Thank you for taking time to share spoilers!

How do the Necron Gauss Weapons function? That's been bugging me for a while now.

BYE

Thanx for the answer, now a new question about CSM. Do they have separate specialities like in DW or since in BC advances are more like elite advances, you can customize your CSM without the hurdle of specialities ?

There are Archetypes, and they basically give you an idea of what your character is about as well as giving you your starting Skills/Talents/Traits. After that what you take is completely up to you, with every single Skill and Talent available to you from the word go (prerequisites notwithstanding), just at varying XP costs depending on your alignment and what tier the advance is on.

So there aren't specialities or careers or anything like that. This is a classless system.

BYE

Thanks for the time to put up some answers, how are the statistics generated; point buy or random and how do the unnatural stats fit in when creating characters?

Generating stats is pretty similar to the way it is now. I think it's 2D10+25 for Humans and 2D10+30 for Chaos Marines. Not 100% certain if the rules cover a point buy system, but they're pretty straight forward anyway.

Unnaturals are given depending on whether you choose to play as a Chaos Marine or a Human. Chaos Marines start with Unnatural Strength (4) and Unnatural Toughness (4). That means that if, by luck, you score a 20 on your Toughness role, your Toughness Value would be 50, but your Toughness bonus would be 9 (5+4).

BYE

H.B.M.C. said:

thanx for the answer, I'm pretty exited by the classless system, been waiting for this since the beginning heh =D It will take some time to tweak it to play loyalists but it's gonna be much better then DH/RT/DW hopefully.

I really appreciate your effort in answering our questions Hardcore Heathen! I know Gencon's just a week away but it feels like getting info about Black Crusade is like squeezing water from a stone (compare the threads on The One Ring on rpg.net).

Anyways, thanks again man!

Answering questions again.

1) How are SMs compared to humans?

Better starting stats and equipment and wounds. Less starting experience (500 vs 1000) to spend on stuff. Combat monsters, but not very versatile outside their chosen role.

2) How do rituals work?

Very similarly to the rules in Disciples of the Dark Gods (Dark Heresy).

3) How does the system with followers work?

There are three talents, Lesser Minion of Chaos, Minion of Chaos, and Greater Minion of Chaos. They cost 250, 500, and 750exp respectively, and give you a minion with customizable stats, talents, skills, traits (Psyker is an available trait on the better minions), and gear. The lesser minion is mostly just terrible. I wouldn't bother with it. If your minion dies, you can pick up a new one for "free" at the next appropriate moment (usually the beginning of the next session).

4) How does Gauss work?

Gauss weapons trigger Zealous Hatred (Righteous Fury) on a roll of 9 or 10. If a Gauss weapons Zealous Hatred would normally do 0 damage after armor/TB, it deals 1d5 damage instead. (Zealous Hatred doesn't add direct damage, by the way. You roll d5 on the crit chart and apply the result. Does no actual damage, it just applies the result. Most of these effects are fairly minor, but provide benefits like knocking people prone.)

5) How does I advance Spess Mehreen?

Same as advancing anyone else, and same as HBMC described. Every advance is given a chaos alignment (or non-alignment) and a cost based on your alignment (or non-alignment). You may begin the game with one of the aforementioned Greater Minions of Chaos (assuming you're human). The example Greater Minion of Chaos? A flipping Chaos Space Marine. I'm going to have to clamp down, hard, on people "acquiring" minions who happen to have gear the player wants. (Since minions come with some fairly solid gear).

6) How does I make the stats for my mans?

2d10+25 for humans, 2d10+30 for CSM. Point buy is supported. Humans get 25 in everything and 100 points to spread out. (Can't spend more than 20 in any one characteristic though). CSM are the same, except they start with 30 in everything.

7) Thanks for sharing, Heathen!

No problem. I'd also like to thank HBMC for describing the experience system. Also, Lucius, you should be excited - this system is the ****. So many rules changes. (Degrees of success matter in melee now!!!)

Hardcore Heathen said:

The point buy thing is so freaking welcome. Especially since it is rather generous. You finally have the ability to tailor your character's stats instead of getting screwed by the Dice. And better, you can be REALLY good. Especially since you can easily spend 10 across the 9 stats*, and then drop the last 10 into something you want maxed. Or any number of good options. This is so getting yoinked if I ever run any of the other games, and suggested if I play.

*You still need to roll Infamy randomly.

While we're on the subject of starting characters, how much XP do characters start with? Is it humans 500 XP/Marines 1000 XP, or something else?




