I posted this topic in the DW forums, but was thinking you all could give me some ideas from the opposite side of things so to speak.

On pg 14 of the DW corebook, and in some of the background found on Lexicanum, it talks about some chapters recruiting gangers from hive worlds. I was thinking it would be fun to expand on that Idea and have a group start out as gangers, then eventually get caught by a chapter and slowly work there way up in the chapter.

One way I was thinking of doing it, since the gangers may be slightly older then a typical recruit, is to make a side effect chart simular to the side effect chart psykers get from sanctioning.. Basicly I would have the characters do a T check to see if they can accept the implant, then a WP test to see if they had any side effects.

Just an Idea, any input welcome.

Nimon said:

Startng gangers as juves (re: Necromunda) might mean you could get away with the PCs being quite young.

One problem I could see is the immense amount of time that would have to pass between the different "stages" of the characters' lives. Dark Heresy already borders on the verge of silliness with characters progressing from lowly Recruit to Colonel, from Battle Sister to Palatine, from Acolyte to Inquisitor in a manner of a few months or years. With the Space Marines, if I remember correctly their Scout phase alone already takes decades. You could avoid this issue by doing a lot of time-jumps, but skipping so many years basically means the characters will only get glimpses at the various decades they've lived through.

Additionally, the creation process, with its hypno-indoctrination and psychologic stress, will leave a lot of scars on the characters' personalities. They won't be the same as who they began the game with. Naturally, only you can know if the players are actually capable of dealing with this extreme shift in character. Whilst being an interesting idea, it just seems a little pointless, as the characters' former lives will more or less become distant memories after joining the Astartes, quickly fading away as the decades pass. Those 15 years in the hive would likely relate to a Marine like their first 5 years do to normal humans.

Some good points, thanks.