Another new forum! I still like the old, dead Black Industries setup. But anyways. I've got in my head that I'm going to run a short mini-campaign in Dark Heresy that revolves around Space Marine PCs and the crazy, over-the-top stuff they get to put up with. Now I have seen the Dark Reign Adeptus Astartes thingy, and I'm not sure I want to go precisely that route. Moreover, I just want to try my hand at creating stuff.

Anyways! I'm going to cut-and-paste my work now. It's a little bit to read, but I'm very much curious to see what you folks think! Think in a constructive way, not in a "Dark Heresy's not meant for marines" way. That's why i'm making up new stuff.

EDIT: Yes, the marines will be big bads out of the gate. I guess that's sort of the point for a marine (which feels weird, I admit.) But it's not like I'll have the players running down little bitty cultists all day. No, a job for puny little acolytes.

EDIT 2: Added Black Templars and Grey Knights traits, updated Dark Angels and Space Wolves traits. Updated the physical description of marines.

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Playing a Space Marine

“Space Marine” is a racial template that gets applied to a character on top of their normal origin. It considerably increases the power of a character, so it is appropriate for marine-only games unless the marine character is running around with very experienced humans (say, a couple thousand experience). If anything, blame GW for making marines such BAMFS.

Space Marine
It is an unimaginably small percentage of people that can become a space marine: each specimen is a paragon of humanity’s potential in body, mind and spirit. These starting skills, talents and traits reflect not only that, but the basic training and genetic implants that are standard to all Space Marines. Please note that these rules start a Space Marine at the end of his training; he has proven himself a worthy neophyte and has served in the scout company for some time and is almost ready for his Black Carapace.

Physical Description
A marine character weighs around 350-450 lbs and stands between 7'0” to 7’5” in height (but is still considered average size out of power armor, if skirting the edge a bit). He may have been initiated as early as 12 years old, but the average marine is in his twenties when his training is complete. Marines can live several hundred years, so such an age may be more appropriate for characters starting at higher experience levels. Marine hairstyle varies greatly from chapter to chapter (and even person to person); a great many marines are bald from age or as a mark of piety, while some keep long, braided locks for as long as is possible. Currently, only a male human can be a space marine due to the nature of the implants used.

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Characteristics
The following characteristics are increased by 5%: weapon skill, ballistic skill, strength, toughness, agility, willpower. For example, a feral world human has a base weapon skill of 20 which is raised to 25 by adding the Space Marine template. A Space Marine gains +3 wounds.

Alternatively, I have been considering allowing stat rolls to automatically contain a "10"... so all stats are the homeworld base +10+1D10.

Skills
A Space Marine gains training in the following skills: Awareness, Climb, Common Lore (Adeptus Astartes), Literacy, Swim, and Tech-Use.

Talents
A Space Marine gains the following talents: Basic Weapon Training (Bolt), Die Hard, Melee Weapon training (Primitive), Pistol Training (Bolt), Resistance (Cold), Resistance (Heat), Unshakeable Faith.

Traits
A space marine is made a Space Marine due to his series of implants that sculpt him into a killing machine that can eat rocks and spit acid. A Space Marine starts with all implants except for the Black Carapace (or any that his chapter does not possess for whatever reason). Most implants are reflected in starting talents and characteristics, so only those that I had to make up rules for are listed below.
Catalepsean Node: This implant allows the marine to “half sleep” in times of sleep deprivation, resting literally one half of his brain at a time. As such, whenever deprived of normal rest, he can half-rest and remain aware and active (although Characteristic and Skill tests receive a -20% penalty).
Preomnor: This organ pre-digests even the most inedible or poisonous of materials, allowing a marine to derive sustenance from any matter than he can conceivably chew up and swallow.
Omophagea: A marine can attempt to absorb an ingested creature’s genetic memories using this organ. He gains a +20% to skills to gain information regarding a creature or its species if he eats (or drinks) at least a fist-sized sample of the creature’s genetic material.
Sus-an Membrane: A marine that succeeds on a Hard (-30%) willpower test can go into a state of suspended animation. While in this state, he can voluntarily wake without medical assistance (this test is at -30% percent as well), but he will not die regardless of injury unless his brain is removed from his head.
Neuroglottis: This organ provides a +20% bonus to Perception checks to identify properties of a food or drink such a nutrition, poison, or origin.
Betchers Gland: A marine has the ability to produce and either salivate or spit a corrosive poison. He is proficient with the spit attack, and can produce approximately three “spits” per hour to a maximum of three. The attack has a range of 15m, has a RoF of single, and does 1D10+2 energy damage with the Toxic quality.
Black Carapace: ( This trait is purchased during career advancement!) This implant is required to wear Adeptus Astartes Power Armor, otherwise the wearer is reduced to half agility, only gains half the armor value of the suit, and cannot make use of any of the armor’s internal functions.

