Hi all, long-time fan, first time poster.
I'm making a new Ascended-level Dark Heresy character using the Battle Sister rules from Blood of Martyrs. I was wondering if the Seraphim and Celestian paths were mutually exclusive or not. I do currently qualify for both.
As they both replace rank 5, generraly they are exclusive.
Little Dave said:
As they both replace rank 5, generraly they are exclusive.
Technically speaking, you can have one replace rank 5, and the other replace rank 6.
Personally, I have not had a player try to do this, so I'm not sure how I would rule (would need to read in depth the descriptions for both/read fluff). Personally, I don't see why a sister cannot transition from role to role within the her order if it is determined to not be her strong suit.
This class does indicate a bit too much into the "gaining organizational promotions while increasing in character rank," which, as far as I remember, is technically not the case in DH (PCs don't actually get promoted within the institutions they were once members off, e.g. guardsmen don't actually become IG lieutenants).
KommissarK said:
Little Dave said:
As they both replace rank 5, generraly they are exclusive.
Technically speaking, you can have one replace rank 5, and the other replace rank 6.
Personally, I have not had a player try to do this, so I'm not sure how I would rule (would need to read in depth the descriptions for both/read fluff). Personally, I don't see why a sister cannot transition from role to role within the her order if it is determined to not be her strong suit.
This class does indicate a bit too much into the "gaining organizational promotions while increasing in character rank," which, as far as I remember, is technically not the case in DH (PCs don't actually get promoted within the institutions they were once members off, e.g. guardsmen don't actually become IG lieutenants).
Yeah that's what I thought. I think part of the fluff though is the Adepta Sororitas (at least the version presented in Blood of Martyrs) don't ever leave the service of the Ecclesiarchy even when in the service of the Inquisition. They still Requisition their equipment from the Ecclesiarchy etc. This does make some sense as they serve a dual role as the militant arm of the Ecclesiarchy and of Ordo Hereticus.
Celestian and Seraphim don't replace Rank 5 only. You replace your current Rank with the Alternate Rank of Seraphim or Celestian if you are at least Rank 5 when to take your Rank Advance (not to mention have the prerequisite Characteristic levels). You get promoted into Seraphim or Celestian, just like when your Career Path splits normally around Rank 4 or 5 for all the other Careers. It's impossible to change on the fly.
It does make some sense to have, say, a proven Seraphim become a Celestian or vice versa (since they are both elite Sisters of Battle), though Battle Sisters tend to specialize one way or the other. There is nothing stopping you from taking Seraphim at R5 and Celestian at R6, except, perhaps, fluff and the restriction of taking certain Rank Advances from R5 or R6 in the normal Battle Sister Career Path. And the GM's ruling on the matter; you'd have to come up with a pretty good reason for an elite Sister to change her specialization like that.
Also, it's not so much that the Sisters do/don't leave the Ecclesiarchy's service when serving the Inquisition. The Ecclesiarchy has oversight of the Sisters in their day-to-day operations, the Sisters obey the leaders of their Orders, and the Ecclesiarchy loans the Sisters out to Witch Hunters because their job descriptions match up so well. Some Sisters might join a Witch Hunter's retinue full-time, though the Ecclesiarchy probably wouldn't dare refuse a requisition request (after all, you think a Sister would join up with a Radical ?); it's not been totally unknown for a Sister to become a full Inquisitor.