Hey people. Im a newbie GM and im running a xenos-deamon campaign for my freinds pcs. I plan, depending on the PC's actions, they can ally other races,such as eldar and tyranids, to fight against a deamon, a blood letter name Asiman, for the final battle. Mind you that they are only on the second mission and I have to prevent the psyker( feral worlder) and assasin(hive worlder) from killing each other, constantly! I did two premade missions, the one in the back of the DH core manual and the one in the GM kit. So know ive made a custom mission where the PCs are at Fenksworld investigating a cult of Khorn. The assasian found a deamonpossed sword, a deamon belonging to the chaos god Malah. So they currently at the basement of a casion where there is a chaos cult and a spacemarine is with them, only with a short sword and some grenades, and I plan to have that marine to die when the get to a summoning circle where a charnel deamon will be summoned. If the PC's act right and take the body, with the armor and weapons, back to the ultramarines, the ultramarines will ally with them for the final battle. But if one of them takes the armor or any weapons, they will not get the ultramarines as a ally. Does that sound like a good idea?

Sounds fairly good except tyranids don't ally with anyone they just eat stuff, consider them as the enemy of all living things, they can not be reasoned with. As for the eldar join forces with the player, not a bad idea however it would depend on the out look of both your players and their inquisitor. In the Calaxis sector it's unlikely to be Ultramarines as they are in the galatic south as a general area, however this allows you to make up a Chapter, all you need to do is decide on a colour scheme and a name then just make them pure codex which would make them a succession chapter of the Ultramarines. The General concept is good though.

The only reasons, I think, that the tyranids would ally them selves with the PC's because chaos threatens their 'feeding' grounds then try to kill th PC's. You have a point about ultramrines but I just might have them refrenced for this mission and bring in the Exorcists chapter (its the same on I play in the table top game) because of the Deamons. I have also thought about brining in Necrons as a possible ally because of chaos threatining their tomb.

I'd have to side with Valdek in regards to Tyranids. If you're at all familiar with the Aliens/Predator universe, think of allying with the Tyranids a lot like allying with the Xenomorphs (Aliens) -it really would never happen. They just don't think or work that way. About the closest things they have which may make such an alliance wo9uld be a Genesteeler cult, but, wow, you have to be swimming in the deep-end of the heretic tank to knowingly ally with those things. Keeping up with the analogy, allying with the Eldar, that would be like siding with the Predator -a much prettier one, but just as unpredictably dangerous and unnerving.

Regarding everything else, if your a new GM, do not over complicate things. Keep it nice and simple. If you don't absolutely need to bring in a faction, then don't. Things will get crazy complicated on their own just from your players mucking with your simple situation. My advice, keep it to the Bloodletter and it's cult, the Eldar who are also mucking with the cult for their own unknowable reasons, and the lone marine to assist the PC's and give them their choice latter on.

Another closer to home option for him would the the Space Wolves. They're not too far and operate in and around Segmentum Obscurus. The Black Templers has a wandering presence, but they'd probably not stand for much xeno-hugging or the toting around a deamon weapon would be a death sentence for the one doing it.

I'd advice to keep it simple:

If xeno-hugging is a major theme in the campaign basically give them a choice between two potential xeno allies. Eldar and Genestealer Cult or Necron-worshipping Heretek Cult, for example. As for the Space Marines, if you absolutely have to include a living, breathing Astartes use some minor chapter or make up your own. There are 1000 chapters so why on earth should they see a member of one of the best-known 10? More importantly, using a minor chapter gives you much, much more leeway with designing the marine encounter so that it fits the campaign without seeming too much of a "Deus Ex Machina" solution.

Okay im going to sound stupid here but what exactlly is xenos hugging?

Brother-Captain Belfire said:

well it essentially means, being friends with alien species and allying with them!

Brother-Captain Belfire said:

I think the Ordo Xenos calls it Heresy.

Brother-Captain Belfire said:

If you are doing Calixis Sector, you might want to consider using the Storm Wardens, they are native to the sector and have a very interesting background you could develop to fit almost anything. They were put into stasis after the Nemesis Incident and the reasons have been lost to time, there is some suggestions this had to do with the Slaugth.

I could see it also playing out that they might just sit back and allow xenos and daemons to bash on eachother, then come in and finish the winner off.

I looked up the Storm Wardens and I was surprised by the boat load of info.Thanks for the suggestion! this will help greatly! Also here is what I have in mind for the next mission.

The PCs arive at a space hulk where a distress signal is coming from it. Well once they enter they will find a battle between Hullghasts and Genestealers. Well they find a hullghast that has retained its sanity and reveals itself as the captain of the ship. Well it asigns you to destroy a small tyranid hive. Well you think thing will end there. They will find the hive and battle a few genestealers. (also if some one could stat me up a tyranid warrior that would be great!). Well after the battle they are approaced by an eldar ranger. Well the eldar rnager recurits them to help take down a carniffex. I plan for when they wound it, It will leave the spacehulk(litteraly!) a bear a hatred against the psyker beacuse his divantation was that a has which is something monserous will kill him if he doesn't kill it first

Brother-Captain Belfire said:

Much simplier than what was posted above. Since space marines appear to be a part of your plot, a space hulk makes for a great spot to put a tie in to them at as well, as they are frequently investigated (Or maybe not, that is the impression I got) by space marines in terminator armor. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Hulk to read more on an actual game based around it, which may give you more ideas.

As to the stats themsleves, Tyranid genestealers and lictors are found in the dark heresy book creatures anathema, and the warriors, and guants can be found in the deathwatch core rulebook in the adversary section. In addition there is a fan made supplement that is exceptionally well done I found on the matter of tyranids, I think it is on dark reign? Something like that.

Hope this helps.

note i have the creature anthama allready so have the stat for lictors and genestealers. All i would need is a warrior(death watch woould be okay. my pcs are just that crazy!) The back story about hte hulki is taht the inquisition, with the pcs, found it first.