Okay, so I'm going to be playing my first game of Deathwatch Tuesday. Now, a little to my personal chagrin, we're not playing the actual Deathwatch but instead, the whole party shall be from one chapter and we shall be scouts (which will be nice since we won't be indestructable hunks of ceramite).

Since we're not the Deathwatch, the players have to decide on a chapter we can all agree on. Rather than try to find one that fits, we decided to come up with one.

As the most knowledgeable person in the group (barring, perhaps, the GM), the task fell to me to elaborate upon a basic idea we came up with. I'm drawing blank after blank on what I can do to really make this chapter a unique and characterful entity in the Imperium however, so I turn to the forums in hopes that you may be able to help.

Without further adieu, the premise of the Iron Guard:

The Iron Guard are a chapter that recruits solely from Imperial Navy Battlefleets. They have a special connection with the void and often feel strange on solid ground. They are specialists in boarding actions and have one of the largest fleets of any chapter. As voidfarers, they have a special dependence on the Mechanicum and the Techmarines they train. As such they have a closer relation with them than other chapters.

Aside from that, I was trying to work in a close relationship with Explorator bands without making them super-skitarii. Also, I don't know how to fit Librarians into their chapter. Tied to the AM, they seem like they would take a back seat, but I'd prefer a way of fitting them in the active roles of the chapter.

Nerdynick said:

Ok most of this seems ok to me, but there are some stuff that I would question. First wht do they recruit from the Imperial Navy? The Initiates must be around puberty or just before, if I recall, to be in the right physical condition to undergo the various treatments necessary to create a Space Marine. A Fleet Based Chapter makes perfect sense, but I would probably elaborate something more on how they recruit and the trials along with it.

Om regards to Librarians there's nothing to say that they cannot be important. I don't see why there would actually be a conflict between close ties to the Red Priesthood and giving Librarians an important role.

As far as the Trials of Selection, or whatever they're called, I had the idea that aspirants making it to the end of the process must survive a short, naked spacewalk (perhaps with some grease slathered on them with similar properties to the astartes mucranoid). This tests both endurance and strength of mind, as I imagine anyone, especially the voidborn, would freak out at being sent into the vacuum without a suit.

Also, as I stepped out of the shower this morning I had the idea that the chapter might be serving an indentured servitude to the Adeptus Mechanicus. Perhaps the AM saved the entire chapter a few thousand years ago and the chapter is serving a 3000 year servitude as thanks. How does this sound? And any ideas on how the Mechanicus might have saved the chapter?

Okay, so I just finished writing a little piece outlining the chapter's history for the rest of the group and I wanted to run it by you guys before I started handing out copies.

