N0-1_H3r3:

Catachan

Characters from Catachan are treated as Feral Worlders with the following changes:

Instead of the traits Primitive and Iron Stomach , they receive the following traits.

Born Survivor
Catachan is one of the most infamous and deadly of Death Worlds, and its inhabitants are inherently very wary and cautious of their surroundings. Catachans receive the talents Light Sleeper and Paranoid, and increase their Perception by +3.

Native Familiarity
Catachans are all familiar with two things above all else - knives, and poisons. The former are familiar friends and allies, well-honed tools and weapons to use when trying to survive in one of the most hostile environments known to man. The latter are a natural consequence of a world where every plant an animal has a dozen ways to kill their prey. Catachans may treat Chem-Use as a Basic Skill, and may treat Trade (Armourer) as a Basic Skill in regards to knives only.

Insular
The men and women of Catachan are tight-knit survivors, largely unwilling to accept or deal on friendly terms with those who haven't endured the same kinds of trials that a Catachan faces on a daily basis from a young age. Catachans suffer a -5 penalty to their basic Fellowship.

As for why a Catachan would be in the Calixis Sector - Guard Regiments are almost always shipped off to worlds far from their home, to whatever warzone they've been sent to. As a world that produces almost nothing but Imperial Guard regiments, men and women of Catachan descent might be found far away from home..

N0-1_H3r3:

Cadians
Famous as a stronghold against the Arch-Traitor's legions, Cadia produces nothing but Imperial Guardsmen of the highest standards, and every man, woman and child on Cadia is raised in an environment of military discipline. Cities are fortified as a matter of course, civilians know how to strip-clean a lasgun in ten seconds and wear camouflage appropriate to their surroundings without a second thought, and vast armies of children clash in mock - but live-fire - battles across the alpine terrain.

Cadia is a world of warfare.

Cadian characters are treated as Imperial Worlders, with the following changes:

Replace Blessed Ignorance and Liturgical Familiarity with the following traits:

Cadian Youth Army
A Cadian child is taught to maintain and use a Kantrael-pattern Lasrifle before he or she learns to read, and the overwhelming majority of Cadian teenagers serve the Emperor in the Whiteshields - the youth armies of Cadia, from which the Imperial Guard and PDF regiments of Cadia recruit. In this time, they become hardened and toughened, able to endure long forced marches, resolute under enemy fire and proficient with the most iconic of Imperial Guard weapons - the lasgun.
Cadian characters start the game with the Basic Weapon Training (Las) and Jaded talents, and count their Toughness Bonus as one higher for the purposes of Fatigue only.

Militant Upbringing
Military discipline is as natural to Cadians as breathing. While this serves them well in the armed forces or on Cadia itself, it can distance them from those raised on less strictly-ruled worlds.
Cadian characters suffer a -5 penalty on all Fellowship tests and Scrutiny tests when dealing with 'civilians' - that is, any person who lacks experience of a military life.

Santiago:

The Death Korps of Krieg

After the annihilation of their home world hundreds of years ago the soldiers of the death Korps have been wandering the galaxy from one war zone to another trying to redeem themselves in name of the Holy emperor.

Wounds: 1d5+8

Careers:
• Guardsman
• Cleric
• Imperial Psyker
• Scum (though very few, most are just thrown in the frontline)

Ill Omened:
Because of their reputation for being brutal and because of the fact that they destroyed their own planet they receive a -5 to all Fellowship tests against people outside the Korps

Void Accustomed:
As per Void Born, DH page 21

War Wise
Due to fact they are taught that they are from a shameful lineage and that they should redeem themselves by dying honourably. They are taught the principles of war and the ways of the Korps since childhood.
Treat: Common Lore (War), Chem-Use, Scholastic Lore (Tactica Imperialis) as basic Skills

First Aid:
Can stop bleeding as a full round action (Int Test)

Military Training:
Any member of the Death Korps of Krieg must start with Pistol and Basic Weapon Training (Las), if they not start with it they can buy them for 100xp each from their starting xp.

