Hello there, first time poster, long time reader of these forums.

After the recent ending of our current Dark Heresy campaign, I've decided to draw my new character's background from a favourite series of mine: Dune. With a few adjustments to the general lore of the world, it fits rather nicely into the 40k universe, hell - the similarities between the two are astounding. Nevertheless, to my question: I've decided to base my character off of the Fremen Fedaykin, however I am unsure which career to take. As far as I know, guardsman or assassin would be best. I'm unable to decide on the basis that they are taught the Weirding Way, a Bene Gesserit martial art form by Muad'Dib. Not to mention the extensive use of crysknives. A Moritat assassin might work in that way, however I can't exactly decide as both sides have general pro and con, since the Fedaykin are considered death commandos of the Fremen people. If anyone else has read the series, which I imagine someone else has, how would you do it?

Well I'd call them Tallarn to start with.

But mechanically are you talking about the Weirding way in the literary sense or the David Lynch sound attacks?

SJE

It'd take some working, but rather than try and force your concept to fit into one of the pregenerated careers, why not make your own? The Fedaykin excel at hand-to-hand combat and are skilled with a knife. If you go the route of the Lynch film, they're also really good at sonic firearms apparently. They're also a hardy people having grown up on Arrakis without water. Lastly, they're masters of stealth in the sense that there are literally thousands of them walking around as members of, as far as the Harkkonen are concerned, a savage society. So they're good at espionage.

That said, there are plenty of talents and skills already listed in the core rulebook that'll help build that career. I'd probably start of with the guardsman and assassin careers, making a list of relevant skills and talents (Fedaykin don't really use rifles), and then go from there. It'd be a lot of work, but if you did it one rank at a time it'd be much easier. Beyond the core rulebook, the Inquisitor's Handbook has the Feral Warrior (which totally screams Fedaykin) and Malfian Bloodsworn which I think present some decent choices.

Mixing and matching those 4 careers is gonna be your best bet, I think. Just my two cents.

Meridien said:

Thats because GW essentially took Dune and turned it into 40k...

antigenius said:

Although I like the idea, our next game which his character needs to be made by is on Friday. I spend a generous amount of time on Gamemastering, and making another career in one night is not high on my list at all.

I was personally thinking Assassin.

By the Weirding Way, I am referring to the prana-bindu muscle control, not simply the weapons from the Lynch film (that was an atrocity). Aye, as my GM said, it's a matter of timing.

As for the Tallarn, while similar in concept to the Fremen, I'm rather in favour of nearly importing the world of Arrakis into 40k due to its unique nature (providing some minor adjustments). The Tallarn don't suggest the same parallel in my mind, as I am going to likely be using the culture as well for role-playing (Shall I spill his water for you on the sand?) and what-not.

Fideru said:

Dang. Well, then Assassin is probably the best bet.

Also to add, for the sake of it: origin? Arrakis could be feral, however it would appear the Fremen do have a moderate level of technology considering the still-suits. If I'm not mistaken, Fremen have also used solid projectile weaponry (it is las weaponry which cannot be used due to a worm frenzy). Arrakis also has a fair level of technology overall, considering the 'copters and Arrakeen. For this reason, Imperial might be more suitted.

The Weirding Way and the Bene Gesserit voice tricks could in a 40K universe best be represented with psychic powers. But it may make your Fedaykin a bit too powerful: hardy melee fighters who also have a psychic talent!

Survival-skills and desert origins seem vital to portray them, but you could also make them hail from an ash desert on a blasted homeworld or something.

Luddite said:

No, at first they took WFRP and send it in to space with orks, elves and all of the rest. Then they realized that this idea suck, so they Dune add some orks, elves, gothic and totalitarianism and turned it into 40k

And for fedaykin i would personally use feral assassin with some decent background.

The Laughing God said:

It might also depend on how many of the books you are taking into account. Brian Herbert played around with them a little bit and in the later books things just get a bit strange.

Bene Gesserit as psykers might be interesting but I wouldn't go too far with them as it might get a bit heretical. They are practically Machievellian atheists.

Bene Tleilax would make an excellent heretical group however as well as make be a perfect enemy for the female societies. Using awakened gholas as leaders of cults on various worlds could be interesting.

I am now thinking of a Quisatz Haderach descendant of the Emperor and that would just be bizarre.

Where is it mentioned las guns provoke worms into a frenzy? I just remember they can't use personal shields for that reason.

They don't. Worms are virtually immune to lasguns since they are seemingly impervious to heat. Holtzman fields attract them and drive them into a frenzy. There are numerous examples of accidental lasgun/shield interaction - one of the House books describes the first such occurance and it is mentioned as using them as a booby trap.

Lazgun & (Holtzman) Sheild = BOOM of epic proportions!

The worms were attracted to the subsonic vibrations produced by the sheilds as they kept up their um.. sheildyness

Not sure about the worms being attracted to the lazguns however, just any kind of rhythym that was constant and repetative, thus the whole Walk Without Rhythm And You Wont Attract The Worm.

But Paul & Leto II show a good working principle if you will as the Emperor unifying the universe under his rule.

And the Qizerate church changing it all until the man became a myth and a god, his original message long lost under the tyranny of his regime.

My apologies for that, I did mean to type lasguns with the shielding - however I just wrote lasguns as I assume people would know what I meant. Lasgun + shield = explosion similar to a Stoneburner or Family Atomic. On that note, I'm judging feral assassin seems like the best bet? It's hard to determine what Arrakis would be, Imperial is also possible given the level of technology (let's face it - the Fremen, while living a primitive life style, are not savages, still-suit technology is pretty **** good).

As for the weirding way - generally when imported in 40k I wouldn't represent it with psychic powers. It is afterall a martial art form and mastery of control of the body using the mind, I don't see it as any different from mastering muay thai or the like. I think I'll represent it by a very high agility for my character or some-such. As for Spice, I imagine I'll compare it to Spook or something. Not sure if I'll include it, depends how things work.

I could see Arrakis as a War World.

War world would make sense, I'm unsure. It's the level of technology that does not classify it as a feral world in my opinion, too advanced. Any other opinions?

IMHO feral world or rather feral character don’t always means "totally primitive and without access to the sophisticated technology". I can imagine tribe of tech barbarians or neo tribe traveling in trucks and vans.

So my vote is: Feral.