"The Iron Guard are a little known chapter, probably due to their enslavement. While the average person would balk at the idea of enslaving the Astartes, the Adeptus Mechanicus has done so successfully here.
Part of the cursed 21st founding, the Iron Guard were an experiment in perfecting the gene-seed and to preserve the idea of superior genetics, they were never told who their Primarch was. During their development, they appeared to have all the normal Astartes organs and Magos Yorke, the Magos Biologis who was in charge of the project, was met with frustration. After all his years of labor, the only effect he had managed to achieve was an over-sensitized occulobe. It was hoped that his genetic manipulations would have a subtler effect that none could foresee.
When the Chapter was sent into combat and started taking its first casualties, it soon became apparent that there was a major flaw. The gene-seed of the Iron Guard could not replicate the Black Carapace. The Apothecaries sent for Magos Yorke to assist them. In the meantime, the Iron Guard Scouts were forced to fight without the Black Carapace for the duration of their careers (and even today, a small number of Iron Guard eschew power armor in remembrance of these times. These battle-brothers form an additional two squads in the first company, who specialize in stealth warfare)
Yorke arrived on the chapter's fortress-monastery, the Battle-Barge Unyielding, and immediately set to work correcting the gene-seed. For an entire generation of Iron Guard, he could not solve the problem and for nearly seven centuries, the Iron Guard were made up entirely of scouts, struggling for survival while their power armor sat unused in their armories. After this time, though, Yorke discovered a "cure". Making the necessary alterations to the progenoids that passed through his lab, Yorke slowly restored the Iron Guard to their destined glory. The Iron Guard were forever in his debt.
Yorke lived among the Iron Guard for several more centuries until the Unyielding was lost in the warp. The Iron Guard's First Company Scouts painted their armor black, reminding the rest of the chapter not only of what their fate would have been without Yorke, but also reminding them of his death.
In the aftermath of Yorke's death, the rest of the Adeptus Mechanicus seized what they saw as a golden opportunity and gave the Iron Guard a "chance to repay Yorke's work". The Iron Guard Chapter Master, not foreseeing the consequences, eagerly swore the Iron Guard to the Adeptus Mechanicus for five thousand years. The rest of the chapter supported this decision at the time.
But future generations of Iron Guard were met with the consequences of this action. The Mechanicus jumped at having their own chapter of Astartes and hastily put them to work where they thought they were best used, the Explorator Fleets. Here, the Iron Guard were treated without honor and were stripped of their dignity by the politics of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Being honorable Astartes, however, they stoically accepted their lot and made the best of it despite their resentful feelings at being manipulated. The chapter Techmarines learned many secrets of the machine cult and have outfitted the Iron Guard fleet with several of the archeotech components that have been found, convincing the tech-priests that it only makes sense that their guards should have the best armor and weapons. The chapter Librarium also made great strides. Encountering many xenos species in the far reaches of space, few chapters can rival the expansiveness and depth of their data-vaults. Additionally the chapter received a great boon over the course of their servitude. While they were without a fortress-monastery for several centuries after Yorke's death and the disappearance of the Unyielding, they were given a highly-modified Ramilies-Class Star Fort capable of warp travel and independent motion as a replacement for the Unyielding. This Star Fort, the Dictum Ferrum, has served them well these past millennia.
Now, their indenture is almost up and the newest generation of Iron Guard shall live to defy the corrupt of the Mechanicus, who will inevitably seek to reestablish their dominion over the proud Astartes. They shall be sorely disappointed..."

So, do you see in flaws in my story here?

Gurkhal said:

Recruiting from Navy is not a problem. Imperial Navy is such a huge organization that its members have families in it and many people serving in the Imperial Navy are voidborn from families who have long history in service. Its worth noting, that if all the recruits are from Navy families they probably have pretty tight relationship with Imperial Navy fleets they recruit from. Also, as they are all voidborn, they would probably have a bit higher percentage of psychically active marines and thus a g ood amount of more librarians than "normal" chapter. If you don't want to pursue that route, but instead want to make then more "tech-oriented", then you could use the voidborns innate luck and intuition as a reason why they have a special 'knack' with the machines... They seem to have almost unnatural ability to 'sense' what is going on inside a machine.

Oh, by the way, is there some plot-driven reason why your chapter should be unwilling lapdogs of AdMech ready to rebel against them? I mean it is a bit precarious position to be in. Considering how AdMech is the one organization that actually safeguards the geneseeds I think the High Lords of Terra aren't too keen on AdMech having their "private" chapters as it would lead to problem with the system of checks and balances, so to say... On the other hand, as AdMech DOES keep their geneseed no Chapter can actually openly rise up against AdMech unless they really intend to commit a slow but sure suicide over the next generation or two.

Looks interesting, though instead of the Imperial Navy as a recruiting grounds I would think that the Forge Worlds of the Mechanicum might be easier to recruit from as it seems their destiny seems to be bound tight to them for a time great as half of the history of the known Imperium today.

As was mentioned, the Mechanicum having a Space Marine Chapter bound in such a way would present some troubles for other Powers That Be. I doubt that there would be open talks of forcing the Mechanicum to let them go, but there would certainly be plots set into motion that would make it something that the Mechanicum would want to do. And no doubt that these conspirators would find helping hands within the Iron Guard itself who want to throw off their yoke.

