[OOC] Grim Darkness, Only War, You Know The Drill.

[SomeChap]

@Eisenhorn

Yeah, exploding is pretty much the whole job description (and the only thing getting you out of the Guard, pretty much). As for the squads, there is a few million guardsmen posted on the starting world (Civilized world with an outrageous population, ho!) so there'd probably be dozens to hundreds of psyker control squads. That is of course, if the GM allows such a development, I'd seen no reason to not have them - the entire subsystem is already made up.

I know he's the god of illness and disease, but hampering your own forces (since not all illnesses are THAT useful...) seems rather stupid. Especially since Nurgle is the 3rd most powerful of the gods, no where near Khorne and Tzeentch. But yeah, worshipping any god is a sure way to end up as a mutated mass of flesh and weirdness.

[Eisenhorn]

@SomeChap

Hell, any psyker that isn't an Eldar (Ancient cheating space elves that they are), Librarian (They might go traitor, but I've not heard of them exploding overly often), and Chaos Sorcerers (Right proper ones, not the crazy witches and unsanctioned psykers that explode even faster than Sanctioned Psykers do) has this nasty habit of meeting a terrible fate. Blessed with suck, indeed. Ork wierdboyz? Literally will 'eadbang if too much latent build up happens. Already discussed the majority of Imperial psykers, chaos non Sorcerers tend to live short, daemon filled lives, if it wasn't for all the nifty powers, and being born with it, seriously doubt most folks would willingly go into that field.

Khorne is probably the safest of the four, since as long as you're killing for the Blood God, the mutations are relatively tame in comparison to the other three. Tzeentch is literally sorcery, mutation, scheming and all that, so good luck not becoming a mass of mutated flesh. Nurgle, well, we've beaten that horse enough to prevent even the plague from raising it from the dead. Slaanesh is, well, when talking about a god of excess, in all things, that tends to not end very well for any party even remotely involved. And somebody help those poor sods that still try to pull the whole Malice/Malik thing of chaos turned on chaos. Almost no one seems to remember him, and enjoy having pretty much everyone in the universe hate you.

[Moonman]

Have a gander at my finished character sheet.

Additions due to starting experience, specialty, and regiment have already been applied, naturally.

[SomeChap]

@Eisenhorn

Well I guess being a psyker isn't really a choice most people have, especially with all the black ships roaming about the place detecting psykers. Something about Orkz: All orkz are latent psykers to some degree - that's why weirdboyz are more powerful and whatnot when around more boyz. So yeah, really the psykers in our squad will have a somewhat hard time I imagine if we fight orkz. But yeah, overall all psykers apart from cheating elf bastard ones, explode pretty regularly.

Yeah, Khorne is happy along as you kill people and generally shed blood. His mutations would probably just make you far better at being a whirlwind of close combat death. Though Nurgle is pretty predictable - just throw diseases at them! Tzeentch remains avian, and his mutations normally mirror that (when they don't turn people into horror monsters and tentacles) avian aesthetic.

Slannesh... Slannesh is like a mixture of /d/ and some of the creepiest people in the whole of humanity. Malik is a fun thing to talk about, just that he doesn't exist - probably.

[Eisenhorn]

@SomeChap

Oh yea, that whole latent Ork field of psyker energy tends to royally supercharge the wierd boyz, hence them hating being around other orks. Warbosses don't care, and drag em along since they are too useful to leave behind. And if memory serves, it isn't so much that orks are all latent psykers, rather, they generate this low level, ambient energy that fuels the fact that, if enough orks believe in something, it works. Hence, why the red ones indeed go faster, orks believe its true. But we can all agree that the cheating elf bastards don't explode nearly as often as they should.

I had plans, in Black Crusade, to run a Khornate sniper. Clarity of purpose mutation, if RNGesus was kind, would have given him hate: everything and enemy: everything. The idea of the sniper who sits back, watching everyone move forward, would be possessed with the urge to shoot anything that moved pleased me greatly. I steer well clear of anything that praises Slaanesh specifically, nothing good ever comes from them. Or any of the Chaos Gods, really, but steering clear works wonders in life expectancy.

@Moonman

Nice, pretty much blew my psyker's stats out of the water in most categories.

