Note: This game is absurdly high-level, with roughly 30,000 XP per character, because we ave been playing it for a very long time.

Say I have a xenophilic Inquisitor with a raging hard-on for xenos technology, and revers-eengineering it to advance the human cause. His logic is that science itself cannot be good or evil, and while xenotech is undeniably a blasphemy against human supremacy, it's not the actual science behind xenotech that makes it evil but rather the fact that xenon built it. So, if humans take the same science and construct it themselves, then it's not heresy...or at least a justifiable radicalism. He operates in incredible secrecy and has an entire ship that has been converted into a laboratory for his own company of maleteks to study and experiment.

Now, say that through guile and wile he has amassed a treasure trove of Necron technology (which didn't phase out because he made a point of leading a charge into a Necron tomb to recover specimens). Now, also say that he, through application of cold logic and also good reasoning, he has managed to strike an alliance with a C'Tan shard - the C'Tan's freedom in return for its knowledge, while the two of them work together to bring order to the galaxy and expunge it of the ruinous powers of Chaos.

Now say he wants to download his consciousness into a Necron Lord.

So my questions are: How should this work? He wants to build a Necrodermis body using human design cues so that it looks Imperial, if advanced. How does biostransference work? What does it look like? What changes should be made to his character? Should I allow this? Is it plausible? Etc.

I realize my cynicism might not be very helpful, for which I apologize, but an imperial inquisitor tinkering with necrodermis and the technology of the necrontyr is like a toddler trying to figure out a thorium reactor operated by quantum computers.

The AdMech would have/have had trouble figuring out how to kill these things and how to even make their weapons fire. While definitely something I'd love to let my players characters do, I don't see how a research project of this overwhleming magnitude could be made to fit within the scope of the game, absurdly high-level or not, unless you want to time-skip a hundred years or more.

Simply put there aren't rules for it, because it's vile tech heresy. He'd definitely go insane, just like straight up 100 points. There's no safe way to do that. I wouldn't attempt it period, it makes no sense for what's been set up for the race as of yet.

Simply put there aren't rules for it, because it's vile tech heresy. He'd definitely go insane, just like straight up 100 points. There's no safe way to do that. I wouldn't attempt it period, it makes no sense for what's been set up for the race as of yet.

While it's arguable if someone would be sane for doing something like this, in game terms, I don't see why someone would become insane from doing it, especially not straight up to 100 insanity. Why do you think so?

While it's arguable if someone would be sane for doing something like this, in game terms, I don't see why someone would become insane from doing it, especially not straight up to 100 insanity. Why do you think so?

My interpretation of the transference of consciousness really. I don't thing the human psyche could take it.

Well, there is the cybernetic resurrection package from Inquisitors Handbook.

It's kinda the same. For very loose and generous interpretations of the word "kinda".

As loose as a lower hive street walker.

I was reading up on the necrons in Tome of Blood. The way I see Necron Lords is that biotransference wasn't perfect. Most of them end up being mere simulations of the former selves. Some necrons do not have sentience anymore. Necron Lords are the ones who maintained enough of their former personality to have a personality.

In addition, there is the question of what does the C'Tan splinter want. Maybe this is just a way to create another Necron army that is not bound by their former vassals.

Then there is this question: How far is the Inquisitor willing to go to perfect the biotransference? How many victims did it take for him to get even half a way? How many thousands is he willing to sacrifice for a partial success? What kinds of shortcuts has he been taking in his attempts at wresting the knowledge from the Necrontyr? Who is truly controlling his obsession at the end?

I don't think there is anything game breaking per say in what the Inquisitor is Doing BUT this is a major heresy. In addition it would technologically speaking be very advanced. In actual rules term this is not a simple upgrade but should involve multiple skill tests and role playing more akin to summoning a deamon. At the very least you would need a tech use check forbidden lore xenos and probably forbidden lore archeotech. Probably at hellish modifiers requiring particular items and assistance from multiple maletek minions. Basically this could be a mini campaign in its own right and should involve at least 1 major complication (typically a puritan inquisitor finding out/or suspecting what's going on would be a good one). also I understand the whole reverse engineering thing but WHY for the Love of the Emperor would someone who wasn't certifiable want to inhabit a Necron Lords body.

I don't think there is anything game breaking per say in what the Inquisitor is Doing BUT this is a major heresy. In addition it would technologically speaking be very advanced. In actual rules term this is not a simple upgrade but should involve multiple skill tests and role playing more akin to summoning a deamon. At the very least you would need a tech use check forbidden lore xenos and probably forbidden lore archeotech. Probably at hellish modifiers requiring particular items and assistance from multiple maletek minions. Basically this could be a mini campaign in its own right and should involve at least 1 major complication (typically a puritan inquisitor finding out/or suspecting what's going on would be a good one). also I understand the whole reverse engineering thing but WHY for the Love of the Emperor would someone who wasn't certifiable want to inhabit a Necron Lords body.

The primary heresy is the Necron Body and the xenotech.

The whole 'the flesh is weak' and replacing it with superior metal is in line with AdMech thought ... but there is a potential issue with being able to transfer the mind from flesh into a computer outright. That's running right up against the AI prohibitions and the Iron Men.

The Inquisitor is probably going to be 'safer', for values of safe, in going the Borg Queen Route, or perhaps the Laurence Barnes/Prophet Route (Crysis).

The Proteus Protocol!

The Admech is aware of the ancients committing biotransference to fully mechanical bodies. It's completely banned by the Admech as a tech heresy. So...that bit isn't really delving into alien territory. However, canonical background goes on to say that all such creations are abominations that went insane, etc, agreeing with Thendoctor's assertion that said character would probably obtain 100% Insanity Points in the process. Or at least a heaping serving of some. ^^.

Mechanically, I'd focus on the body and not worry about the Biotransferrence part. That should stay a largely narrative experience with clearly devestating effects on the Inquisitors psyche later on. The body itself is tough to call as well. To understand the science to make a necrodermis in a single lifetime? Probably not going to happen. If he's willing to accept neither himself nor his servants will ever figure it out, and just agree to making one that looks vaguely imperial, than that would probably be a better bet in his lifetime.

Still... one crazy bastard.

Ah, yes. That. Had forgotten about that tidbit.

T'be fair, a successful biotransference that didn't leave the subject batshit insane would probably be, for most intents and purposes, all but indistinguishable from one of the Iron Men. Which itself is technoheresy of the highest order.

Either way, the AdMech is going to put a substantial price on his head when it finds out.

Way safer to go the Borg Queen/robocop/etc cyberaugmented body route and keep the brain intact, even if you use Necron-derived tech.

Yeah I forgot to mention Insanity Penalties.

This is where I love the Cthulhu way of doing things. And I would use a hybrid method so something like this would probably be a -30/40 Wp check. Success would mean taking 2D10 Insanity points minus degrees of success.

Failure would be more akin to degrees of failure in 2D10+1D10 per degree of failure.

He's currently rolling with a whopping 65 Insanity Points, hence why he thinks this is a good idea.