I've heard there is a Dark Angel chapter, but that's about it.

Letrii said:

They were robes alot over their armour. It doesn't really cover it up, at all...

I got to agree the dark angels aren't really hiding much.

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat1120005&prodId=prod1140141

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat1120005&prodId=prod1140198

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat1050001&prodId=prod1060234

Sure you can wear enough robes to hide power armor, but that much is going to draw attention.

Kaihlik said:

The choice of the sculptor to leave the breast open and not put any sleeves on the robes is missleading. They did this to show the chapters symbols. Any one who was capable of making a robe could creat one to cover the armor. Are you going to just take any robe and have it cover you? No. Will you look od and out of place? Yes.

Picture this, you are at the end of a poorly lit hallway. At the far end there is a large figure in a robe. Make a percetion test. Did you notice the lumps under the robe? The gauntleted hands? The armored boots? Have you ever seen power armor before? Can you tell the diferance between power armored boots and gauntlets and carapace or mesh? Is that a human? A Mutant? An Ogryn? A Space marine? A Daemon? A Necron Immortal? A Blood Axe Kommando (Ork)? A Techpriest? A Servitor? A Daemon Host? Have you ever seen any of these creatures? Would you reccognize this thing without any obviscation? Maybe, maybe not it all dependes on circumstance and prior knowledge. Oops Im sorry you assumed it was a large human in power armor, this is Kharn the betrayer...JK

Yes it might conceal the nature of your armour in poor lighting at a distance but if you were trying to interact with people in normal social situations, like there is a good chance of during an investigation and especially if you are trying to infiltrate a group, then it will be useless. That was the sort of situation I was talking about when I said robes wouldn't conceal carapace or power armour.

Kaihlik

Uh... Forgive me if I'm wrong, but isn't power armor the sort of thing typically worn by the Adeptus Arbites!? It's 'very rare' and it makes you "hulking".

Also - a non-military power cell (which is the size of a backpack) only lasts for one to five hours. I'm guessing it also probably makes a ton of noise even when you're just walking around normally in it (and perhaps expresses an electric hum even when you're standing perfectly still).

(The errata says: "Any armour that offers 7 or more APs inflicts a -30 penalty on the wearer's Concealment and Silent Move tests.")

Why on Holy Terra would anyone think this is acceptable undercover garb? Why is this even up for debate?

Also, carapace armor is typically worn by the Imperial Guard (and similar-looking to modern armed forces as well). You can't exactly walk into the local grocery store wearing either of these sorts of armors without drawing attention (power armor is practically like driving a vehicle). I really think that the Dark Angels over-robes and capes are meant to be more sort of ornamental - like a heraldic surcoat.

The average Imperial citizen might be able to more easily recognize the shape of power armor - most have never seen Orks, robots, mutants, or Xenos, but the image of the space marine is something just a little closer to home.

I think Necronomicus had a really good point about the importance of superstition and ritual. It may be hard for most of us to understand, living with the technological conveniences that we have. I discovered a way of relating to that mentality recently when I was waiting for my car to 'realize' that it was in gear. Alot of people don't know anything about cars (or computers), and so talk to them sometimes - get angry or ticked off, or plead with them at times.

Though it's difficult to imagine an expert actually believing in the mechanical value of such rituals, I'm sure that they have imperitive social merit - they're just something that people do.

arcona said:

One might discover that the button really is the main thing in the process - that it might work once - but I think that that button-pusher would be nervous and upset the whole day that the thing's going to crash, do something harsh, or that it won't be so generous the next time (you've apparently caught the machine spirit on a good day). Furthermore (and maybe even more importantly), anyone around who notices you treat such a being like that might be a little offended, shocked or scared, to say the least.

Forbidden Lore is exactly that - forbidden. You're lucky (or unlucky) if you can find a person on the planet with such skills.

I also think that blackmailing a corrupt Ecclesiarchy member might be highly risky.

I do agree that it's quite tricky to get the whole people-being-superstitious-about-technology thing - if it doesn't make sense logically, perhaps you could just look at it in a social sense.

As for the initial concern, the prices are probably only a guideline; under certain circumstances they could be modified, and whatever your GM determines (whether it seems reasonable or not), is probably what you're going to have to go by.

Minor nitpick, Light Power Armor doesn't increase your size to hulking.

Bigger nitpick is that Power armour is almost never worn by members of the Adeptus Arbites. It is worn by the Adeptus Astartes and the Adeptus Sororitas. The only Arbites likely to wear power armour are the most high ranking in the organisation.

Kaihlik

Uh- OOPS! I meant Adeptus Astartes. I'm still relatively new to the Warhammer 40K setting.

Thanks for the correction.