For whatever reason the Adeptus Mechanicus, and archeotech in particular, are major themes in the game I'm running. The ship has the Relic of Mars quirk, and it's an ancient pattern with several hints that indicate extreme importance to the AdMech. Anyway, the crew is now on a mission from the AdMech to find the remains of an old explorator fleet that went missing some 2,000 years ago, on the grounds that there will probably be some very important archeotech, perhaps even an STC of some unknown type.

So, my plan is for them to meet some fairly nasty xenos (although not overtly inimical to humans), who happen to be embroiled in a war with an Ork uprising, and I would like there to be some **** good reason to stick around here long enough to find what they're looking for. What clues could I drop about the nature of the tech, and how might it create tangible benefits for the party? The ship is already pretty nice, so I don't want any powerful retrofit options, but maybe some personal items? My RT has an archeotech laspistol (amazing weapon, that) and I think he can see the value of what they might find. Any ideas for clever clues to drop as to what they may find, or ideas besides just a bump in profit factor? Perhaps they could start a trade route if they can control the xenos? Work out some special deal with the AdMech in return for recovering an STC? What would be cool for the AdMech to provide? They have a regiment of 5,000 Skitarii warriors on board right now, perhaps offer to leave them with the ship to keep the barracks full on the basis that they are protecting a Holy Relic (the ship itself) from danger? That's not a bad idea.

So, guys, anyone have any experience with archeotech or cool ideas for me to use? I appreciate the feedback!

One piece of archaeotech is personal force fields, like the iron halos that space marine captains use. Another is jetbikes. Imperial jetbikes are very rare. Another would be a personal teleporter, likely with a limited range unless a ship with a teleportarium is in orbit. Another would be plasma guns and pistols that don't "get hot."

If you're planning on having Xenos present, you could have them find some ancient xenos accounts of witnessing the might of the explorator fleet. Or perhaps some non-imperial settlement account of the same. Legends and rumors are good ways to hints, while giving an excuse to obfuscate enough not to give anything away. Similarly, poor-quality video or audio recordings could provide hints of a different nature, but of similar value.

As for exactly what they might find,

Archaeotech Servitors

-With improved cognitive functions, allowing them to complete more complex commands.

Archaeotech Bionics

-Maybe ones that are covered in synthetic flesh?

Archaeotech Weaponry

-These can be something other than a better version of an existing weapon. I would use alternate damage types like cold or sonic rifles.

Archaeotech Armor

-More advanced armor does not necessarily have to offer better protection. Instead, make it lighter, more compact, easier to put on, etc.

Archaeotech Cogitator

-I can see two possibilities. It possibly possesses enhanced computation ability or processing power. Alternatively, it could have an advanced user interface, voice controlled, hologram, limited interactive capabilities. Similar to how Jarvis was portrayed in the Iron Man movies, as opposed to an actual AI.

Archaeotech Shuttle

-Containing enhanced armor/weaponry, or possibly even possessing a limited capacity warp drive, possibly similar to that of Tau ships?

sketchesofpayne said:

A Rogue Trader party would already have access to best quality plasma weapons.

An AdMech reward for an STC fragment is really dependent on the STC fragment that is found. An intact STC handed over to the AdMech could reasonably grant the entire command staff each their own solar system, or at the minimum their own planets. STC fragments could grant anything from a Planet down to a years supply of protein bars. Finding a new pattern for dinner utensils might get you a hearty hand shake and a shipment of ration bars, finding an intact pattern for a jet bike would probably get you a planet or maybe a new ship or three. I could see the permanent reassignment of 5-10,000 Skittarii and all support elements to a RT dynasty for a new pattern of weapon, armor, vehicle, or starship component.

Some options to use for rewards might be Peer talents, contacts and favors. Favors could be handled with a pool of bonus points that could be saved and used as needed as one shot bonuses for acquisition rolls. Like extra profit factor but specific to goods and services provided by specific groups.