TorogTarkdacil:

wow rules for kriegs I can´t miss it!

*reading*

So my statements:

Careers:
• Guardsman
• Cleric
• Imperial Psyker
• Scum (though very few, most are just thrown in the frontline)

maybe logic, but Krieg isn´t even a common militarised world, it´s FACTORY on soldiers (yeap also with assistants of Adeptus Biologicus), and it´s govern directly by Departmento Munitorium (so by offworlders) and only known Kriegs outside their homeworld are members of Death Korps.

So Guardsmen, maybe cleric (and heavily edited to fit the role of Quartermaster) and nothing other (there are zero tolerance of mutants and psykers within population on Krieg + krieg society is absolutly militarised, mind of every men is broken and rebuild stronger so, there are no (known) outlaws)

Ill Omened:
Because of their reputation for being brutal and because of the fact that they destroyed their own planet they receive a -5 to all Fellowship tests against people outside the Korps

absolutely correct

Void Accustomed:
As per Void Born, DH page 21

ehm, why this? How could Kriegs get resilence against gravity changes?

War Wise
Due to fact they are taught that they are from a shameful lineage and that they should redeem themselves by dying honourably. They are taught the principles of war and the ways of the Korps since childhood.
Treat: Common Lore (War), Chem-Use, Scholastic Lore (Tactica Imperialis) as basic Skills

Put Scholastic Lore (Tactica Imperialis) out, Kriegs are cannon fodder, not aristocratic soldiers as Jantines or Vulpinians (Korps officers also come from ranks of soldiers) and instead add Ciphers (War Cant) as Basic

First Aid:
Can stop bleeding as a full round action (Int Test)

ehm, intresting, but Death Korps take little care for wounded, so unlogic....

Military Training:
Any member of the Death Korps of Krieg must start with Pistol and Basic Weapon Training (Las), if they not start with it they can buy them for 100xp each from their starting xp.

peacekeeper_b:

I recall reading somewhere, that despite them being hivers, the planet Mordia has the highest suicide rate because of the world of perpetual darkness. So I think they still deserve some form of dark sight bonus, maybe not full fledged blind fighting or dark vision but some sort of low light edge.

Twilight Worlders: Due to the nature of their home world, Mordians are a bit more adapted to darkness and low light situations. After generations of living in hives their acute night vision has slowly been reduced, but they still have an edge in the dark then most imperial citizens.

Benefit Mordians reduce all penalties from darkness, fog, smoke and other light reducing effects by a value equal to thier WP bonus. If they spend a half action focusing thier senses, this modifier is doubled.

However, by the same note, flah bang effects obscure thier vision by the same margin, adding to the intial penalty of being blinded by overwhelming light.
_____

That benefit adds a bit of flavor to the Mordians without over balancing them.

N0-1_H3r3:

With Cadians, quite high, actually - Cadia isn't that far from the Calixis Sector (on a galactic scale, at least - travel less than a quarter of the way round the Eye of Terror and you're there. Consider that Eisenhorn is known to have travelled from the Scarus sector - next to the Calixis Sector - to Cadia and back at least once during his career). Obviously, Calixian characters will be more common than 'outsiders', but the idea of having a Cadian in a cell of Acolytes in the Calixis Sector isn't so far-fetched, simply given how relatively close the two sectors are.

Catachans... not so much; they're further away from Calixis, but it depends on the kinds of warzones present in the Calixis Sector - Catachans can be deployed all over the galaxy to fight in dense, innately hostile jungle environments, because they've got a reputation for being the best at it.

Further, worlds settled by soldiers from other sectors at the end of a Crusade often retain traditions and other elements from their homeworlds, which means that the Cadian rules could, for example, be used to represent those from Cadian-settled worlds within the sector.

That Catachan package is pretty much right on target. Nice work there.

