A few of the backgrounds just seem to be either useless or just odd. For instance, why is it that an Arbiter is better at chipping away cover then a guardsman? I never knew they spent so much time practicing shooting walls.

The Arbiter should get unique use from something like intimidation, interrogation, or even investigation. Maybe something like brute force interrogation, to allow the Arbiter to have a unique action to use unarmed attacks to lower someone WP for interrogation. That has a bit more flavor then shooting walls.

Any other good suggestions we can give for the Arbiters?

How about the skill from ascenscion but nerfed?

Hammer of the Emperor: +10 to intimidate towards a certain group - pick one: Mutants, Heretics or Rogue Psykers.

I think that the Arbites get bonus for fighting in cover because they are trained exclusively for urban, built up conflict. Think Judge Dread here, how many times do you see him shooting people through walls or other apparent cover? Their entire equipment is based on close quarters urban conflict. They might not know how to dig trenches, or how to walk through a jungle without getting eaten, but they are the Imperium's best trained urban fighting force on a man for man basis (for non-augmented humans).

Still, a bonus to the social aspect of the class may be more fitting, but I think an angry shotgun wielding Arbites should be the guy you least want to meet inside a small apartment building in the depths of the Hive.

Their exclusive training should be tied maybe an "Arbitrator" elite advance talent tree, or just the BS talent tree.

Keep in mind that just because your background is Adeptus Arbites, your not necessarily an arbitrator.

Invoking the name of the Organisation in which you were employed would be suitable if you were say, a clerk in the team, or a Verispex adept.

"Do you know who I work for???" Type thing- and Intimidate works for both social characters, and heavy melee/shotgun wielding characters. Not to mention the idea of giving the players options depending on which enemy he's specialized in beating up or scaring.

"I've filed the paperwork for hundreds of mutants!!!"

"I've filed the paperwork for hundreds of mutants!!!"

"You know how many scums like you I've executed for less than that? I don't even know anymore, I lost count somewhere between when the Provost told me some Khornate cult was idolizing me and when the Precinct asked me to reduce ammunition and crematory expenses. But one more won't make a difference; I'll just file you under accidental discharge of weaponry, the clerks will get a chuckle out of it, and I might even get to switch this old boomstick for one of those new automatic shotguns."

This is something worth working in because the Arbites are a big organization. Sure, you have Enforcers kicking it Robocop-style on the mean streets if the hive with a smoking shotgun in each hand, but then you also have a number of interrogators, detectives, and even the forensics dudes (Verispex).

Apparently my years spent tracing bullet trajectories have made me a shotgun-toting badass, and talking to all of those convicts taught me how ti destroy cover.

Options options options is the mantra for CharGen.

Keep in mind that were limited in terms of space though- I think that giving the option as to the target of the ability instead of a choice of multiple abilities is better and is likelier to go trough in the final version.

Intimidate fits quite well with anybody that might work for this particular organisation, but i will admit that its a bit lack-luster (a +10 to intimidate is cool but its missing an Umph!" .

Maybe an extra +10 to scrutiny/observation when dealing with the the group of your choice as well? A keen eye at detecting mutations, rogue psykers or heretics?

Maybe give them a bonus to intimidate and allow them to use it instead of other skills for information gathering and other stuff (maybe some acquisitions as well) when dealing with criminal elements, using the fear of bringing down the law on them to make them comply.

One of my players suggested a much bigger bonus, +20/+25, but you loose subtlety when you use it.

I do think some of these things would work well with some clarification. Some of the bonuses make sense without explanation, but some are a bit odd, this one included.

Now, I think it is meant to represent being used to "urban combat", so just something like calling it "Urban Riot Suppression Procedures" or something would just make it clearer why these guys get bonuses.

However, yes, if the background is meant to represent anyone who worked for the Judges, not just the Judges themselves, then it seems an odd choice of bonus.

Judging from the Arbites background description (pun not intended), Adeptus Arbites characters are supposed to fill the role of the DH Arbitrator class. Your choice of role will determine whether you are more like Judge Dredd or Sherlock Holmes, but all Arbitrators frequently use force to bring criminals to justice. Because of this, I think the current bonus fits the class quite well.

An Arbiter's line of work would put him/her into conflict with a wide variety of scum, heretics and mutants -- they enforce the Emperor's Law wherever needed rather than focusing on a specific group of criminals. While a social/investigative bonus when dealing with a particular group sounds like an interesting idea, I don't think it really fits an officer of the Arbites.

There's nothing to really support the notion that Arbiters are superior in urban combat than guardsmen. Someone's combat abilities depends entirely on where they're from. Yes, an Arbiter from a Hive World would be really good at urban combat, but then so would guardsmen from Hive Worlds. Death Korps and Vostroyans, anyone? They're urban combat masters. On the other hand, Catachans and Tallarn regiments are not, and neither are arbiters who aren't on Hive Worlds.

So, I don't see the fluff precedent for this.

For an Arbites class, I'm definitely on-board for some kind of boost to interrogation or intimidate. Either a flat bonus to rolls, or even a "once-per-session, may re-roll a test and take the better roll" option would be cool.

A Suffering Marshal is no less an Arbitrator than a stereotypical Judge Dredd sort. Urban combat is not a cnstant for Arbitrators. Having authority is, however.

I'm really growing concerned with the inconsistent nature of the background options. It seems that more often than not, the divide between the option and the role is illusory.

I agree with that, which is why I would go for a choice of specialization based on the Organisation itself regardless of your role inside of it.

Every time I look at this rule, the following scene plays out in my head…

Arbitrator: “Wall corner!! You are hereby charged with interfering with the duties of an officer of the Adeptus Arbites and aiding & abetting a known fugitive by providing him cover! How do you plea?!”

Wall Corner: “…”

Arbitrator: “I KNEW you’d say that!” *BLAM* *BLAM* *BLAM*

Seriously, though; this was one of the first rules I tossed out; I just find it WAY to random and situation-specific. Instead, I allow characters with Arbites background to use basic melee weapons one-handed with no penalty (since all the Arbitrator models for Necromunda depict them wielding Shock Mauls with one hand).

That's what the recoil glove is for...

I wasn’t sure from the verbiage whether recoil gloves work for all basic weapons or only ranged weapons, as the text specifically reads “… can fire a basic weapon…”