Not sure if I posted this here before or not. Any tweaks or changes? I plan to use this for my Black Crusade game I currently have.

Obliterator Virus - Carrier
Tier : 1
Prerequisite : Ballistic Skill 30, Weapon Skill 30, Toughness 30, Weapon Training (any)
Having caught the virus while near the Screaming Vortex the character has become a host for virus. After spending a day bonding with his weapons he no longer needs to worry about ammunition. As a free action the character can reloaded the bonded weapons that he holds. During this stage he is a danger to those around him, every hour spent near the character they must make a Difficult Toughness test or become carriers of the virus, only those who take this talent can gain its benefits. This talent does not favor any one god and does not count towards gaining alignment and count as neutral for determining how much experience must be spent.

Obliterator Virus - Host
Tier : 2
Prerequisite : Obliterator Virus - Carrier, Ballistic Skill 40, Weapon Skill 40, Toughness 40, Hip Shooting or Marksman, at least 2 Weapon Training (any)
The virus has continued to mutate within the character granting them further abilities that most could not hope to have. Melee and pistol weapons can be absorbed into the body to be recreated later, these absorbed weapons cannot be detected when scanned. The daemonic nature of the virus has begun to assert itself more fully and the armor the character wears can longer be removed though pieces can be added to increase its protection. The virus can no longer be transmitted to others at this stage.

Obliterator Virus - Ascendant
Tier : 3
Prerequisite : Obliterator Virus - Host, Ballistic Skill 50, Weapon Skill 50, Toughness 50, at least 3 Weapon Training (any)
The virus has become ascendant and its host is reborn into something new and terrifying. They gain the Daemonic (2) quality and the weapons they fire are now tainted by warp energy. In addition they can regenerate from wounds received at a rate of 1 wound per turn. Their size increases by one step and they can no longer blend in with normal society. The Obliterator can absorb any weapon though his body bulges and twists to accept it. He can choose to spread the virus to others with a touch and they must make a Difficult Toughness check to pass.

Are Obliterators really known for skill in close combat?

There's not really any point in needing 2 or 3 weapon training skills; most start with at least this many.

I'm also thinking we could better show the affinity they gain for their equipment in a different fashion, but it shouldn't all be just good news.

Well, insomniac boredom makes for creativity, so… here's a whole other take on it.

Stage 1: Host [No Talent]: Requirements: BS 30, WS 30, Toughness 30

At this stage, a Character has been infected by the virus long enough for it to propagate throughout his system. However, further progression will only be possible in those who are not only worthy, but also welcome and accept its presence. Those without even the listed basic requirements are functionally immune at the time, their minds and bodies preventing it from achieving even basic changes to their body. So dormant is the virus within them that it would take a direct and significant blood transfusion to affect another.

A carrier has difficulty removing his equipment. Flesh slowly seems to fuse to weapons, armor and equipment, blood-clots and scabbing extending onto the items when suffered. At this stage, any piece of equipment in physical contact with the character for at least one minute then takes twice as long to be divested of carefully: removing it by force is no more difficult but tears at the character's flesh. Pistols and one-handed melee weapons are painful but merely distracting; removing a two-handed melee, basic or heavy weapon, or removing armor in a hurry (such as through the kind ministrations of a lynch-mob) inflicts a single wound, bypassing armour and toughness.

All is not lost, however: a character ignores 25% of his bonded equipment's weight as his body adapts to its presence. This weight is ignored for purposes of encumbrance only; a 100kg human wearing power-armor and bonded to a Lascannon would quickly overload a 200kg elevator system. A host of the Obliterator virus is contagious: direct exposure to their blood or fluids will infect a character who fails an Average toughness test. Eliminating the infection will require a regimen of Very Hard medicae. Equipment only ever bonds through use: A pistol in its leg-holster will not become part of the character's leg, though the holster itself will. Bonded Gear [besides weapons and armour] no longer requires power.

Stage 2 [Tier 1 Talent]: Requirements: BS 35, WS 30, Toughness 35, Tech Use[Trained], Obliterator Stage 1 Infection

The Obliterator Talents consider Unaligned characters 'devoted', and are paid for as if 'True' by these characters. Any character with Stage II or higher counts as having an additional mutation for purposes of detection by psychic measures.

-At this stage, the Obliterator infection becomes irreversibly part of the character, and can no longer be cured. Bonded equipment becomes permanent and melds into the character: more than one would-be colossus of heavy-weaponry has died of starvation after losing use of their hands or wearing a rebreather.

