just prior to reading about the upcoming Deathwatch, i finished reading the soul drinkers omnibus. i liked it so much a wrote up stats for them using RT rules. however, with DW, you might take a different approach. as the game makes the character part of the militant arm of the Ordo Xenos, and the inquisistion as a whole can effectively recruit anyone with any background from virtually anywhere, couldnt a kill-team theoretically include repentant renegade marines? i personally think it'd be kinda cool to play a Sarpedon-esque style Astartes who just happened to be a soul drinker or Alpha Legion (which, from the rumors i hear, still believe they follow the Emporer). i don't know, what do you guys think?

Repentance just means a quick death. Not a hard and fast rule, but I cannot think of any exceptions off the top of my head.

Little Dave said:

Mantis Warriors and a few other Chapters from the Badab Heresy.

Gillam Harrow said:

No.

Traitor Astartes are the most hated of all of the enemies of the Imperium. There is no forgiveness for their kind.

Mistaken renegade chapters (such as the Lamenters, etc, from the Badab War)? Yes.

Traitor Marines that have been declared Extremis Traitoris (such as Alpha Legion and Soul Drinkers)? No. Not in a million years.

MILLANDSON said:

Exactly, as soon as you start messing around with Chaos the only forgiveness you'll get is being purged by the holy trinity of bolter, flamethrower and melter.

MILLANDSON said:

Yup, I agree with Millandson here. Could make for a fun chronicle, though. The player plays, for example, a Lamenters officer who is seeking penance in the eyes of the wider Astartes by becoming an ultra dedicated Deathwatch marine.

Lightbringer said:

Its the one case where Space Marines may actually be able to go undercover. Finding a deceased space marine the Lamenter dons the dead marin's armour in the hopes of finding salvation using the name of another.

Peacekeeper_b said:

Oh my goodness! The unspeakable heresy of it! Can you imagine what would happen if the deception was found out? The quick whooosh of heavy flamers and roar of meltas reducing the Lamenters Marine to a charred, dripping corpse.

In short, there would never be an official release where you could play a Traitor Marine one thinks - but it would be an outstanding role-play experience - I bet Chaos Legionaires have a story to tell (excluding the gibbering part of course) and their interelationships with other Traitors would be much more indelicately balanced than that between loyalist Marines. Where a Dark Angels Marine and a Space Wolf would feel some genuine antipathy, you could imagine a Death Guard plague marine and a Thousand Sons sorcerer having some serious issues getting on - that's one theological conversation that would deteriorate pretty quickly!

MILLANDSON said:

Or at least until the Emperor gets up from the Golden Throne and says otherwise, barring that feeling you get in your legs from sitting on the "Throne" too long.

SonofDorn said:

"My legs! O' HOLY ME!!!! I can't feel My legs!"

< blink blink >

"Where am I, how long have I been out, and who the hell do YOU think you are looting ME?!?!?"

-=Brother Praetus=-

Gillam Harrow said:

That is i serious point of debate and most certaintly does not, but back to subject, in the case of the Alpha Legion it might be possible with the GM's permission to play an Alpha Legionnary in disquise since they quite often infiltrate the Imperium causing no end of trouble, one would just have to make sure once's fellow Astartes never learned the truth... at least not until the right time...

I'm wondering what whould happen to a SM who is member of a traitor legion but was serving already in the DW when his Chapter was declared "traitor".

Of course he has no link with the relevant events so what whould his fate be ?

Lucius Valerius said:

Most likely he would get lumped in with his brothers "just to be safe".

RedMike said:

Oh Im not sure about that, you never know when a Traitor Legions Suppliment might come out, letting you play the bad guys (Like a non-human brigands game in D&D)

People like evil characters, and I would never say never when it comes to a game that generates more dollars for a company.

MILLANDSON said:

Minor point, but for anyone using the 'standard' 40kRP timeline (815-816.M41), the Badab War hasn't happened yet. Lufgt Huron had neglected paying his required tithes for the last sixty years or so, but it wouldn't be for another 85 years or so until the Badab War actually starts...

...which, interestingly, means that the Astral Claws chapter haven't yet become the Red Corsairs, and thus could easily turn up in a game of Deathwatch...

N0-1_H3r3 said:

Good point! I'd forgotten about the "canon" date in Dark Heresy.

Yea, that'd be.... interesting

While the inquisition would probably not recruit from traitor legions (barring Dark Angels), I can certainly see a campaign being run outside of the background provided. Who says the marines you're playing need to be Deathwatch recruits. I'm sure they'll be room to incorporate home brew or heretical chapters in the game and you can basically start a campaign against the Imperium with your kill team instead.

As far as heretical marines working for the Inquisition and Ordo Xenos, I'm going to say Space Wolves and Blood Angels are the only acceptable heretics in Deathwatch that I'm aware of. Darn gene seed and it's instability. Dark Angels are heretics for a whole different reason.... but since the Imperium doesn't know about that, it really won't hurt them.... yet!

Peacekeeper_b said:

N0-1_H3r3 said:

Atheosis said:

Honestly I think it would have more to do with how long said marine was assigned to the Deathwatch. Short time then likely to be purged, long time 50/50 chance of being allowed to continue service with the Imperium.

T-800 said:

That would fall under "most likely".

Lucius Valerius said:

Gillam Harrow said:

Another lost chapter that we could conceivably see represented in the Deathwatch if the timeline meshes up would be the Astral Knights . I don't believe the battle against the Necron World Engine took place until the late 900's of M.41. How fun would it be to be playing an Astral Knight when word came through that 772 of your chapter brothers died destroying a Necron Weapon that could destroy planets?

"While I grieve for the passing of my battle-brothers, they fought the good fight and destroyed a powerful threat to the Imperium... What's that? A new founding? The Sable Swords, you say? Needs a core of veterans, they do? Sign me up."

-=Brother Praetus=-