Hey there. I am going to playing in DH campaign soon, and after reading the some of the books I couldn't help but want to make something close to a space marine. Since a fully-geared Astartes is probably closer to an ascended acolyte than what I will be playing, I thought it would be neat to have the option of playing marine scouts and work your way to becoming an honest to goodness space marine. After seeing that some of the alternate ranks were usable at rank one, allowing a sort of dual career, I cooked this up

Astartes Neophyte alternate rank
Required Career - Assassin, Cleric, Guardsman, Psyker, or Tech-priest
Alterante Rank - 1 (0 xp) This alternate rank must be purchased at a cost of 300 starting xp. Note means you may opt to specify this at character creation as your Advance Scheme. This does not affect your basic starting Skills and Talents, only how and on what you can spend your starting xp.
Other Requirements - Toughness of 35+, Will Power of 35+

The acolyte was selected from the ranks of a space marine chapter's 10th battalion, those recruits still training to become marines. The neophyte has been given special dispensation by the inquisition to take leave of his chapter to serve the greater needs of the imperium, learning first hand what horrors he will be facing at the end of his instruction at the hands of his battle brothers. Inquisitors often pick these neophytes for service as way to groom these young warriors, and to expand their influence among the adeptus astartes. These scouts, if they survive to complete their training will most likely be drafted into the Deathwatch chapter and become highly favored assets of the inquisition in its defense against the forces of chaos.

Neophyte's Inheritance
The scout marine begins play having completed all 19 phases of the implantation that will eventually transform the neophyte into a fully developed adeptus astartes. During the scout marines service to his inquisitor, the scout marine will receive mental conditioning and hypnomat tutelage periodically during his downtime, giving him awareness of his various implants as they come to full maturity. Once an implant has fully matured it provides its special benefits to the marine. When all of these implants have fully matured, a scout marine is brought back to his chapters homeworld for his final trials. If he survives, he is initiated into his chapter in an austere ceremony, and bestowed his crested power armor. At the beginning of play, the scout marine's developing Secondary Heart, Ossmudula, and Biscopea grant the scout marine a +5 to Strength and Toughness, as well as conferring the frenzy talent to the neophyte.

Special note: Many of the implants a marine receives bestow talents to the marine. These talents are received regardless of the prerequisites. If the scout marines career provides the same talent, their affects do not stack unless the talent is one that can be purchased more than once. The talents provided by implants can be used as prerequisites for other talents as normal.

Chapter Indoctrination
The scout marine gains the Common Lore (war), Secret Tongue (military), Shadowing, Survival and Tracking as basic skills.

A Close Watch
The chapter that a scout marine belongs to is loathe to release their charges to the inquisition completely, as the scout marines represent a great investment on the part of his chapter, including that chapter's geneseed. They demand regular testing of the scout marine every month, to make sure the scout marine is in good mental and physical shape. If the tests prove that the scout marine's work for the inquisition is taking too much of a toll, they will have him returned to his chapter's homeworld, either to be rehabilitated or granted a final mercy. Thusly, a scout marine is removed from play if they have accumulate 50+ insanity or corruption points at the time of his monthly testing.

What a Growing Body Needs
The scout marine's chapter makes sure that his inquisitor supplies him with the nutritional supplements and chemical enhancers the chapter uses to keep the neophyte's developing implants working. If the scout marine looses his supplements, and goes without them for more than a week, his implants begin to loose their effectiveness. The scout marine looses any special talents provided by the implants, and suffers a -10 to his toughness and all skill checks as his body begins to reject the additional organs.

Catalepsean node Maturity - grants the Light Sleeper talent. 100xp, minimum rank 3.
Melanochrome Maturity - grants a +10 toughness bonus to resist the effects of radiation. 100xp
Multi-lung Maturity - grants a +10 bonus to toughness tests versus suffocation and doubles the amount of amount of time between checks. 100xp
Oolitic Kidney Maturity - allows the scout marine to roll a second time when resisting a poison. If successful the marine suffers no characteristic penalties but suffers 1d5 fatigue. 100xp
Preomnor Maturity - grants Resistance (poison). 100xp
Betcher's Gland Maturity - Marines saliva can be used as a weapon with the toxic feature, causing 1d5 E wounds. When used as a ranged weapon, the scout marine's saliva has a -10 BS penalty and a range of 1 meter. The bonus damage from the toxic feature takes a longer time to manifest. Roll the extra damage as normal. 1 wound of that damage is applied per round until it reaches the total amount. 200xp minimum rank 4
Haemastamen Maturity - grants a +5 increase to toughness, and sprint talent. 200xp
Larraman's Organ Maturity - grants Diehard and Hardy talents. 200xp
Lyman's Ear Maturity - Scout gains a +10 to resist sound based attacks as well as attacks that cause nausea or sickness. 200xp
Mucranoid Maturity - When activated with the proper chem injection, the mucranoid grants a talents Resistance (heat) and Resistance (cold), and allows the scout marine to make a toughness test every round to avoid decompression damage from exposure to vacuum. It takes 1 minute for the marines sweat to provide full coverage. 200xp
Neuroglottis Maturity - Heightened Sense (smell and taste) talents. 200xp
Occulobe Maturity - grants the Heightened Sense (sight) talent as well as no penalty for shadowy light conditions. Penalties for darkness still apply. 200xp, minimum rank 3
Ossmudula Maturity - When the scout marine's ossmudula has completed its work on the scout marine's frame, granting an increase of +5 to strength, and the scout marine has grown to hulking size, gaining an additional .5 meters in height. 200xp minimum rank 5
Sus-an Membrane Maturity - Scout rolls toughness after failing blood loss rolls. If successful, ceases blood loss and enters suspended animation. Scout can only be revived by apothecaries of his chapter or someone who makes a difficult medicae check. 200xp
Biscopea Maturity - the scout marine's biscopea has added nearly double the marines muscle mass, granting the unnatural strength trait. In addition, the scout marine now weighs twice what he did when his biscopea was first impanted. 500xp minimum rank 6
Black Carapace Maturity - Effectively a MUI unit for the marine's power armor, when fully matured the marine gains a +10 bonus to BS, WS, and Ag rolls while using space marine power armor. 300xp, minimum rank 6
Omophagea Maturity - this talent operates like the psychometry psychic power. Marine rolls 2d10+will as power roll, with no psychic phenomenon roll. The visions the scout marine receives are from the victim's point of view. Over use of this implant my be cause for either corruption or insanity points at the GMs discretion. 300xp