For example: Your RT crew have done several tasks for the AdMech and recovered a partial STC fragment that is somewhat significant and have earned 40 points of favor. They decide they need to purchase a new ship. They make their acquisition check and come up 30 points short. They call in 30 points of favors that the AdMech owes them and manage to acquire the ship they were after, leaving them with only 10 points in favors left.

Something like this might make things a bit easier and allow for more flexibility in rewarding the players with what they want. Although to balance this out I would give a penalty based on how many favors are owed. The higher the favor the harder social skill checks with that group should be. Maybe every 20 points of favors grants a -10 penalty to Fel test. No one likes owing someone else.

As far as Archaeotech goes, break out some old D&D magic item lists and make the powers techno in some way.

Elemental damage on weapons is a good start. A chain sword that has superheated teeth and does an extra d5 fire damage, or a supercooled sword that forces a Toughness save or you gain a level of fatigue.

The concealable weapons and armor from the Lost in Space movie would be a very slick thing for an Arch Militant to get their hands on. Call it Best Quality Guard Flack, with a variation on the Compact trait.

Wand of Fireballs = micro grenade launcher the size of a roman candle.

Get creative and a little wacky. I have found players like weird quirky stuff as much or more than super powered items.

How about tech for an advanced medical bay for the ship? Somewhere to patch up the most serious of damage in a relatively short time, able to regrow organs and limbs. At first sight this would give the players an enormous boon after big fights, recovering in days instead of weeks/months and having to be patched up with clunky AdMech cybernetics.

But this would also create some good story opportunities. Perhaps the advanced genetic sequencers draw the attention of some not-so-kosjer Magi Biologi, or renegade gene-splicers. Maybe the Skitarii demand access to the bay in order to improve their combat abilities, resulting in unforseen mutations, perhaps even a little civil war on the ship between the Skitarii and the 'New-Skitarii'? Perhaps Space marine Apothecaries show an interest, archeotech medical equipment could go a long way in maintaining their gene-seed. Perhaps some disciples of Fabius Bile have found a prize worth capturing to please their master.

[RANT] Why is everyone allowing an ADDITIONAL thousand and thousand of troops to be stashed into a TRADER? Their as option that takes up space and energy to allow for about 2000 troops... [RANT OFF]

Anyway, if you are looking for personal archeotech, consider buying "Lure of the Expanse", at least as a PDF. Their is one section with "lost tribes on a Space Hulk" and a table with nice items

Other then the options already provided:

Entertainment devices like very advanced holoprojectors or extremly sufficient music devices that in fact look like solid pieces of jewelery but can be activated with strokes of a finger (Doctor Who, anyone?)

Item similiar to those already provided in the RT, but with only 25% to 20% of the supposed weight

</spoilers for my campaign. If you serve (or are) Captain Haarlock on the starship The Tyrant Star, leave now>

• Navigator's Eyepiece. A mono-goggle covered in strange patterns that pulse with warp power.
o Adds +10 to Awareness tests when navigating the warp.
o Each time it is used, make a Toughness test +60 or gain a new Navigator's mutation. Each subsequent use of the eyepiece adds a -10 cumulative modifier until a mutation is bestowed. Then it is reset to +60.
• Archeotech Mechadendrite. A small grey disk with plugs that socket into Mechanicus Implants.
o Medicae Mechadendrite.
o Has the Compact trait, as the mechadendrite telescopes out and back in.
o On a natural roll of 100, the patient gains 1d5 Corruption points.
• Archeotech "Sword of the Sleeping Foe." It's name is written in High Gothic on the case.
o A best quality Power Sword (Mordian) with the additional ability of on any hit that does damage forces a Toughness Test (+0) or gain 1 Fatigue.
o On a natural roll of 100, the wielder gains 1d5 Corruption points.
• 3 meter tall transparent tube with neck, wrist, and ankle restraints. Blue, green, and red buttons.
o Blue opens and looses restraints.
o Green Closes & locks restraints.
o Red causes 1d5 mutations & 1d10 Corruption. Navigators use Navigator mutations.
• Purple crystal, 20 cm. diameter. When someone with psychic powers approaches within 1 meter, they "hear" in their minds two words. "Lick me"
o Single use.
o Adds 1 to Psy Rating or gain a level of mastery of a random Navigator power already known.
o Add 1d5 Insanity, 1d10 Corruption.
• Two 50 cm black metal disks. Each has two buttons, white and black.
o White, the disk is immobile, and levitates if it was activated in the air or void. Can support the weight of a Starship.
o Black, the disk is movable, 100 grams.

