Homeworld: Onsworld

Ornsworld is an Imperial world in the Segmentum Obscurus. It is also a Ratling homeworld. Prior to the Gothic War, Chaos forces raided the planet, and were at first driven back by the Imperial Guard presence. But a second, more brutal attack stormed through the defenders and slaughtered tens of thousands of Ratlings. The Chaos forces then collapsed a mountainside onto a Ratling town, destroying a massive statue, to acquire an artefact connected with the Blackstone Fortresses, alleged to be the 'Hand of Night'.

Start with an Imperial World Traits and Characteristics, replace Superior Orgins and Liturgical Familiarity

Minuscule:

Over thousand of years of inbreeding on the naturally spoirific climates and abundant harvest world: Onsworld have been reduced to a small stature reducing your Strength and Toughness starting characteristics by 5. But you now have the size of a scrawny target, giving targets -10 Weapon/Ballistic test against you. You also a +10 to concealment tests, and your movement is reduced by AB-1, also all weapons more than 5kg must be compact for you to carry them.

The Gothic Wars:

Stories of the elders have filled your childhood with nightmares of the horrible events that unfolded in the days long-long ago. You start the game with Common Lore ( Onsworld Folk) (Int) and Forbidden Lore (Daemonology) (Int) as basic skills.

Shooting Squig-Rats in Reclimators' Canyon :

Ratlings of Onsworld are famous for their keen eyes and make excellent shots. Increase your Ballastics and Perception by +5 and start with the skills; Awarness (Per), Concealment (Ag), and Tracking (Int) all as basic skills.

The Good Life:

Life on Onsworld is one of joy and relaxations, although many ratlings do join the Imperial Guard for the thrill of adventure or for the honour of Onsworld and the Emperor the time on Onsworld for anyone is a happy-one. The over-friendly characterists of ratlings gives them a +5 to their starting Fellowship characteristic and they start the game with; Trade (Cook) (Int) and +10 to all Carouse tests involving liquids.

Careers:

Guardsmen: Many Ratlings join the Imperial Guard to help out the Hammer of the Imperium with there keen sniping ability. Often made fun of by other Imperial Guardsmen, they usually give way to such immaturaties after a Ratling sniper has saved every life of a squad with their skills.

Adepts: Some do not care much for adventure, so they stay in their homes, reading data-sheets and tomes in the imperial library, Ratling adepts are motivated by a few things, Knowledge and a good meal.

Assassin: Although Ratlings are small in stature and may not have the physical prowess to cut an enemy's throat with a dagger or sword, their small size is perfect for hiding and sniping their targets.

Arbitrator: Some Ratlings are very inquisitive in there surroundings, and their small size allows them to sneak into small areas and to spy on suspects. And are often hired by rich nobles to be moles in organizations.

Imperial Psyker: Known to use their 'gifts' as a way to make cash being a soothsayer or to get the upper hand in the card-game, but even if they use their powers for personal game, they are many Ratling Psyker amongst the imperium.

Scum: Ratlings over-friendly characteristic can some times be a cover up for their real motives, along with their deceiving attitude they are able to pick the pockets of anyone walking by.

Tech-Priest : Size dose not hampers ones intelligence, Ratlings often are found crawling in small shafts and into the belly of machines to repair them, they are not keen on the idea of full augmentation due to there love of food and reproduction, but there are always the devote tech-priest of the mechanicus.

Authors Note: Yeah i really did this for fun, but i think that i made a descent home world for them, Careers are limited but there is really not that much they can do due to their size. I hope you catched the starwars reference, also please rate and post your opinions. (Yes i do play a ratling assassin, in my campaign, worked wonders on the Imperial Cruiser mission we had.)

Maybe they should have -10 or -20 to hit them, -30 is kinda over powered.

Miniscule? Really? I know Ratlings are small and all, but I thought they were a bit larger then your average door knob. Of course, I don't know much about them at all but maybe setting them at Scrawny might be a touch more believable (and yes, I indeed did say that about an aspect of 40k and managed to keep a strait face!). That would make them the size of a small child or, if they are to be really small, say the size of your head, you can set them at Puny.

There it is fixed.

Well, that clears up the one major problem I would have had with it.

It's a nice little ( <---look, a PUN!) home world write up.

One question, are they limited to only Assassins, Scum, and Guardsmen? If not, I would go ahead and either write out examples of the other careers so it doesn't seem that way or cut out the examples of the assassin, gaurdsmen, and scum you have. If they are limited to only those three, is there a reason why? I know you mentioned their small stature keeps them for doing a lot of things, but I can't see how it would keep them from reading and writing (adept), preaching (cleric), keeping the law or investigating this or that (arbitrator), or shoving pipes through their face for no good reason (Tech-Priest). It was mentioned elsewhere that psykers are pretty much abhumans as is so I can see no psyker ratlings.

Either way, good home world so far. Except now I'll be haunted by images of Bilbo Baggins in spaaAAAaaace.