[SomeChap]

@Eisenhorn

Which is weird, since all Orkz generally like being around each other (if not for the latent psychic field then at least for a good old scrap to earn the morning meal worth of teef.) Man, I just hope we don't even see a warboss in this game - not because I don't want to die, but just because we'd all die. Oh, is it just a field? I thought they were all pretty much psychic? I haven't read up Orky lore in quite a while (and GeeDubs are not known for being consistent...or competent, heh)

He worships Khorne, hate: everything, should just be a natural trait for all Khornates. But yeah, that sounds hilarious man, just a constant stream of "oh, sorry! Didn't see you there...!" Slaanesh worshippers are just, nah man. Strange stuff happens way too often when it comes to chaos, though honestly serving the Emperor doesn't seem to aid in life span either....

[Eisenhorn]

@SomeChap

Yea, I don't think it was the fact that all orks are latent psykers, or else they all could become weird boyz at random. I might be wrong, Orky lore ain't my strong suit. Always been a fan of the Guard first, and Imperial loyalist in general. That would be my strongest lore recollection, to be honest. So they might be, but it seems a bit odd to me, without going and reverifying all the gory details that our ever so loving overlords at GeeDubs are ever so consistent in. (Cue blatant sarcasm)

I don't think he would be apologizing, considering the guy was using some toxic needle rifle from the Black Crusade core rulebook. Trait set up let him make called shots at no penalty, but it took full round actions to do it properly, and having no compunctions about shooting anything that moved would have been fun. Strange stuff happens period with Chaos, the flavor just changes. And living in the 41st Millenium doesn't aid in the life span, let's be completely honest.

[SomeChap]

@Eisenhorn

An all weirdboy Ork army...now THAT is something to see! A fellow guardsman, I see. Luckily for the Imperium, while making this RP, we used logic to ensure some of the finer points of the Imperium actually..make sense for once. But man, all weirdboyz would make for such an insane (literally) encounter. Ah GeeDubs logic... I both love and hate it, and its the main reason why a lot of the stuff I do in 40K revolves somewhat around head cannon so stuff actually makes more sense instead of their grimderp logic. - So the guard are actually competent, as are PDF, no longer just moronic lemmings with flashlights.

Oh jesus, that thing. One of the GM's I had, had an assassin try to use one against us - it was hilarious...until one of our Chaos SPESS MAHREENS started to dissolve from the inside out. Though yeah, snipers can be scary as all hell in this game due to the fact that they actually hit most of the shots they fire - little like heavies. Yeah... average lifespan is probably a case of: "Until you join the guard/be called a heretic/are otherwise imploded and murdered.

[Eisenhorn]

@SomeChap

That....would be either terrifying or self destruct before it made it half a dozen paces. And the finer points of the Imperium, making sense? A miracle indeed, thank the Emperor. And I tend to see GeeDub logic as sort of hit or miss. Sometimes it works well, other times, well, better off sticking to the Black Library and their authors approaches to things. Some of them, granted, and biases have to be taken into account. It's sometimes nice to see the PDF as more than heretics running around in lemming garb for once. And I don't mind if the Guard aren't 100% competent, especially if they are just some whiteshield regiment raised up to literally be cannon fodder, kind of makes sense they aren't the best soldiers. But some of it is far too grimderp to take seriously.

Ahh, you know it, then? The chaos SPESS MAHREENS quickly stopped laughing after they saw what it did to whatever unfortunate sodder that got tagged by the rifle and actually made it through any armor. He was also typically the only sane guy of the group, which is rather impressive for a chaos warband, at least that was until he would have jumped tracks to Khorne. I think average life span is until plot demands you're homeworld gets wrecked by the threat of the week. Or you're drafted to go deal with threat of the week. Or you are the threat of the week. Really no winning.

In other news, fleshed out the regiment as well as wrapped up my sanctioned psyker. I do not have high hopes for his odds of survival, but RNGesus be damned, I'm sticking with him.