Nojo509 said:

Bravo for the Immovable Rod. The single most useful magic item ever in DnD. Yes, I say it even trumps the Handy Haversack.

I am slightly upset at myself for not coming up with that one.

One question though, is it's position fixed in space relative to where it was placed or relative to it's location in the Universe? ie does planetary rotation cause it to move or if activated inside a starship that is moving will it shoot through the interior of the ship until it can rip through the hull, or does it lock into position and just hang in the middle of a corridor as a starship traverses the void? How evil are you?

If it's relative position of the univers that would be an awesome way to wreck a starship, and a lot of other things.

ohhh.......If I end up using this I may have to add a third, red button. One that locks it to a Universal constant location.......That would be so absolutely evil.

'Lick Me'

Hehehe good one!

To steal a little from an old cartoon series that was based on "Odysseus" but played in space:

Energy Buckler
A vambrace which will project a transparent energie shield centered on the wrist, the size of a medivial buckler. It energie source will be depleted (and unreloadable with standard means!) after 30 minutes of use (equals 300 rounds of combat). In addition, their is a chance that an attack will make it short out for 1d5 rounds (after each hit, roll d100 and add the taken damage. Will shorten out on a 101+). Counts as an "defensive weapon"

Ekombi Sword
A good quality energy sword which has an integrated good quality HE-Laserpistol in hilt&grip. With no addition to weight or anything! The HE-Pistoles counts as having 10 shots and full power of a standard HE-Pistole.

A communicator the size and weight of a micro vox but the power one would assume for a backpack version of a "contemporary" vox.

Energy cells for those items (I would normally assume that those inside the items cannot be reloaded by standard means...).

The crown of light: A best quality helmet with a crown like headgear on top. In the crown, their is one clear gem. If activated (voice) the gem emmits a constant blinding light. Anyone facing the the wearer counts as blind, no "contemporary" technique is able to do anything against this. Those who cannot turn their eyes fast enough (rountine agility check) will be temporarily blinded for (10-TB) rounds.

The lightless cloak: A heavy black and unreflecting cloak (or cape) made of a strange material. It counts as a good quality flak coat (for stats!) but has AP 5 against all laser based attacks. The cloak will warm up if under fire, but will give this warmth to it surrouding rather then to the wearer (which is isolated by the cloak). After a couple of hits, the air will start to flirr around the wearer of the cloak and those with close combat range must pass toughness each round round or will gain a point of fatigue. The wearer better wears some kind of breathing gear as well, or he will suffer from breathing incredible hot air!

Anti-Grav-Gloves which will in effect double your weight for carry, lifting etc. and give you "bulging biceps".

Grav-Damper-Units which can be attached to an object and will reduce it´s weigth by 90%

ItsUncertainWho said:

Yes, this is the immovable rod.

I also used your Lost in Space compact armor. I put it on a belt, with the buckle a shield. Press the shield, the armor goes up. Twist it, it goes down.

I wanted the disks to be useful, so I defined stationary as relative to the dominant gravitational field. So a grav plate on a starship would let it work on board (until the grav plate failed ), it would work on a planet. If set in the void in orbit around a planet or star, it would not orbit, just keep its relative position.

I do like the red button.

I remember the immovable rod discussion on /tg/.

If I remember the conclusion correctly it was

::CLANG::

What the heck was that!?!?

