Outcast Path, the Eldar 40K RPG concept.

By Drop Bear, in Dark Heresy

All the Space Marine topics coming up of late got me to thinking what and how you would do a 40K RPG not using Baceline Humans, and got me to thinking about the Eldar, then it hit me set it around Eldar "Walking" an Outcast "Life Path". going back to my Rogue Trader and Dark Millennium editions of 40K it hit me that their would be a number of character combinations, in fact probably more than currantaly in DH as you would take into account "Homeworld" "Last Path Walked" and "Outcast Path" (ie the characters current outcast Career Path)

as to Home Worlds you have "Craftworld", "Maiden World", "Exodite World" and the "Priate Born".

Last Path well we could go on about them forever, imagination, but to start with would be the source of most verity.

as to Outcast Path well the ones I have come up with just by scaning the old Books are "Adventurer", "Scout", "Mercenary", "Pirate" and "Journeyman Warlock" (not so much a Outcast but one who would Travel with them). I've left Harlaquins out bacause they are somthing else and different.

What are other folks thoughts? and what should be added?

I like it! The whole Eldar homeworld concept never occured to me before and I'm frankly jealous. It also reminds me of my ideas on a Tau RPG, what with Species, Sept, and Caste. There's definately a large group of people out there looking for rules to play xenos characters. That's a fan project that I'm sure many (myself included) would be eager to get onboard with.

ATM it's just me Musing on what the Writers may do ig they ever do a Eldar version of the 40K RPG, Craftworld Eldar are to Fixed to be PCs, Exodites are too locked to their Worlds unless they get the Waunderlust and join the Outcasts and Madien Worlders have Worlds to Build and a Race to try and Salvage, so that leaves the Outcasts, who make better PC's anyway.

Drop Bear said:

All the Space Marine topics coming up of late got me to thinking what and how you would do a 40K RPG not using Baceline Humans, and got me to thinking about the Eldar, then it hit me set it around Eldar "Walking" an Outcast "Life Path". going back to my Rogue Trader and Dark Millennium editions of 40K it hit me that their would be a number of character combinations, in fact probably more than currantaly in DH as you would take into account "Homeworld" "Last Path Walked" and "Outcast Path" (ie the characters current outcast Career Path)

as to Home Worlds you have "Craftworld", "Maiden World", "Exodite World" and the "Priate Born".

Last Path well we could go on about them forever, imagination, but to start with would be the source of most verity.

as to Outcast Path well the ones I have come up with just by scaning the old Books are "Adventurer", "Scout", "Mercenary", "Pirate" and "Journeyman Warlock" (not so much a Outcast but one who would Travel with them). I've left Harlaquins out bacause they are somthing else and different.

What are other folks thoughts? and what should be added?

Well, my friend, first of all: All of them should naturally have Unnatural Agility (x2), seeing as how that appears to be a theme among the Eldar.

As you said, the only ones who would really have any type of PC potential are the outcasts. Good recongizing, by the way, that Harlequins should be their own army and what have you. Most current TT players don't remember back when you had Harlequin armies with Solitaire "not-so-much" blanks wielding Neural Shredders ;) .

Anyways, I'd say the Homeworlds are good, except for the fact that Exodite Worlds = Maiden Worlds. I'm not entirely sure what another catagory would be for the Eldar, though perhaps Void Born would work (i.e. They were born in a Space Ship as opposed to an Exodite World, Craftworld, or upon a Pirate Space Craft/Station/Planet/etc.).

Anyway, an Eldar player would have more advantages than Unnatural Agility (x2) and the like, seeing as how they'd have Forbidden Lore (Xenos), Speak Secret Tongue (Eldar), etc. How to even this out? Make them more susceptible to Corruption Points (i.e. Make them pass a Very Difficult (-30) Willpower test or otherwise they double the number of Corruption Points they receive), seeing as how this fits in with the Eldar's theme of "We're on step away to loosing ourselves to Chaos".

For career choices... "Adventurer", "Mercenary", "Scout", and "Pirate" work. Journeyman Warlock not so much seeing as how the whole Path of the Seer is very much regimented seeing as how the Seers are "one step away from eternal damnation" and what have you, in addition to the Warlocks and the like being very strictly controlled and kept near the Craftworld/not being allowed to wander with said Outcasts unless there's a specific objective of utmost importance. I'd say just name the class something different and have them start out at a higher Psi rating... with the exception that they *HAVE* to roll at least X number of dice to represent the lack of control over their powers since they don't have any "formal" schooling.

Hope that helps!

I've always taken Exodite Worlds as Lost Colonies (that have taken Tech decline) that have bean recontacted where Maiden Worlds are those worlds that have bean terraformed and setteled by a mor or less funcioning Eldar seceioty.

Drop Bear said:

I've always taken Exodite Worlds as Lost Colonies (that have taken Tech decline) that have bean recontacted where Maiden Worlds are those worlds that have bean terraformed and setteled by a mor or less funcioning Eldar seceioty.

Ah, I gotcha mate. Nope, it's specifically stated in the Eldar Codex that they're Maiden Worlds located on the ends of the galaxy (near the Halo Zone) and therefore they were less effected by the birth of Slaanesh. The Exodites it mentions in Xenology left the Eldar when Khaine heard the prophecy that the Eldar would be his downfall and thus went on a rampage killing them, which was ended when Isha/Kronus asked for Asur (King of the Gods) to put a stop to it. That then spawns the first War in Heaven (there are two of them, one was a civil war between the gods, the other was C'Tan vs. Eldar Gods). The Exodites, upon leaving, reject the Eldar Gods and the Eldar way of life, going back to their feral roots. They live in a very backwards society and use lizards/reptiles for work as opposed to mammals. They'd basically be the equivelant of human Feral Worlders.

