I have been working on a write-up of the Raven Guard. One of my players wants to be from that Chapter. I have been making good progress but I am looking for help or ideas with the following:

Solo-Mode Ability
Squad-Mode Attack and Defense Ability
Raven Guard Librarian Pyschic Powers
Raven Guard Primarh’s Curse

Everything else is either done or I have good concepts for them. If anyone cares to make suggestions for the above list I am eager for input. Once I get them done I will post my house rules write-up for the chapter.

As the Raven guard seem pretty big on guerilla tactics and stealth perhaps a solo mode ability that allowed the marine to sneak effectively in power armour would be appropriate - perhaps special secrets of modifying the armour with baffles and stummers combined with advanced stealth training can let Raven Guard tactical marines sneak about almost as well as scouts.

The squad mode attack could be some co-ordinated ambush which sows confusion in enemy ranks - perhaps it imposes a penalty on any horde willpower checks triggered by the ambush or cuts off communications for a round or two by targeting comms/officers leaving the enemy rudderless.

The squad mode defense could be a reaction which allows the marine to move to cover/concealment after being spotted or coming under fire.

As regards psyker abilities I can see a few things a librarian operating behind the lines might want -

1. An ability to evade detection by another psyker or perhaps to confuse divinations directed at him or his squad.

2. I don't know if this is too cheesy but maybe a beastmaster type ability to use harmless animals as spies by controlling them and seeing through their eyes (obviously ravens or similar would be cool here).

3. i know it's potentially stepping on the toes of apothecaries but given the nature of their deployments I reckon that the Raven Guard may do some work on psychic healing techniques. There is no certainty that a squad will get access to medical facilities in a timely fashion.

4. A fear or morale attack

5. An advanced short range telepathy allowing the librarian to link his whole squad together allowing for split-second co-ordinated strikes without risk of radio interception.

6. Some sort of invisibility or stealth power.

For a Primarch's curse we have to look at Corax' failings. He is most noted for engaging in pretty heinous genetic research in a desperate effort to rebuild the Guard numbers after the betrayal on Istvaan. This offers two potential routes for designing the curse - perhaps the legacy of these abominations still lurks in the geneseed and could mutate the marine or drive him mad. The second option could be that the relentless pursuit of redemption or vindication begins to drive the Raven Guard marine above all else. Any failure must be redeemed just as Corax did. Any shortcoming conquered - no matter the cost. This makes the chapter tenacious and adaptable (and is evidenced in their embracing and mastering asymmetric warfare after their calamitous drop in numbers) but also driven and willing to break any rules to accomplish their goals. Imperial officials or other marines that get in the raven guards way become enemies and the cursed marine can develop an obsessive tunnel vision regarding his aim.

haven't really worked on any mechanics there but hopefully it's of use . Good luck with it and I'd be interested to see how it finishes up. The Rogue Trader in my campaign has ancestral ties to the RG as his founder discovered Deliverance for the Emperor. He has a company of Stormcrows (an RG successor chapter I made up) as an honour guard. with deathwatch out I'm considering letting the guys play these chaps for a few sessions to mix it up a bit...

Thanks for the ideas. I will likely use some of them. Hopefully I can find the time to work on it today.

How about some type of camo like the Preditor has and non reflective armour.

Hi there "Ed"...It's "Red"...

Anyway, I think that some of the ideas in the first post are pretty cool, and fit the Raven Guard well.

Solo Mode Defensive Stance should be some form of "See, But Don't Be Seen" ability. Basically, a bonus to Stealth. As the Marine goes up in level, he can get a higher bonus. Mastery at Rank 7 could allow the Raven Guard to vanish into the night.

Solo Mode Attack Stance could be a deadly silent Surprise Attack upon a successful Stealth roll. Higher levels allows greater damage, with mastery allowing the "Batman take down move"...where the bad guy vanishes without a sound...

"HEY GITZ!!! Where 'da BOSS go?"

"Da Boss waz jus o'va dere...by dat dark pile uv bitz..."

Squad Mode should allow the Raven Guard to strike at lightning speed, and then vanish back into the shadows. "Raven Strike", or something else like that. Remember, the entire Chapter uses rapid assaults and lightning strikes as a rule, and only engages in frontal assaults or large formations only when it is necessary.

