun to style themselves on the people’s idea on how a psychopomp should look and act.
146. The Chapter is believed by the humans of their homeworld to be the war dead and have begun to style themselves on the people’s idea on how those should look and act.
147. Often bury themselves in shallow graves (with markers and all) before battle and arise from the earth when the enemy is within firing/charging range.
148. Hear voices of the dead, and sometimes they actually speak to the battle-brothers…
149. A sorrowful mien surround the Chapter’s Marines.

The Emperor above all
“The Chapter holds the Emperor as the ultimate object of its devotions. This is especially likely to be the case with Chapters of a later Founding, who maintain less in the way of contact with the Progenitor than older, more closely-tied Successors. Some Chapters, for whatever reason, are actually unaware of who their Progenitor was, and as such are likely to centre their worship on either the Emperor, who created the Primarchs, or on one of their own founding fathers.”

Spoiler

1. A Chapter that considers swords and powerclaws illfortune weapons since it was those that Horus used to wound the Emperor.
2. Have great respect for Navigators since they can see the Emperor’s light in the form of the Asronomicon.
3. The Chapter’s vehicles and armour are usually covered in illuminated texts extracted from tomes sacred to the Adeptus Astartes.
4. Speak mostly in quotes from ancient text describing the Emperor from when He walked the galaxy.
5. Have great respect for astropaths since they have stood before the Emperor.
6. A Chapter based solely on the use and study of the power of Imperial Faith that Chaplains utilize.
7. A Chapter that doesn’t have a Chapter-Master, instead its lead by a council consisting of the Chapter’s Chaplains.
8. A Chapter that has an unusual high amount of Chaplains.
9. A Chapter that frequently partner with the Ecclesiarchy in searching out archeotech, holy relics, and/or new sources of knowledge. This search/gather is likely often done to the point where these considerations outweigh other military factors.
10. They guarded a pilgrimage route to one of the one of the holy sites where the Emperor walked before His crippling. Maybe even one of the paths to Holy Terra.
11. Believes in the legends of the Emperor’s women born children, the Sensei, and search for any trace after them.
12. Each battle-brother has to partake in a pilgrimage to at least one place where it’s known (without any doubt) that the Emperor was before rising in rank to the next Company. This means that a first company member have been to ten places where the Emperor was, likely the place for the pilgrimage before joining the 1:th Company is Holy Terra.
13. The Chapter guards one of the holy sites where the Emperor walked before His crippling.
14. Still believes in the old Imperial Truth of atheism and science, likely fanatically. Probably disdainful toward the Ecclesiarchy and anything they see as superstition.
15. While they have a deep and abiding faith in the Emperor of Mankind and venerate the Emperor as more than a man, do they not believe that He is divine.
16. A Chapter whose brother’s sometime fall into a “holy trance” in which they produced stigmata where Horus wounded the Emperor.
18. A Chapter that believes the Emperor guides them and follows the guides of His tarot when making any larger decision.
19. A Chapter that fully believe in the Emperor’s divinity and are antagonistic against Chapters that don’t share that belief
20. A highly zealous Chapter that are fervent believers in the Imperial creed, they do not revere their ancestral primarch as most Chapters do, believing this to be a form of idolatry.

Honour the Ancestors
“The Chapter worships one of its own heroes above all others. Although the Emperor and the Primarch are likely to be fully acknowledged, this hero is regarded as an intercessional figure who sits at the right side of the Emperor. Most Chapters that adhere to this particular form of belief worship one of their founding fathers, often the very first Chapter Master but sometimes another figure who performed some deed that sealed his place in the Chapter’s history for all time.”
@Gamiel comment: for this one I changed the concept from worshiping a specific hero to them having ancestor worship or being near to it.

Spoiler

1. A Chapter that make servo-skulls out of all their fallen brothers’ recovered skulls and every marine is accompanied by at least one of those servo-skulls.
2. A Chapter that eat the brains and hearts of their fallen brethren.
3. A Chapter that placed great emphasis on reclaiming the wargear of their fallen so that their memory might fight on in the hands of new warriors.
4. They bury their fallen upon their homeworld’s soil or moon, believing that the spirits of their ancestors watch over them.
5. The Chapter’s halls are filled with rows of skulls taken from the bodies of fallen Space Marines and the main chapel is filled with the skulls of foes claimed in the aftermath of victory.
6. Each battle-brother’s cell has an altar for remembrance, sacrifice and prayer to the fallen marines who previously resided in the cell, who (it’s believed) guide and protect the battle-brother now living there.
7. The battle-brothers’ armour and other wargear are covered in the bones of their fallen brethren.
8. At certain times the Chapter’s fallen remains are exhumed to be periodically re-wrapped in fresh silk shrouds before being replaced in the tomb. It’s likely this is seen as an occasion to celebrate the honoured forbearer's memory, reunite with Chapter and community. This may be a very solemn affair or it may be an occasion with a festive atmosphere.
9. Each fallen battle-brother has a great state funeral once their bodies are returned to the Chapter’s homeworld.
10. The Chapter’s fallen have been known (or it’s believed to have happened) to rise again and fight alongside the living.
11. After battle the Chapter keep a great memorial service for the fallen, they will likely expect any allied Forces to participate, and react hostile to any who don’t.
12. Each of the Chapter’s chapter-masters have written down books of knowledge and observations, that each battle-brother is expected to study.
13. A Chapter that believes that the “soul” of an Astartes is in the Gene-seed, and view themselves as the reincarnation of the previous owner of the Seed within them.
14. Each battle-brother carries a portable shrine with them where they honour their forbearers and prey for their guidance.
15. The Chapter expects each battle-brother to memorise the names of the former carriers of their implanted gene-seed. There is likely a prestige to have to memorize a longer list of forbearers.
16. The Chapter’s Chaplains drink the mixed blood of gathered battle-brothers to receive visions of guidance.
17. The Chapter believe that every weapon has a spirit within that yearns for battle, and that this spirit must be maintained if a weapon is to aid them in combat. For this reason, older, proven weapons are highly valuable to the Chapter. Possibly they go to great lengths to retrieve weapons that have been damaged or lost in battle, though those which are beyond repair are ceremonially salvaged in order that the spirit within may live on.
18. Recruit from a Feral World and still use many of the weapons, traps and similar that their non-transhuman ancestors used.

Purity of Man
“While all Chapters detest mutation in all its forms, some take their values to such an extent that they believe that the Space Marines alone are the true inheritors of the Emperor, that they were made according to his perfect vision and that mere mortals (everyone else) are utterly inferior. Some carry this notion through to a rejection of artificial augmetics, preferring death to the dishonour of concealing weakness with machine implants and totally abhor the practise of imprisoning a fallen warrior in the sarcophagus of a Dreadnought.”

Spoiler

1. Don’t use Dreadnoughts, instead those that are to wounded to continue combat service but still won’t die are allowed to heal and serve as teachers and mentors for aspirants, given positions of leadership aboard the Chapter’s ship, and/or similar.
2. A Chapter that don’t replace their damages with cybernetics if it’s possible for the damage area to heal or be replaced with bionics.
3. A Chapter that hold abhumans in great contempt.
4. Have a great hatred toward mutants. They will never knowingly come to the help of sanctioned mutants fighting for the Imperium and will possibly kill them on sight.
5. Have a great hatred toward Genestealers because of their corruption of the holy standard human genotype.
6. The Chapter is openly hostile toward mutants, abhumans and similar, no matter how loyal they are.
7. Consider themselves, and other SM, impure because they as transhumans have abounded the holy standard human genotype.
8. The Chapter feels great contempt, if not openly hostility, toward humans with too much cybernetics.
9. Distrust the Magi Biologis of the Adeptus Mechanicus and are constantly on the lookout for information that will prove their suspicions. Possibly this distrust makes them unwilling to help or fight together with members of the Magi Biologis, or they try to constantly be/fight near them so they can monitor them.
10. A Chapter that have strained relations with the Adeptus Mechanicus.
11. When in conflict areas the Chapter helps out with taking care and healing of wounded humans when they have free time and maybe even stay after the conflict have ended to help the people. Possibly do they kill or castrate any survivors they deem unfit to spread their genes.
12. Consider any Imperial force that don’t follow the holy standard human genotype to be nothing but sacrificial and expandable units, that includes Space Marines.
13. Have a great hatred toward Fabius Bile and his students because of their corruption of the holy standard human genotype.
14. The Librarians of the Chapter take no positions of command.
15. The techmarines of the Chapter take no positions of command.
16. The Chapter have several times been charged with hunting down and destroying renegade Abhuman IG Regiments and cleansing the regiments homeworld.
17. The Chapter have several times been charged by the Lords of Terra with hunting down and destroying renegade Adeptus Mechanicus forces.
18. A Chapter that has an unusual high amount of Apothecary.
19. A Chapter that’s obsessed with keeping their gene-seed pure. Possibly they react condescending or even hostile toward Chapters they know have flaws or mutations in their gene-seed (like the Imperial Fist, the Black Dragons, and the Sons of Antaeus), or even anybody they consider impure.
20. Keep the great records of their recruitment-/homeworld’s populations’ genes and bloodlines, so no impurities will find their way in and the ones that do are quickly found.
21. A Chapter that don’t replace their damages with cybernetics if it’s possible for the damage area to heal or be replaced with bionics. They also offer this to their serfs, and possibly to the population of their homeworld.
22. Many of the Chapter’s serfs form genuine bonds of friendship and camaraderie with their masters.
23. They are harshly intolerant when they encounter less altruistic behaviour - greed, selfishness, corruption - on Imperial worlds. Possibly putting them to the sword if they find them wanting, no matter their influence.
24. Their Dreadnoughts are piloted by those that have gravely dishonoured themselves and/or the Chapter as punishment and as way to make certain that they don’t die easily on their path toward redemption.
25. The Chapter treat its serfs fairly, as important if still mortal extensions of the Chapter.
26. They are harshly intolerant when they encounter less altruistic behaviour - greed, selfishness, corruption - on Imperial worlds. Possibly putting them to the sword if they find them wanting, no matter their influence.
27. Many of the Chapter’s serfs form genuine bonds of friendship and camaraderie with their masters.

