Below is a link to my efforts to house rule the Raven Guard for one of my players. This includes everything but Chapter Psychic Powers. I have no Raven Guard Librarian players so I didn't try to tackle that aspect. Anyone who wants to use this is welcome. Hope this works I have never tried to put a link into a posting here.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/38352666

After having a scan through (although on this computer my download limit is too woeful for me to spend much time doing anything that is not simple text) I really really like this and how it works. It'll take someone else to have a more in depth look but I'd certainly use it. The only thing I might tinker with is applying a heavier penalty on Primarch's curse rank 1 and maybe, just maybe rank 2 but nothing much heavier and that's a personal whim. Very good job on the rules and thank you for putting all the time in

Great.^^ I just have two minor nitpicks in the skill table. As far as I remember all Space Marines in Deathwatch are trained in Silent Move and Concealment, so they would go straight to the +10 and +20 versions. May I ask you how you decided how much the skills should cost?

Mjoellnir said:

I'll have to look at my book when I get a chance to see about Deathwatch getting Silent Move and Concealment, I must have overlooked it the first time around. As for skill costs I just looked at the cost of skills for other chapters and chose a number that "felt" right.

Correct. Silent Move and Concealment are Trained Skills. I missed it too.

I don't know if you have had the chance to read "Hunt for Voldorius" (from the Space Marine Battles series) yet, but it features both the Raven Guard and the White Scars. It notes that the Raven Guard's power armor is modified to make it operate more quietly.

Presumably, this would include baffles on the backpack power supply, padding on those armor plates which might touch each other, etc. You might consider dropping the bonus to Silent Move and Concealment, and adding an option for Silenced Armor. You could set the Requisition and Renown requirements as you see fit, but allow Raven Guard to take this without the renown requirement, or even have it as standard gear for Marines from that Chapter.

I would suggest that they might get automatic Training in Tactics: Recon as a free skill, instead of the Silent Move and Concealment.

Though they did not do it with any of the Core Rulebook Chapters, I suspect that some Chapters will really need "non-standard" gear to seem like the appropriate Chapter (such as Bionic Hands for the Iron Hands). I would put the Raven Guard in the same boat, or at least include it as a Signature Gear option, so that the Raven Guard can have it, as it is now part of the fluff at some level.

I wouldn't do that. Modifying power armour is a good idea to improve stealth, but it doesn't replace training. What I would maybe do is making an alternate table for armour history with a stealthy option instead of "Cower Not Before the Enemy". I just can't imagine a Raven Guard or any other Battle-Brother from a stealthy chapter with one of those.

Brother-Sergeant Cloten said:

A little off-topic (apologies) but I have a question regarding this. I'm a big Raven Guard fan, but couldn't care less about the White Scars... Would you say that this is a book worth buying? I'm about to finish the Crimson Fists novel and enjoyed it quite a bit, so I would hope that all of the Space Marine Battles books are up to the same standard, but the subject matter is something I'm not sure about. How big a part do the RG play in the story?

Indeed very nice work.

One of my group members is a fanatic like fan of the raven guard.

Before Deathwatch (finally) released we were playing a similar "selfmade" variant of Deathwatch (which you could download somewhere but it disappeared very soon - in the end is was quite similar to the final version of Deathwatch).

However he like to play a Librarian and so we have to think abt those special "RavenGuard like PSI abilitties.

What do you think abt following ideas?

Psi-Rating 3:

Somehow a beginners ability - the Librarian can summon a Raven. He can control him through his mind and fly around but only use the Ravens Eyes. The distance should be limited (maybe influenced by the psi rating).

PSI-Rating 4:

Now he he can use also the Ravens Ears to hear what is going on. Furthermore he can use the Raven to attack. I remember the Psyber Eagle in DH rulebook (or was it another one?). You coud take his profile.

PSI-Rating 5:

Same as some of the major abilities in DH core rulebook the Librarian can hide himself in shadows.

PSI Rating 6:

He can also shadow others. Distance maybe same as Squad Mode.

PSI rating 7:

Raven Wings - see BA PSI ability also has wings.

Always open for suggestions and ideas.

I myself am a huge fan of the Raven Guard. For those who are interested there is a Raven Guard Specific forum known as the Sons of Corax. Just for everyones awareness. Also i like the idea of the specific armour for the Raven Guard from everything they talked about in the Hunt for Vordimus it made there armour out to be almost as good at stealthing as a suit of Scout armour.

Edsel62,

Any chance you might post this in PDF form somewhere? Not super keen on signing up to another site, and don't use the FaceSpace.

www.darkreign40k.com

Dark Reign has a great download section, and I think your Raven Guard piece would make a strong and valuable addition.

Thanks,

Mad

Posted a copy to the darkreign website. This version has slight adjustments to the cost of Silent Move.

http://darkreign40k.com/drjoomla/index.php/component/docman/doc_download/328-raven-guard

Morguloth, Your Psychic Powers might work pretty well. But since none of my players wants to be a Raven Guard Librarian I doubt I will do much more than make a note of the ideas. I am pretty lazy and fairly overworked as it is.

Yeah, I finisdhed the rulebook in two days. Maybe 10 hours in total reading and making notes. Now it looks like one of my legal books when learning for exams full with yellow post-its.

Unfortunately my group is not so confident abt the available chapters but luckily there is not so much to think abt then only the psi power of the raven guard.

I think the dark heresy corebook already contains a lot of good psi powers that only need to be adjusted a little more space marine like.

As this now should be finished, if nobody else has some good idea abt raven guard psi power I now have to create the full background abt the Crimson Fists. I've very undemanding players in my group.

Resurrection because of awesome. Also because it might warrant renewed discussion after RoB.

How about giving the RG Ag+10? It makes them stealthy and quick. The Imperial Fists have set a precedence with their WP+10.

Alex

ak-73 said:

I'd argue that it's a bad precedent and one I would not like to see repeated.

ak-73 said:

I would think +5 Ag, +5 Int would be better. They are known for valuing smarts over brawn.