Wargear
A space marine is not like a normal character: he lives with his chapter, is provided for by his chapter, and his main occupation is training and fighting. As such, he receives no income, but starts with an allotment of equipment furnished by his brethren. Note that while it “his” equipment, it belongs to the chapter first. Also, he is expected to maintain his wargear in immaculate condition, and it is the gravest dishonor if any piece is lost, stolen, or damaged.
Starting Gear: Boltgun with 4 clips, bolt pistol with 4 clips, knife, 1 frag grenade, 1 krak grenade, and Adeptus Astartes Carapace Armor.

Careers
A marine does not select a career from the normal list. Instead, he can enter into one of the marine-only career paths that represents the specialized training and focus of a given chapter of Adeptus Astartes. Some chapters may have more of one type of marine than others, but all can be found in a given chapter.

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Chapter Traits
Some chapters have a notoriously stubborn outlook, or may possess incredible beauty, or are die-hard warriors to the end. The following enhancements reflect this. You will notice that these adjustments are a little unbalanced, and may not cover every angle of a Chapter’s reputation, which is by design. The chapters are not always equals, and a space marine character is simply a member of his chapter, not the full embodiment of it.

Black Templars: +3%WP, +3%WS, -3%BS and the Hatred (Psykers) talent.
Blood Angels: +3% Fel, training in the Trade (Artist) skill, and the Black Rage trait: whenever a Blood Angel is reduced to half of his maximum wounds, he suffers flashbacks of his primarch’s death and must make a WP test at -20% or fly into a blind rage (as per the Frenzy talent). This lasts for 1D10+2 rounds, and persists even after the enemy has been eliminated (you are hostile and argumentative until you calm down).
Dark Angels: +3% WP, training in the Academic Knowledge (Tactica Imperialis) skill, the Nerves of Steel talent, and the Hatred (Space Wolves) talent.
Grey Knights: +3% WP, training in the Forbidden Lore (Demonology) skill, training in the Invocation skill, the Fearless talent, and the Psy Rating 1 talent.
Imperial Fists: +3% WP, a 10% bonus to the Academic Knowledge (Tactica Imperialis) when dealing with siege warfare or anti-armor tactics, and the Mighty Shot talent.
Iron Hands: +3% Int, a free +10% advancement to the Tech Use skill, and the character’s left hand is bionic. An iron hand also suffers from a severe case of the disorder “The Flesh is Weak!”
Raven Guard: +3% Ag, training in the Pilot (civilian craf) and Pilot (military craft) skills, and a +10% bonus to the Academic Knowledge (Tactica Imperialis) when dealing with infiltration, recon, or sabotage.
Salamanders: +3% T, -3% Ag, the Basic Weapon Training (Flame) talent, and the Cleanse and Purify talent.
Space Wolves: +3% WS, training in the Survival skill, the Heightened Senses (smell) talent, the Hatred (Dark Angels) talent, and the Hatred (Thousand Sons) talent.
White Scars: +3% WS, training in the Pilot (civilian craf) and Pilot (military craft) skills, and receive a +10% to WS when fighting from a mount or bike.
Ultramarines: +3% Fel, training the Command skill, and the Air of Authority talent.

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Might wanna upgrade weapons a bit too.

I think I will make the starting gear all good-quality.

Also, I'm having some trouble making this neat-looking and legible... this new post editor's sort of a pain in my butt. Any advice?

There's a side bar in IH explaining all these bolt gun listed are for civilians. Astartes bolters are too big for normal humans to handle. You would need to design new bolters for them to use or does the marine from Purge the Unclean have a bolter statted for him?

Yup, Marine Bolters are 2d10X Pen 5 and Tearing (like all Bolters, see Eratta)

I saw that bit in the main rulebook about "these bolters suck compare to the Might Fighty Space Marine's bolters." I wasn't sure that I wanted to stat up all new weapons so much as simply make the existing things good-and-best qualities to reflect that statement. Of course, if enough people want to see new stuff, I could try and post those sometime this or next week.

Of more pertitent interest, however, is what people think of my approach to the "Space Marine Template" and if it does justice to the marines at all.

I would say your take on the size of the marines is small. 6'5" and 230 pounds is a quaterback for an American football team, not a space marine. Look at some one like Paul Wight aka "Big Show", a pro wrestler, who is 7' tall and 440 pounds. He his far closer to a space marine out of armor than some one like Eli Manning.

Your size range may be okay for a scout candidate before any augmentation.

7' - 440 lbs or 6'4 - 227 lbs

Thanks! I've edited the main post.

Santiago: I saw the errata where all bolt weapons get "tearing", but I didn't see the part where a Marine bolter is 2D10. Or is that going off of the guy in Purge the Weak? If so, I'll have to dig up my copy and use his gear as a basis (although I think his stuff may be nicer than grunt-marine issue since he's fancy Deathwatch and all).

