I couldn't find anything on the internet in regards to this particular problem with the Hereteks servo arm strength bonus applying to the arm itself or the hereteks and I unfortunately need it answered as the problem in question nearly started a full blown argument halfway through the game. (A extremely rare occurrence in my games.)

So I had a heretek try to drag a unconscious pirate prince in power armour from one cover to another, to avoid being murdered by space wolfs currently firing apon them.

Falling just short the combined Strength and toughness to push or drag him I deemed that the task would take twice as many rounds to move back into cover. ENTER THE SERVO ARM!

This being my first official 40k roleplaying game I've run since our original GM left the state, I wasn't aware the ludicrous amouts of strength it grants to the user, here in lays the problem, it's reads as "the user always use this strength, no matter his own strength or any other factors".

Majority of my players interpret this in regards to everything related to strength including carrying capacity, melee damage, grappling, so on and so forth. I clearly don't think this is the case, but prefer to have either majority vote, or official ruling on such matters as games rules and being mid combat, I didn't have the time to break and plunge the depths of the internet and find it so I made a ruling then and there to let it fly, something I regret doing due to the clear stupidity of it.

So I ask for experiences and opinions on this matter, or if you have proof of a ruling I have been unable to find I will be forever grateful.

The Servo-Arm Strength and Strength bonus only applies to tasks performed with the Servo arm as the primary limb. So if they want the Servo-Arm's Strength to apply to something, they need to specifically say they're using the Servo-arm to do it (and the task has to be one that the Servo-Arm can perform).

I believe that it's usually fluffed to the effect of Servo-arm tasks, at least where you're fully utilizing its full Strength, are typically implied to be relatively stationary ones, but that's actually not spelled out anywhere; I think the example uses of Servo-Arms are something along the lines of righting or lifting armored vehicles for maintenance.

Also, I believe that there's provision in the Lifting/Carrying Capacity rules for briefly exceeding one's normal (which should be read as, unencumbered) carrying capacity. IIRC, it's something like a Strength test for short duration events and Toughness tests for extended periods of time, or you suffer some sort of penalty or Fatigue.

So ... I probably wouldn't be overly worried about using the servo-arm to help haul somebody into cover, especially since hauling somebody into cover, assuming the ground isn't too rough, shouldn't be all that difficult for somebody reasonably strong.

That's what I read when I looked over the servo arm, but being that black crusade rules are some of the most vague in the world, makes it a bit hard to complete understand, or reason with players that want a distinct advantage for their character.

Thanks for the answer.