As for that Cadian package... Definately needs work. You have taken any margin of literacy away from them and replaced it with.... Lasgun training? Granted, Cadians know how to strip a lasgun by about age 5, but still.... Nothing about their famed marksmanship? You also imply that the Cult Imperialis is somehow not as strong or influential on a fortress world guarding the one stable passage in and out of the Eye of Terror as say, a planet that grows wheat.

Pretty much any Cadian character concept that does not drift into oddity is likely to be a Guardsman or Imperial Psyker (and likely a Primaris battle psyker or astropath at that!) and then you slap them with a -5 Fel penalty when dealing with non-military types? This pretty much pigeon-holes two careers that are already notably lacking in social skills and saddled with hefty Felowship improvement costs. Also of note, the "free" lasgun training from above is part of the starting package for Guardsmen, and Psykers start with laspistol and easy access to lasgun. Because Cadia exists in a permanent state of martial law, it has NO Arbitrators. Instead 10% of all soldiers are diverted from service in the Imperial Guard at the time of their graduation and posted instead to the Interior Guard regardless of performance levels during training, producing excelent quality PDF troopers to guard the homeworld. Fully 71.75% of the planetary population is under arms! (Codex: Eye of Terror)

The unusual tradition known as "the Making" on this world is also worthy of note. At age 10 a Cadian youth is taken out to a wilderness island and left naked for a month. If they survive, they are now fit for service and are promptly shipped off to train in one of the "Whiteshields" youth army units. These are not cub-scouts, but rather newly minted soldiers for Cadia's only export: Cadian Guardsmen! Strongly consider including Survival skill in a starting Cadian package. Swimming is also a safe bet. In my game Resistance (Cold) is available to a starting Guardsman from Cadia for 100xp due to their harsh winters and constant training, likewise Concealment skill at the skilled (+0) level can be bought for 100xp because of constant camouflage training enforced with the Whiteshields.

One good inspiration comes from the "Gunmetal City" alternate background (Inquisitor's Handbook). These are basically hivers, but they are culturally centred around handguns. No really, even by Imperial standards! They are given a +5 to BS but eat a penalty to dice rolls if they are ever caught without a pistol or out of ammo. Cadians are clearly not so obsessed with a single weapon type as Gunmettalicans, but the constant training and marksmanship is AT LEAST as good as the hive gunslingers. They likewise are less concerned about one particular ammo type running out, as a Cadian will cheerfully use a bayonet, tent stake, entrenching tool, autocannon or a Leman Russ battle tank to kill their foes if their lasgun runs dry. Give them the +5BS but replace the unarmed panic drawback with "Stubborn" or possibly "Grim". Cadians are famously stubborn once set to a task and are not keen to back down, even if it might be good for them. In the tabletop game Cadian squads will fight on when outnumbered, reduced well below half-strength and other feats of extreme bravery (Iron Discipline officer upgrade trait). It is said that what a Cadian does best is "die for the Emperor." Most Imperial commanders likewise consider Cadian Shock Troopers to be the best of all the various Imperial Guard fighting forces. The elite Kasrkin are downright legendary!

ZillaPrime said:

Unsurprising. I wrote it in under five minutes on a whim, using nothing but gut instinct to determine whether or not it worked. It shouldn't be expected to be award-winning...

ZillaPrime said:

You're ignoring one important thing - I can't just add abilities and expect it to remain comparable to the normal Imperial World origin. Something has to be removed for something to be added.

I'm aware of their background... but there is only so much that can be covered and only so many benefits that can be given in a single, short, entry that's still reliant on the Imperial Worlder origin as its basis. Were the package to contain everything you've suggested or equivalent, it would be far more attractive an option than every other origin already in the game, because it would grant more bonuses and have essentially no drawbacks.

Attilans:

Feral World Template

Repace Iron Stomach with "Talented: Animal Wrangling"

Add Animal Wrangling as a basic skill.