Reverse the Primarch
“The Chapter holds the Primarch of its Progenitor at the centre of its belief system, venerating him above all others. Although the Chapter worships the Emperor as the ultimate creator of the Legions and themselves, it is towards the Primarch that the bulk of its devotions are turned. Mighty statues of the Primarch grace the Chapter’s halls and his words are taught and read by every Battle-Brother.”
@Gamiel comment: This one is hard to come up with stuff for since each Primarch is different.

Spoiler

1. Each battle-brother carries a portable shrine with them where they honour their Primarch.
2. The Chapter’s Chaplains drink the mixed blood of gathered battle-brothers to receive visions of guidance from the Primarch.
3. The Chapter is also known for its extreme monastic nature, constantly studying the teachings of their Primarch if known. It’s likely that their vehicles and armour are usually covered in illuminated religious texts extracted from tomes sacred to the Adeptus Astartes.

Steel Over Flesh
“The exact opposite of those who revere the purity of the human form, there are those Chapters that believe that the flesh is weak and that only steel can withstand both time and the rigours of eternal war. The Iron Hands Chapter is one of the better-known practitioners of this doctrine, who replace entire limbs with bionic equivalents. Such Chapters often maintain close links with the Adeptus Mechanicus, and the Omnissiah is likely to feature to some degree in the irreligious practices.”

Spoiler

1. Rather quickly replace damages body parts instead of allowing them to heal, even if the damage part would heal without any means.
2. Is close to one of the esoteric, but still accepted (for now), fractions of the Mechanicus
3. Has an unusual high amount of techmarines but doesn’t seem to be any closer to the Mechanicus then most other Chapters.
4. Are the carriers of a letter of marque from the Adeptus Mechanicus Magicasts, granting them salvage rights wherever they roam.
5. Strictly follow the orthodox belief of the Adeptus Mechanicus; any machine that don’t fully follow one of the divine STC:s are considered tech-heresy.
6. Frequently partner with the Mechanicus in searching out archeotech, holy relics, and/or new sources of knowledge. This search/gather is likely often done to the point where these considerations outweigh other military factors.
7. Works closely with Xenarites Mechanicus' faction.
8. Works closely with Scions of the Iron Sphere Mechanicus' faction.
9. Works closely with Organicists Mechanicus' faction.
10. Works closely with Omnissiads Mechanicus' faction.
11. Works closely with Levelists Mechanicus' faction.
12. Works closely with Imperio-Cognisticians Mechanicus' faction.
13. Works closely with Crucible Resolviate Mechanicus' faction.
14. Works closely with Hippocrasian Sect Mechanicus' faction.
15. Works closely with Khamrians Mechanicus' faction.
16. There Techmarines are all also trained Transmechanic.
17. Their Techmarines are all also trained Reclaimator.
18. Their Techmarines are all also trained Lectro-Maester.
19. Their Techmarines are all also trained Manipulus.
20. Their Techmarines are also trained Electro-priests.
21. A Chapter that don’t have Apothecary, instead it has an position unique for that Chapter that combines the role of both Apothecary and Techmarine.
22. Any unsuccessful aspirants who failed to become Adeptus Astartes is lobotomised and turned into servitors.
23. A Chapter that don’t have any Chapter-serfs. All the tasks usually done by serfs are probably done by servitors and/or the battle-brothers themselves.
24. Have Iron Fathers/similar instead of Chaplains.
25. Have, relatively speaking, large amounts of arco-tech.
26. Large amount vehicles with long-range weaponry.
27. A Chapter that scavenge the arms, armour and other equipment of Renegade Space Marines for their own use. Maybe they even scavenge from fallen allied Space Marines and/or Chaos Space Marines. The Chapter’s techmarines are likely trained in techno-exorcism and/or they have allied tech-priests who are.
28. A Chapter where all the techmarines are also trained techsorcists.
29. Are allied with a specific Forge World, which have not just affected their wargear and equipment but also the warband’s culture.
30. Have a high amount of Dreadnoughts.
31. When the battle-brothers speak they do so with a clipped, monotone, cold tone that is uncomfortably precise in detail as well as delivery.
32. The Chapter’s dreadnoughts don’t seem to mentally degenerate when awake for longer times.
33. Each battle-brother is expected to refine and maintain his own armour and weaponry.
34. A Chapter that only communicate in Cant Mechanicus, and use text and/or speaker-servitors when needing to communicate with those who don’t understand that.
35. A Chapter with a high amount of servitors that they are using in the field.
36. The Chapter’s Chapter-Master is chosen from the senior ranks of the techmarines.
37. Have both Iron Fathers and Chaplains.
38. The Chapter possesses extensive forge resources, allowing them to field an impressive amount of Space Marine equipment, in both number and variety.
39. The Chapter’s battle-brothers are accomplished weaponsmiths, often crafting their own weapons and establishing a link with its Machine Spirit. Likely the Marine will devote himself to mastering the weapon's use, and learn to fight with unbelievable skill and poise, also likely is that losing a bonded weapon is a mark of great shame resulting in terrible dishonour and shame, leading them to go to great lengths to reclaim one.
40. A Chapter that has Battle-automatas in their armoury.
41. A Chapter that don’t have a Chapter-Master, instead its lead by a council consisting of the Chapter’s Dreadnoughts.
42. A Chapter who believes its vehicles are the true power of the force and their dreadnoughts the commanders.
43. The Chapter believe that every weapon has a spirit within that yearns for battle, and that this spirit must be maintained if a weapon is to aid them in combat. Likely for this reason, older, proven weapons are highly valuable to the Chapter. Possibly they go to great lengths to retrieve weapons that have been damaged or lost in battle, though those which are beyond repair are ceremonially salvaged in order that the spirit within may live on.
44. A Chapter that is close to one of the esoteric, but still accepted (for now), fractions of the Mechanicus.

Totem Creature
“Many Chapters have as their symbol some form of animal, either an actual creature or one from mythology. Many aspire to the qualities displayed by the creature, displaying related motifs in their livery and titles. Some even utilise tactics and weapons inspired by the manner in which their totem creature fights or hunts. This is certainly the case with the Salamanders Chapter, who favour flame-effect weapons in imitation of their namesake. The Battle-Brothers of the Space Sharks Chapter fi le their teeth to sharp points to replicate those of their own totem creature.”
@Gamiel comment: for this one I made many sub-tables since different totemic animals have different themes.

[Bird of prey] (eagle, hawk and similar)

Spoiler

1. Lots of psyber-[bird of prey].
2. Lots of Corvus pattern helmets.
3. Large amount of [bird of prey] live in the Chapter’s fortress-monastery and on-board their ships.
4. The skulls, bones and feathers of [bird of prey] are used as decorations and marks of honour.
5. Above the Codex standard numbers of Assault units.
6. The battle-brothers notably train in parkour.
7. A Chapter that has a flying unit of scouts riding giant [bird of prey] mounts.

Bull

Spoiler

1. A Chapter whose scouts use direbull mounts instead of scout bikes.
2. Prefer to ride cyber-enchanted direbulls instead of Space Marine Bikes.
3. Large amount of [bovines] live in the Chapter’s fortress-monastery and on-board their ships.
4. The skulls, bones, skins and horns of bulls are used as decorations and marks of honour.
5. A group of Goff orks have mistaken the Chapter as serving the same totem as they and therefore treat them as if they were fellow Goff orks.
6. Has a specialist unit that rides on ride cyber-enchanted direbulls.
7. Prefer to ride cyber-enchanted direbulls instead of Space Marine Bikes.
8. Unarmoured bull-jumping is part of the aspirant training.

Carrion bird (buzzard, crow-birds, vultures and similar)

Spoiler

1. Lots of psyber-[carrion birds].
2. Lots of Corvus pattern helmets.
3. Large amount of [carrion birds] live in the Chapter’s fortress-monastery and on-board their ships.
4. The skulls, bones and feathers of [carrion birds] are used as decorations and marks of honour.
5. A Chapter that’s surviving by looting things on the battlefield.
6. Call their squads murders/unkindnesses/conspiracies/kettles/committees/wakes instead of the Codex standard term.
7. Call their companies murders/unkindnesses/conspiracies/kettles/committees/wakes instead of the Codex standard term.
8. Instead of using the Codex standard term of Chapter when referring to themselves they use Murder/Unkindness/Conspiracy/Kettle/Committee/Wake or that with a Great in front.
9. A Chapter that has a flying unit of scouts riding giant [carrion bird] mounts.
10. Above the Codex standard numbers of Assault units.
11. The battle-brothers notably train in parkour.

[Cat-species]

Spoiler

1. A Chapter whose scouts use giant [cat-species] mounts instead of scout bikes.
2. A Chapter that has an aversion to authority and is highly independent.
3. A Chapter that don’t work well with others.
4. A Chapter that don’t work well with others, even fellow members of the Chapter.
5. Prefer to ride cyber-enchanted giant [cat-species] instead of Space Marine Bikes.
6. Large amount of [cat-species] live in the Chapter’s fortress-monastery and on-board their ships.
7. A Chapter that hold little or no regard for the strategies of other forces, relentlessly pursuing their own battle plans regardless of the schemes others might have set in motion.
8. Have a reputation as being particularly aloof and reluctant to participate – both in military councils and in conflicts.
9. A isolationistic Chapter that while willing to fight alongside other Imperial forces remain aloof and exchange only what information they must to undertake campaigns.
10. Has a specialist unit that rides on ride cyber-enchanted giant [cat-species].
11. The Chapter’s marines usually work alone; even when a group of battle-brothers are sent to a conflict do each of them work by himself instead of working as a group.

