I just noticed, while flicking through the book, that one of the examples on the aquisition's list for Unique (-70) is archaeotech power armour. Which got me thinking, is that listed anywhere in one of the books? Only thing I recall with archaeotech in the title is the laspistol, and that's a huge bound in power over the standard one. So, curious to see what kind of abilities that'd give power armour.

Generally speaking anything "Archaeotech" is in the realm of GM Option, but should be pretty awesome.

Have a look at both space marine and or sisters of battle power armor for some ideas on what a 'civilian' suit of archaeotech power armor might have. Then add some bonus for its audacious appearance (As it's likely jewel encrusted and inscribed with all manner of things) and perhaps some special ability like extra strength, or perhaps not making the wearer hulking.

Other possibilities include any of the archaeotech weapons and devices found in both Dark Heresy (IE blur shields, wards, chameoline coating), and Rogue Trader (IE force fields, various weapons)

In other words, it's power armor turned to 11, and all handled by GM caveat.

Or another way of handling archeotech that i like is to avoid the "same but better" and go for "different and cooler".

For instance, maybe a suit of archeotech power armour doesn't provide any more armour than regular best quality power armour, but it does something else as well such as flight, invisibility, shocks attackers, etc. Maybe have a look at Spyrers from Necromunda for ideas of different kinds of power armour.

Maybe it doesn't look much like 40k armour but is much slimmer, more like master chief's (Halo) or Shephard's (Mas Effect, although Shephard wears something closer to carapace really).

Also, archeotech should probably be lighter, less cumbersome and have an infinite usage power pack. Its worth should be greater than most starships.

Repairing the armour might require the very highest level techpriests, so maybe if your player gets any you shoudl emphasis that the dynasties armourers are waaaaay out of their league when it comes to repair. Getting an archmagos to have a look at it might become an endeavour in itself.

Vanity Evolved said:

Death Watch's Rites of Battle has some older versions of Astartes Power Armour. One of the abilities of the older markVI is an agility bonus, since it is lighter. For Ageis Armour you roll twice on the Power Armour charts found in the DW core book. Those might give ya some ideas.

In my games, when I want to create an archeotech "whatever it is" I generally do this modification :

- Best quality

- Way cooler in term of look

- Many option already integrated (red dot, sight scope or silencer for weapons, encrypted long range vox, space proof sealing or auspex for armore, etc.)

- One cool stuff that can be seen as "magical" or "super-technoligical". For your power armor it could be a fusion power pack allowing almost unlimited autonomy (the armor should be shut down once a month for a day to auto-replenish it supply) for example. Be creative on this one, it is not necessary to be very useful, but it should add some flavor to your archeotech piece of equipment. I have personally given an archeotech power armor to my players (they found it during the exploration of an old outpost from the dark age of technology) which still have a combat A.I. instead of a "classical" machine spirit. The A.I. became a very fun NPC.

A player asked about this very thing when I started a RT campaign. I ended up with the following:

* Old. As in "could have been worn by a general on pre-Imperial Terra" old.

* Superior construction. 9 AP all around.

* Big, clunky. No penalties to move, agility tests but this was bulky armour at least as much so as "normal" non-BQ power armour.

* Lots of built-in gear. Magboots, autosenses, etc. The snag being they needed an MIU interface to use. Guess what said PC made a point of getting when the party was rich enough.

If I were doing it again, I'd look at the Ignatus armour from Ascension, Sororitas armour from Blood of Matyrs and the older marks of power armour from Deathwatch's Rites of Battle. Bear in mind that there's a difference between "normal" suits of power armour (however obscure the mark) and custom/archaotech/relic one-offs intended for Big **** Heroes and the elite amongst the elite. Technology of that level is more akin to unique artifacts than anything mass produced or even master crafted.

And I forgot to add:

* Power. Five days of non-combat as opposed to five hours for normal power armour (minor house rule, 1D5 hours seemed too arbitrary).

Considering the PA in newer books, I'd up that to somewhere between a week and unlimited.

I'd definitely go the route of a unique look and effect for archeotech armour, particularly stuff that dates back to the DAoT. Keep in mind that this is back when the AIs were designing everything for humans with the power of SCIENCE! Instead of a crude Astartes jump-pack, micro anti-grav unit! Energy pack that recharges off solar energy! Armour plating that allows the user to survive an unaided orbital insertion! Et cetera.

Vanity Evolved said:

You could start by modifying the Ignatus-pattern Power Armour found on page 143 of Ascension. Mind you that it is already pretty impressive as written.