our tech priest gets all the love. we protect him, and put up with him welding himself in rooms while we fight daemons, and in return, he heals us when the psyker doesnt want to chance a warp roll, and upgrades all our good quality gear to best quality at a fraction of the cost

win/win i says!

now i just need him to compact this Nomad since no dealer would do it for me.....**** assassins and their low str scores.

Smokes said:

Hmmm, Compact a Nomad, what is the use?
Weight x 1/2, I can understand that
Damage -1, Okay, not good but not too bad
Range x 1/2, Why???
Clip x 1/2, 2 rounds suck...

Conclusion, your better of with a longlas with hotshot packs...or a plain Hunting Rifle with Man-Stopper Rounds, cheaper too

If compacting a Nomad doesn't fall under tech-heresy, I don't know what does...

Lol the tech priest in my game has been the MVP of downtime since he figured out how to craft arms and amor. Thanks to him, the guardsman now had a good quality, balanced powerblade(not sword) and an accurate, reliable bolt pistol. Mind you these things take weeks and months to augment, so he is only able to slowly accomodate the group, but they are glad to have him.

Yeah tech priests can get very fun to play, especially at 7th rank and a workshop. Not to mention, barring our psyker with Seal Wounds, he is the primary healer.

yep my stats were pretty horrid, however im one of three surviving members of Jlid's campaign (only being injured 2 or 3 times in 7 ranks..) Im curently using a long las with an overcharge pack, but the nomad just seems hands down better. Ive never been in combat beyond 100m so the half range isnt too big of a factor.

The fact that my str is 30 and my toughness 31 (having already spent 250 to raise it to 31) sucks, so weight is a huge factor with my character. Im wearing normal carapace arms and legs and a windriders chest. That encumbrance penalty comes up quick . I do have some Best Quality Xeno Mesh on the way, but keeping the gun around 5kg is my goal.

I can bend the TechPriests will about Tech Heresy abit as I keep his ass alive and support his claims of making servitors out of anything we find...plus it helps his real life alignment is chaotic evil

Well I do not think it is the class wich makes a character overpowered. It is rather the stats. My stats are Wp28 BS28 ST27 TO38* AG36 IT38* Per31 will38* fel28

* means I bough a single advance.

So nomatter how many cool weapon skill I can buy I will never become good at figthing. (As she is noble born (no not the background packacke, I rolled noble born hiver). I am rank 3. Running aroudn in a flak jacket and no additional implants, there simply have not been time for it. So I will concentrate on tech and later knowlegde skills.

My place in the group is not quite setteld yet as we had allot of players die and new once comming in. One of them being a sister being a pain in the ass trying to take over controll. But she is trying to being a leader since most others are new or not suited for leadership. She is descriped by another player as a psykopath and the new characters are starting to notice she is not to social abel And for some reason or other they do not want her help as medicae. We do nto have any psyker but just got another character in the group with medicae. Bu all in all she is the sane character in the group and atleast until last session the least corrupted.

My point is there is many ways to play a techpriest.

Dag, yo. Those stats aren't too hot. My Tech-Priest was looking like this at character creation:

WS 31 BS 36* S 35 T 42* Ag 30 Int 47* Per 26 WP 35 Fel 20

I min-maxed a bit as far as Home Worlds and background packages go, since I obviously didn't want to be underpowered. My current character is a Scum who rolled mutation on divination, and would up being Corpulent (+5 wounds and Unnatural Toughness (x2)), so his substats make him INCREDIBLY powerful (or rather, tough). Reducing damage by 12 at creation is **** fine. I always wanted a Tech-Priest who could soak damage so well.

You mean besides the fact that techpriests are amongst the most challenging and fun characters to roleplay and have some of the coolest background story?

Personal opinion inbound: I'd really really wish people would stop looking at the game mechanic side of things and more of the roleplaying possibilites, or maybe RPG groups arent what they used to be back when I started.

On the game side of things, as mentioned before, the techpriest is a solid choise because of the things he can get that others cannot, and when it comes to things to do with techy stuff, he's the go to guy...if you ask me, every group should have a tech priest in it!

just my two thrones.