Dragon

Spoiler

1. Their fortress-monastery is built inside an active volcano.
2. Their homeworld is highly volcanic active.
3. Hoard tendency for fine crafted items.
4. Lots of open flames (braziers, torches, fireplace, etc.) all over the Chapter’s fortress-monastery and ships.
5. Hoard tendency for precious stones and metals.
6. Has a notable hot temper and fiery furry.
7. Hoard tendency for things of beauty. Possibly have many beautiful people in stasis caskets, so they stay beautiful forever.
8. Lots of flamer and melta weapons.
9. All battle-brothers are equipped with at least one flame based weapon of some kind.
10. Lots of poison and/or acid weapons.
11. A group of Aeldari Fire Dragons warriors are constantly harrying the Chapter when possible.
12. The Chapter has been known to fight alongside a group of Aeldari Fire Dragons warriors.
13. Officers wear scaled cloaks.
14. High officers wear scaled cloaks.
15. Their armour is often painted with scale patterns.
16. A Chapter that for some reason hoard material riches
17. Believe they have the right to take whatever they need/want from planets they have brought back into compliance.
18. A Chapter whose scouts use drake mounts instead of scout bikes.
19. Has a specialist unit that ride cyber-enchanted drakes.
20. Prefer to ride cyber-enchanted drakes instead of Space Marine Bikes.
21. Has a specialist unit that ride cyber-enchanted flying drakes.
22. The Chapter’s marines usually work alone; even when a group of battle-brothers are sent to a conflict do each of them work by himself instead of working as a group.

Owl

Spoiler

1. Lots of psyber-owls.
2. Lots of Corvus pattern helmets.
3. Large amount of owls live in the Chapter’s fortress-monastery and on-board their ships.
4. The skulls, bones and feathers of [buzzards] are used as decorations and marks of honour.
5. A Chapter that’s surviving by looting things on the battlefield.
6. A Chapter that don’t have a Chapter-Master, instead its lead by a council consisting of the Chapter’s senior Librarians.
7. The Chapter’s Chapter-Master are chosen from the members of the Librarius.
8. A Chapter that’s as dedicated to the scholarly arts as to the ways of war.
9. A Chapter whose scouts use giant owl mounts instead of scout bikes.
10. If presented with new knowledge or a logical problem a member of this Chapter does need to make a notable mental effort not to gather it, either physically or by reading it and keeping it in memory, headless of danger.
11. If presented with a logical problem, puzzle or riddle a member of this Chapter dose need to make a notable mental effort not to try to solve it, headless of danger.
12. Always try to find new knowledge.
13. Each battle-brother carry a book where they write down records, thoughts, observations and similar.
14. See the loss of knowledge as anathema. Therefor they defended with fanatical zeal libraries and other collections of knowledge. If the area will fall is it likely they will do their best to save as much knowledge as possible.
15. Prior to any deployment, the Chapter will scour any available records to gain information on the land they will fight in and on the opponents that they will fight.
16. Record keeping is seen as highly important for the Chapter. Likely does each company, ship, and squad keep their own records, maybe also the chapter-serf work-gangs and/or individual Marines also keep records; possibly are larger areas of the Chapter’s fortress-monastery and taken up by the record libraries.
17. Above the Codex standard numbers of Assault units.
18. The battle-brothers notably train in parkour.
19. Have a noted capacity for learning, particularly of military matters.
20. Give allied commanders, whether subordinates or many ranks more senior, post-battle reports of great detail. Possibly do the reports for fellow Space Marines have any deviation from the Codex Astartes noted.
21. Recruit from a Administratum World.
22. A Chapter that is dedicated to the Administratum.
23. A Chapter that works closely with the Ordo Scriptorum, of the =][=.
24. A Chapter that works closely with the Ordo Scriptus, of the =][=.
25. Many of the Chapter’s officers serve in consular duties among other Imperial Forces.
26. Deeply study not just the writings of the Primarchs.
27. The Chapter’s officers are not just promoted on seniority and merit, but also have to do a written exam.
28. Highly bureaucratic, to such level that more or less every request and/or task has its own forms that need to be filled out (likely in three versions) before it can be done. Possibly has this lead to them ignoring requests for help because it was not done using the proper bureaucracy.
29. See the loss of knowledge as anathema. Therefor they defended with fanatical zeal libraries and other collections of knowledge. If the area will fall is it likely they will do their best to save as much knowledge as possible.
30. Prior to any deployment, the Chapter will scour any available records to gain information on the land they will fight in and on the opponents that they will fight.
31. Large eyes with no visible eye-whites.
32. Have a noted capacity for observation and learning.
33. Try to save people intellectuals and knowledge keepers on worlds that are being overrun. Possibly if they can’t save them they eat them so they can absorb and save their knowledge using the omophagea.
34. When not on duty the Chapter’s battle-brothers are expected to help out teaching.

Scorpion

Spoiler

1. Lots of poison weapons.
2. Many of the battle-brothers have a close-combat mechandrite with poison-dispensers.
3. Large amount of scorpions live in the Chapter’s fortress-monastery and on-board their ships.
4. Use battle-automatas similar in form to Brass Scorpions.
5. A group of Aeldari Striking Scorpions warriors are constantly harrying the Chapter when possible.
6. The Chapter has been known to fight alongside a group of Aeldari Striking Scorpions warriors.
7. The shells, legs, claws, fangs and tails of large/giant scorpions are used as decorations and marks of honour.
8. Use large scorpions as psyber-familiars.
9. Use large/huge/gigantic scorpions as hunting and/or war beasts.
10. Their homeworld have giant scorpions; that are actually a threat to a lone SM.
11. A Chapter whose scouts use giant spider mounts instead of scout bikes.
12. Prefer to ride cyber-enchanted giant scorpions instead of Space Marine Bikes.
13. Use cyber-enchanted giant scorpions as mobile gun platforms.
14. Ritually bath in scorpion poison, possibly bleaching or miscolouring their hair and/or skin.
15. Has a specialist unit that rides on ride cyber-enchanted giant scorpions.

Snake

Spoiler

1. Lots of pet snakes, some may be attack trained.
2. Their homeworld have giant snakes, so large that they can swallow a SM whole.
3. Lots of poison weapons.
4. Snake tattoos cover their bodies.
5. Ritually bath in snake poison, possibly bleaching or miscolouring their hair and/or skin.
6. Use whips and/or chain-weapons.
7. All battle-brothers have had their tongue split as part of the aspirant process, making them forked like a snakes.
8. The Chapter’s Librarians use psyber-snakes.
9. A group of Snake Bites orks have mistaken the Chapter as serving the same totem as they and therefore treat them as if they were fellow Snake Bites orks.
10. A Chapter whose scouts use giant snake mounts instead of scout bikes.
11. Large amount of snakes live in the Chapter’s fortress-monastery and on-board their ships.
12. The skulls, bones and skins of snakes are used as decorations and marks of honour.
13. Officers wear scaled cloaks.
14. High officers wear scaled cloaks.
15. Their armour is often painted with scale patterns.
16. Are known as cold and utterly focussed warriors who display little emotion.
17. A Chapter that has an unusual high amount of Apothecary.

Spider

Spoiler

1. Lots of poison weapons.
2. Lots of weber- and net-weapons.
3. Highly train in being able to move vertically.
4. Use battle-automatas similar in form to Brass Scorpions.
5. A group of Aeldari Warp Spiders warriors are constantly harrying the Chapter when possible.
6. The Chapter has been known to fight alongside a group of Aeldari Warp Spiders warriors.
7. All battle-brothers are trained in weaving.
8. Recruit from the families of weavers.
9. Each battle-brother has a personal weaver-serf that tells his story by creating a tapestry.
10. Large amount of spiders live in the Chapter’s fortress-monastery and on-board their ships.
11. The shells, legs and fangs of large/giant spiders are used as decorations and marks of honour.
12. Use large spiders as psyber-familiars.
13. Use large/huge/gigantic scorpions as hunting and/or war beasts.
14. The Chapter specialize in subverting personnel, creating usefully-placed operatives and spy networks, even amongst their allies.
15. Patient in their way of warfare, with a preference for traps and ambushes.
16. Their homeworld have giant spiders, that are actually a threat to a lone SM.
17. A Chapter whose scouts use giant spider mounts instead of scout bikes.
18. Prefer to ride cyber-enchanted giant spiders instead of Space Marine Bikes.
19. Use cyber-enchanted giant spiders as mobile gun platforms.
20. Use whips and/or chain-weapons.
21. Ritually bath in spider poison, possibly bleaching or miscolouring their hair and/or skin.
22. Has a specialist unit that rides on ride cyber-enchanted giant spiders.