(and so the immovable rod continues its trip through the cosmos)

ive found some of the best archeotech ideas that we could come up with came from th iron kingdoms setting (use mechanical plate with a power source to create "flaming" "frost" ect effects and it works well in RT too all you need is a best quality item with say a "flame" plate and a power source to gain what is effectivly a flaming sword of times past. the benifit of iron kingdoms is they use guns too so ur players arnt limited to just special melee weapons

How about a nanite swarm with sentient a.i.?

Grand Inquisitor Fulminarex said:

That would not be "cool Archeo Tech" but "Heretical Archeo Tech from the darkest ages of men". Sentient A.I. are forbidden by the laws of the Mechanicus.

I think it would be cool. Do you have a CANON definition of what is "cool archeaotech" and not?

Gregorius21778 said:

That would not be "cool Archeo Tech" but "Heretical Archeo Tech from the darkest ages of men". Sentient A.I. are forbidden by the laws of the Mechanicus.

But it is horribly dangerous, will probably kill you directly or indirectly, dangerous things and activity in 40k are automatically cool and should be included on the 40k cool-wall, somewhere next to baneblades and murder servitors

One of my players has a large metal briefcase which is full of bits and pieces of a bad guys archeotech hoverchair he strangled to death (he choked a pensioner to death +10points for being nasty) that a magos threw together in appreciation and it has an anti-psy field in it, he presses a button and it sounds like a large gyroscope winding up to speed for a few rounds before becoming a dull hum for the next hour until you replace its power pack.

Ground zero is a null field of about 3m radius and 3m beyond that imposes a -40 to any psy powers being used or a bonus to resist their effects.

Possibly not-cool because it won't kill you, possibly cool because people will kill you to own it.

Grand Inquisitor Fulminarex said:

First of all: their is a problem to even define what CANON is and what is not, so screw this

My "method of dividing" (dividination? ) is to ask "would a non-rogue-trader be able to legally carry such an item to the next soiree or banquett to show of in non-heretical circumstances". If the answer is "NO", I expect the next Tech-Priest to cry out about Tech-Heresy. If the Tech-Priest doesn´t keep its cool, it isn´t "kewl".

Of course, any other definition is valid, I am not Judge Dredd.

Gregorius21778 said:

****... If only you were the Sly Stallone version. That would be great.

Jeff Tibbetts said:

While we are talking about it, some kind of battle droid as seen in the quoted movie would make for archeo-tech..as long as the thing is neither sentient nor emulating real men.

I think a sentient AI Swarm with a control device could be worn as a piece of jewelry and actiavted when needed. What it does would be up to the GM, i.e. kill, collect data, lie around as dust and observe proceedings. Lots of fun and heretical uses which would get a person burned at the stake. And what Rogue Trader would not want to show it off to his peers? They regularly violate the laws in the respect. I think Slaught weapons are cool, and they are canon, and a player could get one, but they are definately illegal.

I was under the impression that Archeaotech is from the Dark Age of Technlogy, a time similar to Star Trek. Am I wrong? If I am not wrong, and tech was infinetely better and superior, why wouldn't there be instances of sentien AI? I know it is the worst heresy of the Cult Mechanicas, but it must have existed at one time to cause such a ruckus. Didn't the machines try to take over? Gods, I am getting my sci-fi mixed up!

Your not getting anything mixed up. Your just dealing with 40K.

Yes, sentient AI existed/still exists, and is the most terrible of sins among the Mechanicus.

I would suggest thinking more Dune and less Star Trek.

I like the Swarm device. I could see that as an ornate set of jewelry, earrings or necklace. With all of the gems being little mechanical spider like data/vox thieves.

AIs are, by their nature, open minds without faith in the Emperor to protect them. As such they are very vulnerable to corruption by chaos, and that's one of the main reasons why they were outlawed by the Mechanicum (although most of them have forgotten the reason by now). It's also why vurtualy no examples from the Dark Age of Technology are found, they turned on their masters or self destructed when the Fall of the Eldar bathed the galexy in warp storms.

So we go from Dune with a dash of Star Wars & Star Trek to 40K via Terminator.