However, Weapons and Armor now weigh 50% less for purposes of encumbrance, and the penalty for using a Bonded Basic Weapon one-handed (wiser than the alternative at this stage) is reduced by 10% (For a total of -0 with carbines or other such systems). A character bonded to Carapace or heavier is automatically considered vacuum-sealed, and halves the high-AP penalty to stealth. Weapons do not have unlimited ammunition, but the character may replenish these weapons externally, in addition to producing ammunition in a limited fashion: At the cost of a full-action and one level of fatigue, the character may instantly reload the weapon to its full capacity.

Tearing off any piece of equipment inflicts a single wound, while removing bonded armor is akin to a flensing, causing 1d5 wounds, once again bypassing armour and toughness in both cases.

Stage 3[Tier 2 Talent]: Requirements: BS 45, WS 40, Strength 35, Toughness 45, Tech Use[+10], Machine[+1], Obliterator Stage II Infection

-The third stage of Obliterator infection instills the traits of absorbtion and modification to the character. Choose a single weapon bonded to each limb: This weapon may now be deployed or re-absorbed at will, counts as a 'natural weapon' and no longer requires ammunition. Basic weapons remain too unwieldy to use in melee, however. Whatever armour was worn at the time of this purchase is now fused to him entirely. Panels may be opened or accessed, individual sections retracted or opened as bodily functions require, but its removal would require a complete flensing. If the armour was not previously of Best Quality, it is considered as such now.

The character may choose not to be bonded to new equipment he holds or otherwise obtains, Bonded equipment is not considered at all towards encumbrance, but the constant changes and absorbtion of various materials within the character's body are becoming apparent: Increase the character's size to Hulking, if they were not already. The character may now absorb further modifications to his weapons and armour, installing upgrades with normal checks as if they were not indisposed.

Obliterator: Stage 4[Tier 3 Talent]: BS 50, Strength 40, Toughness 50, Machine [+2], Stage III Obliterator

-The Character is now a Full-Fledged Obliterator. The character's Daemonic nature protects his Machine trait from Haywire effects, though additional damage or penetration to those with such a trait continue to occur. The Character may now repair and regenerate his weapons and armour, and may store a number of bonded weapons within his body equal to the combined total of his natural Toughness Bonus and Machine Traits. Weapons hidden away cannot be individually detected, though the full-fledged obliterator counts as a second additional mutation for purposes of detecting such a character.

Basic Weapons may be used as Pistols in melee by the character, and even Two-Handed Melee and Heavy Weapons may be used one-handed in this way, no longer needing both hands or bracing [if the character somehow did not yet have the auto-stablized or bulging-biceps traits or talents], though Heavy Weapons still may not be used for two-weapon-wielding.

Gift of the Gods: Obliterators:

Obliterators have but two gifts available to them; a reward from their own bodies and the overall will of chaos. Unaligned Obliterators at Stage III or above may attempt to petition for these in the same manner as devouts of other Gods.

1-50 Mechanical Daemon: The character's being melds ever more perfectly to his form. His Armour grants an additional unnatural-characteristic bonus of +1 to either Strength or Agility, and his Machine trait improves by +1. If gained a second time, apply to the characteristic not yet chosen.

51-00 Daemon's Weapons: The character may to roll a single Unaligned Daemon Weapon Attribute, adding at most Half his Infamy to the roll. All bonded weapons may now benefit from this attribute as if they themselves were daemon weapons.

If ever achieved a second time, this mutation instead grants all compatible weapons half the character's Willpower Bonus to their Damage and Penetration.

Not quite what I asked for but hmmm okay.

They have been known to absorb any weapon they can use. Whether it be a lascannon or a power sword an Obliterator can store it and use it. They have an affinity for weapons and armor.

I really hope we got Obliterators as an Archetype down the line.

Also, rumors say that 6e CSM will have an Oblit variant that specializes in melee. You didn't hear it from me.

I went a bit long for that reason; I'm not sure they can be anything less than a small 'path' or archetype of their own; if anything an 'alternate/advanced career path' equivalence of some sort.

We know they're basically unaligned as far as devotion goes, which is itself interesting. It would be far too powerful to offer "unaligned" as a devotion, obviously, probably even if everything else became "opposed"… not to mention it would make very little sense. Still, we're looking at a path to power taken by those who do not owe fealty to a specific god. At the least that's worth the obliterator talents themselves being 'true' to an unaligned character or something.