Lion

Spoiler

1. Lots of psyber-lions.
2. Fights alongside lionise animals, like lions, direlions, and/or even lion-beast akin to Fenrisian wolves in size and power.
3. Seems unable to function as an organised combat unit above 30 battle-brothers (included the officers).
4. Large amount of lions live in the Chapter’s fortress-monastery and on-board their ships.
5. Call their squads prides instead of the Codex standard term.
6. Call their companies prides instead of the Codex standard term.
7. The skulls, bones and pelts of lions are used as decorations and marks of honour.
8. Call themselves a Pride or Great Pride, instead of a Chapter.
9. Usually a combat force from the chapter is made up by one or two battle-bothers together with a warrior auxilia of two to thirty females.
10. Each battle-brothers’ personal serfs are all female.
11. A Chapter whose scouts use direlion mounts instead of scout bikes.
12. Instead of the Codex's Company structure, the Chapter base its organization around that of the simple 10-marine squad.
13. Pelts of lions hang from the officer’s armour. Possibly lionesses pelts for lower officers and male lion pelts for higher ones.
14. Prefer to ride cyber-enchanted direlions instead of Space Marine Bikes.
15. Has a specialist unit that rides on ride cyber-enchanted direlions.
16. Have lion companions whose remains, when fallen, are treated in the same way as a Marine’s.
17. Acts regal and speaks in formal tone.
18. A ferocious and inspiring Chapter.
19. A arrogant and prideful Chapter.
20. A charismatic Chapter of seemingly born leaders.

Wolf

Spoiler

1. Lots of psyber-wolves.
2. Fights alongside lupine-animals, like wolves, direwolves, and/or even beast akin to Fenrisian wolves.
3. Seems unable to function as an organised combat unit above 37 battle-brothers (included the officers)
4. Large amount of wolves live in the Chapter’s fortress-monastery and on-board their ships.
5. The skulls, bones and feathers of wolves are used as decorations and marks of honour.
6. Call their squads packs instead of the Codex standard term.
7. Call their companies packs instead of the Codex standard term.
8. Call themselves a Pack or Great Pack, instead of a Chapter.
9. A Chapter whose scouts use direwolf mounts instead of scout bikes.
10. Instead of the Codex's Company structure, the Chapter base its organization around that of the simple 10-marine squad.
11. Pelts of wolves hang from the officer’s armour.
12. Prefer to ride cyber-enchanted direwolves instead of Space Marine Bikes.
13. Has a specialist unit that ride cyber-enchanted direwolves.
14. Have lupine companions whose remains, when fallen, are treated in the same way as a Marine’s.

Sun

Spoiler

1. A Chapter with a preference for las-weapons, flash grenades, halo-reflector fields and other light using/creating technology.
2. Are aversive to fighting on Night Worlds.

Moon

Spoiler

1. Their fortress-monastery lay on a moon.
2. The amount of moons and what phases they are in are taking in to consideration when the Chapter plan their __
3. A preference for night fighting.

Stars

Spoiler

1. Style themselves after one of the figures in the ancient pre-Age of Darkness Terran zodiacs. Maybe they consider all the stars that made up those images their main protectorate?
2. A preference for night fighting.

For the God-Emperor!
@Gamiel comment: this one was not part of Rites of Battle but since there was not a belief roll result that reprecented beliving in the Emperor as a divine being

Spoiler

1. A Chapter that considers swords and powerclaws illfortune weapons since it was those that Horus used to wound the Emperor.
2. A pious, zealous and uncompromising Chapter.
3. Thuribles hang from all of the Chapter’s battle-brothers belts and/or weapons.
4. Closely allied with a Adepta Sororitas convent.
5. Have great respect for astropaths since they have stood before the Emperor.
6. A Chapter based solely on the use and study of the power of Imperial Faith that Chaplains utilize.
7. A Chapter that doesn’t have a Chapter-Master, instead its lead by a council consisting of the Chapter’s Chaplains.
8. A Chapter that has an unusual high amount of Chaplains.
9. A Chapter that frequently partner with the Ecclesiarchy in searching out archeotech, holy relics, and/or new sources of knowledge. This search/gather is likely often done to the point where these considerations outweigh other military factors.
10. A Chapter that is close to one of the esoteric, but still accepted (for now), fractions of the Ecclesiarchy. Is possibly highly invested in the fractions teachings.
11. Believes in the legends of the Emperor’s women born children, the Sensei, and search for any trace after them.
12. Each battle-brother has to partake in a pilgrimage to at least one place where it’s known (without any doubt) that the Emperor was before rising in rank to the next Company. This means that a first company member have been to ten places where the Emperor was, likely the place for the pilgrimage before joining the 1:th Company is Holy Terra.
13. The Chapter guards one of the holy sites where the Emperor walked before His crippling.
14. A Chapter that is close to one of the main fractions of the Ecclesiarchy.
15. See the Emperor as a god and themselves as semi-divine beings. Likely have they a religious cult around themselves.
16. A Chapter that send its battle-brothers, at a certain point of their service, to serve as bodyguards to the VIP:s of the Ecclesiarchy. Possibly for the whole Ecclesiarchy, or maybe for just the Ecclesiarchy in the sector/sub-sector where the Chapter’s homeworld lay, or other.
17. A Chapter that is known to perform small forms of religious observance in its daily tasks.
18. Fight alongside an “auxilia” of religious zealots.
19. Recruit from the sons of pilgrims.
20. Recruit from a Shrine World.
21. Speak mostly in quotes from religious texts.
22. They guarded a pilgrimage route.
23. Protect a Adepta Sororitas shrine.
24. The Chapter is the caretakers of a Adepta Sororitas Saint’s remains.
25. The Chapter’s vehicles and armour are usually covered in illuminated texts extracted from tomes sacred to the Adeptus Astartes.
26. A Chapter that works closely with one of the Orders Militant of the Adepta Sororitas.
27. A Chapter that works closely with one of the Orders Hospitaller of the Adepta Sororitas.
28. A Chapter that works closely with one of the Orders Hospitaller of the Adepta Sororitas.
29. A Chapter that works closely with one of the Orders Dialogous of the Adepta Sororitas.
30. A Chapter that works closely with one of the Orders Famulous of the Adepta Sororitas.
31. A Chapter that works closely with one of the Orders Sabine of the Adepta Sororitas.
32. A Chapter that works closely with one of the Orders Pronatus of the Adepta Sororitas.
33. A Chapter that works closely with one of the Orders Hospitaller of the Adepta Sororitas.
34. Protect a Adepta Sororitas shrine.
35. Closely allied with a Adepta Sororitas convent.
36. Protects a Shrine World.
37. Are the direct rulers of a Shrine World.
38. Holds a human saint in high respect and follow hens teaching in the ways they can. Likely protect the saint’s remains (if any), important holy sites and/or followers.
39. Holds a group of human saints in high respect and follow their teaching in the ways they can. Likely protect the saints’ remains (if any), important holy sites and/or followers.
40. A Chapter whose brother’s sometime fall into a “holy trance” in which they produced stigmata where Horus wounded the Emperor.
41. A Chapter that believes the Emperor guides them and follows the guides of His tarot when making any larger decision.
42. A Chapter that fully believe in the Emperor’s divinity and are antagonistic against Chapters that don’t share that belief.
43. Each battle-brother carries a portable shrine with them where they honour the Emperor.
44. The Chapter is also known for its extreme monastic nature, constantly studying the teachings of the Emperor. It’s likely that their vehicles and armour are usually covered in illuminated religious texts extracted from tomes sacred to the Adeptus Astartes.
45. The Chapter is monastic in nature with much time being given over to worship and prayer.
46. The Chapter is one with faith in the God-Emperor, and every battle-group is accompanied by groups of human clerics, mystics, and/or flagellants.
47. The Chapter is one with a strange faith in the God-Emperor, and they have been observed from distance, but never close up, to perform their mysterious rituals in hopes of calling down the God-Emperor’s powers.

Esoteric Beliefs
“A small number of Chapters have inherited quite unusual beliefs from the cultures they recruit from, and these have become intermixed with their veneration of the Emperor or of the Primarch. In the 41st Millennium, autochthonic religions are often merged into the cult of the Emperor, so the practice is not entirely without precedent although it remains uncommon amongst the Adeptus Astartes. In addition, the Adeptus Mechanicus worships a deity called the Omnissiah, which is held by most (though not all) tech-priests to be an alternative personification or manifestation of the Emperor. Many native populations display hylotheistic practices, worshipping the Emperor not as a god seated upon a golden throne, but residing in the heart of the sun that burns in their world’s sky. Others worship the ocean, storm, sky, fi re or any number of similar aspects that may over time come to signify the Emperor or a Primarch in the Chapter’s own rituals and teachings.”
@Gamiel comment: for this one I have right now nothing, I have hard to think of esoteric belives that are truly esotric by the Imperiums standards or don't already fit in with the other results.

 

Finished the Warhammer Crime novel Bloodlines last night - I liked it. I just got the anthology No Good Men from Amazon UK today. It's down a bit on the reading list as I also got the new SW Thrawn book in the same order - I'll start that later tonight.

 

I personally found the new Thrawn novel awesome - but that's me.

40K-wise, the Ciaphas Cain series will always be my favourite. Maybe a little formulaic at times, but the formula is a good one.

 

I couldn't get into Ciaphas Cane. I do like the Inquisitors though - Dan Abnett's Eisenhorn trilogy was where I started with 40K.

 

Amberley Vail from the Cain books is an Inquisitor - and a particularly likeable one by Inquisitorial standards, at that.

 

I will say I really don´t like Chipas Cain, it has just so many lore breaks, so many utterly unlikley things piling up that it utterly destroying my immersion. Like I could accept having an utterly liberal commisar, but then him having a blank bodyguard and being in something of a relationship with an ultra liberal Inquistor, being on friendly terms with Tau, having gone through Dark Eldar torture and still being able to fuction in any way shape or form.... Its just piling up.

Also don´t like how these books unironically showing the Imperium as Heroes and actually not that bad of a place to live in.

And the CSM fan in me hates how in those books IG, and not even a super elite regiment like Gaunts Ghosts, can take on the Traitor Legions with only a slight numerical advantage. (This is also a pet peeve I have in DoW and Relics of War)

That said nothing against the general writing style and humor, just wish it was better in therms of lore and immersion.