Well, no, there isn't a plot driven reason for being AdMech lapdogs. It just kind of fell into place like that as I was writing.

And I thought that the AdMech simply tested for the purity of gene-seed, while actually stockpiling and guarding went to the chapters. I seem to recall in Storm of Iron that the fortress was a glorified warehouse for Imperial Fist geneseed. And the progenoids collected from fallen brothers can't be instantly transported to mars, so the chapter would keep some for a while at least...

Well that explains it about the Imperial Navy as I thought they were recruiting from Navy officers and the like and that was like "What?"

In regards to the Adeptus Mechanicus I don't really like everything about what you've writen and it feels like 5000 years of servitude is way to much, no matter what they did. Another idea would be to give them a hundred years, or three hundred if you want the big drum, of penance servitude to the Adeptus Mechanicus because the Chapter did something really stupid. Maybe they blow something up, attacked Adeptus Mechanicus personal for some reason or something like that. Enough to draw down a lot of bad attention, but not enough to make them renegades or considedered traitors.

There's a pretty interesting link regarding making Chapters, mostly regarding the fluff, that might be a bit fun to read.

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.php?showtopic=132379

What would be an appropriate number of vessels in their fleet? Being both a fleet based chapter and recruiting from Navy fleets requires a large fleet. And they're all voidborn, so having more ships kind of goes with that theme. So pretty much, whats the largest fleet they could have without being utterly rediculous?

I'd count that it could be perhaps 20-25 ships before it gets to much, and perhaps 5-7 capital ships and the rest escorts and cargo ships. This naturally requires alot of Chapter serfs but that shouldn't be impossible to handle.

Gurkhal said:

That sounds awfully little, in fact. Ultramarines are known to have 7 Battle Barges, 7 Strike Cruisers and unknown number of Rapid Strike Vessels. Blood Angels have 2 Battle Barges, 7 Strike Cruisers and 16 Rapid Strike Vessels. Imperial Fists have 3 Battle Barges, 1 Gothic Cruiser, 5 Strike Cruisers and yet unknown number of Rapid Strike Vessels.

And these examples are all just the fighting ships. They do not include cargo ships and other transports. I'd say 20 to 25 fighting ships (with around 10 capital ships) sounds plausible, with another 20 to 25 cargo and transport crafts.

Polaria said:

Comparing a much more recent, much less famous Chapter's resources with three of the most famed, ancient and well-resourced Chapters in the Imperium isn't really fair! The numbers of vessels should be far smaller than those Chapters.

According to the Space Marine Codex, the Ultramarines only have 3 Battle Barges O.o

Siranui said:

According to IA 10 Minotaurs chapter deployed 10 capital class ships and somewhere around double that number of rapid strike vessels in Badab War. That was most of their fleet but not all of their fleet.

The point is that almost whereever I look a normal chapter with normal homeworld and works have approximately 10 capital class ships and approximately 1.5 to 2.0 that amount of rapid strike vessels. The big difference seems to be that famed, ancient and well-resourced chapters have more battle barges (newer ones might not have a single one), but the total amount of capital class ships and smaller ships doesn't change that much. Which is also pretty logical, because whether the chapter has a homeworld or not it HAS to be able to move and deploy the whole chapter (which takes about 10 capital ships, fewer only if you have battle barges) and it HAS to be able to protect itself in space while on move (which takes 10 to 20 escort class ships).

Well as mentioned, First Founding Chapters can only be expected to have alot more or cooler stuff than more recent Chapters. But ok, I'll agree that maybe it will be more ships than that. So for a Fleet based faction with special relations with both the navy and the Adeptus Mechanicus they might have 7-10 capital ships, including 1-3 (most likly one or two) Battle Barges, and 20-30 smaller vessels, including cargo ships. But that's the maximum I can possibly see them having.