It has become clear to me in the campaign I play in weekly that my semi-puritanical priest character will gain a mutation. My GM is VERY fond of dishing out corruption points (I got 4 in the last playing session and the GM maniacally laughs whenever a character is testing for malignancies.) I'm trying to wrap my mind around how I'd like my character to handle the situation when it arises.

Would it be over the top for him to immediately pull off his mesh cowl, put his hell pistol to his head, say "I have failed you my Emperor" and blow his brains out?

Some notes about my character:

Rank 5, Priest, Noble Background, Born on Scintilla

Currently 21 Insanity and 12 Corruption points

1. Zero tolerance level for anything overtly Chaos related.

2. My only violation of puritanism is wearing xeno mesh armor.

3. My character is intolerant towards mutants and mutations.

4. Currently, He is the "Frontman" and spokesperson (not the leader) of the acolyte group. Our leadership structure is.... somewhat vague.

5. He is currently not looking at going down the Redemption career path, but I intend to keep him going towards a puritanical outlook on life.'

I would like your thoughts on how I would best handle this inevitable situation. Obviously, I'm open to other options, but based on how I've been playing my character, I don't think he'd tolerate gaining a mutation.

Can you get the Dark Soul Talent?

BYE

Sounds quite "reasonable" to me. If your character feels he has become irredeemably corrupted, which is a background appropriate view for a Puritanical Imperial cleric to take of physical mutation, than death is the correct remedy.

That said, I could make the argument that a death in penitent-service of the God-Emperor would be an act both glorifying the Emperor and perhaps atoning for your horrible sin of mutation. So, rather than just putting a gun to your head, a better... purer... act would be cast off your priestly vestments (you can longer claim to be a priest, as corrupt and sinful as you are), set aside your armor and throw yourself bodily at the God Emperor's foes, smiting them in frenzy of rightious violence until you succumb to your wounds. Of course, should no foes of the God-Emperor be available, you must purify yourself with pain until you are able to face them.

In short, I'd ask your GM for the Flaggellent and Frenzy talents as Elite advances and go psycho.

I'm with Lucius here; you didn't go over the top. In fact, your scrabbling like a worm far beneath the floorboards at the moment.

The priest just blowing his brains out? No. Not only is that a terribly selfish act, but one that will confirm his soul's damnation. Pain sears the body but purifies the soul. The priest must wear not but sack-cloth and wire fiercely barbed, an eternal reminder of his body's failings and the separation of his soul from it's corrupted flesh. About his neck, he shall wear a sign proclaiming to all who look upon his wretched continuance of his unclean nature that they might gaze upon what could become of them if they are not careful. Their scorn and hatred will strengthen them and each stone they throw will help smash the sin from the priest's soul as he continues the work of the God-Emperor showing all what can happen to those not vigilant enough, not strong enough of mind, faith, and purpose. Each broken bone, each laceration, and the searing flame will purify his soul that when he finally can be rid of the corrupted festering flesh that his body has become, hopefully his soul will be pure enough to be accepted into the Emperor's light. He will have to double, nay, triple his efforts to show and prove his worth to the God-Emperor by smiting as many of His enemies as he can clad and armoured only in His grace that the bite of the enemies blade and sting of bullet shall serve to purify his soul.

In other words, go out in style ;-)

Graver said:

HAHAHAHAHAHA

I like it!!! Keep them coming. Both you and Lucius offer some interesting alternatives.

LuciusT said:

LuciusT said:

Don't forget setting explosives onto his body so that when he dies his body will be cleansed with fire, along with any nearby enemies of the Emperor.

Inspired by this thread, I just posted an Elite Advance called Frenzied Penitent over on the House Rules forum. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Well... talk with your GM. If he own the "Radicals Handbook", there are other ways then "plain mutation". In the case of the core rules Minor Mutations, here some ideas of mine.

"Feel no Pain" and " Wyrdling":
There is no description of any visual effects of this. Perhaps the madness your (self-)rightous priest is already in goes a step further, explaing this away as acts of will and/or wonders empowered by his Faith into the Emporer (especially the Psyker power could be nice, if you use an half action for Praying/Singing Hymes..be sparse with this, or a witchhunter will turn on you...not that you would believe him..)

Nightsider; Big Eyes; Malformed Hands
If your flesh turns against the emporer.... do what you are ought to do and hope that your =I= has enough mercy on you to provided you with prosthetics...after the end of the ongoing mission...or the next one... till then, bear your burden since salvation demands suffering!

Grotesque; Tox Blood; Brute:
Here I am with graver. 200%.

I know there are malignancies that are not physical or mutations, per se.

I'm going strictly on the premise that at the rate we're getting corruption points.... I'm going to have a visible and tangible mutation soon.

Ask your GM if you can gain the Flagellant Talent (if you don't already have it) and the Self Mortification Insanity. Your character's psychology I think would be pushed to breaking point by gaining a mutation so I think it would be appropriate to get an insanity, especially one where you inflict pain and suffering upon yourself.