 

Well. My first Primarch Model (the Lion) for playing Horus Heresy will ship Friday. Bought it and the 9th Black Book for the Heresy game which cover the Thramas crusade and has rules for Dark Angels and Night Lords for that era. 130 USD a piece for a single model and a book, so 260 total. Owww my wallet. But the Forge World model For the Lion is beautiful.

 

I think you should make this one longer. Maybe adding something about:
- Problem with their recruitment stock.
- Accusation of major tech-heresy.
- The Chapter’s beliefs being declared heretical.
- Attempted secession from the Imperium.
- Group allied to the Chapter was declared renegade and the Chapter joined them in exile out of (misplaced?) loyalty.
- Gene-seed theft.
- Cowardice.
- Slaying of an Inquisitor/similar without good prof

What do the "W" stand for?

I suggest making it somewhat like this instead:
- Less than a full Company, roll 1D8+1 to see how many squads.
- Around a full Company, about 100 Astartes
- A bit more than a Company, roll a D10 for how many squads more beside the standard 10 Squads.
- More than one company, up to half a Chapter, roll D4+1 to see how many companies.
- Half a company or more, roll D5+4 to see how many companies.
- Around a full Chapter of 10 companies, each with about 100 Astartes
- More than a full Chapter, roll a D20 to see how many squad more than the standard 100.
- Notably more than a full Chapter, roll a D10 to see how many companies more than the standard 10.
- The renegade Chapter is in combat supported by non-Astartes forces, roll again on this table and roll ones on the Auxila table. This result can be gotten more than ones.


Auxila Table
- Untrained cult hordes
- Chapter-serfs-at-arms
- Chapter helots
- Xeno mercenaries
- Slave-soldiers (comparable to penal legionnaires)
- Warrior cultists
- Pirates and other gentlemen of fortune.
- Abominations (Possessed, xeno-monsters, wolfen, daemon-engines, heretek-constructs)
- Tech-guard (skitarii, combat-automata)
- Tech-thralls (combat servitors, arco-flagellants)
- War beasts

Suggest making 20 into "Xeno faith"; also since there was a secret worship of the Emperor before the HH so should it be possible that a renegade band/Chapter from pre-HH/HH-era could worship the Emperor, and it is also possible that they have picked it up later. And it’s possible that the Imperial Truth have lived on among some Chapters, even after the Age of Apostasy.

Suggest adding:
- Version of the Imperial Cult declared heretical
- Version of the Machine Cult declared heretical
- Have forsaken their old belief and as of jet have not picked any new one/s.


Suggest making results 16 to 19 into something like:
- Chaos, roll a D6 to see what aspect of it: 1) Chaos Undivided or constantly changing allegiance; 2) Khorne; 3) Nurgle; 4) Tzeench; 5) Slanesh; 6) Minor Chaos god. 7) Dark Mechnicum; 8) Only minor dabbling in Chaos as of yet and have not picked a main patron. If result 2 to 6 they may know their divine patron under another name than the most common.
- Chaos but they don’t know it (jet?), roll a D8 to see what aspect of it: 1) Chaos Undivided or constantly changing allegiance; 2) Khorne; 3) Nurgle; 4) Tzeench; 5) Slanesh; 6) Minor Chaos god; 7) Dark Mechnicum; 8) Only minor dabbling in what they don’t know is Chaos as of yet and have not gotten a main patron.

Suggest that #9 don’t have a reroll comment since there are many radical Inquisitors that can overlook many a-thing as long as something serve their ends.
Also suggest making it longer, there are many imperial institutions/groups that you can expand it with.

Suggest making results 6, 8 and 9 into:
- A group of Eldar, roll a D6 for what kind: 1) Corsair ship/fleet; 2) a Craftworld, or at least a faction of it; 3) Dark Eldar kabal or coven; 4) Harlequin trope; 5) Exodites; 6) an alliance of different groups of Eldars.

And result 1-2 into:
- non-Imperial human world.
Since there are many human words that are non-Imperial for one reason and another that are not renegade.

Also suggest adding:
- Pirate fleet.
- Ork group.
- Grot group. [I like the idea of rebel grots allying with a renegade Chapter to fight orks ]
- Smuggler clans.
- Renegade Navigator house

Suggest changing results 1-10 into something like:
- Unbroken Legion, [Here I’m uncertain what Legions beside the Black Legion and Word Bearers can be considered unbroken, and before the attack on Fenris just before the fall of Cadia would I consider the Thousand Sons a broken legion]
- Legion warband, roll a D20 from which*: 1) Dark Angels; 2) Black Shields; 3) Emperor's Children; 4) Iron Warriors; 5) White Scars; 6) Space Wolves; 7) Imperial Fists; 8) Night Lords; 9) Blood Angels; 10) Iron Hands; 11) Mixed legion forces; 12) World Eaters; 13) Ultramarines; 14) Death Guard; 15) Thousand Sons; 16) Sons of Horus/Black Legion; 17) Word Bearers; 18) Salamanders; 19) Raven Guard; 20) Alpha Legion.
* If a Loyalist legion is rolled do this represent a traitor warband that can place it’s origin to the Horus Heresy

And maybe adding some more results, maybe like:
- Chaos Space Marine warband. [Representing warbands made up by CSM that turned to Chaos after HH]
- Fellow renegade Chapter, now sworn to Chaos.
- Chaos pirates.
- Chaos sworn xenos.
- A higher daemon have taken a likening to the Chapter.
- A fallen Inquisitor with retinue.

Point but at the same time so is there a classic WH40k plot-point that a Chapter’s gene-seed is unknown and can’t even be identified from which primogenitor they originally came from. And many Chapters have gene-seed that has been mutated, tampered with, or is actually made up by gene-seed from more than one origin.

 

And here is the Coat of arm for the Báthory family

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Coa_Hungary_Family_Báthory.svg

And here is an artistic stylization of the coat of arms of Elizabeth Báthory (I think it has been turned around by mistake, based on the coat-of-arm placed on the front facade of Baroque Holy Trinity Church (Kostol Najsvätejšej Trojice) in Košice' historic centre, pic below this one)

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coa_Hungary_Family_Báthory_Erzsébet_(1560-1614).svg


https://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=6142a312-5136-4d26-97bc-e3bf1962bc8d

I'm not certain, to my understanding (which may be wrong) was Prince Vlad III often not that much more horrible than many other rulers from his era, he just used terror tactics a bit more. Based on some of the stories was he seen as a harsh but fair ruler.

I can see a the starting concept being something like them being the direct rulers of a Feudal World, having a tradition of leaving the corpses of those they have sentenced to death impaled on poles. They are fare and just if harsh and crules against law brakers, they possibly have a tendecy to test their subjects honesty. They are likely extremely cruel against their enemies and leave them, or their heads impaled on poles. They likely don’t like their authority questioned, and can possibly execute Imperials they consider having insulted them or done a bad job.
Based on Vlad III’s constantly shifting politically alliances could they have a history of allying with renegades and xenos to defeat greater threats
This Chapter should for reference sake either be Blood Angels or Night Lords, the two "vampire-ish" Chapters, with the later also fitting with it's tendency for crulity

 

Oh sure, but this is GW territory so I guess everything is driven to the utmost chlichee.
Actually read a pretty intresting collection of short stories/legends about him in the past, with every story usually having two versions. The Romanian one and a Western European One. The Romanian one usually being more positive.
For example there is a story where Vlad asks two monks what they think about his reign, one flatters him and the other speaks the truth and says Vlad is a mass murderer.
Now in the Western Version Vlad rewards the flattering monk and kills the one speaking the truth. In the Romanian tough its reversed, he kills the monk who flatters him because he is a liar and rewards the other for speaking the truth.
Now this could translate to the chapters having a worse reputation than the actually are. Maybe to some extend they might even cater that to as part of psycological warfare.

If we continue the Vlad analogy tough, well if we go by the real person then I guess they would punish any battle brother harsh who looses control over the Red Thirst, (or their sadistic tendencies if Night Lords decendants)especially when against innocents. Also like Vlad they would be loved by the common people, but hated by nobles, politicans and military commanders.

As for a name I feel if Blood Angles then Blood Dragons would be a fun one as it is not only a joke to history but also to Warhammer Fantasy. For Night Lords, hm, maybe Moon Dragons or something like that?

I actually like the Night Lords idea a bit more cause it would in a sense parallel how Vlad grew up in the Ottoman Empire and was trained there, inithially even send back home as an Ottoman vassal, only to them become their worst enemy.

Also maybe in therms of allegiances maybe there is a second chapter in the same system, or at least close by. They have kind of a friend/foe relationship with, like Vlad had with Hungary(and Romania and Hungary have in general). If to resemble Hungary they could be either Scars or Fists/Ultramariens decendants.

Oh for Würfel, germanc for Dice. Didn´t think of that it should mean D1-X here.

Like your suggestions, will see to get an updated chater soon. Was thinking about maybe adding another category in therms of "knowledge of the past" that comes before selecting a chapter/legion(and skips that one if the result is "don´t know their origin).

 

Aha, we use T for 'tärning' up here.

 

I was thinking the same thing, but on the other hand so would that name even more fit for a Báthory based Chapte since they have even more of a connection to dragons.

If we say that their Chapter symbol and/or colours are base the Draculesti's coat of arms could their name be based one something with moon, star and/or night sky.



Maybe have a name with similar structure like the Natt och Dag nobel family's, what about the Moon and Star Chapter?