You got the purpose of the Maiden Worlds down, though no Craftworld Eldar will settle them, due to the fact that they'd suddenly become static targets for Slaanesh (or because they're enacting the will of the Laughing God, seeing as how if you notice the Craftworlds are all clustered in areas where enemies to all life, such as Necrons/Chaos/Tyranids are enroaching upon Exodite/Tau territory (with the exception to that being the Eye of Terror, but you can see why the LG would put a great group of Craftworlds there were he still directing them subtly), but that's just a crazy theory of mine that has no basis in anything other than coincidence).

Well, maybe with the exception of Biel-Tan, seeing as how they did lead a semi-failed expedition to reconquer a world in the Eye of Terror (semi-failed I say because of the fact that the only reason they were able to settle said world is the forces of Chaos were too busy breaking down the Cadian gate. Thus if the Imperium does ever manage to throw Chaos back... well... then suddenly that reconquered world, which has only reached "we have a good foothold in it" status will face the brunt of Abaddon's wrath. Not good!)

I do like the idea for publication it would need a good deal of background as roleplaying an entirely alien group is pretty difficult for people that aren't familiar with the background. It's helped by the fact that the path Eldar are very dedicated to their current path.

And it doesn't really fit for Exodites as they don't have paths but thats not to say they couldn't be included.

I like the idea that the previous path (or paths for more advanced games) make up a large part of the players uniqueness. I can see the list of previous paths being quite extensive and the current paths more limited.

The Baron said:

Drop Bear said:

I've always taken Exodite Worlds as Lost Colonies (that have taken Tech decline) that have bean recontacted where Maiden Worlds are those worlds that have bean terraformed and setteled by a mor or less funcioning Eldar seceioty.

Ah, I gotcha mate. Nope, it's specifically stated in the Eldar Codex that they're Maiden Worlds located on the ends of the galaxy (near the Halo Zone) and therefore they were less effected by the birth of Slaanesh. The Exodites it mentions in Xenology left the Eldar when Khaine heard the prophecy that the Eldar would be his downfall and thus went on a rampage killing them, which was ended when Isha/Kronus asked for Asur (King of the Gods) to put a stop to it. That then spawns the first War in Heaven (there are two of them, one was a civil war between the gods, the other was C'Tan vs. Eldar Gods). The Exodites, upon leaving, reject the Eldar Gods and the Eldar way of life, going back to their feral roots. They live in a very backwards society and use lizards/reptiles for work as opposed to mammals. They'd basically be the equivelant of human Feral Worlders.

You got the purpose of the Maiden Worlds down, though no Craftworld Eldar will settle them, due to the fact that they'd suddenly become static targets for Slaanesh (or because they're enacting the will of the Laughing God, seeing as how if you notice the Craftworlds are all clustered in areas where enemies to all life, such as Necrons/Chaos/Tyranids are enroaching upon Exodite/Tau territory (with the exception to that being the Eye of Terror, but you can see why the LG would put a great group of Craftworlds there were he still directing them subtly), but that's just a crazy theory of mine that has no basis in anything other than coincidence).

Well, maybe with the exception of Biel-Tan, seeing as how they did lead a semi-failed expedition to reconquer a world in the Eye of Terror (semi-failed I say because of the fact that the only reason they were able to settle said world is the forces of Chaos were too busy breaking down the Cadian gate. Thus if the Imperium does ever manage to throw Chaos back... well... then suddenly that reconquered world, which has only reached "we have a good foothold in it" status will face the brunt of Abaddon's wrath. Not good!)

1. Maiden Worlds were seeded in M25 as the last creative project before the decadence of the Empire.

2. Exodites left after M25, when they first saw the decline of morality in the Empire. NOT during war in heaven which was millions of years ago.

3. They still worship the Eldar Gods, as much as the Craftworlders. They didn't discard the Eldar way of life but accepted a simpler lifestyle where they have to do all work manually. So they just discarded most advanced technology (though not weapons) to avoid temptation.

4. They use reptile Dragons (dinosaurs) without apparent reason, there's no ideology behind that. It's just they're common on Exodite Worlds.

5. Craftworld Eldar create on-world colonies. It says so in 4e Eldar Codex, p.11 IIRC.

6. Regarding Biel-Tan conquering Eidolon (the world in Eye of Terror) you could say just as well that the Great Crusade was semi-failed because it didn't face any true opposition as there was power vacuum after the Fall of the Eldar. Regardless, they fought Daemons not CSM there and it's not like Chaos Gods have limited forces or scope of attention.

Other than that, you're right. :P

1. Reet

2. Re-read your Xenology. As a sourcebook it trumps all. Albeit it could be a case of "X Eldar left to became Exodites at this time and then X Eldar left to become Exodites at this time".

3. They haven't rejected the Gods? Well, considering the fact I never went for an Exodite army and therefore my knowledge is limited to the Codex/Xenology, I'll have to assume that my assumption was in error.

4. I didn't ascribe an ideology to it, i just said they did lengua.gif

5. When I get home from work (waiting for test results atm) then I'll look that up.

6. I'd argue this, but it goes into the point of pure cojnecture, lots of finger pointing, and "my daddy can beat up your daddy" talk, so therefore I won't lengua.gif

Lots of game companies are looking for new books so maybe you should write a proposal and submit it to them.

MDC