NECRONS
Due to the extremely challenging roleplaying required to actively portray a Necron character, Necrons are not recommended for beginner gamers and are not included as part of the normal character creation process. In order to create a Necron player character, the player must receive the permission of his or her Game Master, who ought to think carefully about the kind of campaign he or she is going to run. Necrons are a mysterious and ill-understood race within the Imperium, making relations between a human crew and a Necron traveller very difficult to maintain, and as such Necrons may not be appropriate for every campaign. Also, Necrons make for very powerful characters, something else that the GM should keep in mind.
Necron Explorers are, by the very of their race, a varied breed. Most Necrons view the lesser races such as mankind, Eldar, and Orks as nothing more than vermin to be exterminated – these are not the kind of Necrons that make for an Explorer that can work within a roleplaying party. Instead, the player should examine the motives and idiosyncrasies of Necrons who would be willing, even excited, by the idea of cooperating with humans. While it sounds impossible, Necrons such as Trazyn the Infinite are often able to ignore their differences during the pursuit of a specific goal, while others, such as Nemesor Zahndrehk, simply are not in possession of enough of their faculties to distinguish the lesser races from his own Necron subjects. Even the Silent King, the Lord of the entire Necron race, recognizes the need to ally with humans and other xenos to ensure the survival of their race, and many Necrons possess a modicum of ancient honor that a savvy player can use to justify maintaining long-term relations with a human crew.
ALIEN BIOLOGY
Necrons differ from every other xenos race in this most basic trait: they are not biological entities, instead existing as a race of machines piloted by the disposed souls of their parent race, the Necrontyr. Trapped within immortal bodies of necrodermis – living metal – but their once-gods, the C’Tan, the Necrons are cursed to live out an endless existence of cold unfeeling. To portray their mechanical natures, a number of Talents and Traits have been generated.
MEDICAL ATTENTION
Necrodermis, the living metal that makes up Necron bodies, is unlike any other substance on earth. Indeed, necron technology does not even passably resemble that of humans, surpassing even the fabled archeotech of the Dark Age of Technology. Necron Explorers can only be healed by used of the Tech-Use Skill in place of Medicae, and attempts to do so by a Non-Necron impose a -30 penalty. This penalty can be alleviated through use of the Forbidden Lore (Xenos) Skill. It is likely that this will not be necessary, as Necrons and their bodies have an uncanny ability to self-heal. Drugs and Consumables intended for human consumption, as a general rule, have no effect on Necrons, although the GM may deem that certain substances that could feasibly alter a Necron’s functioning may have other effects. Finally, bionics of human manufacture are very easily attached to Necrons, as their necrodermis can reshape to accommodate the new limbs. Necrons should remember that human technology is of primitive stock, laden with superstition and poor quality, and should not be excited by the prospect of such a graft, and should instead wait for their necrodermis to generate a new limb.
APPEARANCES
Unlike the Eldar and their dark kin, who bear a passing resemblance to humans and can likely forge their identities as such, Necrons possess no such likeness. Their cold, skeletal metal features, abstracted like ancient sculptures and glowing with sickly green light, is obviously of alien design and cannot be disguised. Even the donning of robes does not truly alleviate the issue, as the sound of servos and the ghostly hum of the Necron’s power source can be heard beneath the fabric. Attempts to do so suffer a -30 Penalty to their Disguise Skill against another character’s Scrutiny.
ARMS AND ARMOR
Necrons are theoretically capable of using human-made weapons and technology, but why one would choose to resort to such primitive means is unfathomable. Human-made gear generally seems underwhelming and laughable to Necrons. Necrons cannot wear human armors, as their Necrodermis bodies provide armor enough and make them too bulky to fit into human-made armors.
TRAITS AND TALENTS
All Necron characters possess the following Skills, Talents, and Traits:
COMMON SKILLS
All Necrons are familiar with their history and that of their empire. All Necrons begin with Common Lore (Necrons), Speak Language (Necrontyr), and Tech-Use as trained skills.
NECRODERMIS
The Necrons are assembled from living metal that can grow, reform, and heal like flesh, but is more resilient and impervious to damage. The bones of the Necrons are of strong steel, and their hearts like iron. All Necrons character possesses the Chem Geld, Unnatural Strength and Toughness (x2), Machine (6), and Regeneration (4) Traits, along with the Intimidate Skill.
REANMATION PROTOCALS
The most infamous ability of the Necrons is their ability to return, corpse-like, from fatal injuries and body-shattering blasts. Necron player characters begin play with the Reanimation Protocols Talent. This talent allows a Necron player character that has been killed to make a Challenging (+0) Toughness Test to revive himself, in lieu of burning a Fate Point to stay alive. If the test is successful, the Necron rises with a number of wounds remaining, equal to it regeneration Trait. The test can be attempted every turn, but failure by three or more degrees means that the Necron has been so badly damaged that its repair mechanisms are not functional, and it’s broken body disappears in a flurry of green light. Fate Points spent to re-roll a Test such as this one count as being burned.