It is stated in the Inquisitors Handbook and in Purge the Unclean

Santiago said:

Aha, found it. Wow, Astartes stuff is top-notch, isn't it? Hmm...

Make them 50 feet tall and wiegh 1000 lbs, thier bolt guns should just kill instantly and thier armor is invincible.

There, now they are in line with the fanfiction.

7-8 ft, slight increase to power armor and use bolters as 2d10

Question: what is it with people and the obsession over the wargear? For reference, to keep things easy we've simply kept the equipment as it's found in the main rules at "best" (or Astartes) quality for now. We're fairly content with that. I plan to update the above post to reflect some newer changes that were made, and the little bit of gear we house-ruled into existance.

Now, any thoughts on the characteristics bumps? Starting skills/talents? Do you think the few implants I've traited out would be workable/broken/whatever? Or are they 100% perfect and they don't need change or adjustment whatsoever? I'd like to hear about more than just the bolters and armor, please.

If I were you, I would just go with the Equipment and Weapons from PURGE THE UNCLEAN.

I would really like to see some workable Eldar stats, ones that can actually be played. I understand that they are going to be so much better than humans, since it is what they always say, but when you get right down to it, THE PLAY is more important than the stats, and even the strongest badboy can slip up and die to a puny human.

I like the approach of making Space Marine characters "better than human" rather than "super human". After all, the game is still contained within the 1-through-100 range of a 1d100. While I see the appeal of playing the super-heroic Space Marines, I don't see how this can be any fun if there is no risk of failure...

When dealing with critters and cultists you can bring out the Space Marine's superior nature by simply halving the enemy's wounds.

Bolters:

In addition to making them Best Quality, you might want to make the rate of fire S/2/5 or something. This essentially adds the opportunity of making full-auto attacks and allows a single Marine to gun down multiple cultists quickly :-)

-K

What about Unnatural Strength and Toughness x2? The one official DH marine stat block (in PtU) has both, and seems to represent well the significant physical upgrades endowed by certain organs like the Ossmodula, Biscopea, and Larraman's Organ.

Also, I like what you've done with the different Chapter traits. One question on that though - it's been awhile since I read any Dark Angels/Space Wolves fluff, but do they actually "hate" each other, or is it a sort of good natured, traditional animosity? I remember the thing about the two Chapters each nominating a champion to wrestle each other whenever the SW and DA find themselves opperating together in the same theatre, but didn't have the impression they would kill each other if they had the chance (which is something I would expect from "hatred"). Has the fluff on this changed / am I wrong?

Anyway, looks great!

I was considering the unnmatural thing, but I also considered that perhaps Brother Whatshisnuts might be a lot beefier than your typical marine. I'd probably allow them for elite advances, however. Regarding the SW vs DA bit... I'm trying to go by the tabletop a bit here. If anything, I figure that "friendly competition" has a different meaning for trained super-killers. After all, Lyon sucker-punched Russ!

theDevilofWormwood said:

no the SW and DA really do hate each other...o cut an extremely long story short DA primarch killed enemy leader that had insulted SW primarch, SW Primarch beat the living snot out of DA primarch, then lauhed at him and DA primarch slotted him with a cheap upper cut to face with power fist knocking him unconsious. and trust me on this i actually play SW in tt

wulfenite said:

Not very fair to the DA side but then again what can one expect from a bunch of mangy mutts?

I'm just kidding so lets not have any feuds over it. Unless we want one on one duels between chapters.

Zarkhovian_Rhythm said:

lol

nah its cool, i've had me arse handed to me by DA's too many times to count.

There is already a Space Marine creation pdf on the net. I got a copy some time ago and its got everything from careers to weapons and vehicles. Can't honestly remember where I found it now.

craigpearson81 said:

Is this what you're talking about? Looks fairly comprehensive.

Tyranus Conclave: Adeptus Astartes: www.darkreign40k.com/downloads/career-paths/tyranus-conclave-adeptus-astartes/details-2.html

@Demo

What kind off Psionic Powers can an Space Marine Liberian learn!?

Ore what is the best for them!??

Demo said:

There's also this one which imo makes more sense www.darkreign40k.com/downloads/career-paths/codex-astartes-space-marines-ver1.4/details.html

space marines are 8ft tall genetichally engineered killing machines!! the space marine in purge is so grossley underpowerd its unreal! try giving them a falt stat line of 80ish with the unnatural strength and toughness (x2) and you get close space marines can shrug off most if not all smallarms fire. oh yeah and all space marines are psycho indoctrinated living little to no room for personality and almost no room for individualism which you kinda need if theyre going to be playable. those are just a few of the problems i can see with playing a marine unless you dont mind playing protoastartes id say they are just too unbalancing if you play them realistically.