Something that would be fun is to have a frenemies of WS stock that's based on this part of Dracula "What devil or what witch was ever so great as Attila, whose blood is in these veins?" He held up his arms. "Is it a wonder that we were a conquering race, that we were proud, that when the Magyar, the Lombard, the Avar, the Bulgar, or the Turk poured his thousands on our frontiers, we drove them back?”

 

Hm aren´t SW supposed to sound intimidating. Moon and Star doesn´t really have that or even a military vibe.

Could be included as well, maybe the chapters have clashed in the past? Maybe over the control/reources of the worlds in the system/sector?

I mean if we want Maygar´s/Hungarians then I would suggest. Scars geenseed, but having left behind most of the culture of Chogoris. Like the Magyars adopted catholisim and Western Lifelstyles for the most part. So they adhere to the Codex Astartes, are clean shaven instead of having these mustaces, use Codex conform titles and ranks. But still prefer quick attack and mobile armies, while also retianining the scars hotheadedness. So essentially if you look at them they don´t seem like Scars at all but if you interact with them or see them in battle its clear they are still the Kahn´s sons.

I would set them as second founding chapter who originally were actually much more openly like the Scars but loosing their old homeworld(maybe more than one, paralleling the journey of the Magyars until reaching the Donau basin) and settling in other places has lead to a certian change. Or maybe they where inthially fleet based and only settled a few thousand years ago.

Some other Hungarian inspired ideas:
-their marines tend to relax in thermal baths when outside of battle, and their foot is so spicy non Astartes are able to eat it, both of wich they claim keeps them healthy and gives them a higher tolerance to poisons
-they have a special unit of bike riding Astartes who also wear jump packs. Winged Husars in 40k so to say
-experts at getting into highly guarded places without getting detected

 

Not really, even if many of them do sound intimidating and some of them probably was created to intimidate. Many of their names represent their beliefs, origin, the heraldry of the group they was before becoming a Chapter of their own, the cognomen of their first Chapter Master.

But it has a vibe of nobility, at least for me that know of the Natt och Dag* family
* "Night and Day" in anglo.

Maybe some clerical error have given them both the protector right/duty to the same area and both are a bit to prideful to easily work tighter, with them both thinking that any joint operation should be led by their commander. Could lead to a Space Wolves/Dark Angels situation where they have developed a system that each commander duel when meeting to decide who will lead and stop any notable infighting, maybe this system was developed after one to many discussions about who should command ended in blood spill, maybe there even was a small scale open conflict between the Chapters?

 

Sure, just doesn´t sound right to me, similiar to say the Rainbow Warriors or Celestial Lions.

Something like that yeah.

Sure, just doesn´t sound right to me, similiar to say the Rainbow Warriors or Celestial Lions.

And here is my reworked version of the Renegade Astartes creation table. Added a few more bits, made a few changes. Didn´t include all of your ideas cause I feel some of them are already more or less covered in what I have. For example I would count Chaos Pirates towards Lost and Dammed Forces.


1. Reason for the Fall

Spoiler

1-3. Accused of consorting with the forces of chaos
4-6. Accused of consorting with non humans
6-10. Attacked other Imperial Forces
10-15. Geenseed Flaw/Theft
15-17. Rebellion against Imperial tyranny, including attacks on Imperial authority figures
18. The Reason is Lost to Time
19. Declared Renegade because they knew too much
20. Innocent but declared traitor because of imperial incompetence
21-22. Involved in Tech Heresy
23-24. Infiltration by non Imperial Forces
25. Acts of Cowardice

2. Knowledge of their Past/Genetic Heritage

Spoiler

1-3. Full knowledge of the Origin
4-7. Know most of their heritage
8-9. Retain only fragments of information(Roll 3. twice and combine fragments of the results)
10. Their entire background lies in darkness(Skip point 3.)

3. Parent Legion

Spoiler

1-4. Ultramarines
5-6. Imperial Fists
7-8. Dark Angels
9-10. White Scars
11-12. Iron Hands
13-14. Raven Guard
15-16. Blood Angels
17. Space Wolves
18. Salamanders
19. Traitor Legion(would require its own chart)
20. Lost Legion

3a. Traitor Legion

Spoiler

1-2 Black Legion
3. Iron Warriors
4. Night Lords
5. Word Bearers
6. Alpha Legion
7. World Eaters
8. Death Guard
9. Thousand Sons
10. Emperors Children

4. How long have they been renegade

Spoiler

1. Deserted Pre Heresy (Can be a company at max)
2. Deserted During the Heresy (Can be a company at max)
3. Deserted shortly after the Heresy
4-5 Deserted during the Age of Apostacy
6-7. Deserted before the 41st Millenium
8-10. Deserted during the 41st Millenium or after

5. Size of the force

Spoiler

1-5. D3 Squads
6-10. D6 Squads
11-13. One Company
14-16. D3 Companies
17-18. D6 Companies
19. Full Chapter Strenght
20. Beyond Chapter Strenght(Re roll when Salamanders or Space Wolves)

6. Religion

Spoiler

1-3. Imperial Cult (Re roll when deserted during or pre Heresy)
4-5. Machine Cult
6-7. Imperial Truth
8-10. Primach worship(Re roll when Lost or Traitor Legion)
11-12. Pre Heresy Emperor Worship(Re roll if deserted past the Age of Apostacy)
13-15. Various but no overall prevalent believes
16. Original God
17-19. (Chaos God in a different Aspect, requires extra table)
20. Xenos faith(re roll if deserted for any reason beyond consorting with aliens or rebellion against Imperial)

6a. Chaos Gods

Spoiler

1-2. Khorne in a different aspect
2-4. Nurgle in a different aspect
5-6. Tzeench in a different aspect
7-8. Slanesh in a different aspect
9. Malice in a different aspect
10. Minor Chaos God/Demon

6b. Xenos Faith

Spoiler

1-3. The Greater Good
4-6. Void Dragon
7. Night Bringer
8. Khaine
9. The Laughing God
10. Old Ones in an abstract way

7. Auxillia

Spoiler

1-5. No Auxillia Forces
6-7. Untrained cult hordes(Re roll if Imperial Truth)
8-9. Chapter-serfs-at-arms/Helots
10-11. Xeno mercenaries(Re roll if Imperial Truth/Cult)
12. Warrior cultists(Re roll if Imperial Truth)
13-14. Pirates and Raiders(Re roll if Imperial Truth/Cult)
15. Abominations (Exact Nature depends on the Warabands faith)
16-18. Tech-guard/Thralls(Re roll if anything but Machine Cult or Imperial Truth)
19-20. War beasts

8. Main Allies

Spoiler

1-3 No allies
4-5 Allies in the Imperium(Re roll if worshipping chaos gods or greater good)
6-8 Allies outside of both Imperium and Chaos
9-10 Allies in the forces of chaos(re roll if still following the Imperial Cult/Truth or Greater Good)

9. Imperial allies

Spoiler

1-5. Sympathetic Governor
6. Sympathetic Mechanicum Fabricator
7. Sympathetic Space Marine Chapter
8. Sympathetic Knight House
9. Sympathetic Inquistor(Re roll if deserted on charges of consorting with chaos/aliens or geenseed flaw)
10. Sympathetic Navigator House
11-14. Corrupt Imperial Commander
15-16. Closley related Sororitas Convent(Re roll if anything but Imperial Cult)
17-18. Abhuman Minority
19-20. Criminal Gang/Crime Syndicate

10. Allies outside the Imperium

Spoiler

1-2 Non Imperial Human World
3. Heretekt Group
4. Freetrader/Smuggler Clan
5. Minor Xenos Species(Re roll if on Imperial Cult/Truth)
6. Eldar Force(Requires own table) (Re roll if on Imperial Cult/Truth or a chaos god)
7. Tau Empire (Re roll if anything but Greater Good or Various)
8. Blood Axes Ork Clan (Re roll if Imperial Cult/Truth)
9. Dark Eldar (Requires own table) (Re roll if anything but Original or Various)
10. Necron Lord (Re roll if anything but Original, Various or Machine Cult)

10a. Eldar

Spoiler

1-5. Eldar Corsairs
6-7. Eldar Worldship
8. Exodite World
9. Ynnari
10. Harlequins Troupe

10b. Dark Eldar

Spoiler

1-5. Minor Cabale
6-7. Hagashin Cult
8. Hellion Gang
9. Ynnari
10. Harlequins Troupe

11. Chaos Allies

Spoiler

1-5. Chaos Legion(roll on table 3a)
6-7. Traitor Force from a loyalist Legion(roll on table 3)
8-10. Mixed/Former Renegade Warband
11-14. Dark Mechanicum(Re roll if anything but Various, Machine Cult or Imperial Truth)
15-18. Lost and Dammed Forces(Re roll if Imperial Cult/Truth or Greater Good)
19. Chaos alligned Xenos Species
20. Demon Forces(Re roll if anything but a chaos good)

 

Made my first foray into our local town center since the March lockdown today and got current issues of a few magazines - one was White Dwarf.

 

So I've tought a bit about Ciphas Cain the last few days and I notice something that does actually explain every single problem I have with that series:

Cain is a servant of Malice.

It explains everything. His unlikley group of outcasts and special snowflakes is defenetly how Malal's followers would come of. His main regiment the 597th is a regiment formed out of two others. One all male the other all female, ewoking the duality of Malice.

I mean think about it, who would Malice choose as his champion? Certianly not a Space Marine like the other gods do. No he would choose a regular human, a member of the most downbeaten faction in the setting the Imperail Guard. And for extra irony it would be a figure of authority who never actually enforces the rules he is there to enforce.

And by not only surviving but despite all logic prospering in this universe Cain and co are litterally a gaint middle finger you to everyone else in the galaxy. Exactly what Malice is all about.

And on a meta level they are the same to dogmatic and humorless fans like myself.

