I have been running a Dark Heresy campaign for almost a year. In my last adventure, the Acolytes were sent to the area near Hive Tenebra (the abandoned hive city) on Scintilla to investigate sightings of daemons that were killing people at nearby settlements. What they uncovered was a Serrated Query experiment gone bad, with the captured Tyranid subjects having escaped and killed the Serrated Query researchers and then spreading out into the nearby jungle. It was lots of fun. I made up the stats for the Genestealers and Lictor just before Creatures Anathema came out, and my stats were surprisingly similar to the book, so I only needed minimal adjustment to bring my creations in line with the book. There was also a second encounter with Akirvas, the Dark Eldar from the book adventure, and even though I made him more powerful, the Acolytes got some extremely lucky shots and killed him before he could escape. The climax of the adventure was when the Carnifex showed up, and the Acolytes were saved just in the nick of time by a squadron of Valkyrie gunships that were sent in by their Inquisitor. Then there was the sad and shocking scene where the Inquisitor had to shoot the young girl the acolytes had rescued because she had been infected by a genestealer and the implant had been in too long to be able to save her. And one of the Acolytes got beaten unconcious and then mind-wiped for trying to negotiate with the dark eldar (the Inquisitor was in an extremely forgiving mood that day).

Anyway, I digress. In my next adventure, I plan on having the Acolytes stumble into a Necron tomb. Does anyone have any suggestions for making up stats for them? I plan on having Necron Warriors, Scarabs, a Wraith and maybe a Pariah or two (yeah, my Acolytes are pretty well equipped and high level, and I want to give them tougher challenges).

A single Necron is a match for any Tactical Space Marine and I think facing even one of these guys, let alone a Wraith, should be quite a challenge for a group of acolytes. Here’s how I think it would break down for a Necron Warrior;

WS: 40
BS: 47
S: 45
T: 49
Ag: 30
Int: 21
Per: 46
WP: 59
Fel: -
Movement: 3/6/9/18
Wounds: 20

Skills: Silent Move, intimidate (Note that Necron Warriors may use their T characteristic instead of fellowship when using the intimidate skill)

Talents: Exotic Weapon training, Unnatural Senses (Sight, Sound), Unnatural Toughness, Unnatural Strength, Sturdy, Strange Physiology, Regeneration, Natural Armor (Head 5, Body 8, Legs 5, Arms 5), Machine (armor already factored into Natural Armor Trait), Fear 2

We’ll Be Back: I Necron Warrior will cease to function when reaching 0 wounds but does not die. A Necron will continue to regenerate until reaching -10 wounds at which point it will phase out of existence.

Gaus Weapon (Range 100m, S/3/-, 1d10+5* E, Pen: 4, Clip: Nil, Rld: Nil) NOTE: Gaus weapons, unlike normal NPC attacks, are able to achieve ‘righteous fury’ on a natural 9, or 10 die damage result)

There's a recent thread on Necron stats a few pages down in the common forum.

I had a recent Necron scenario that introduced Necrons to my campaign as unstoppable killing machines ( http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_foros_discusion.asp?efid=101&efcid=3&efidt=27384 ) which might be a useful introduction before your players go back to the Tomb and enter/explore it/plant a nuke. (my lot recommended Lance strikes from orbit rather than any more exploration). Not stats per se, though Dark Reign had a couple of files of stats for you.

Steve

incarna said:

I thought Intimidate was originally based on Strength, not Fellowship?

I use Strength if the character is visible, and Fellowship if making a threat through a door/over a phone/otherwise out of sight.

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! All very useful.