Hmmm Maby a Blank ???

By Wolfe2, in Dark Heresy Gamemasters

First im gonna say sorry, my english aint that good ( not my Native ) Hope its read able.

I have made a Mission Where the Acylotes have been send to a Feral World where they have been told to recover a lost Artifact. they have been told that the Artifact is at a Tribe. They are send down on the planet, where there land on the orbital Dock. Aftter they have run around in the only city on the planet, they maby got some clues about what tribe there got the Artifact there looking for. They probely going to ask somebody about how to find the Tribe but they just going to be send to a local Treauser Hunter called " Babarosa", where he say that for abit of money he gonna help them find the tribe becasue they also got some Treuseres he want. Probely the Acylots gonna pay the money because it aint gonna be a very high payment.

After they have talk and paid Babarosa, they gonna follow him where he gonna get a team some people to Help them and have the package and so on. They gonna travel out in the Open where they gonna march in a day or 2, they gonna meet some not so dangerous animals, and so on. on the third day they will come to a mountain with a big forest around it, they gonna get into the forest where they suddenly gonna be attacked my some Tribe Members, they probely gonna kill some but after abit they gonan be hit py Poision Arowes and pass out.

After some time they gonna wake up but one of the Acylotes are missing (in this case a Cleric there is Feral worlder and 2,2 meters high, i know it aint possiable but we got one d; ). The other acylotes a bound and have lost all there Gear so they dont just kill one of the tribal members in know time. There gonna come in some People and get the Acylots out of the cage they sitting they gonna get out in the middel of a big tribal ritual, where there gonna be dance fire and music. the Acylotes gonna see the missing Acylote member sitting on a throne with lots juvels and paint on him, and look like the tribal gonna treat as a god. after some time the Tribal cheif ognna come out and he got the Artifact. Suddenly it ognaa start to rain and and become nigh and there is thunder there gonna start, the natives a gonna start pannic and some start attacking the acylotes. At this point the Acylotes a going to try to get the Aritfact from the tribal leader, But o havent found out what should be so speacial about this tribal leader, i have try to find out if he should be a Psyker or a Mutant, or maby a Blank because the team Psyker gonna have a big Advantage because of his Powes, and the other members dont got there gear. What do you think i should Do ???

Well you could make whatever drug they used on the Acolytes also impede the groups' Psyker from drawing on the warp easily or in a stable manner. Telling them when they first decide to try and pull on the warp to use a minor or major power that something 'feels' wrong. If the Psyker wants to use the powers anyways after being warned take him straight to the Perils of the Warp and bad stuff happens round house automatically. Then it'll even out the playing field between the PC's and the NPC's without having to make the Tribal leader something special.

Otherwise the Tribal leader as a blank will do the trick.

it sounds like a good ide... but maybe it is not that great a calllenge for the players to battle some feral worlders what level are they?

So the question is "How to make this encounter/combat a challenging one"?

First, a "side question": what is the reason for the sudden storm/bad weather and the panic of the natives? Is it something supernatural? That´s my guess since I expect feral worlders to notice a changing of weather without being totally surprised by it (unless, the planet has very drastic and sudden changes in weather!).

Your psyker:
The drug side-effect mentioned is a good way. My "take": the ritual going on does have some power, so the barrier to the warp is weakend. The psyker can and will sense this...knowing that usage of his power is likley to result in very bad things happening.

The chief of the tribe:
A "blank" is a good one. But perhabs he is a psyker himself? Or the artefact gives him some strange benefits/powers? Nothing overtly, but maybe the equivalent of Minor Power "Precognition"?
Make sure some of the best fighters of the tribe join the fray. As many as you need to keep the pc busy. Allow your non-combat pc to "steal away in the confusion" to search for the gear.

A god you say?
Some-how, I have to think about "Captain Jack Sparrow". :) By the way: what will happen if your priest-pc will rise, lift up his arms and shout out loud, making clearing (gesture, mimic) that he wants the tribe to stop it at once?

I like the Idears of the poison does something wrong to him, and also that the gonna rise and say something, i maby also found another Solution. Maby the storm there was comeing wasent a normaly storm but a Warp storm that would also Solve the problem with the psyker and also why the Native is going to panic, But maby it would be to Dangerous, and maby to hard for the Pc ? (btw they are all rank 2.)

Wolfe said:

Maybe the storm wasn´t a normal storm but a Warp storm that would also solve the problem with the psyker and explain why the natives panic. But maybe this would be to dangerous, and perhaps to hard for the pc ? (btw they are all rank 2.)