The current system, not that there's anything wrong with that, doesn't really lend itself to the kind of 'progression' changes one had in rogue trader however. There's no careers to alternate the ranks of. But, as a talent and trait tree, it could work.

Just gotta make sure there's at least some drawbacks at least in the early stages, so its not an obvious choice.

Plushy said:

Obliterators filled with Ork powa klaws?

Come to think of it, what if they produce Hunting Lances?

Or what if you Daemon-Weapon one wrought for that purpose? Does it regrow with every explosion, or is it a perils-related-incident waiting to happen on the very first blow?

Plushy said:

Don't you think that an oblit is waaay too powerful to be anything near a starting character?

Also, there's stats for obliterators in Mark of the Xenos (DeathWatch) page 119. You might find it useful.

Training in Tech-Use and not needing ammo is hardly more overpowered than being a psyker, I think.

Plushy said:

It isn't about tech use and ammunition, its about massive adaptibility and access to basically every single heavy weapon for free.

And there are melee focused obliterators in 6e, they are called Mutilators.

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Plushy said:

It's not just "training in tech use", an oblit's technical aptitude is described in 40k fluff as being beyond the extreme. Plus, they're gifted with endurance far greater than a terminator armoured marine's, but their defenses can not be removed or destroyed except by killing them, and they don't just have access to any sort of terminator weaponry, but also to stuff normally available to dreadnoughts and tanks.

Also, a psyker can come in all shapes and varying degrees of power. Obliterators, on the contrary, don't seem to have any weaker variants.

And, canonically, they usually seem to be quite demented.

It looks quite unplayable as a pc to me, and absolutely unfit to be a starting character.

On the bright side, GM's may use this to make challenging encounters for the players.

somnium said:

it's funny but most chaos npc in canon are pretty demented and unplayable yet… black crusade…

From the new Codex: Chaos Space Marines:

"The Imperium of Man has obtained grainy footage of an Obliterator cult in action, and several theories have emerged about them as a result. Some members of the Inquisition believe they are a by-product of a heretical Dark Mechanicum quest to embody the Omnissiah, whilst others proffer the notion that Obliterators are infected with some kind of Daemon-created 'technovirus'. Opponents of the latter theory say that a technovirus could not exist in the way it is claimed, and that simple daemonic possession gives Obliterators their frighteningly powerful abilities. Only the truly learned realize that the term technovirus is a misnomer; it is Chaos itself that mutates and corrupts the machine, just as it moulds and changes the flesh of men."

Looks like the Obliterator Virus has been confirmed to not exist. Sorry guys.

Though that paragraph technically says nothing about whether or not "Chaos itself" might be contagious…

I'll take "Some Imperium scientists do not believe the Obliterator virus exists because they think it's unworkable" as less than absolute proof.

As for Obliterators as starting archetypes, Tome of Fate's "advanced" archetypes don't strike me as out of line with an Obliterator. After all, at least in the old rules for the Obliterator virus, you had to absorb a weapon to get it, so they'd only get access to every heavy weapon in the game for free insofar as they could get their fleshy hands on it.

Lasgun hands seem to be about par for Bolt of Change to me.

Having read Storm of Iron I would suspect that the techno virus which turns people into obliterators would be an actual virus however I suspect that, in terms of infection rates, it would be more akin to something like the Ebola virus i.e. Very rare to encounter it outside of a particular environment like the eye of terror or maelstrom and even if someone were infected with it then it would be more likely prove to be fatal for them as opposed to them surviving it.

A work-in-progress of my ideas for Obliterators (and, along similar lines, Mutilators and Warp Talons) that I've been putting together for my Forbidden Lore fan-supplement.

Advanced Progressions

Several distinct groups devoted to the Ruinous Powers are more than mere belief – their members are changed, body and soul, into something both more and less than what they once were.
Each such group is represented in game terms with an entry Talent, followed by a progression of abilities gained in place of one or more of the character’s Gifts of the Gods, meaning that these progressions allow Heretics to grow in power as they further embrace corruption and damnation.