[SomeChap]

@Eisenhorn
Yeah it would, it'd wreak everything ever...or fizzle and automatically die. Yeah, oddly enough it mainly involved making changes which were actually quite obvious really - like the fact that the Forge worlds are so assbackwards when it comes to doing stuff, and even the Astartes aren't nearly as retarded when it comes to combat doctrine and recruiting. GeeDubs used to be pretty amazing with lore regarding most things though things recently have taken a downhill turn. Yeah, the PDF have always been downtrodden and otherwise just downright pathetic in all things - so we made them into an actual fighting force capable of ACTUALLY defending a world from attacks. I agree there, whiteshields should be terrible, I mean it's Joe and Jim the farmers from some backwards area - they haven't got a clue what a lasgun IS let alone how to use it. But overall the guard should be a competent and determined force.

SANITY IS FOR THE WEAK!!! But having sane members of a warband does help somewhat - stops the ceramite blender that is a berserker from charging into baneblades for example. Though yeah, that sniper is just scary powerful, like Tyranid biotoxins level scary.

Average lifespan depends also on whether you are crucial to the plot or a named character... who apparently can survive being in the warp alone for multiple months... (Talking about the Ultramarines books by Graham MacNeil here.) But yeh.

[SomeChap]

These are the stat rolls for our resident Psyker - turned commissar, @MaxxRocker

puu.sh/o17Pu/69deaef766.png
puu.sh/o17S9/fe58f8f5a9.png

And to replace his lowest (a 27) he rolled: puu.sh/o1848/d0c2d2eaf0.png

[Eisenhorn]

@SomeChap

Yea, well, used to be is quite the thing. GeeDubs is hit or miss, at best, and at worst actively makes things more difficult. The PDF have always been the whipping boys of the Imperium, and the Guard seems to be criminally incompetent at times, which is rather depressing. Its good to see a halfway competent PDF force that can hold a defensive position without going batshit insane or just dying in impressive droves. But yea, experience does play into things.

He pretty much hid under a chameleon cloak all the time (Those things are broken, I'm sorry), and pretty much was clever enough to get away with anything in relation to the rest of the squad of SPESS MAHREENS and insane cultists. Being ex guard helped a lot.

And I kind of used my know how of the regiment building system to help cover my bases (Nothing extraordinarily broken or unfair, that isn't any fun), but its a useful set of equipment. Won't save him from Perils, though. And let's not acknowledge the Ultramarines omnibus and its shenanigans of the ULTRAMAHREENS.

EDIT: And I forgot to screencap the rolls. Granted, they mostly sucked, even the reroll didn't help.

[SomeChap]

@Eisenhorn
Yeah, though even the standard issue PDF and Guard will be trained to a very competent level by their local commanders and whatnot, so all should be at least as competent as a standard modern day army. I mean, they can hold the line against pretty much anything if they have enough men and firepower - that goes for the PDF as well. Seriously, it makes no sense that the armies of the most powerful empire in the galaxy should be competent at least.

Stealth is a pretty broken skill is most games systems as it is, but those cloaks make it insanely hard to get detected by even bloodhounds - maybe not, because I imagine after being the field for long enough you start to smell like a half dead Grox, but yeh.

Yeah, honestly. The way I look at regiment making and character making, is to make them GOOD at what they do - not the best, but at least highly competent otherwise it wouldn't be their job. It'd be like giving some pencil pusher an axe and expecting his to fight a Khorne Berserker - it just doesn't work out. So yeah, I understand covering your bases.

[Eisenhorn]

@SomeChap

I can understand some variance in local skill and training since, well, for PDF it would vary a lot, but them all being too incompetent to defend themselves kind of begged the question as to WHY the existed then? And I can understand if some militia had issue, but the PDF were sometimes ex Guard, it didn't make sense for them to be shitty at their jobs. And you would think that they would be mighty, even at their PDF level, but GeeDubs disagrees in their infinite wisdom.

Stealth and the fact the cloaks impose a -30 BS penalty to anyone rolling to shoot them whenever they aren't moving? My Alpha Legionnaire in Black Crusade started with one and most cannon fodder enemies couldn't even hit him to watch their weapons not do jack against his power armor. It legit was stupid to watch the rolls just fail, over and over again.

And he can do psykering good, but not much else. The regiment was designed to be forward spotters in urban situations, and the equipment shows it, but doomed really shafts them and any PC coming from the regiment. No fate burning to avoid fatal wounds plus logistic penalties. So once I can get the PDF to save and upload, I'll share it. Or screenshot each page and upload it on imgur, whichever.