Just thought i'd drop by and let you know the way i am playing my current tech priest.

I've taken the heresy background (yea corruptions a ***** with all those forbidden laws:P) born on a minor forge world. basicly means my character is from asmall planet that he 'chose' to leave and serve the inqusition having learned all this heretical stuff before anyone found out. But it means i have more knowledge at my disposal that works quite well with what you get to start with as a tech priest (and gives more reason to stay quiet and not give too much stuff away otherwise some people might come knocking at the door:P) so rather than just be a walking repair/healing shop i'm comming from the angle of being out in the universe to gather knowledge. But at the same time still being loyal to the adeptus mechanicus

And where better to learn about xenos and deamons ect than under the inquistions nose:P

Cryxx said:

Absolutely. I have the very same impression for a while now. It seems the media influences us all one way or the other and most players at least subconsciously are influenced by computer games (shooters and mmos mostly) and project it into RPGs. Stuff like 'balancing', loot and 'tanks' were not so much an issue 15 years ago (ok, loot was... ...

On-topic: I am rather happy that my groups Tech-Priest is played by the player with maybe the best role-play capabilities. He is obsessed with all kind of electricity and explosions. The only hindrance for him is his low Fellowship (also void-born...) and therefore the lack of social abilities to interact well with NPC's.

read the book. Alot of reasons!

read the book. Alot of reasons!

As far as tech-priests undercover, unless someone is specifically looking for an individual with specific augmentations, the tech-priest has an automatic, airtight, nearly perfect "cover".

A tech-priest.

They're everywhere technology is. They aren't particularly social, so they don't leave a lasting impression because they don't interact. Nobody really knows much about the machine cult unless they're part of it, so nearly any behavior *might* be atypical for the tech priest. How the hell would you know better?

Think of the IT weenies at work (I'm one of them). Most of them are socially inept to one degree or another, and many of them are just kind of "there" in the background unless you *have* to interact with one.

Describe to me the last Phone repair tech that you saw, what he looked like, specific details. I doubt anyone on this board could unless they made a specific effort to remember someone like that, and even then it might not be a good job.

Cryxx said:

Agreed, when I rolled randomly and ended up with a tech-priest I was a little excited and a little disappointed because it is hard to find a lot of information about the mechanus (at least I have had trouble). However, it has turned out to be one of the more exciting characters I have played once i got into the roll of being part of the Mechanus.

Also, having finally read Titanicus by Dan Abnett I have seen a lot of insight into the life on a forge, it explains a lot about the relations between Mechanus and Imperium. There really are so many possibilities with any class, but tech-priests have so many different paths to choose from. I love the fact that my group still enjoys the story more than the stats. Unfortunately our GM is always scared of us becoming too powerful so he doesn't allow certain things that our characters would otherwise enjoy.

I once saw, in a horrible display of min-maxing and theorycraft, a tech-priest who could one-hit almost anything that currently exists in statted format with a single swing of a melee weapon. Even when not delving into the dark arts of "optimising" a tech-priest (especially a Secutor) can be a force to be reckoned with.

I am loving my tech-priest!

Our group is currently just barely into rank 5 XP wise. I am the groups, medicae, driver (ground and space), navigator, "tank", demolition man, backup security guy, math/cryptology guy, and armorer.

I'm rocking out with a 35WS, 39BS, 50STR, 54T, 19AG, 42INT, 34PER, 27FEL. I thought I was golden until I triggered a trap (that I failed to even look for..lol) and found myself on the business side of a double rightous fury frag grenade. Yes, the DM rolled double 0's. 27 damage later, fate point burned. Hit 7 critical chest on explosive. Anywhere else and I would have been fine...ish. lol Lost 5 more fellowship from the scarring. I don't even see why physical fellowship/charisma even applies to a tech-priest. lol

The lesson? No matter how built you think you are, there's always something that will get you! haha

Thaddius said:

I was under the impression that area effect weapons could not achieve RF, I don't remember if I saw it in the rule book or maybe its just a house rule we use. My GM also likes to reserve RF only for the cool bad guys that are the equivalent of Acolytes of one of the Dark Gods (or more powerful...)