For 100xp at character creation Atillans may take the Exotic Weapon Talent "Blasting Lance"

Blasting Lance:

Dam 2d10+4 (adds strength damage), DAM X, Availability Rare (Scarce on Attila), cost 65

One Use, Impact Trigger (can only be used on a charge, if the charge is done on horseback, double the strength bonus)

Good luck getting the Inquisitor to book passage for your horse.

I thought I'd mention about the death corps of Kreig.

Kreig still exists, it's a hell hole after the loyal Kreig responded to a rebellion by purging the world with atomics but it does still exist.

People from Kreig (or Kreigians as I am now going to call them) have an incredible disregard for human life even for the standards of the imperium. Examples include the aformentioned atomic purging of their homeworld. Their training which takes place in the horror of the surface of Kreig which is basically the worst parts of the Somme and Stalingrad combined, spread over a planet and throw in the fact that biological, chemical and atomic weapons were used with abandon during the civil war (which went on for hundreds of years). This training also includes live fire exercises and so with this and the environment has high casulty rates before they even get into battle. They have men who comb the battle field stripping weapons, clothing and anything else of use off dead, dying and wounded soldiers. They only really give medical treatment to those who can get back under their own steam so as not to waste resources on soldiers who won't be returning to battle. Add to this the fact that they grown more then born using techniques that border on tech heresy and you get the impression that Kreigians are going to creap more normal people out and also that they are probably going to be ignoring most things that happen to other people.

I'd say that they would have more then -5 to fellowship myself, I'd also have to give them something about insanity as quite frankly I doubt any Kreigian is sane in the first place. Also maybe something about haveing a -5 to all skills if they are outside without their gasmask (as it's probably been drilled into them quite a lot during their lives)

It´s Krieg, and name of its inhabitants in plural is "Kriegs" ,) I´m in serious love with this guys (by the way, I would describe the world as cross between WWI trenches, Stalingrad and 12 Monkeys underground hitted by Dr. Manhattan on bad day and both World Wars turned up to 11 millions.)

Since this thread was posted, two things happened: Inquisitor´s Handbook and Rogue Trader Core Rulebook, which contains two origins closest "fluff-wise" to the Krieg: Volg Hive and Death World.

So here is my recent take on Krieg characters for Dark Heresy (still WiP and not tested yet), what do you think?:

Krieg (Hive World)

Starting Skills : Common Lore (Death Korps, War)

Hardned

May choose Jaded or Resistance (Toxins)

Grim

Starting Willpower 25+2D10, starting Fellowship 15+2D10, 1D10 insanity points

Die-hard survivors

+10 to resist any Shock or Pinning test

To retreat is defeat!

Gain Hartred (Heretics), must pass a Willpower bonus to disengage from combat (similiar to Fearless talent)

Sidenote: don´t forget, that roughly at the same time as "official" time setting of Dark Heresy, there´s Siege of Vraks campaign starting at neighbour Scarus Sector, featuring millions od Death Korpsmen. And I wouldn´t spoil you much, when I´ll write, that this campaign would intrest Holy Ordos some decade and half later...

I think Krieg is more of a death world now than a hive world. They definitely have the survivor type than the live in a crowded city type now.

Mordian

Hive World

Embittered: Mordians base characteristics are T20, Fel15, WP25

Iron Guard starting package:

cost 200pts

Command Skill

Iron Discipline Talent

Hatred: Chaos

Iron Guard suffer a -10 to fellowship tests against chaos cultists and rebels.

Was reading a fan based comic/story, and saw a group that I thought would be hilariously wonderful to play

mr-culexus.deviantart.com/art/Ragged-Edges-Milly-Carlyle-143031729

Just the idea of playing a truly explosives minded character strikes me as fun, hilarious, and would present some interesting RP opportunities.

Mind you, I'm basing this off this single character, so if anyone happens to know more about Drook then I do, please feel free to chip in on my crazy Scot/Irish Drunken demoguys.

This is about everything I have done with this one, and it's still a rough idea.

