So. Like the title states: can Hereteks catch the Obliterator Virus? I can easily get the trait list from one of the other books (I think it was Deathwatch, though I could be mistaken)

Since the Obliterator Virus isn't in Black Crusade at all (it's not covered), you're guess is as good as anyone's.

Since pretty much anyone can catch it though, I'd assume so. It is more likely to just kill you, though, without the enhanced constitution that Space Marines have.

I would personally rule than the Obliterator virus would most likely kill a normal human with maybe a 10% chance for the PC to survive. But if you're a heretek and have a suitable ammount of implants that gives you a robust physical form and it enhance the story I wouldn't see why a heretek wouldn't be able to get the virus and live to tell the tale.

While you certainly could contract the Obliterator Virus, survival for a non Astartes would be difficult, As Gurkhal pointed out.

Your best bet would be getting the modified version from the Iron Warriors. Not that they would part with it willingly of course.

Assuming you get Virus, and survive the horrific transformation, I can't really see anyone keeping even a semblance of sanity after becoming on of those things.

Well, to my knowledge, there's never been any fluff indicating the Obliterator virus is dangerous to the host. The specialist game rules allowed anyone to be infected with it IIRC, and I don't recall any dying chance connected to it.

No, the biggest limiters to getting it is that it spreads slowly, is hard to contract by accident and takes a long time to mature through it's 9 stages. Most of these issues could be combated by going to the Iron Warriors, who are rumored to possess a superior strain. Of course, getting them to share said strain would be an interesting challenge!

The dangers start to show once you get it. Like polymorphine, being an Obliterator requires control and discipline, and the failure to exercise either is likely to result in pain, madness and death. But even if you lack control and discipline, you'll be enjoying the "benefits" for a lil' while before you die. And once you do get it under control, you're still likely to risk or suffer madness, body horror and all manner of other unpleasant things unless you prove yourself hardcore enough to master it before it consumes you.

Other than that, the problem with being an obliterator is turning into an even more obviously mutated and rather slow death machine, though once again, the Iron Warrior strain is supposed to be easier to control and more potent.

So yeah, especially for heretechs, I wouldn't say it's a bad or impossible goal. Yeah, you might go a bit nuts, but hey, most chaos followers do that anyway, and I don't think I'd be a guarantee and definitely not an instantaneous process.

I also wouldn't make PC's roll a percentage roll to see if they die, especially since such rolls are boring and they're PCs. Letting them suffer a slow and painful spiral into madness and insanity unless they prove themselves hardcore enough is far more interesting than "roll a new character or burn infamy."

Is it really a virus, or more of a daemonic possession? Either way, since it's Chaos-based, it might be best if the chance of survival was based off of Infamy and/or Corruption, and likewise with retention of control.

It's not possession, least it's never been described as such. Most likely it's a strange warp-based virus, which means it's a virus that occasionally forgets it's a virus and decides it's gonna work like something completely different and then violate a few fundamental laws of physics while it's already running around being confusing.

Few examples of non-marines who have contracted Obliterator virus and survived

Storm of Iron: Techpriest is contracted with Obliterator virus and survives but is more like automaton following orders.

Dark Apostle book series: Tech Magos is contracted with Obliterator virus and slowly becomes amalgam of human-daemon-machine still keeping his "normal" mental capacity and lets say he gets "broader" view of the world thanks to this.

In both cases propably the thing that both were techpriest and heavily augmented helped them to survive the process of virus mutating them but could also happen to normal person. Nothing rules it over. Although it might be little unnerving to others that the guy contracted by this leans on the wall and starts to absorb the needed metal compounds from the wall to make sure his body have necessary material for weapons.

Still would propably make anyone contracted by this to have his personal weapons only available to his from morphing and would have to absord new weapons to get the necessary "blueprints" of said weapon.

If someone wants stats for Obliterator check DW: The Emperor Protects p. 139

Q: If someone wants stats for Obliterator check DW: The Emperor Protects p. 139

There are no stats in Mark of Xenos then I assume?

Gurkhal said:

Stand corrected. Although own Mark of Xenos forgot that it has those also on p. 120

Thanks for the jogging my memory Gurkhal

Routa-maa said:

No problem, only happy to be able to help.