NON-IMPERIAL
Necrons characters suffer a -10 Penalty to all Lores relating to or concerning the Imperium of Man.
LOGISITCAL NUMEROLOGY
The psychic and eddies and currents of a living mind are replaced by cold circuitry and heartless knowledge. Necrons gain the Logic Skill trained.
DARKNESS IN THE VOID
Necron Characters may never use or gain psychic powers, sorcery, or the like, and count as “blanks”, or entities without a soul or psychic presence, when targeted by sensors such as soul sights or the vision of an astropath.
SPEAK NOT UNTO THE ALIEN
The Necrons are an alien race, and one with a long history of genocide, terror, and an implacable lack of mercy. Necrons suffer a -30 Penalty to all Fellowship-based interaction tests when dealing with humans or other xenos races. When interacting with other Necrons, Necrons use Intelligence in place of Fellowship with the relevant Interaction Skills. Also, the presence of a xenos specimen aboard a ship is extremely unsettling, reducing Ship Morale by 3.
AN ALIEN MIND
Necrons never gain Corruption Points for any reason, as they are impervious to the soul searing and psychically damage effects of the warp, along with the mutagenic effects of certain toxins or ammunition. Necrons count as non-psykers for all intents and purposes, and cannot be targeted by phenomena that require a target to have a “soul.”
However, Insanity for Necrons is a very potent force, as their programming inevitably breaks down over time, with age and damage, leading to psychoses and senility. A Necron must make Fear Tests and gains Insanity Points as usual, but should be role-played not as fleeing or blubbering but as making a “tactical retreat” – at least that’s how the Necrons put it. In addition, Necrons gain Insanity Points whenever they take Critical Damage, and therefore suffer a permanent number of Insanity Points equal to the total amount of Critical Damage they have ever received. Prayer, fasting, or the like may not remove these Insanity Points.
Two New Necron Mental Disorders are as follows: The Flayer Curse, and the Destroyer Plague. Both are Mental Disorders available in Minor, Acute, and Severe ranges. The Flayer Curse represents a compulsion to decorate the body of a Necron with the dismembered flesh of their foes, in a cruel, twisted jealousy of the lifeblood of the lesser races. The Destroyer Plague functions similarly to the human disorder The Flesh is Weak, but instead drives the Necron to augment his body with implanted weapon systems, such as Gauss Cannons, Destroyer Bodies, and Targeting Masks.
XENOS MOTIVATIONS: MIND IN THE MACHINE
Necrons hail from a number of historic dynasties and powerful tomb worlds, each maintaining its own robotic legions, deadly courts, and royal line. Also, each Necron may have their own personal drives, ambitions, and wants, despite their biomechanical hearts. Choose one of the following options during character creation, which can also be used to explain why a Necron character would cooperate with the crew of a Rogue Trader vessel to begin with.
The Great Game
The Necron hails from the noble courts of the Necron nemesors, and as such is a master at the games of maneuvering, assassination, and politics that are rife within such halls. Necrons such as these may be fleeing from Tomb Worlds where they have become untouchables, or may be working with the lesser races in order to gather more resources to assert their power. The Necron gains the Deceive Skill and Inquiry Skills, along with one other Interaction Skill of the player’s choice.
Nemesor
The Necron serves as a lesser lordling to a powerful Overlord, or a military commander amongst the Necron legions. Such characters may ally with humans out of a desire to learn more about the warfare and technologies of a lesser race, or to enjoy the experience of commanding primitives. The character gains the Command and Forbidden Lore (Necrontyr Tactics) Skill, along with the Deadeye Shot, Crushing Blow, or Sure Strike Talents.
Hunter of Relics
The Necron seeks forbidden knowledge, wishing to unlock the secrets of other races and the mysteries of the universe itself. Archeotech, xenotech, ancient structures, and bizarre stealer phenomena serves as the Necron’s intellectual meat and wine, forcing them to pursue their academic interests beyond the harsh castes of the Tomb World. The Necron gains two Forbidden or Scholastic Lore Skills of the player’s choice.
Reverse-Transferring
The Necron seeks to return to the ways of the flesh and abandon the cruel circuitry of its necrodermis body. The Necron only suffers a -20 Penalty to Interaction Tests with non-Necrons, along with the Medicae Skill, but also gains 1d10 Insanity Points upon character creation.
Traveller
Travellers are Necrons who, out of a variety of reasons, seek to scour the galaxy and often have been doing so for millennia. These Necrons, such as the Triarch Praetorians and the famed Anrakyr, commune with the lesser races and, due to their own experiences, possess a great variety of knowledge from beyond the Tomb. The Necron gains one Common or Scholastic Lore Skill of the player’s choice, and does not suffer the Non-Imperial Penalty on Skill Tests using this Skill. Additionally, the character gains the Navigate (Surface) and Navigate (Stellar) Skills.