Side note, as you can see by the fact that tech-priests cannot purchase fellowship, it effectively doesn't apply unless you roll really well at character creation and never take any criticals that remove fellowship

Ahh, so true ^^

A tech priest I'm playing online has a breaching rig (adds 10 Strength ), and a breacher. I'm a very.....foreward man. We were requested by a villiage priest to help solve a murder before he'd allow us access to a chapel we needed to visit. Gave us a list of suspects, I went after the first one, a woman. I grabbed her and threatened to drill her face off until she confessed. Then I got arrested and realised;
"This is delaying the investigation!", so I managed to whip up a convulted illness, very Jeckyl and Hyde-esque, and a nice story about how the murder victim was a high ranking Ecclesiarch agent undercover. I never found out who the real murderer was though. I found evidence of an affair between the shopkeeper and the towns doctor, planted that in the shopkeepers bedroom, her husband found it and nearly murdered the doctor and I managed to pass him off as the murderer

^^^ Reminds me of when our group of Acolytes was under suspicion because our Inquisitor went rogue, a Lord Inquisitor arrested the group and told us to hand over our weapons and armor. My tech-priest called his bluff and refused telling him "He has no authority over the Mechanus". I thought he might be executed for refusing an Inquisitors orders, but turns out my actions ended up saving the day when the "guards" escorting us to the Inquisitorial Palace turned out to be hired to kill us. I was able to free myself and give one of my allies my power sword.

TheFlatline said:

No flexibility in role and inability to blend in with someone else is hardly a "cover". It's very conspicious when trying to infiltrate a cult. A tech-priest demonstrates his (former) allegiance and wouldn't normally want to join some other cult (unless it's a heretek cult where other acolytes might stand out).

I'd go as far as say that as a villain in Dark Heresy, I'd already have figured out that any that obviously non-homogenous band (especially one involving clashing beliefs - someone of the Cult Mechanicus hanging out with "normal" guys for some reason) is not just some gang, mercenary band, assassin guild or other cult or organization but probably the Inquisition. Because for those guys to work together, there must be something which is worth putting aside the differences. Just to illustrate what I mean: Almost any strike team sent against the players would not include a tech-priest (barring other cells). Even tho they might have to overcome technical difficulties too (you don't need a tech *cleric* to use tech, Tech-Use and Security suffice). Why? Because to initiate a tech-priest spells trouble, their allegiance lies elsewhere. It doesn't fit into the command structure of most organizations. Unlike other careers they can't hide it or would have to come up with a good explanation (not their forte). Unless the standard population, gang, organization ect. include similarly augmented guys without the Cult Mechanicus background, a tech-priest will always stand out. People standing out draw attention and will be remembered. Even moreso if they are new.

And I certainly don't allow IT weenies I don't know (or who can't identify themselves) to hang around my workplace. If someone was running around with arms, even in a uniform I know, I'd still not chalk them up as some guard or officer without at least some suspicion. Heck even janitors have to earn trust.

Chester said:

Ignorance is the tech-priests cover. While you are an educated person, of course you don't allow any old IT guy or armed people run around, but the average citizen in 40k is ignorant and doesnt know a tech-priest from a servitor. While a tech-priest will never be able to infiltrate a cult and pose as a member, any cell of acolytes with a tech-priest would more than likely be assigned missions that are more in line with what the cell is capable of.

Like I said, infiltrating cults is out, but tech-priests can fill many other rolls from medicae to adept, and since most citizens cant tell one tech-priest from another, it wouldn't be hard to pose as a local medicae or tech-repair person and gain inside knowledge from listening to the people. There are many more ways to gather intel than just infiltrating a cult that would not have a tech-priest.

I wouldn't say they have any better cover than any other character, any one of them could stand out in certain situations.

Emprah_Horus said:

This I would disgree with. Just like in the middle ages I'd expect people in a society where life is cheap to develop and apply a sense for who they gotta respect or not. They certainly would behave differently to a servitor (with no rights) than to a priest of the Ecclesiarchy or Cult Mechanicus (who could label something they do as heresy and get them killed). They would learn to tell an indentured labourer from more powerful members of society like nobles and treat them differently. Ignorance as in the Imperium is lack of knowledge not lack of caution. They can't get around a dangerous world without a sense for dangers and what can harm them (in this way it isn't really that different nowadays just the dangers are different).