Drookian Guard

Starting Skills: Basic(Launcher), Heavy (Launcher) instead of the normal weapon skills

Stats:

WS: 15

BS: 25

S: 20

T:20

A:20

Int: 20

Per:20

WP: 20

Fel: 20

Unsure what else to do yet.

Regarding Kylen's Drookian idea:

Not sure I would tweak the WS and BS to offset each other like that, as I can't picture soldiers from that world neglecting "up close and personal" fighting skills to that extent. I am guessing the idea here was to reflect the "disturbingly accurate" with launcher weapons theme? A better approach might incorporate the "weapon master" special ability from the RT Arch-Militant career (specifying "Launcher") at the expense of one of some of the usual homeworld starting perks. The catch here is that the weapon master special ability is POWERFUL! +10% to hit, +2 damage and +2 initiative when using a weapon of the appropriate class is rather gross for a starting character so it probably would need to be stripped down a bit. Maybe give them a +5% bonus to hit with launcher class weapons at the expense of the usual +3 Will bonus that normal Imperial World characters get? It reinforces the dangerous but not all that disciplined theme.

Most weapon training comes from the career, though I must admit a rather limited knowledge of this particular planet (anyone have some details to share?). I would be hesitant to include Heavy (Launcher) in any starting package. Assuming Guardsman, maybe a variant on starting weapons talents? Example: Melee (Primitive), Pistol (Primitive) or (Las), Basic (Las), Basic (Primitive) or (SP) or (Launcher). Since Guardsmen gain access to grenade launchers at rank 2 anyways it is not really unbalancing, plus the poor Guardsman has a limited grenade budget.

Alternate starting gear: Sword, axe or hammer, flintlock pistol (12 shots) or laspistol (1 pack), lasgun (1 pack), knife, flak-kilt (AP 3 body, legs), IG flak helmet (AP4 head), Drookian IG uniform, warpaint, 1 week rations, Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer, choice of one additional weapon: A) bow (10 arrows) B) musket (12 shots) C) shotgun (12 shells) D) grenade launcher (4 frag grenades) E) greatweapon

These are more or less crazy "Scottsmen in Spaaaaace!" that have a disturbing fondness bordering on Orky for "things wha' go BOOOM!" as far as I can tell. Since he is likely to inflict this on me if his current character dies I would welcome any alternate approaches to this that I have missed and of course info on the planet.

Hmmm...

Guess this tells me to actually do a chunk more reading before trying to write stuff up. That, and not try to do stuff at 3 AM >.>

No Valhallans? Easy remedied...

Valhallan Origins Package

The planet of Valhalla lies in the dense layer of stars in the heart of the the Ultima Segmentum. Millennia ago the planet was a thriving and lush world, with broad wide oceans separating the vast polar continents a world known as a paradise planet, far from the dangers of the rest of the galaxy. All of this was destroyed in an instant. One night the people of Valhalla saw an ominus new star in the sky, it was a comet made of almost pure Iron, blast after blast of laser energy was fired into the thing but nothing made a dent in the vast mound of rock. The planet gave into to despair until the comet hit, a chunk a mile wide splitting from the main meteor and devastating the northern continent and spraying dust far into the atmosphere. The main body of the comet struck deep into the middle of the seas striking with enough force to knock the planet a further 6 million miles from its sun.

When Valhalla came to a rest it was a very different planet, the ice spread from the seas and the water and dust in the atmosphere blocked all light from the planet, almost every native life form died out and the people clung desperately to the last shreds of land until at last these disappeared under the ice. Valhalla had become an Ice World, its people living in tunnels in the kilometre thick ice. After months of cannibalism and starvation, hope was restored when a nutrious algae broth was created, enough to feed the cold bodies now hunkered in the cold tunnels.