Skill Advancements
Awareness 100xp
Ciphers (war chant) 100xp
Common lore (war) 100xp
Common lore (astartes) 100xp
Concealment 100xp
Drive (ground vehicle) 100xp
Intimidate 100xp
Secret tongue (military) 100xp
Scholastic lore (tactica imperialis) 100xp
Command 200xp
Navigation (surface) 200xp
Survival 200xp
Dodge 300xp
Demolitions 300xp
Interrogation 300xp
Shadowing 300xp
Silent move 300xp
Tracking 300xp
Pilot (military craft) 300xp
Pilot (hover) 300xp

Talent Advancements
Air of authority, 100xp
Ambidexterity. 100xp
Battle rage 100xp
Fearless 100xp
Jaded, 100xp
Nerves of steel 100xp
True grit 100xp
Basic weapon training (bolt) 200xp
Bulging biceps 200xp
Melee weapon training (shock) 200xp
Pistol training (bolt) 200xp
Rapid Reaction 200xp
Unshakeable faith 200xp
Basic weapon training (flame) 300xp
Basic weapon training (launch) 300xp
Melee weapon training (chain) 300xp
Melee weapon training (power) 300xp
Heavy weapon training (bolt) 300xp
Total Recall 300xp

Vladthebad said:

The costs of certain talents and skills seems odd... Fearless is only 100 (one of the best talents there is), while melee weapon training (chain) is 300? Costs should be reversed in this case I think. Also I might want to delay the Fearless talent, even if Space Marines are viewed to be fearless.. a certain level of mental conditioning might be in order? In other words, not at Rank 1. Nerves of Steel etc. seems more appriate at start. And maybe Jaded soon.

Dodge 300 xp? And SP weapon and LAS proficiencies should be added to the list, as SM Scouts tend to use Sniper Rifles (long las?) and Shotguns instead of Bolt weapons.

What starting skills and talents did you have in mind?

Also I'm ignoring balance here, it's a fun concept but might not be fitting with anything but an experienced group. I'd allow one in my rank 8 group at 400 xp (thus only 100 xp to spend in total because of cost).

Ahhhh, yeah I haven't had the experience to know just how good some of the talents are. I'll adjust the XP costs on some of the mental talents. Basic weapon training (las) and (sp) I figured could be gotten from the acolyte's career since most careers start of with one or the other. but its entirely possible that someone would want to make sure they have both at rank 1.

Starting talents are still gotten from your regular career. This only takes the place of the first rank of advancements, and even then GMs should allow you to grab some advancements from the other rank 1 list as elite advances, if you want them. The Neophyte advancement list is really meant to be options to take as you gain ranks in your career. That is why the skills are so costly. If you are a psyker (who will eventually become a librarian) you might have to wait 4 ranks before melee weapon training (chain) becomes available, and basic weapon training (launch) I don't believe is on your list. Dodge doesn't become available to tech-priests until wayyyyyyy into their careers. These talent can be provided by the neophyte rank, but they will cost more. If someone has dodge available to them early on from their career, they should get it from that instead of this list.

That said, it probably still needs to be tweeked. If you were GMing, how much would you generally charge for an elite advance? I had thought the cost should be comperable. It may be that I should the costs a bit and add rank requirements to stagger it out.

Vladthebad said:

It depends on usefulness. I let my players get basic weapon training (primitive) and Wrangling for 100 xp each when the occasion came up to learn it.

I do not usually alow elite advances unless the story calls for it. For instance, I wouldn't let my players take Fearless, not even for 300, unless they got it from their rank or had an EXTREMELY good reason to have it.

So if I understand you correctly the acolyte picks one normal career, get the normal starting skills and talents from it, and then recieves the few Space Marine traits? And their first 100 xp left they can spend either as a space marine or as one of the previous classes?

If so, why not require a certain rank to play a Space Marine Scout? There are several examples of alternate ranks from IH where the acolyte has to be of a certain rank to take it.

In the lore space marine scouts are inducted by their chapter at adolescence. As they age they get their implants, receiving all of them by about age 18-19. Thus its not something someone can jump into at a later rank. Once a player takes the neophyte rank for their character at rank 1, as they spend xp, they can always pick up what is on the neophyte rank because you can always purchase stuff that is on one of your lower ranks (IIRC). So it functions more as an extended character background package.

I am going to restructure the talent and skill pricing and add some rank prereqs for the more powerful talents/skills like "fearless".

With a little work it could be manageable for an experienced group. If they serve a Xenos Inquisitor then the potential fun of a character Ascending to Brother Marine at rank 9 (Deathwatch) is rather hard to ignore.

Having Astartes implants absolutely requires that they be in place at character creation, since a strong and healthy male in puberty is about as old as you can begin the process without killing the candidate (and even then is no assurance). Chances are likewise very high (almost certain) that the character's origin is a Ferral or Death World, similar to the restriction placed on Sororitas characters (Schola in their case).