Mutilators

Blade-Savant
Tier 3, Unaligned
Pre-requisites: WS 50, Ambidextrous, Two-Weapon Wielder (Melee¬), Blade Dancer, Blade Master, Corruption 20
Effect: The Heretic’s obsession with and mastery of the blade has reached a point beyond sanity, and his bond with the spirits of his weapons. The character may select a number of melee weapons equal to his Weapon Skill Bonus. These weapons gain the Tainted quality.

Mutilator Progression
A character with the Blade-Savant Talent may benefit from Mutilator progression in place of his normal Gifts of the Gods. This progression replaces three consecutive Gifts.

Gift 1 – Slaughterer
The Heretic’s bond with his weapons transcends physical limitations, and he becomes one with them. The weapons selected upon gaining the Blade-Savant Talent are physically bonded with the character, becoming extensions of his body. The character’s flesh fuses with the weapons he wields, making him impossible to disarm, and at any moment, he may take two of those weapons into his body as a free action. While carrying weapons within his body, they can be detected by technological means (a Routine (+20) Tech-Use Test with an Auspex or similar) or psychic means (a Challenging (+0) Psyniscience Test), but cannot be detected by the naked eye.

Gift 2 – Mauler
The Heretic’s flesh and the substance of his weapons become the near-indistinguishable impossible material known as fleshmetal. His armour and his skin become as one, and his mass and stature increase along with his capacity to absorb weaponry. The Heretic may no longer remove his armour (and may no longer don any other form of armour over it), gains +5 Wounds, and gains Unnatural Strength (2) and Unnatural Toughness (2), or increases those Traits by +2 if already possessed. Further, he may take any number of his selected weapons into his body.

Gift 3 – True Mutilator
The Heretic’s transformation concludes, and he becomes a living juggernaut of destruction, as much an extension of his weapons as they are of him. The Heretic doubles the number of weapons he may bond with, gains the Daemonic (2) Trait, and increases his Size by +1. However, the character may no longer Run, and suffers a –20 penalty on all Agility-based Tests (though this penalty is waived if the character is wearing – and this bonded to – Terminator Armour).

Obliterator

Cultist of Destruction
Tier 3, Unaligned
Pre-requisites: BS 50, Arms Master, Tech-Use +10, Corruption 20, Mechanicus Assimilation 1+
Effect: The Heretic pursues the ultimate fusion of living matter and lethal mechanism. The integration of weapons into flesh is an inevitable and deadly development, and one that sees the Heretic grow ever deadlier. For every level of the Machine Trait the Heretic possesses, he may bind himself to a single Pistol or Basic weapon. Any weapon so bonded gains the Tainted quality.

Obliterator Progression
A character with the Cultist of Destruction Talent may benefit from Obliterator progression in place of his normal Gifts of the Gods. This progression replaces three consecutive Gifts.

Gift 1 – Metal Storm
The Heretic’s mechanical nature allows him to spawn power, fuel and ammunition for those weapons he is bonded with. Any weapon the Heretic is bonded to may be reloaded without any external source of ammunition, though the Heretic gains a level of Fatigue if he does so. Similarly, he imbibes metal, promethium and other raw materials in place of conventional food and drink to sustain him.

Gift 2 – Son of Annihilation
The Heretic’s unification of flesh and metal continues, with pistons and plasteel merging with muscle and bone. The character gains an additional 2 levels of the Machine Trait, is permanently fused with his armour, and may choose to bond with Heavy and Mounted weapons, so long as he is capable of wielding them. Additionally, he gains +5 Wounds, and gains Unnatural Strength (2) and Unnatural Toughness (2), or increases those Traits by +2 if already possessed. Finally, his weapons have become integral parts of his form, and can be drawn into his fleshmetal form freely, and no longer inflict a level of Fatigue when being reloaded.

Gift 3 – True Obliterator
The Heretic’s transformation reaches its peak, and his nature ceases to be either living or machine, but something beyond both. The Heretic doubles the number of weapons he may bond with, gains the Auto-Stabilised and Daemonic (2) Traits, and increases his Size by +1. However, the character may no longer Run, and suffers a –20 penalty on all Agility-based Tests (though this penalty is waived if the character is wearing – and this bonded to – Terminator Armour).

Warp Talons

Sky-Hunter
Tier 3, Unaligned
Pre-requisites: Agility 50, Raptor, Operate (Personal) +20, Intimidate +10, Corruption 20
Effect: The Heretic is a shrieking, snarling predator of the skies, descending from the heavens in search of prey to terrorise and murder. His armour and his jump pack are twisted to create a horrific visage and herald their approach with inhuman roars and screams. The Heretic gains the Fear (1) Trait (or increases any existing Fear Trait by +1) on any turn in which he uses his Jump Pack. Further, the character may no longer remove his Jump Pack.