The Valhallans thought that fate had finished with them, it had not. In a final cruel twist a damaged fleet of Ork ships crashed on the planet. Virtually immune to the cold the Orks launched a devastating attack on the Ice holes and shelters of the Valhallans, who fell back under the fury of the greenskin assault again and again until finally there spirits snapped. The Valhallans fought with a passion and the war grew ever more vicious, tunnels collapsed and every inch of ground paid for in the blood of both sides. The tales of courage in this struggle would and have filled volumes, needless to say the Valhallans eventually won, a last desperate struggle in the food processing plant spelling beginning of the end of the Ork threat. The struggle left an indelible mark on the Valhallans soul, a sense of bitter irony resolute defiance has been etched on every inhabitant since.

Valhalla is now a world of eternal winter, kilometre thick ice covers the surface while bitter storms whirl across the planet and scour the snows clean. Its people live under the skin of the world in vast frozen caverns. Huddled together for warmth from the ever present cold. Venturing up to hunt the few creatures that have adapted to the cold and harvest the bitter Tanna leaves that thrive on the ice. Despite this Valhallans are still fiercely proud of both themselves and their homeworld and are utterly at home amidst the ice and snow.

Use the Imperial World as a starting template, replacing the Blessed Ignorance and Liturgical Familairty traits with the following

Kings of Ice
The children of Valhalla are taken to its icy surface and taught the mystery of survival on the Ice almost from the time they can walk. Parents and Grandparents consider it a duty to inure their offspring against the harsh climate of the world.
Benefit - Valhallans treat Navigation and Survival as basic skills, gaining a +10 bonus in icy conditions. However Valhallans are not at all used to the warmth of even a temperate world and all tests will be at –5 in tropical or desert enviroments. With fellowship suffering a –10 modifier as the Valhallans sweats and curses in the infernal heat

Ancient Grudge
Growing up on Valhalla the children are told stories through the long nights of the evil of the Orks, of how they came and struck the Valhallans in their most desperate hour. Every child of the snows fosters a deep grudge against the greenskin menace and they make some of the best Ork hunters in the Imperium
Benefit – Valhallan characters gain the Hatred (Orks) talent

Hmm..

Drookian Guardsman

As Imperial World, but replace Blessed Ignorance with

Explosive Childhood:

Drookians are around explosives, grenades, and other such devices from birth. All Drookians have a +10 modifier with Demolitions and Basic(Launcher) weapons. How ever, due to this upbringing, all Drookians are a bit on the kooky side, starting the game with 1d5 insanity points.

Artaxerxes said:

Probably change the skills given by Hagiography to Resistance Cold, Survival, and Sound Constitution, Add Hatred (Orks) and the -5 penalty in tropical environments and you've rounded them out a bit more. You get an acolyte that's a little tougher than normal Imperial worlders, but not as educated. Just don't take him to Catachan and you're fine.

The Glen said:

Nobody should be sent to Catachan anyway. It's a world so hostile to human settlement that simply surviving it to the age of 12 is considered superior training to that given to Imperial Guardsman on 90% of the worlds in the Imperium.

N0-1_H3r3 said:

Although seemingly enough people survive that they provide just under half of the Galaxies Imperial Guard, or so they would have you believe.

from france

i agrre no one should be send to catachan. but yes they do provide a lot of regimental size unit. because THEY ARE BORN in catchan and the background show it. in a world when few people grew up to twelve and more it somewhat they one of their fewe economic ticket. they are no chance that a tourist hunter circuit bring people to catchan. they are no holidays no casino there. people mus born there or die but they cannot come from other place and adapt. hostile word who atract hunter for example are not as dangerous as this one.

i don't think that even the beast house or the menagerie (how delicious this word is in my tongue) have men fits for this place.

cadian are excellent soldier because is their only life and they have raised to be . catchan a re good soldiers because they lived long enough. that the difference. the common thing is that they have no other option.

Praetorians:

A corrupt and decadent Hive World near Port Bakka, has some of the most disciplined troops in the Imperial Guard.

Rules:

Callous: Characters suffer -10 in Fellowship checks against Praetorians unless the character possesses the trait Air of Authority. In addition Praetorians start with Jaded

Decadent: Replaces Caves of Steel, Praetorians gain the trait Talented: Decadence