So in a game im running yesterday i had a player take crit 7 energy to the face from a pulse carbine, going down to really low fel (10 to be exact), i was just wondering whether anyone knew of a way asides from just going your face grows back while the apothecarys tend to you of him recovering his fellowship?

Plastic surgery would be the obvious answer.

I've always wondered why a Marine would lose fellowship. after all his scars are badges of honour. Plus as he'd be wearing a helmet the majority of the time no one would see his scars so not be put off by them.

I don't understand why a veteran marine is less sociable to his peers just because he's had massive damage to his face, why should his Command skill be penalised.

Case in point: Chaplain Grimaldus.

That being said, I can see both sides of the argument here. Scars may be badges of honour, but if your face is burnt off and you look like a daemon now ... yeah, I can see how this might influence the members of a Chapter that is recruiting from superstitious Feral Worlders, and which has been fighting a lot of CSM lately with faces like this . Space Marines are heavily indoctrinated almost to the point of becoming drones, but that still doesn't turn them into automatons without any sort of emotions.

Everyone in the Chapter would know how this guy got his wounds, and they would revere him for it. Yet at the same time it could be that awkward feeling when standing in front of him: "Don't look. Don't look. Don't look. Don't look." They might pity him for this fate, and they might curse themselves for not being able to treat him how they themselves are convinced they should. And this might indeed make him less sociable, as he will notice, just like an invalid will notice he's being treated differently.

Because this Space Marine is now literally bearing the face of the enemy.

In fairness, though, this is very situational, and I agree it should not affect his Command skill - with or without a helmet. Awkward feeling or not, the Marines are too well drilled to allow themselves to get distracted by someone's looks over their voice and the confidence they elude.

Also, there is a very easy fix available.

Much more suitable for a Space Marine than "plastic surgery", imo.

I mean, we are talking about people who think affixing bionics with nails is a brilliant idea.

And actually, I think this is a very cool stylistic element adding to the unique appearance of the character.

Nothing specific in the rules. Though as a GM you could use medicae as an attempt to repair said damage. I had a character have this happen (a Blood Angel, who had worked under Tycho no less) as well and our group had a difficult time accepting the other marines would think less of him for his outward appearance. Other non-astartes yes (as long as they knew what was under the helmet anyways) but astartes are usually beyond such vanity.

I don't think a space marine would consider being shot in the face a badge of honor, but at the same time I don't think other astartes would care so much he was horribly disfigured.

A mask is not a bad idea either. You would simply have to remember, a mask wouldn't work if someone knew what was under it. If you took it off in front of a person, that person would then know you looked horrible even though you put the mask back on.

I think the solution I would House-Rule is that the Marine can have his face Reconstructed (sounds more 'manly' than 'plastic surgery') using the standard procedures for acquiring cybernetic replacement parts; a standard quality job would halve the Fellowship penalty, with higher quality jobs (like the one sported by Captian Tycho) potentially eliminating the penalty.

A mask is not a bad idea either. You would simply have to remember, a mask wouldn't work if someone knew what was under it. If you took it off in front of a person, that person would then know you looked horrible even though you put the mask back on.

I'd say a mask makes it a lot easier to ignore, though - it's very different having to actually look at someone's disfigured face, or just knowing he has one.

Maybe something about a person's eyes being drawn to the details of the disfigurement if you see it "live"?

I'd house-rule that the Fel penalty only applies when talking to mundanes with his helmet off.

This is an example of DH crit ports not making much sense when applied to DW.

Depending on ones corruption and if you wanted to go down a route of damnation, I'm sure there's a god or daemon willing to rebuild your face. It'll only cost you your soul...

I'd house-rule that the Fel penalty only applies when talking to mundanes with his helmet off.

This is an example of DH crit ports not making much sense when applied to DW.

I'd house-rule it has no effect when using the Command skill.

Actually inspiring others, on the other hand? Absolutely. Even Space Marines are capable of feeling revulsion, and one of their brothers being changed from the Sacred Human Form into resembling the daemonic could evoke unpleasant mental comparisons with the Great Enemy - aside from, depending on the individual Chapter culture, some brotherhoods cultivating a certain "ideal image" of how a Marine should look like.

But, that is just how I'm seeing things. It certainly is a matter of how we interpret Marine psyche!

Actually inspiring others, on the other hand? Absolutely. Even Space Marines are capable of feeling revulsion, and one of their brothers being changed from the Sacred Human Form into resembling the daemonic could evoke unpleasant mental comparisons with the Great Enemy - aside from, depending on the individual Chapter culture, some brotherhoods cultivating a certain "ideal image" of how a Marine should look like.

I dunno. Marines see horrible injuries all the time. I don't think it'd faze them in the same way it'd faze a woman on the street. I'd think seeing a commander who survived a terrible injury, bears the scars for it, and continues to serve nobly would be even more inspiring in some ways.

It's not so much about being scared of it, I think, but rather that you now have a Battle-Brother who looks just as disturbing as the hideous creatures you fight every day. It's a feeling of shame regarding suppressed revulsion, and pity towards the victim (for receiving such unjustified revulsion, not because they were wounded), that might interfere with how this character is being perceived by his peers.

Facial injuries are also very different from, say, a hole in your arm in that we see faces as what defines us, a visual nameplate for our very identity, as if appearances were part of our character or personality. A disfigurement of the face, if horrible enough, could thus be taken as a disfigurement of the soul behind it.

I'm sure it has to do with the so-called "uncanny valley", and most injuries are unlikely to trigger this effect even if they hit the face. But a plasma attack that turns you into this?