Warp Talon Progression
A character with the Sky-Hunter Talent may benefit from Warp Talon progression in place of his normal Gifts of the Gods. This progression replaces three consecutive Gifts.

Gift 1 – Ephemeral Predator
The Heretic ascends to greater purpose, hunting mortals in the material universe. The Heretic gains training in the Psyniscience Skill, and the Phase Trait. However, the Heretic’s distant, predatory nature is off-putting and ill-suited to matters of tact or intellect, reducing his Intelligence and Fellowship scores by –5 each.

Gift 2 – On Wings of Warpflame
The Heretic’s form is wreathed in a blaze of warpflame, heralding his arrival upon the battlefield. The Heretic’s melee attacks gain the Flame quality, and as a free action upon landing (whilst corporeal) can create a burst of Warpflame with the same effect as a Photon Flash Grenade. His aura of flickering wrongness further reduces his Fellowship by –10.

Gift 3 – Warp Talon Ascension
The Heretic’s transformation concludes, and he becomes a vicious, animalistic creature. The Heretic gains the Daemonic (2) and Deadly Natural Weapons Traits. Further, his natural weapons gain the Tainted, Tearing and Warp Weapon qualities.

Wow, N0-1. That's some proper gorgeous work, I'd say. I'll certainly be using these ASAP.

Question on the Obliterator; does reloading his integrated weapons still require their usual action?

Plushy said:

Yes - it's partly to represent the fact that an Obliterator can't use the same weapon for two consecutive turns in the wargame.

As I said, these are an early version (along with a Warpsmith archetype and a few other things inspired by the new Codex), so there's still some work to be done.

I simply can't wait to see it.

@N0-1

Nice ones. I was thinking myself that making the "virus" (or whatever it is now) progression part of the Gifts of the Gods would likely make the most sense mechanics-wise. That being said, it seems that the character is stuck with what he bonded with. What would you say about a T1-talent that allows the character to switch his load-out once? Reaching Mauler/Son of Annihilation while for some reason wearing carapace or even mesh would suck. Also, is the Corruption 20 requirement intentional? After all, it means that no matter the character's race, these will be the last three gifts for him and a human heretic could only start with his transformation at his third total gift.

Flaying of the Metal Skin
Tier 1, Unaligned
Pre-requisites: Blade Savant, Cultist of Destruction or Sky-Hunter

Effect: The heretic has undergone a painful ritual that separates him from the weapons and armour he was bonded to. When gaining this talent, he may reassign any bonds resulting from Blade Savant, Cultist of Destruction or Sky-Hunter or their respective gift progressions for one single time.
This talent can be purchased multiple times, each time allowing the Heretic to switch his equipment for one more time.

I like No-1. I also wanted to later to try and capture that feel of the Dark Mechanicus/Tech-Marines. In the older Codex the Obliterators stood apart from all Warbands and for a warlord to gain their favor they needed to provide them with some piece of technology or in a battle with a chance to uncover those secrets which the Obliterators would keep as their payments. I don't really see them as worshipping Chaos more as a tool to achieve their own transformation. Those with the talent progression from some form of the Obliterator Cult becoming something else upon reaching apothesis. Some kind of bio-mechanical form that they believe best recognizes the Omnissah.

For the Warpsmith I just look at idea's from WFB and the Chaos Dwarf Sorcerer-Engineers.

Personally I think treating the obliterator mutations as a virus is silly. If it was, and I was one I wouldn't even fire weapons. I would wander around a Hive city for a few days infecting the populace, and then go watch the effects. The fact that there is no epidemic breakouts of the obliterator virus kind of show that it isn't one IMHO. At least if it has the 1% chance to infect that is in the material. Seriously if one out of every hundred people you see caught it, then one out of every hundred all those people met caught it, etc. etc. There is no way it would be anything less then an epidemic whenever it is seen.

I prefer the idea that the obliterator cult is, well, a cult. With a specific patron bestowing these gifts on his followers that transforms the follower into an obliterator. If I was the GM I would make them figure out who the entity was, and then try to gain said entity as a patron. Also one requirement of said patronage would be that they must refrain from devotion to either of the four powers, and remain unaligned.