Everything else you wrote is true, there are probably tech-priests in various professions and with varying power in the community: physicians, scribes, mechanics, shopkeepers, wandering monks (secretly in pursuit of something). But in DH certain careers are associated with membership of an Adeptus and being able to identify them on sight is not very helpful. A new tech-priest will always stick out because they can't disguise what they are and will sooner or later raise questions about their (or the Cult's) motives.

A successful villain is usually not ignorant of the dangers to his project. Infiltration as a tech-priest is almost impossible. Other strangers can hide their motives easier since they can pose as someone else than a member of a specific organization. Most importantly, other PC careers can disguise to not look like an eye-catching motley crew of different Adeptus. If I as a villain were to know that the newcomers are a sanctioned psyker, tech-priest, cleric, Sororitas and/or Arbites (where groups of people from other organizations, cults, guilds, corporations, noble houses ect. tend to be more homogenous), I'd almost immediately associate them with the =I=. Mostly because I'd wonder what their common goal is despite their different principles and approaches. Just to illustrate why being able to hide your allegiance, potential/power and place in society is so crucial to covert investigation.

In most missions acolytes will be the strangers on the scene. For infiltration any suspicion is dangerous. But even if you're just being or asking around, giving away as little as possible as to (wonder or doubt) why is a good thing. This way the other side has more options to rationalize it for themselves or consider a disguise plausible. It's the question "why is a techie ..." that can compromise a mission.

Chester said:

Ah, but they are absolutely invaluable if you want to infiltrate a group of hereteks ;-)

The point, if there is a Tech-Priest in the cell, there's probably a reason for such, and if there's a reason, if probably has to do with the on going plans of the groups inquisitor. If his ongoing plans involves a Tech-Priest, then, quite possibly, it'll involve a whole heck of a lot of those kinds of folks in which case, having a tech-priest can really help things out. Sure, you don't want to try and infiltrate a feral world neoluddite cult with a tech-priest, but by the same token, you probably don't want to try and infiltrate a heretek cult without one. They are specialized, but their inclusion doesn't limit the group so much as opens new doorways that weren't open before.

Beyond all that, why is everyone so stuck up on this "infiltrate cult x" thing? I have been running DH since April of last year and my players have only ever been involved in one story which involved infiltrating a cult- it lasted all of two game sessions (two weeks of real time). Two weeks out of over a years worth of gaming... there's a hell of a lot more to DH then infiltrating cults, so much more it's not even funny.

Even if you're just not wanting to draw attention, a tech-priest about his duties where other tech-priests are wont draw any attention... and they are about their duties anywhere there's heavy machinery in need of repair and maintenance. It would be like holding a Mormon under suspicion. We've all seen them on their bikes with their short sleeved white shirts, maybe even a couple have knocked on our door, but, more then likely, if they were taken off of their bikes and placed next to others in similar white shirts, we wouldn't be able to pick them out of a line-up. Once we identify them as a Mormon about their business (it's only if we see one way far out of their natural habitat that we might wonder) we don't think anything more of them or even commit their face to memory. They're supposed to be there so we go about our lives. The same would be true of the tech-priests. As long as they are conceivably about heir business, they won't be payed any mind... or possibly even ignored just to be on the safe side and go, for the most part, unnoticed. It's only when they step outside of where they're expected to be that folks will take notice. In that case, it's a simple matter of not assigning the cell cases that will definitly make the tech-priest stand out like a sour thumb. They'd the the Inquisitors key to Forge Worlds, excellent agents on Hive Worlds, space ships, space stations, anywhere else in the void, and can get to a lot of places on most Imperial Worlds (with a bit of caution) and mining worlds..

In the end, Tech-priests come off as some incredibly odd folks, but in 40k, they are down right normal. If there's machines about, there'll be Tech-priests about and anything that deviates from that would be what's weird, not cyborg preachers wandering about (they're normal, remember).