[SomeChap]

@Eisenhorn
Yeah, of course some worlds produce drastically better/worse PDF and guard regiments, but overall they'd be pretty damn well competent overall. The main worlds where PDF would be below par would probably Feudal worlds or Primitive worlds which do not have access or are fearful of modern Imperial technology (which is actually better, since the mechanicus here is actually competent for once.) But yeah, no point employing and paying so many people if they are just going to be meat shields - and be crappy ones at that.

Christ, that does sound like a point of RAEG for the GM I'd imagine. Though the fact that you all have power armour to begin with would be enough, haha. Chaos SPHESS MAHEENS are already nigh unkillable demi-gods among men.

Exactly, so be specialised to do a single job pretty well but otherwise pretty useless when it comes to much else. Doomed shafts anyone and anything that has it, no exceptions but it can be fun seeing how awfully short the Doomed lives are.

Also, screenshots work best I've found. Just chuck them on Imgur and it'll be fine.

[elfenlied123]

Hey everyone!, I forgot to introduce myself, I'm elfen. that's really it.

Sooo I finished my character, what do I do now?.

[elfenlied123]

PS: are we gonna use Roll20 or something? I suggest we do 'cuz we can

[Eisenhorn]

@SomeChap

Yeah, but since when does GeeDubs care about the PDF making sense? They are meat bags to be thrown into the grinder, or used as the latest heretic enemies for our valiant protagonists of the story (Since they often times aren't heroes at all) to gleefully kick all over the place and look suitably badass without breaking the totem pole of power. Easier for Guard elite to kick around PDF/Guard traitors than it is daemons, even a Chaos Marine Warband could kick their shit in pretty good. Always thought the Gaunt's Ghosts stuff made a real good portrayal of elite Guard action without being too unbelievable. Barring a few moments, granted, but still.

8th Macarian Rangers

Name: 8th Macarian Rangers

Regimental Homeworld:
Fortress World (3)

Commander:
Choleric (2)

Regiment Type:
Light Infantry (2)

Doctrine:
Close Quarters Battle (5)

Equipment:
Forward Observation (4)

Regimental Drawbacks:
Doomed (-7)

Description: The 8th Macarian Rangers are a regiment with an incrediably troubled history, originating as a recon regiment during the Age of Apostasy, raised initially to fight back agains the regime of Goge Vandire. In the service of the rightous and pious, they would range out and find forces in service to the enemy and report their locations, withdrawing or monitoring foes rather than actively engaging. They would also routinely suffer over 75% effective force loss over the course of the Age of Apostasy due to incompetent command, unusually bad luck, or crippling errors in gauging hostile forces. It would be a series of unfortunate events that would trail the 8th through their history.

Each Macarian Ranger wears matte black carapace armor, concealed under chameleon cloaks that come with their Forward Observation equipment, operating more as skirmishers that spot for friendly forces. Their troubled history continues to trail them, and it is not uncommon for the 8th to be nearly wiped out, remenants being attached to other regiments permenatly or for the purposes of a given mission, only to be forgotten as the 8th is reformed out of the Macaria sector once again, leaving the shattered remains either dead and forgotten, or permenately attached to other regiments wherever the 8th Macarian was last seen operating.

Total Points: 19 – 17 = 2

And here is our psyker, feel free to remind me of crap I missed since sleep deprivation is kicking in. Expect the regiment to get more fluffed out when the muse hits again.
imgur.com/a/MCbaq

[SomeChap]

Hey everyone!, I forgot to introduce myself, I'm elfen. that's really it.

Sooo I finished my character, what do I do now?.

@elfenlied123

Screenshot it then put it through Imgur/similar image sharing thing.
Plus you need to ask @Natsucooldude about Roll20. That is for him to decide.]

@Eisenhorn Yeah, which is the main reason I resort to headcannon and whatnot. GeeDubs just makes no sense at all, like sending millions of soldiers to die in a meat grinder when they can just orbitally decimate the enemy without much fuss. Yeah, Gaunt's ghosts was pretty good with that. It gave an accurate protrayal of what a few guardsmen - elite at that, but still.

[elfenlied123]

@SomeChap Ok I'm pretty busy though and I gotta go soon, so I'll do it in a little bit (aka probably tomorrow)