So we may have a custom tech-marine in the warband soon and some questions came up.

The Tm gets the mechanicus implants (or some version of them). What we got stuck on was the potentia coil. Some say they have it (since its a major part of the cyber mantle they get) while some say its merely the normal power source of the power armour that powers everything.

1) So the questions. Do or don't Techmarines have a potentia coil, or do they use the power armours core?

2) If they don't have a potentia coil, does that mean that they can never take their armour off as all implants simply shuts down?

3) If they do have a potentia coil, presumably they also have the power armour cell too, or are techmarine armour made to be powered by the potentia coil? (Since it seems techmarines usually craft their own armour).

4) The Servo-arm seem to be grafted to the armour. Is it the same with other mechadendrites too and the techmarine looses them if he ever leaves the armour, or is the armour customized to let them trough? Are they truly implants then or are they simply a part of a customized piece of armour?

Thankful for any answers on the questions. Cheers.

Techmarines are not tech priests, they are just initiates into the more basic rituals and rites of maintainence and general STC weapons tech. They have a foot in two worlds but are not wholly part of either.

As such barring any additional implants a techmarine may aquire they are just an of the shelf Astartes with improved technical training and some customised gear.

Also a servo arm is a part of a techmarines backpack, it runs off of his armour`s power system and is controlled via the black carapace.

For reference look at deathwatch techmarines.

To actually answer the posted questions:

1) So the questions. Do or don't Techmarines have a potentia coil, or do they use the power armours core?

According to Deathwatch, Techmarines start with the Mechanicus Implants trait. That includes a potentia coil.

2) If they don't have a potentia coil, does that mean that they can never take their armour off as all implants simply shuts down?

See above.

3) If they do have a potentia coil, presumably they also have the power armour cell too, or are techmarine armour made to be powered by the potentia coil? (Since it seems techmarines usually craft their own armour).

This might depend on the Marine in question. Dark Heresy has a Power Armour that is powered by a tech-priest's implants, but if a Marine wants a little more redundancy and a little less strain on his own coil, I don't think people would stop him.

(Additionally, Black Crusade's Potentia Coils can be depleted by talent usage, so they might not even be able to sustain an armour for a longer time)

4) The Servo-arm seem to be grafted to the armour. Is it the same with other mechadendrites too and the techmarine looses them if he ever leaves the armour, or is the armour customized to let them trough? Are they truly implants then or are they simply a part of a customized piece of armour?

Likely depends on the Marine again. From an engineering point of view, grafting the dendrite to the armour would make sense as any hole for a dendrite doubles as an automatic weak spot for enemies to exploit. Then again, if you expect to regularly shed your armour, using regular mechadendrites might be useful.

In my experience, that happens rather rarely though as most Marines wouldn't leave their armour behind in conditions they don't trust entirely. And since we're in the Black Crusade forum, it's quite likely your armour will fuse with you sooner or later anyway.

So we may have a custom tech-marine in the warband soon and some questions came up.

The Tm gets the mechanicus implants (or some version of them). What we got stuck on was the potentia coil. Some say they have it (since its a major part of the cyber mantle they get) while some say its merely the normal power source of the power armour that powers everything.

1) So the questions. Do or don't Techmarines have a potentia coil, or do they use the power armours core?

2) If they don't have a potentia coil, does that mean that they can never take their armour off as all implants simply shuts down?

3) If they do have a potentia coil, presumably they also have the power armour cell too, or are techmarine armour made to be powered by the potentia coil? (Since it seems techmarines usually craft their own armour).

4) The Servo-arm seem to be grafted to the armour. Is it the same with other mechadendrites too and the techmarine looses them if he ever leaves the armour, or is the armour customized to let them trough? Are they truly implants then or are they simply a part of a customized piece of armour?

Thankful for any answers on the questions. Cheers.

The way I got it;

1) Tech-Marines do have a Potentia Coil.

2) The Armour is not powered by the Potentia Coil.

3) The Armour is not powered by the Potentia Coil.

4) The Tech-Marine attaches his Mechadendrites and Servo-Arms to his armour. I would assume that they still run off the Armour PSU, but given that the Potentia Coil is likely interfaced into the Armour in order to be able to make any use of the Potentia Coil at all, this point is a bit moot. For all intents and purposes, I would consider the Potentia Coil and the PA PSU a single unit. If the PA PSU runs out of power, the Tech-Marine could likely charge it directly from his Potentia Coil (at least for a while). If the Potentia Coil runs out of power, I would assume that the Tech-Marine would be dead as a doorknob.

Thanks, there is now a Techmarine in the backburner if (or rather when) there is a open slot in the warband.

Another question. Is there anything that stops a techmarine from equiping a missile launcher/flamer/other heavy weapon on a servo-arm instead of the giant claw thingy? Kinda like a walking weapons platform?

Thanks, there is now a Techmarine in the backburner if (or rather when) there is a open slot in the warband.

Another question. Is there anything that stops a techmarine from equiping a missile launcher/flamer/other heavy weapon on a servo-arm instead of the giant claw thingy? Kinda like a walking weapons platform?

I believe what you are thinking of is a MIU Weapons Interface , and no, there isn't, really. It would be atypical for a Tech-Marine to not have their Servo-Arm, however, and I'd argue that you'd be somewhat hampered when doing certain things, but by the rules, no, I don't think there's anything stopping you.

If said techmarine has decided that he wants to emphasize his faith in the Omnissiah by trying to be close to a Mechanicus Secutor rather than an enginseer (or a Titan writ micro), then I see no problem putting together an MIU weapons interface with a heavy weapon based on a servo arm. I would require him to have both Mechadendrite Use talents to avoid the untrained penalty (one for ballistic mechadendrites, because duh, and one for utility mechadendrites because that's what the servo arm is based off of, and the servo arm does not act like other mechadendrites), but I could see a renegade Master of the Dark Forges equipped with artificier armour and two servo-arms, one with a plasma cannon and one with a daemon-bound heavy bolter (for the infinite ammo supply), or some such ridiculousness.

Since we are assuming the servo-arms are mounted to the armour, I could even see using modular mounts so that he could use the standard servo arm when performing maintenance on the Baneblade/Land Raider/Warhound Titan I'm sure at least one of your players wants to acquire.

And if none of them has thought of turning one of those into a Daemon Engine yet, ask them what in the Warp is wrong with them for me.