Hello folks,

in the starting adventure in the core rulebook the acolytes are surprised by an attack while attending to the abbort in the cathedral.

They are supposed to defend the cathedral but what I ask myself: Were they allowed to take their weapons with 'em? In the cathedral? Or should they run back to their rooms and fetch their equipment?

Cheers,

TechVoid.

Big questions

Who are they? (either really or who are they pretending to be)

Is there any reason why they would take a weapon into the Cathedral (or would be allowed any not concelaed)

Did they know an attack was coming - does the Authorities know one is possible (which could work against those trying to be sneaky)

what is the state of the city planet whatever - is it on the brink of rebellion or a calm backwater or in danger of invasion from Xenos or worse?

I would not base this on their standing or anything else.

The WH40K Imperium is a society armed up to the teeth. Their does not seem to be any law that forbids to carry a pistole-sized side arm in public (unless you are a mutant).

The only thing that might be looked ill upon would be heavy weapons like las cannons. But again, if the weapon was not taken from you while you were walking the streets, why should it be taken from you while entering the cathedral?

The only reason for a "weapons ban in the cathedral" I could think of would be the security of the abbot. If his guards do not allow certain fire arms, so it shall be. But if the pc are distrusted, the perhabs will not even be allowed to enter the cathedral.

In simple words: I would leave them with any weapon they wish to carry

In my games, the only weapons "forbidden" to the pc most of the time are "heavy weapons". Everything else will give them some attention by the local enforcers, but that´s it. But if the insist to carry auto guns and las rifles with them, I make it clear that they get ATTENTION for it and some penalities for inquiery and other social roles. People start to get worried if gun totting heavies start asking questions...

Obvious weapons would be a problem, unless the PC's are a sanctioned public security/bodyguard detail. But when was the last time your acolytes went anywhere without a concealed weapon or four?

No the psyker can set fires/explode heads with his mind -- he doesn't count.

I think it really is too variable to give any hard and fast rules. It can vary from planet to planet, temple to temple, and guard to guard.

I would say that if you're running the campaign out of the book, that they can have whatever they want. They are there responding to a plea for help, so they are likely to be able to get away with whatever they feel like carrying around. On top of that Iocanthos is basically Mad Max, and I don't think people there would be skittish around weapons.

The characters may think twice before brandishing truly excessive firepower, though. I doubt people would be comfortable with them wandering their streets with a heavy bolter or anything.

It's also up to the players to justify it. If one of my players was wandering around toting an insane arsenal, I'd have someone ask him what the hell he was doing.

Bizarrely an armed Sister of Battle with her Holy Bolter would probably look quite approrpriate for a 40K cathedral as the Imperial Faith is a fairly militant one. After all, their Holiest site (the Imperial Palace) is protected by the biggest and best guns they have.

A comparable situation came up in my most recent session when a Tech-Priest proceeded to construct a fire bomb inside a chapel to escape the tropical downpour outside ..

A Cleric in the group got pretty upset but one of the players commented that in the war-torn 41st millennium, with the Imperial Creed being so militant, weapons inside a church, cathedral or similar place of worship could very well be acceptable.

I would say that unless special circumstances would dictate otherwise, weapons are not allowed on church-goers.

Wasn't there a scene in Eisenhorn in which he fought a duel with someone inside a cathedral or basilique or something?

The imperial creed being based on a fairly twisted version of the early Christianity I would say that no, on most worlds player who are not carrying weapons that are sanctified by the church (blessed weapons in effect) would not be allowed to carry any kind of weapon inside the holy house of the God Emperor, holy warriors of the order, battle nuns in full attire, space marines ect would probably be allowed to carry them inside, encouraged even to show off the might of the imperium of man.

If you go into a medieval church they actually have something called the chamber of arms where knights, men at arms and nobles would leave their weapons for service, only the knights of the holy crusader orders who carried the palm leaf (proof that you had been in the holy land) would be allowed to carried their blessed weapons who had defended Jerusalem into the church, so that’s what I go by. Even had a lowly novice scolded a player for bringing in a weapon?