Does this help give the ratlings a more indepth character creation? I added a bit more onto the pre-exsisting careers to make them have more depth.

Might wanna change the name of the trait to scrawny too.

Turpin said:

It should be noted that the size modifier applies to shooting attacks only - you don't get bonuses to hit a Hulking target (for example) in close combat, nor do you suffer penalties to hit a Scrawny one in melee...

Turpin said:

My main, rather self-serving, question is... have you looked at my rules for Abhumans ? There are Ratling rules in there, and they've been out for over a year (I released them on the same day Dark Heresy was released)

N0-1_H3r3 said:

And I would like to second his rules. They are very nice and alongside the Adeptus Astartes release from Patriot are the best supplements made by fans to date.

N0-1_H3r3 said:

No, I haven't seen your rules for abhumans, i'll be sure to read it next time I create somthing

N0-1_H3r3 said:

Yo bra, you forgot about Beastmen.

Action_Carl said:

I didn't. I just chose not to include them.

N0-1_H3r3 said:

Which is good as they now count as a Chaos unit type, and not just poor unfortunates (seeking to atone in a similar fashion to the Penal Legions) that the imperium uses as canon fodder like they used to a few editions back...

I actually put somerules together for Ratlings. Here's the nuts and bolts of it:

Abhuman Characters
If the GM wants to allow the random chance of a PC being an Abhuman then the home-world roll 100 could indicate a random abhuman from the ones the GM deems available.

Ratling PC statistics:
WS 2d10+ 10
BS 2d10+ 30
S 2d10+ 10
T 2d10+ 10
Ag 2d10+ 40
Int 2d10+ 20
Per 2d10+ 20
WP 2d10+ 15
Fel 2d10+ 25

Wounds d5+5

Fate points:
1-3 2
4-9 3
10 4

ll Ratlings have the skill: Trade (Cook).

Ratling Traits:

Toy soldiers
The average Ratling is around a meter tall and not well built except for a proud full belly.
Effect: They have the creature trait 'size (scrawny)'. To hit rolls against the ratling have an additional -10 modifier, concealment tests are at +10 but speed is worked out as agility bonus -1.
In addition they cannot wear clothing or armour like that of other characters. Usually childs clothing will make do but armour that fits is 20% more expensive, 50% of the weight and 1 availability category harder to get. Armour that is generated as part of their career will fit and be 50% of the weight. They may have trouble using other items at the GM's option and may have reduced penalties for cramped conditions and increased penalties for moving through some terrains.
Ratling prefer to feel the ground with their oversized hairy feet. They are tough and hair enough to deal with most terrain and climates but if forced to wear boots (for sealed suits or armours for example) they will be at -5 agility while they do so.

Gluttony
A Ratlings main concern is maintaining a constant intake of food and drink.
Penalty: In the presence of food or drink that they have not eaten / do not possess ratling characters are at a -10 to all perception tests.
A ratling character must always have at least 10% of his carrying capacity taken up by food or drink. Below this the character will be edgy, nervous and complaining constantly.
Finally in non combat situations if the character encounters a party, potential mate, drinking den or eating establishment (if they haven’t eaten in the past hour) they must pass a challenging willpower test (+0) to not partake. Where alcohol is involved if the test is failed by 30 or more the character will drink until they are very drunk.

Low cunning
Despite their legendary poor nerve when a fight takes place they are resistant to persuasion and, either as a side effect or the cause of, are also good at riddles.
Some think it could be to do with ancient rivalries where families would try to trick each other into revealing recipe secrets. Others think that a runtling has a wide stubborn streak and good problem solving to avoid having to do work.
Benefit: When resisting persuasion, mind control or solving puzzles they may add +10 to the willpower roll / intelligence rolls.

Hardcore
Many people have made he mistake of believing that this little people couldn't possible keep up with the big men.
Benefit: All Ratlings have the skill Carouse and the talent: Talented (Carouse).


Ratling Careers:
01-20 Adept
21-35 Assassin
36-50 Priest
51-75 Guardsman
76-100 Scum

I did this was fairly pleased with it ( I think ratlings are pretty balanced for abhumans), then i looked round some other sites and saw N0-1_H3r3 's abhuman link which was pretty similar to mine.

For a beastman try Evilscary's at http://www.darkreign40k.com/new-homeworlds/beastmen.html

My interpretation is more along these lines...

Ratling Skills

Given their natural abilities, dexterity, and skills native to their homeworlds, Ratlings treat Medicae, Tracking and Trade (Cook) as basic skills.

Ratling Traits

Ratlings gain the following Traits. Record all of these on your character sheet:

Small But Nimble

Ratlings are far smaller than even the most diminutive humans, causing many to mistake them for children.

Benefit : Ratlings gain the Lightning Reflexes and Size: Scrawny Traits.

Exacting Marksmanship

Ratlings have a well-deserved reputation as snipers, having fine motor skills that put most to shame and eyesight as sharp as a hawk.