No wonder they are so skilled against CSM if they have the blessing of a god who deligzs in putting down the followers of the big 4.

So yeah, I believe that Ciphas Cain is Malice's equivalent to Kahrn, Tythos, Ahriman and Lucius. Sorry Sons of Malice, seems the 597th Valhalan are the true chosen of the renegade god.

The only question that remains is. Do they know? I think there is an argument for both.

It would be in the nature of Malice to have his chosen one not realize it. And the books don't seem to imply Cain having knowledge of something like this.

On the other hand he wrote them and if he is Malice's man I guess Amberly is as well. Maybe the books are another deliberate mockery of the universe and an attempt to get other new comissars to embark on a similar path.

So what do you guys think? I know it sounds insane but to me the idea that CC is a servant of the renegade god really allows this series to fit into the 40k universe.

 

Regarding 10-15 so do it feel like Flaw and Theft are too different to be grouped together, the latter is much more of a crime against the beliefs of Astartes who will be the ones supporting declaring them renegade, while the other is something many of them seems willing to overlook while the Inquisition/similar is it the other way around.

I would give the different results the same chance.

Maybe give some examples for how some of the results could look.

Feel like Lost legion should schare number with the traitor dito

Why do the Black Legion have two numbers while all the others only have one?

I would use a D12 and instead of eras use milleniums with the 31th devided into before/during/just after the HH.

With #11-12 is it what is now called Temple Tendency you are meaning?

Regarding #20 do I think that they should be able to have piced up a xeno faith even if they was declared renagade for other reasons than consorting with aliens or rebellion against Imperium.

Why no one of the Chaos gods in their true/most known aspect?

I would not have Khaine and the Laughing God as different results, instead I would have 'The Eldar gods', the same for 'Void Dragon' and 'Night Bringe'.

Would ad Gorka Morka, and Minior Xeno faith.

I would strike the re-roll comments, since even if a renegade Chapter/band are belivers in the Imperial Truth or Cult so do harsh situations creat strange bedfellows and they should be able to justify what they do to themself with no porblems.

In my minde so are Chapter-serfs-at-arms/Helots at different levels the foremr is comparable to better IG regiments while the later are comparable to tempestus scions.

Why do you think that only Machine Cult and Imperial Truth should be able to have Tech-guard/Thralls?

Also, regarding warrior cultists and cult hordes do it not say what they are fanatic about so I say that a Imperial Truth band should be able to have them.

Suggest removing the re-roll comment, the Chapter don't need to know that their allies are Chaos sworn.

re. #9, I would remove the re-roll comment, there are after all many readical =][=

Would really result 19-20 count as "Imperial allies"?

Suggest expanding this with:
Rogue Trader
Merchant fleet
Explorator fleet
Sub-sector Governor
Sector wide organisation
Intersteallar noble family

and that's what I can come up with right now, the Imperium is big, lett your tables reflect that!

I would strike the re-roll comments, since even if a renegade Chapter/band are belivers in the Imperial Truth or Cult so do harsh situations creat strange bedfellows and they should be able to justify what they do to themself with no porblems.

No haemonculus covens?

 

Maybe I could put that into the next update. But I feel theft is much rarer than geenseed problems. Problems could be a category of its own but I would rather say it depends on the legion.

Why that? There is clearly a difference between the Lost and Traitor Legions. Like Guilliman having removed the chairs for the traitors at his "round table" while he left those for the two lost Legions. Indicating that he sees them differently.

Because the Black Legion/Sons of Horus was the largest Traitor Legion and also the one that is most spread out.

Thing is we barely know anything about most of these millenia, especially the ones inbetween the HH and the current day, with the Age of Apostacy and the War of the Beast being the only ones that recieve any closer coveradge. So I felt splitting it up in eras makes more sense than giving concrete dates.

Sure, maybe I could change it to a more broad "pre imperial faith" and then give another table for those.

That is true, its actually a leftover from when 20 was soley the greater good.

Because this a table specifically for renegade Astrates. Openly and directly worshipping a chaos god would make them Chaos Space Marines.

I feel Khain and the Laughing God are the only Eldar Gods that make even a shred of sense, Isha doesn´t fit SM and all others are dead. Khaine makes sense for being a war god, the Laughing is random enough.

Also the Void Dragon and the Night Bringer are not really comparable. The Void Dragon is still whole and has that whole Mechanicus connection, while the Nightbringer is the only Necron God where I could find any evidence of humans directly worshipping him in the lore(in the first Uriel Ventriss novel for those curious).

Minor could be but I can´t see how humans would ever worship Gork and or Mork, they are just so closley related to the Greenskins and I feel that humans would never even be able to take the whole "cunning but brutal" stick seriously. I feel some of the others already strech what is possible in the lore but the Ork gods I just don´t even see a starting point.

Well the idea of the re rolls is that if you land the same result twice you can keep it. Its just these things are very unlikley to last for long. Yeah sure during a temporary crisis these alliances could be formed. But this category is more about long therm auxillia who the warband keeps around for a longer time, where this is much, much more unlikley. So the re rolls ensure a more grounded result, if you don´t mind things being more out there than just feel free to ignore the re rolls.

I mean I can´t remember this level of chapter auxillia actually existing since the Heresy so I´m not sure if Chapter Serfs really get much training, of course this category could be considered having varying levels of competency but I would leave that descision to the players themselves.

Again in the long therm I feel a chapter outside of that mindset would find Techguard/thralls as unnatural, also might run into problems with keeping the bionics and equippment working. Not sure if normal tech marines/chapters could do that.

That´s true, will change that in the next update.

True but then again, this about long therm allies, I doubt any non Alpha Legion/Iron Warrior Chaos can hide that forever.

Yeah but even radicall ones don´t tend to keep these relationships forever. Its more a "we use them while they are usefull then we dispose of them".

Well these groups can exists inside and to some extend even pro imperium. Like the Gangs of Necromunda do supply the Fists with new recuits as well provide some Guard Regiments so I would keep that in as they at very least operate within the imperium, and of course many of them have ties inti imperial leadership.

Well Rouge Trader is in non Imperial affiliated allies as Freetraders, as they of course also operate outside imperial space. Merchant fleet is pretty much the same I feel. Explorator is pretty much covered by Mechanicus(might expand that one) Allies for the most part. The Sympathetic Governor and corrupt Imperial commander pretty much cover Sub-Sector Governor. A Sector Wide Organisation is pretty broad and could also fall under Commander/Governor, as does Interstellar noble family. Might rework the Imperial side though so might broaded it a bit.

Sure but the problem is with many of these factions we might know they exsist but have basically no lore on them.

Again the idea would be long therm, where I doubt a chapter really into the Imperial Creed could accept such allies.

Maybe but do they leave Commoragh all that often? My tought was more about groups that are found out there in the galaxy.

 

I realised after posting my previus post that I would personally just refer people to already existing Chapter creation systems to establish who they were before the fall. And have a table for how far from the Chapter's orgin their fall happened and how much of the Chapter that fell, prorobly also a table about how much of the Chapter is left as of the now.

mostly because as of now is there the same chance to be of lost Legion stock as traitor one and there were much more of the later.

Possibly (I don't know enought to either agree or disagreee with you here), but at the same time we don't know if more SoH tuned against their Legion than other traitor Legions.

From my point of view so would using the millenniums be better, just because we don't know much about them don't mean we cant come up with fun stuff.

But they are part of the same pantheon, not lone gods and to worship them is to also pay respect to the other gods, so have it as the Eldar gods/faith/pantheon would be better I think.

Eat enough ork brains and sometime things that should not make sense sudenly dose

There is also a possibility that they have just spent lots of time with Blood Axes or Freebooterz and picked up their faith.

It has been established in some of the books that combat trained serfs are used to help defending the Chapter's ships and fortress-monastery; helots are at least used by the Mentors Legion, and I think they have been mentioned somewhere else. There is also that the serfs-at-arms and helots could have been trained after they were declared renegade, or maybe they were part of the reason why the chapter was declared renegade.

Possibly, but at the same time so now when they are renegades there is nothing stopping them from doing some light tech-heresy. Also regarding servitors so do everybody use them, so it's actually something notable when they are just not used.

True but is not the table for the now instead of how it will develop in the future?

True but at the same time so are not the gangs of Necromunda as a group criminals, their conflicts, fighting, killings and dealings are part of the hives system. The ones who notably step outside of what's allowed get the Enforcers sent after them.

I have disagree with calling Rouge Trader anything but Rouge Trader, they are a very specefic category, while many of them are free traders are not all and not all free traders are Rouge Trader and being a Rouge Trader means so much more than just being a free trader they have rights that few below the Lords of Terra, outside of the =][= and Space Marines commanders, have. And while many Rogue Traders operate outside of Imperial space are they a part of the Imperium

Will have to disagree, merchant fleets operate only within Imperial space and has much less rights than Rogue Traders but possibly less questions about their cargo if they are established.

If that's have you think so would I suggest splitting up Mechanicus Allies, I took it to just mean a Forge World, there are so many different AdMech organsiations, groups and words that they should not be lumped tighter into just one result.

I would disagree, to mea just saying governor translate to planetary governor, as in only having a (theoretical) control over one planet while a sub-sector govenor (theoretical) controls a whole sub-sector.

I would say that Sector Wide Organisation, Interstellar Nobel family and sub-sector governor while a bit similar are notably different enough in how they work and what help they can offer that they should be different things.

That just means that people have so much more freedome to come up with their own stuff.

Possibly, but is not the table for the now instead of how it will develop in the future?

There are rules for having a haemonculus coven only force in the table top game so I can absolutly see it.

 

Well the idea was to keep this chart self contained and not related to the "official" one.