NECRON CHARACTERSITICS
For Necron player characters, characteristics are generated similarly to those of human characters. However, where humans roll 2d10 and add 25 for every characteristic, Necrons have a different base modifier for many characteristics. Consult the following table when generating Necron characteristics:
Table 1-1: Necron Characteristics
Characteristic
2d10+
Weapon Skill
25
Ballistic Skill
25
Strength
30
Toughness
30
Agility
15
Intelligence
30
Perception
25
Willpower
30
Fellowship
15
Wounds
2x TB+1d5
GM’S GUIDE: NECRON PROFT FACTOR AND SHIPS
For Necrons, Profit Factor comes not from a Warrant of Trade, but from the resources of the Tomb World from which the Necron hails. Necrons generate Profit Factor as per a beginning Rogue Trader group, but this Profit Factor serves the Necron and the Necron alone – theoretically. Of course, liberal Rogue Traders who wrongly consider themselves old friends with senile-seeming Necrons may of course lend out a few thrones to acquire a gift for their xenos allies, while a canny or deceptive Necron might make a gift of shared resources to foster false trust between itself and a party of unwary humans.
In many situations, it makes sense for Necron Explorers to come equipped with their own ships already, especially if the character is a Necron Lord or possesses the Forbidden Knowledge or Traveller Motivations. At the GM’s discretion, a Necron Explorer may begin play with a xenos void ship under his command. Generally, Necron players are not recommended for beginning parties, so ideally Necron characters will only be generated when the party has accrued enough resources to potentially possess more than one human ship of their own – in which case, the Necron should definitely begin with his own craft. In game terms, Necrons possess a number of Ship Points equal to the Necron’s Profit Factor minus 90 (as per other beginning Rogue Trader groups) and may spend them accordingly. For Necron Ship generation, use the guide included in this document.
For non-Necron characters, acquiring Necron gear should be an adventure unto itself, but if Game Masters wish for Necron Gear to be available through their xenos ally for purchase, each item should count as Unique and of Best Craftsmanship when making an Acquisition Test. Profiles for Necron Items and their availabilities can be found in the Black Crusade Supplement Tome of Fate and the Deathwatch Supplement The Outer Reach.
NECRON LORD CAREER PATH
Necron Lords are the commanders of the robotic legions of the Necron armies, along with the rulers of their own Tomb Worlds and personal fiefs, and as such as treated with cordial respect by other Necrons. They are also the most charismatic and diplomatic of the Necrons, able to negotiate both with other races and their own. In combat, Necron Lords often favor personal melee duels, in accordance with the honor codes of the Necrontyr, a hallmark of a bygone age that their ancients’ minds still stubbornly cling to.
Starting Skills : Awareness, Charm, Command, Common Lore (War), Deceive, Parry, Scholastic Lore (Bureaucracy).
Starting Talents: Combat Master, Counter Attack, Necron Weapon Training, Swift Attack.
Starting Gear: Staff of Light (Ranged) (Basic; 25m; S/4/–; 1d10 E; Pen 7; Clip –; Reload –; Volatile) and (Melee) (Melee; 1d10+3 I; Pen 6; Balanced, Power Field), or Warscythe (2d10+8 E; Pen 9; Felling [2], Power Field, Unwieldy), or Hyperphase Sword (1d10+8 E; Pen 6; Balanced, Power Field), or Voidblade (1d10+2 R; Pen 4; Felling [1], Razor Sharp, Tearing, Unbalanced), or Gauntlet of Fire (Ranged) (Pistol; 15m; S/–/–; 1d10+9 E; Pen 5; Clip –; Reload –; Flame) and (Melee) (Melee; 1d10+7 E; Pen 5; Tearing, Special), semipiternal weave, one phylactery or one resurrection orb, ankh pendant, icon of tomb world. If the Lord selected a Staff of Light as his primary weapon, it functions as a Lord-Captain’s Baton – otherwise, he begins play with a suitable xenos equivalent.
For the purposes of spending Experience Points, Necron Lords use the Rogue Trader career path advance scheme, which exceptions and specifications as made by the Game Master. Alternatively, Game Masters wishing to use the “free” XP spending system of Black Crusade should count Necron Lords as beginning Unaligned.
CRYPTEK CAREER PATH
Crypteks are the scientists, arcanists and tech-lords of the Necrons, constructing bizarre wonder weapons and devices for usage by their immortal armies. Some Necron Crypteks are always hunting for knowledge of other races and their artifacts, while others condemn the lesser races and their technology as being little more than cattle to be culled. Crypteks are aligned into specific disciplines based on the ancient alchemical elements of Necron mythology – Despair, Storm, Transmogrification, Destruction, and Eternity.