Your character would then be cutting at the 'diseased' location(s), or taking a hand flamer to his tentacle when everyone else is asleep to burn away the impurity.

Be careful though that your character doesn't start to conflate the pain felt with pleasure at removing taint. If he starts to associate pain and pleasure to the point where he obsessively starts to hurt himself for the 'pleasure' of knowing he is purging corruption he may inadvertantly draw the attention of Slannesh. Which in and of itself could be interesting. How the mighty fall and all that.

That or just blowing your brains out works too.

Hellebore

You can also go the Sister Repentia route, grab an Eviserator, all your armor, and go headlong into the swarms of the nearest mutant/heretic camp and slaughter until there are no enemies, you are dead.

Also, if you do go the "Purifying pain/repentful rage" route, refuse to take any healing unless it is the natural healing from resting.

Kylen said:

So... purity seals and parchment is considered armour now? ;-p

Gah. Wasn't fully paying attention when i wrote that.

Wish I could edit now.

LeBlanc13 said:

Don't worry LeBlanc13, my adept has a bolt round with your name on it if we come to that bridge. All for the good of the Imperium, of course. Treading an alternate road to damnation, I believe my adept may be the most knowledgeable in matters of lores forbidden. But thus far Armor of Contempt has been my saving grace.

Come; cleric, let us finish the fight in His name.

-=Brother Praetus=-

LeBlanc13 said:

Remember only the emperor can pass judgement, and the emperor only judges in death. If you take your own life you will just be a corupted mutant in the emperor's eyes. Should you instead 'sentence' yourself to die serving the emperor you might instead send scores of hereticks and abominations to the emperor for judgement before your's, thus possibly gaining some leniency.

It would be like the punishment of a penal legionare. They commit an act worthy of death (as mutation would be in your clerics mind) but instead of being sent strait to the emperor to be judged they are allowed the chance to die fighting his enemies and thus possibly absolve their sins upon death.

You would probably become even more fanatical and devout, likely voluntering for the riskier mission's and things like cover or running would never cross your mind. The emperor protects, should his light not be enough to protect you, you were not worthy enough.

Unless your inquisitor is insane, he's likely to notice your corruption so you may well not have any choice in the matter. It'd be particularly if the Inquisitor put your a character in a "redemption" cell with other tainted but loyal servants of the Emperor.

If talked with your GM, s/he could set up a few oneshots with the other players making corrupted characters to join you on your suicide missions. The RH might be very useful in this.

I agree with the others, a good way to end him is for him to purge his sins in the flames of battle, eviscerator screaming out as he cuts open heretics. Also, maybe if he survives the experience you can give him a second chance, he could remove his mutation with holy fire, or he could perhaps beg forgiveness from his Inquisitor, he promising his life to Inquisitorial service, being sent on a suicidal mission as a kind of advance package to prove his mutation hasn't forever cursed his soul and his service? Could lose his corruption points but gain insanity points and some skills to represent a darker and more puritanical personality?

If his hand is tainted, cut it away. If it is his eye that vexes him, pluck it out. Purge the flesh and let the righteous soul endure.

...but undoubtedly your GM will have this lead to brand new magnitudes of bad.

Good luck. Have fun. Remember everything goes better with tentacles.

KidChainsaw said:

I was thinking that too. If the mutation is a physical one on a part of the body that could be removed, couldn't it simply be amputated/excised?

So many possibilities now to consider. I guess suicide is a cop-out.

Maybe I should try to cut out the mutation (depending on what it is) and try to cleanse the rest of my body and mind in the purity of killing the enemies of my Emperor!!! I suppose an eviscerator would be a great addition to my growing armory.

Thanks for saving a bolt round for me, Brother Praetus....

You're council is always welcome.

Or ... you could go for the full whole-body transplant. Our GM allowed some pseudo-tech from the Traveller Game, which included such. Our hoplelessly insane and corrupted Guardsman went for it hook-line-and-sinker. He would have been virtually immortal, too ... if not for that stray Plasma Cannon round from a rogue Ork Mekboy.

Targan said:

It might be removable. On the other hand it was grown by the warp, so removing it might cause the warp to just grow it back.

Lask said:

Hey like Eisenhorn from the book... though he didnt gain a mutation.

My personal remedy would be prayer, cutting off of the offending mutation, more prayer, penance, cutting again of any subsequent mutation and burning the area to prevent its growth and more prayer and penance to get rid of the offending corruption points.

Oh and alot of flagelation from the other accolytes ( and Arbite boots in the back etc)

Purify your body with holy fire, losing as much flesh as is necessary. Then, become an oblationist, since you are already damned.

Seriously though, talk to your GM. A good GM probably won't stall on giving you your mutation if it's heading that way, but he'll generate good roleplaying opportunities for you from your character's calamity.