Traitor Legion is much more prevalent. The lost legions where purged and we only have some minor hints the Fists and Ultramarines absorbed parts of the survivors. Many Traitor legion members deserted to the loyalist side during the HH, and we know for a fact traitor geenseed has been used to create chapters pretty much throughout the entire history since then.

Well half of Horus´s most inner cyrcle remained loyal. I don´t know any other legion that divided from the outset. Also the Lunar Wolves geenseed is more stable than most other traitors so it might be used more often.

Well the point of these charts is to give at least some suggestions. If you give a millenia there might be nothing to work with. Yes you could completely design something but you can do that as well with the broader scope I went for.

As I said doesn´t work for me, those two I feel have a snowball chance in hell already, the others are simply impossible. I mean maybe you could say it more in a "main god" sense but still.

Sorry but that´s too out there for me. Them even having something of longerstanding relationship with a Blood Axes Tribe already streches the lore to its breaking point. I don´t think that a human would ever worship Gork or Mork nor that the Ork gods ever even want a non greenskin worship them.

Yes to defened the ships or chaptrer holdings, as a last resort. Not really for auxilliary combat alongside the Astartes.

Thing is if you don´t know the rules I doubt you would be able to succesfully operate this kind of tech. Again Weapon Maintenance is one thing but full Tech Warriors is far too complicated to normal Astartes Tech Marines.

Now I intended it as more of a broad picture, and thus consider allies at least semi permanent ones. Cause except the Nids everyone in the 40k universe is usually somewhat okay with temporary enemy mine situations, that´s nothing special. Like DoW1, its first addon, DoW2 Retribution, DoW3, Blattlefleet Gothic 1 and 2, Gathering Storm and various other pieces of lore show Imperial forces agreeing to a temporary alliance with Eldar. Cain allies with the Tau in every book they show up, the Blood Angles have several times now fought alongside the Silent King and his Necron Forces, during the War of the Beast the IF succesors fought alongside their arch nemesis in the Iron Warriors, in the first Night Lords novel the NL help the imperials in the end cause they want to get away from their Black Legion "allies" and so on. So my idea behind this was more a longerstanding relationship, cause these brief "the enemy of my enemy is friend" situatuations happen all the time and pretty much all factions go for them.

Sure but those rules and boundaries are somewhat fluid. Also Imperial allies was meant more as geographical distingtion. As these people usually still operate primarilly within imperial space I felt they belong into that category.

They are a part of the Imperium but usually operate outside of imperial controlled territory. So I would put them in the outside group.

That is a point could add them to the Imperial list.

Sure but that would be a second table then. Would make the whole thing even more bloated.

I think splitting hairs between power levels would just overcomplicate the list too much. If the Mechanicus gets its own sub-sub category maybe that could be one as well?

Thing is all of these basically have a leader so they could be put in the politican category.

Well the point of this list is to give people at least some basics to base their ideas upon. I just feels it doesn´t work to just leave them with absolutley nothing.

No, as I said above, enemy mines happen all the time in the universe. These lists are meant to indicate a more permanent relationship.

Might be but usually Haemnonculi join Cabals or other groups as individuals. Also while they might in extremly rare cirumstances go together it doesn´t really fit with a renegade force As Haemonnculi spend most of their time on Commoragh where the Marines can´t go.

This is not completly true tough. In truth when asked how a 40k fans says: As a Demon Prince on my own Demon world.

 

Why is Malice given its own number while all the other minor Chaos gods have to chare one?

I would probobly do:
Imperial Allies - The alliance could be because of sympathy, corruption or old loyalties
1) Planetary Governor - pick a kind or roll on the Planet Table to decide witch kind of planet.
2) Sub-sector Governor
3) Sector Governor
4) Imperial Knight House
5) Imperial planet - this differ from Planetary Governor in that more or less the whole planet are with the Chapter, while Planetary Governor just means that the planet's governor with stab are their allies. Pick a kind or roll on the Planet Table to decide witch kind of planet.
6) Forge World General
7) Rogue Trader
10) Merchant fleet
11) Explorator fleet
12) Sector wide organisation - banking clan, trade house, Agri Worlds Corporation, mining cartel, etcetera.
13) Intersteallar noble family
14) Imperial Fleet Captain
15) Imperial Fleet Admiral
16) Navigator House
17) Space Marine Chapter
18) Inquistor
19) Imperial Guard Commander
20) ...

Allies outside the Imperium - can be willing or unwilling allies to the Chapter, they can also be unknown to the Chapter and function as secret patron for their own reasons.
1) Smuggler cartell
2) Renegade Navigator House
3) Pirate ship
4) Pirate Fleet
5) Ork group - either pick one that fits (maybe the Chapter has a bull as their symbol and a group of Goffs have decided that they most serve the same totem, making the Chapter allrigth in their eyes), or roll a D20; 1-7) Blood Axes; 8) Goffs; 9) Evil Sunz; 10) Bad Moons; 11) Snakebites; 12) Deathskulls; 13) Kult of Speed; 14) Feral Orks; 15-20) Freebooters.
6) Eldar group - either pick one that fits, or roll a roll a D6 for what kind: 1) Corsair ship/fleet; 2) a Craftworld, or at least a faction of it; 3) Dark Eldar kabal or coven; 4) Harlequin trope; 5) Exodites; 6) an alliance of different groups of Eldars.
7) Void Miner/Reclaimator Clans.
8) Tau sept.
9) A Kroot kindred.
10) A higher daemon have taken a likening to the Chapter.
11) Minior xenos group - For example: hrud; rebel grots; demiurg; stryxis; etcetera.
12) Non-Imperial Human World.
13) Renagade AdMech ship/station.
14) Non-Imperial space-station/void colony.
15) Necron lord.
16) Fellow renagade Space Marine group.
17) Non-Chaos sworn traitor Legion warband.
18) Imperial sect, declared heretical.
19) ...
20) ...

Regarding the last part of this, that this Chapter should for reference sake either be Blood Angels or Night Lords, do I think that maybe Imperial Fist and Dark Angels should be added for them being the Legions with most knightly order themes.

Okey, then I suggest maybe doing it like this:

Founding
Roll D10+D20, the number that appear is the Founding the Chapter originated from. Result 27-29 means that the founding is unknown; 30 means that the renegade Chapter was created during the time of Horus Heresy (or maybe earlier), and don't roll on the "When did it turn or was declared renegade" table.

Linage
Table 1
If created before the second founding go directly to Linage Table 2
D12

Spoiler

1 Ultramarines
2 Blood Angels
3 Dark Angels
4 Imperial Fists
5 White Scars
6 Raven Guard
7 Iron Hands
8 Space Wolves
9 Salamanders
10-12 Unknown - either leave it as unknown or roll on Progenitor Table 2

Linage Table 2
D20

Spoiler

1 Dark Angels
2 Unknown - the Chapter's linage is lost in time; never stated when they were created; they have concisely locked that knowledge away; etcetera. Possibly so has the Chapter's gene-seed mutated, been modified and/or similar in such ways that their linage can't be found out that way. This also represent Chapters that have chimeric origins.
3 Emperor's Children
4 Iron Warriors
5 White Scars
6 Space Wolves
7 Imperial Fists
8 Night Lords
9 Blood Angels
10 Iron Hands
11 Unknown - see #2
12 World Eaters
13 Ultramarines
14 Death Guard
15 Thousand Sons
16 Sons of Horus/Luna Wolves
17 Word Bearers
18 Salamanders
19 Raven Guard
20 Alpha Legion

When did it turn or was declared renagade?
- If of the 25th or 26th Founding so was they automaticly declared renagade during M41.
- for the rest roll a D10 and ad the results to the date of the millennium when their founding happened, the resulting number is the millennium when the Chapter went renegade, with M41 as the latest.

How much of the original Chapter turned?
Either decide or roll a D20, multiply it by 5 and you get how many % of the original Chapter that went/was declared renagade.

How large is it now?
Either decide or roll a D20, multiply it by 10 and you get how many % of the original force is left. This system means that the group could be larger now than before, representing heavy recruitments, the Chapter quickening the recruitment process or similar.

Auxila
No longer following the Imperial rules many renegade Chapters have auxilas fighting alongside the Marines, and some Chapter had that organisation when part of the Imperium and kept it after. Either decide if the Chapter use auxila troops or roll a D100 with result 1-25 indicating that they do use them. To decide what auxilia forces are used roll on the table below, pick one or make up your own.

You are making my point for me.

But many of the ages spans over millennia and people can look up what age/s the millennia they rolled forward belongs to, or may have some kind of mention after the result. I would say that it gives you more inspiration to know that your Chapter fell during the later or earlier part of an age than just during that age.

Can you expand on this?

Okey. This is your DIY system, you do it as you want. I'm just giving suggestions and explaining my thinking.

Yes to defened the ships or chaptrer holdings, as a last resort. Not really for auxilliary combat alongside the Astartes. [/QUOTE]You have to think that was before, while they was still part of the Imperium, this is now and they may likely have changed their tactics. There is also the possibility that the Chapter was a non-Codex one that used serfs-at-arms to fight beside them before their fall.

Yes, but they could commit the tech-heresy of having non-AdMech members studding and understanding the tech.

Why do you think that? Techmarines are fully trained tech-priests afterall with a deep understanding of the highly advanced technology that make up the Chapter's armour and ships.

Okey

We will have to agree to disagree about this.

I would just expand the current one, instead of makeing a new one.

As with the above so I would just expand the current one, instead of makeing a new one.

If you think so.

They have a name and a short description, that is enough would I say. But that's just me.

Not saying that you should ad a coven but just want to ad that a concept could be that the alliance with the renegade SM group could be a haemonculus personal project