One of my players wants to make a Black Shield Librarian and say he was from The Thousand Sons Chapter before the heresy and that is why he is a BS. From reading the A Thousand Sons novel I know that the Thousand Sons seconded their marines to other chapters to learn from them. Could this character have been with another chapter at the time of the heresy and proven his loyalty to the Emprah to the chapter? Thus making it possible to be a BS for the deathwatch to try to earn redemption for what his chapter did? The character wants to take the Gene-Seed Anomaly Deed because of the Flesh Change that happens in TS. And start him with insanity and some corruption. Also possibly giving him the Endless Redemption insanity thing. Seeing as how he has no chapter to return to he can never really succeed in his redemption and return home. Thoughts?

Thanks,

Austin

You'll also likely need an explanation for how he's over 10,000 years old, but that shouldn't be hard with a Thousand Son.

Interesting character, lot of RP potential. As I am a "yes" GM by nature, I would say go with it.

A couple of major hurdles tho. Fristly, he would be about 10,000 years old. So maybe he volunteered for a "long-sleep" type of mission in a stasis pod before the Heresy. DW finds his pod in a hulk 10,000 years later. No need for corruption, but maybe some insanity and a lot of angst at what has become of his legion. Make sure the player gives him some anachronistic traits, and if you have Rites of Battle give him mark IV armour as well. Give his armour only 1 history roll (it's been in stasis after all) but also give him Forbidden Lore Warp for free or something like that.

The only personal salvation he can hope for is serving as a black shield in the DW, no-one else would have him. And if his secret ever gets out... ouchie!

Edit: Make sure the other players don't know his secret, but try and subtly reveal it through the campaign, could make some great RP material!

As I understand it the DW sometimes even accepts real traitor marines who returm to the light of the emperor.

So, yes I like the idea.

Besides the stasis thing you could have him been on a ship that has been lost in the warp for some time. Kind of weird warp accident in which the 10000 years just seemed like some days for him.

I do not like the 10.000 Year old thingie. Had a Blood Angel with the same background in the group, always talking about "when I met Sanguinius and the Emperor". As he is a librarian, make him a recently re-converted TS.Not all Chaos Marines are true Heresy Veterans after all.

I do not like the idea at all. Perhaps I am too severe, but I like my players to be in line with the little fluff holds the warhammer 40k universe together.

Being over 10,000 years old and from a traitor chapter that was almost eradicated (twice) by the Space Wolves? I just do not buy it, and I would not expect other players to buy it either. For me, the whole idea is too much "flavour of the month" and trying to be the most awesome PC in the team. What is going to happen if he reads "Legion" next month? Will he come up with the idea of being a 10,000 year old loyal Alpha legionaire?

There are many other chapters, many that have a lot of librarians in their ranks also (the Blood Ravens for example). And if he likes the Egyptian/Persian background so much, it is very easy to make his own chapter with the rites of battle book with a very similar background and livery. He can name his own chapter 'the sons,' 'the thousand' or whatever he wants. Or he could consider the Blood Ravens and work further on the rumours of them being a Thousand Sons successor. But I, as a GM, would advise to leave the original Thousands Sons alone. Destroying the fluff equals destroying possible plot hooks and great stories in my mind.

Watch-Captain Albus said:

Seconded. There's only one space marine (read non-special character) in all the fiction i have ever read who is that old, and he is a Salamander whose ship crashed during the Heresy and gets found by some of his chapter now (10k years later). He is nothing more than a whithered husk in his suit which has fused together with the command throne he is sitting on. So no, not keen on allowing a player character to be that old.

Being a Thousand Son sorceror who 'saw the light' and returned to help the Imperials? Again, so very clichéd and flavour of the month. The Blood Raven idea, while a step in the right direction, isn't much better though it at least allows you to attempt the lackluster fluff by Relic/THQ on that front.

Blackshield Librarian from a potentially heretical background is a good concept, however it will require a lot of work with the Gm and the player, not to mention being a good enough role-player to keep information from the group, deal with being stigmatised and socially outcast amongst an already disparate group of Astartes, and finally face possible conflict when the news of your origin comes out.