Warpstorms (at least those depicted in the "fluff") seem to be rather "planet wide". Truly, something "big".

How about explaining the storm to be a manifestation of some daemonic entity which "home" is the mountain top? It "comes down" (sends the tainted storms) from time to time to frighten the natives and push them into giving a sacrifice to "calm" him.

In order to explain the capturing of the cleric and his "god status" & the fighting:
The natives have heared about the " Em-Prator" and that he is the strongest of all gods. They hope that he (the cleric) can help them against the Raging God of the Mountain. But as the storm rages on (the daemonic thing striking terror again) they start to panic, those who always claimed that I was a bad idea to enrage the mountain god by giving shelter to the "Em-Prator" turn against them to appease the "GodStorm" by slaying them.

In addtion, you could use this as a follow-up-plot:
After the relic is back with the =I= the de-briefing leads to your acolythes being send back to find out more about the reason for this "daemon storm".

by-the-way: which is your native language? Perhaps we share the same ^^ Oder vielleicht auch nicht?

Blanks are known for the atmosphere of doom that surrounds them, hence their miserable Fellowship. Not the stuff that politicians, err, tribal leaders, are made of. So, I would go with something else,

bogi_khaosa said:

Blanks are known for the atmosphere of doom that surrounds them, hence their miserable Fellowship. Not the stuff that politicians, err, tribal leaders, are made of. So, I would go with something else,

While the thing about the Fel-Stat is true, I would not agree that it is necessary to have high FEL to become a the leader of a native tribe. It would be helpfull, for sure! But in a primtive, small group (about 50 to 100 people) it might be enough to be the "son of the leader" (if the title is due to heritage) or to be the strongest fighter/most cabable hunter... or the one that can walk up to the "cave of the spirits" and come out accepted (unharmed).

My point: there are many reason why we aren´t lead by the fittest to do so. Just take a look at real leaders in diverse governments around the globe gui%C3%B1o.gif

Wouldn't it be like the leader being the guy who makes your skin crawl and causes thoughts of death when you get near him? I don't see anybody like that lasting in a position of power, no matter how he got there. That's why blanks tend to sink to the lowest levels of society -- they're ostracized. (If I have my 40k Lore right.)

Gregorius21778 said:

Wolfe said:

Maybe the storm wasn´t a normal storm but a Warp storm that would also solve the problem with the psyker and explain why the natives panic. But maybe this would be to dangerous, and perhaps to hard for the pc ? (btw they are all rank 2.)


Warpstorms (at least those depicted in the "fluff") seem to be rather "planet wide". Truly, something "big".

How about explaining the storm to be a manifestation of some daemonic entity which "home" is the mountain top? It "comes down" (sends the tainted storms) from time to time to frighten the natives and push them into giving a sacrifice to "calm" him.

In order to explain the capturing of the cleric and his "god status" & the fighting:
The natives have heared about the " Em-Prator" and that he is the strongest of all gods. They hope that he (the cleric) can help them against the Raging God of the Mountain. But as the storm rages on (the daemonic thing striking terror again) they start to panic, those who always claimed that I was a bad idea to enrage the mountain god by giving shelter to the "Em-Prator" turn against them to appease the "GodStorm" by slaying them.

In addtion, you could use this as a follow-up-plot:
After the relic is back with the =I= the de-briefing leads to your acolythes being send back to find out more about the reason for this "daemon storm".

by-the-way: which is your native language? Perhaps we share the same ^^ Oder vielleicht auch nicht?

I really like the Idear of them to going back and find out what there made this storm or maby they should just do it right after they got the artifact, that would make it abit more thrilling, I jjust dont no what should be up on the mountain Maby some Chaos Cult, or maby a Deamon or something like that.

I also come of with another idear, maby the leader would flee up on the mountain to pray to the Montain god to take the Strangers away. So when the Acylotes follow him up here ( they got there Gear back ), they gonna see Rituale, where the Tribe leader are Going to get Possessed by deamon. He should not get the profile by a Unbound Deamonhost but maby a 3bound one or something like that What do you think about that Idear ??? ( Sorry i'm aint ffrom Germany can speak a Littel Deutch but not much (; )

Going up that mountain

The chase "up the mountain to get the artifact from the chieftain" is an option, but there is the chance that the pc will be able to "down" the chief before he gets there. I would advice to let them get the artifact, rappor the incident and come back later..with official order from the ordo and some gear that helps to fight a warp being! (perhaps they will have to travel to another distant location to obtain that....perhabs a certain preacher in a certain missionary church on that planets hides a blessed weapon under the altair...just for that case...)