The OP's idea of "sowing confusion" within the enemy is a great idea, as a rapid attack would cause panic in undiciplined troops. A penalty to Horde WP Tests sounds like a great idea for Squad Mode Attack Stance.

"Hit and Run" could be the Squad Defensive Stance Mode, and allow the Squad to break off from the enemy, and vanish, before the enemy can really respond.

The Primarch's Curse should be "Taciturn", or a -5 to Fel, as the Raven Guard are serious and focused. Also, not all of their Geneseed Implants are working like they should. They have missing abilities, and the strange appearance limitation. Pullin 10,000 year old history into the mix makes the Raven Guard seem too much like the Dark Angels. THEY hunt the Fallen. The Raven Guard just have one thing to say about what their Primarch did..."nevermore"...

Sorry, couldn't resist...

I tried to design a sneaky solo-mode ability for my own chapter. Since they shared in 3rd Edition one trait with the Raven Guard you can maybe use it. No idea how balanced it is.

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_foros_discusion.asp?efid=179&efcid=3&efidt=386019

Shadow's Ally (Night Wolves)

Required Rank: 1
Effects: While for most chapters the need for stealth ends when a scout is promoted to Battle-Brother and receives his power armour for a Night Wolf the stealth training has just begun. Whenever a Battle-Brother of the Night Wolves Chapter is in Solo Mode he may re-roll any failed Concealment, Shadowing and Silent Move Tests.
Improvement: At Rank 3 the Battle-Brother ignores 10 points of the penalty on Concealment and Silent Move Tests when wearing Astartes power armour. This increases to 20 points on Rank 5 and to 30 on Rank 7. On Rank 7 he can also apply the penalty reduction to Concealment Tests while using Terminator armour.

Mjoellnir, I appreciate your giving me permission to use this. I will be borrowing it.

I like the shadow's ally ability - nicely graded as well. It still leaves scouts with an edge on stealth but makes it a viable tactic for the marine.

Terminator ninjas would be awesome hehe

Cromwell Bootstrap said:

Read the Legion HH novel.

Alpha Legions 1st company, Terminators, were the stealth and infiltration unit of that legion. They had all sorts of dampeners and stealth modifications to their Terminator armor to the point were they wouldn't set off motion detectors, laser tripwires, or audio pickups. Alpha Legion is so awesome it's almost ridiculous.

Thanks for the feedback.

I'm going to see what I come up with next, maybe a few chapter attack patterns and defensive stances can be shared to.

I might use that ability, but I won't let people in Terminator Armour use it. No matter how much personal skill you have, you can't sneak in that thing without dampeners and lots of other tech. Being a stealth expert doesn't help when your armour is stomping and whirring.

MILLANDSON said:

That's fair enough but it is possible that the ability includes the fact that all these gizmos are installed on your terminator suit as they are standard in your chapter - in the same way that talents are used to model mechanicus implants without having to go buy and install each one. Equally it could include the know-how to mod an off the rack suit given time and components.

Cromwell Bootstrap said:

One word: stummer.

Alex

MILLANDSON said:

Remember that you'd have to be Rank 7 and that the penalty reduction only works on Concealment Tests when in Terminator Armour, not Silent Move.

I suppose, though I would likely just apply one of the lower modifiers instead of the full one.

Well, how exactly would you do it?

Well, in my opinion, if you are in Terminator Armour, the time for sneaking about and hiding is over. I'd instead, unless that ability already included this, have it so that at Rank 5 you got +10 whilst in Scout Armour, and +20 at Rank 7, making the Raven Guard the premier infiltration specialists that they are.

Hm, the Raven Guard does that? I thought putting veterans in scout armour were a Space Wolves thing. Unfortunately I don't know that much about the fluff of Codex Chapters.

Personally I don't care about Terminator armour. If have one 5-man squad that never went past priming because they don't fit my playstyle. I just had the feeling that Rank 7 needed something special and unearthed an old crazy idea of mine of Terminators putting plants on top of their armour to infiltrate a battlefield.