And for anyone wondering, minions are easily one of the coolest things in the game. My Slaaneshi Apostate Priestess has two:

1. A weedy little familar guy who's terrible at everything (Toughness 10, 2 wounds - he's not a combat fighter) but is very stealthy and can drive and fly things. He's basically my Priestess' personal chauffer.
2. A very tough, very fast Combat Servitor with a Flamer and a Chain-Axe. He takes the bulk of the hits, because his damage sink is nearly twice that of my Priestess'. And he's just a regular Minion. I haven't even got to 'Greater Minion' yet.

BYE

H.B.M.C. said:

Humans start with 1000, Marines start with 500. That's the whole point of being human; you're more skilled. The marines are just tougher and have better characteristic scores.

The problem with minions is any half-decent DM will scale combat encounters to deal with the minions. Minions, imo, are best used as skillmonkeys and disposable psykers who can do risky business for you.

I get that 1000/500 figures are exp that you get to spend on your character after applying templates, but what's the overall exp level of starting characters?

EDIT: Also, since I just took a look at the character sheet, I noticed there's no place to track Insanity on it, but there's still a place for mental disorders. Is it a bug or is there a new way of gaining disorders?

Morangias said:

Heard from somewhere (since I don't have the book yet) that it's 5,000 xp. That's all I kow...

Graver said:

This is incorrect.

Humans are considered to be 7,000exp characters; CSMs are considered to be 8,000exp characters.

Oh, right, mental disorders. They can still be given out by the GM and some are acquired as "mutations." You can also get them for hideously blowing Fear tests and a subsequent Willpower test. But you're right; there's no Insanity. Heretics are all considered to have 100 Insanity.

Hardcore Heathen said:

Thanks for the correction! Seems I was greaviously missinfomred, the jerk. Now I'm doubly currious to see this book and find out what else he was yanking my chain about.

Your answer regarding Mental disorders made think of something I never considered with this game: do the PCs make Fear tests at any point in time, are such things limited to NPCs, or has the entire fear mechanics been removed as well as Insanity?

Thanks for keeping us informed!

Fear tests are still very much in place. Just because you're mucking about with daemons and sorcery all the time doesn't mean you're immune to the occasional fright - just gives you a bit of a leg-up on dealing with it. Heretics are only affected by the enemy with the highest Fear rating out of a group of enemies, so they only have to roll Fear once per round. And they get to modify any rolls on the Shock table by their Infamy characteristic, to a minimum of one.

I was wondering what the Archetypes are, so far i know the sorceror and apostate + those in the Demo, are there any more?

Bassemandrh said:

Let's see.

Humans have the Psykers, which you already know about, as well as the Apostate (which is some kind of crazy cult leader - the picture looks like a cross between Scarecrow and a Klansman), a Renegade (standard assault type), and the Heretek, which is exactly what it sounds like. (Though the Heretek doesn't have to be a member of the AdMech, you understand.)

CSMs have Sorcerors, which you again know about. They've also got Champions, which are like squad leader-y charismatic types, Chosen, which are standard assault dudes, and the Forsaken, who I can't make heads or tails of. They sound like they're supposed to be crazy loners, but it's hard to tell given how crunch-light the CSM archetypes are.

The forsaken archtype is presented as a Chaos McGyver type, he gets a bouns when using his Infamy to aquire stuff due to his hardy survival and scavenging focus.

I wish there were more Archtypes for both, four does not feel like enough for either Space Marines or Humans. But, on the other hand, I am not sure what I would have added. Maybe made Dark Eldar a third race? Made the Forsaken a fallen Tech Marine? Since there are four chaos gods maybe four archtypes are appropriate: We have a talker for both races, a excellent fighter, a survivor, and a Psyker for both.

Thanks for the answer.

If anyone could briefly describe the different "classes" special rules i would be most grateful.

Bassemandrh said:

Champion: If any group member spends an infamy point, champion can allow them to use the champion's corruption level and alignment for effect options.

Chosen: Reroll ZH crit effect

Sorcerer: Start with psy powers, count as bound

Forsaken: Gain a bonus to acquiring items through infamy test with a rarity of rare or lower

Apostate: Gain Peer talent of choice for remainder of gaming session if successful charm of deceive test

Heretek: Gain mechanicus implant, 2 good quality cybernetics, and binary chatter

Renegade: Before starting, pick a characteristic, any tests associated with that characteristic gains 1 additional degree of success

Psyker: Start with psy powers, count as unbound

What about CSM Power Armour? Can players choose all Marks of it or are they limited only to mk.7?

MKVII only. However power armor, whether it'd be human or legion are considered to be scavenged or in disrepair when you start with one. So you only get to pick 3 subsystems that are working from the power armor subsystems list. Humans can only pick from general list, while space marines can pick from the general and legion.

I'm so psyched for this game. Its going to be amazing!

Do you get any bonus for picking a different legion or chapter?