What is up that mountain?
While a full-fledged daemon would be fun for your, it might be "a touch to much" for your players. My advise:

There was a daemonic entity on this planet during it early steps of "imperial reclaim" (perhabs some 100 years ago?). The daemon was brought down and assumed to be send to back to the warp, but what the people do not know: it fled into a tree (!) up the mountain. One the primitives were used to make sacrifices at.

There, the daemon remains...gathering strench with every new sacrifice made at his name to "calm" him. He will eventually re-manifest from the tree...the sacrifices just speed this up.

The pc have to go up to the mountain, find the place where he slain... find out about the tree, chop it down and burn it with blessed promotheium (the weapon under the altair could be a flamer...big suprise for your crew if you talk about "legendary weapon" and no blade but a flamer turns up!)

Again...what is up the mountain?
The place reaks of chaos...perhabs some primtives live up there..mad mountain people...some of them possed by minor unclean spirits (see rules)... some unclean spirits could be there as well... so the pc need to fend them of with willpower (bonus and/or re-role if your cleric makes his "Imperial Creed" checks to find suiting liurgie to steel the souls!")

Some natural predators (a kind of mountain lion) could have been twisted as well...perhabs some chaos-brute-thing (not a full fledge "spawn", but close!) near the tree itself as its "guardian". The "daemon in the tree", still weak, could manifest itself as a "warp ghost" to haress the pc on there way up....imaging climbing along dangerous passages where suddenls the ghost uses his powers to loosen rocks. Or the group sneaking over the nests of "stone spider colony" ...not making a sound...while the ghost appears and the spiders come force all at once! (will they spend there holy promothium or be wise and try for a RUN! ?)

As mentioned, nature itself makes a good obstacle. cliffs to climb, chasms to cross and very bad weather to endure (cold; moisture and so on).

The Artifact Maby a Deamon or Deamonhost would be to dangerous, execpt if the Artifact there could be some Old Inquisitural Artifact they could use to Banish this Deamon Or Deamonhost but maby that would still be to hard, Else i like the Idear of the Deamon in the Tree, or maby a rock, maby a Stone there look like them from Easter Island or something.

The Guardian About the Guardian. it would be a cool idear that there was a Guardian, but i think it should be a Human. Maby one there was Touch by the Hand of Chaos or something, a Human there was Mutated Really Bad like it should have the Major Mutation " Hellspwan" That would make it abit more funny, In that way you will Suddenly got something Deamonic, but not something with Warp Weapons And So, You could also give The Guardian some other Traits, or You could make the Tribal Leader to get these Mutation.

TheTribal Leader You could maby make Tribal Leader set some of his Best Fighters On them so he could get a lead.

Suggestions for "The Guardian"
Use the Stats of the "Mutant Abomination", with the following changes/additions

Sated with unholy powers
The Guardian has Unnatural Strength (2x) and Unnatural Toughness (2x), the "Hulking" Trait and +3 Wounds. In addition, triple his corruptions points.

Ravening Mad
Tripples his Insanity Points. In addition, he gains the Talent "Furios Assault", "Fearless" and "Frenzy" (which does not need a round to "activate")

Twisted and Deformed
The Guardian has the Major Mutations "Vile Deformity", "Multiple Appendages" and "Fangs/Claws". He deformed body is also covered with patches of scales, hornplates and surfaced bone which give him the equivalent of AP 3 Primitive armor on all locations unless the attacks against him are aimed against spots with exposed flesh (-15 WS/BS). Take not that the head of the Guardian is huge, massiv, horned and hard (AP 3 primitive all over).

Guardian of the Tree/Stone/Whatever
The Guardian has "Unnatural Sense", but it is fixed 30meters around the Tree/Stone/Whatever. This allows him to recognize intruders and attacks on the Tree/Stone/Whatever

In addtion, while in this "zone", he gains "Regeneration".

He lives in a cave near the tree, but has to leave this place from time to time in order to hunt for food (primitive traps and/or spear fishing in a near mountain lake). PC´s with Psynisense and/or Occultismen will find this "connection" while pcs with "Logic" will easly puzzle out that he has to leave this place to find food (no natural animals come near the cursed place he guards.