They were mentioned in the Lathes, and have been referenced throughout Warhammer 40K history all over the place really. Usually ferocious fighters, etc, etc and all that.

Now, my question is this: does FFG ever intend to actually do anything on them? Either as a background package or as an alternative character rank?

Please let me know if they have already, but I've got most of the Dark Heresy stuff, and I've honestly found nil on them.

Major_Blackhart said:

I think there's some info on them in either the old Necromunda Tabletop Game, or in Inquisitor. Can't remember exactly what it said though.

The thing with Chrono Gladiators as characters is that they're going to die. That is the central notion at the heart of the concept - a Chrono Gladiator's body contains a ticking clock which will kill him after a set amount of time, with additional time added with every kill. They aren't characters permitted the luxury of patience, subtlety or discretion - they have to kill, because every minute they don't kill is a minute closer to their own demise.

Rules for Chrono Gladiators, and an accompanying model, were released for Inquisitor, as something analogous to Arco-flagellants (living weapons more than actual people).

I thought that they were people who had committed crimes for the most part and were put to work in gladiatorial arenas for the entertainment of others with a countdown timer that explodes their hearts otherwise.

But they were still people, not servitors. I liked the thought of a gladiator being 'rescued' by an Inquisitor, with his clock stopped at a relatively low time limit, that way if he ever fails or displeases the man in some way, bye bye. If used as a background package, he'd have uses of implant weapons (ranged and melee) and something like melee weapon training (chain) as starting traits, along with some sort of bionic replacement.

If used as an alternative career rank, could be an interesting one for Guardsmen, Assassins, and Scum alike, increasing their combat proficiencies, granting access to various implant weapons like the Maltek stalker, etc, etc. but would require a Techpriest to perform all the upgrades, and the clock could be something that's optional based on the GM's discretion or something.

I think it's a possibility, but one that is similar in style to that of a Maltek Stalker, only instead of an assassin with a bit of discretion, he's a drugged out raging psycho with all the discretion of an atom bomb.