Starting Skills: Chem-Use, Dodge, Medicae, Tech-Use+10, Scholastic Lore (Astromancy, Chymistry, Numerology), Trade (Armorer).
Starting Talents: Concealed Cavity, Necron Weapon Training, Talented (Tech-Use), Swift Attack.
Starting Gear: Staff of Light (Ranged: Basic, 25m, S/4/-, 1d10+8 E, Pen 9, Clip -, Reload - ; Melee: 1d10+2 I, Pen 1, Balanced, Shocking, 10kg) or alternatively one Staff of Office and one item of gear from the Cryptek disciplines, combi-tool.
Harbinger of Despair: Abyssal Staff, Veil of Darkness.
Harbinger of Destruction: Eldritch Lance and Gaze of Flame or Solar Pulse.
Harbinger of the Storm: Voltaic Staff, Ether Crystal.
Harbinger of Transmogrification: Tremorstave, Seismic Crucible or Harp of Dissonance.
Harbinger of Eternity: Aeonstave, Chronometron.
For the purposes of spending Experience Points, Crypteks use the Explorator career path advance scheme, which exceptions and specifications as made by the Game Master. Alternatively, Game Masters wishing to use the “free” XP spending system of Black Crusade should count Necron Lords as beginning aligned to Tzeentch.
TRIARCH PRAETORIAN CAREER PATH
Triarch Praetorians are the ancient keepers of the Necron laws, an honor code and rite that are passed throughout the galaxy by these mysterious beings. Hailed as angels on some world and daemons on others, the Triarch Praetorians traverse the galaxy in their bid to not only spread the seeds of Necron supremacy but also to assess and examine the development of the lesser races. It is believed that the Praetorians may have had a hand in the engineering of the pariah gene within the primordial ancestors of humanity. They also serve as lawmakers and custodians to other Necron worlds, and only the most insane Lord would dare to challenge their judgment.
Starting Skills: Awareness, Charm, Deceive, Dodge, Forbidden Lore (Archetoech, Xenos), Navigate (Surface, Stellar), Parry, Pilot (Personal), Scholastic Lore (History, Judgment).
Starting Talents: Ambidextrous, Hip Shooting, Swift Attack.
Starting Gear: Rod of Covenant (Basic, 15m, S/-/-, 1d10+12 E, Pen 10, Reliable; Melee, 1d10+17 E, Pen 8, Power Field, Reliable), or Void Blade (1d10+11 R, Pen 5, 15kg) and Particle Caster (Pistol, 30m, 2d10+5 E, Pen 4, Concussive, Reliable, jump pack, scrimshawed bones, ancient talisman, triarch icon.
For the purposes of spending Experience Points, Triarch Praetorians use the Void Master career path advance scheme, with exceptions and specifications made by the Game Master. Alternatively, Game Masters wishing to use the “free” XP spending system of Black Crusade should count Triarch Praetorians as beginning aligned to Slaanesh.
NECRON SHIPS
Should a character opt that he wishes to begin play with his own ship, use the following guidelines.
Go through the starship creation process as normal. Any components selected, regardless of their human origin, are considered to be of Necron equivalent – for example, a Luna-class Cruiser hull could be used to represent a Cairn-class Tomb Ship. Do not roll for Machine Spirit Oddities or Quirks – instead, all Necron ships begin ship creation with access to one architect component of the player’s choice (again, a Necron equivalent) and the Servitor Crew and Cold Quarters upgrades found in the sourcebooks Into the Storm and Hostile Acquisitions.
Servitor Crew: This ship’s crew never counts its morale as being below 100, and counts its Crew Rating as being 10 points higher. The crew may only be repopulated or repaired from a Necron tomb world.
Cold Quarters: All losses to Crew Population are reduced by 1d5.
Example
James’s character, the Void Master Acemyth “Matchstick” Malakai, has died. Because he is playing in a Rogue Trader campaign where the other characters are devout radicals, he asks his Game Master if he can elect to make a Necron character. Andy, his GM, sees that the rest of the party is very advanced, clad in power armor and wielding weapons such as power fists. He deems that the Necron careers are likely equal in power to these, and agrees.
James begins by generating Statistics, deciding to do so randomly, letting Fate decide. He rolls the following Characteristics: WS 43, BS 38, S 42 T 48, Ag 26, Int 41, Per 37, WP 42, Fel 26. James notes that many of his combat-related charactersitcs are very high, especially Weapon Skill and Toughness. Evidently, he Necron must have been a powerful warlord, so he chooses the Nemesor Motivation, selecting Crushing Blow. Now it is time to select his career path. James decides that this Necron is a born warrior, and selects the Lord Career path. For his wargear, he chooses a Hyperphase Sword, and a phylactery. Now, he decides a name: Nemsor Duahzahn – and prepares to create his ship.