Sanguniary Priest

By Arguyle, in Deathwatch Rules Questions

Posted at
sanguinary priest special ability: scion of
sanguinius
Within the veins of every Sanguinary Priest runs the blood
of Sanguinius, so that they might continue to Insanguinate
the Chapter’s Aspirants—the process by which the geneseed
is activated—in the absence of their Primarch.
As befits so potent and blessed a legacy, there are few
Sanguinary Priests who do not in some way share the
tiniest fraction of their Primarch’s legendary grace. The
presence of a Sanguinary Priest is heartening for all those
who descend from blessed Sanguinius, and few Astartes
can deny the presence of a Primarch’s blood.
The Apothecary increases his Fellowship by +5, and may
enter a Frenzied state (if he has the Frenzy Talent) as a Free
Action. In addition, any Blood Angel (or Successor) within
Support Range of the Sanguinary Priest may also enter a
Frenzied state as a Free Action. A Sanguinary Priest possesses
this ability in addition to the three Apothecary Special
Abilities listed on page 69 of the Deathwatch rulebook.
However, so vital to the Blood Angels are the Sanguinary
Priests that it does not bode well if one is permitted to fall in
battle and be abandoned. If a Sanguinary Priest is slain, and
his body and wargear not recovered, the dishonour of such
an act reduces the Renown of every surviving member of the
Kill-Team that are Blood Angels (or Successors) by 1d5.


Umm.... What? Nothing about it in the errata, and newer replaces older as general rule, therefore BAA:SP gets 4 special abilities?
Posted at

This has been addressed. This ability is in addition to the normal Special Ability selection for creating a space marine character.

It is incredibly simple.

Character creation is done in these steps:

1: roll stats

2: select chapter: apply modified stats

3: select specialty: apply starting skills/talents, select special ability

4: calculate movement, wounds, fate, and spend experience

5: select equipment

6: roleplay

7: play game

Characters must be able to pay the experience cost of the advance specialty before they can take it. As a character cannot spend XP until step 4, which comes after step 3. Thus they MUST choose one, and ONLY one, of their normal starting specialty's special ability BEFORE they can become an advanced specialty and that advanced specialty's special rules apply.

So the Sanguinary Priest is allowed ONE of the apothecary's special ability chosen as normal during step 3, and then gains the second special ability: Scion of Sanguinius at step 4 when the character spends the XP to gain the advanced specialty. He does not gain the other two special abilities the character did not choose during step 3.

Posted at

Apothecaries are pretty mechanically weak already. It's really not broken to give them all the special abilities.

Posted at

Whether the previous statement has merit or not; it is not legal, officially, in the framework of the rules to do so.