Before
I get started, I must apologise for neglecting the blog in recent
weeks. I have started a new job and have been struggling to find free
time for hobby-related activities. I am now determined to set aside
four hours per week for painting, modelling, writing or whatever else
and making sure I keep up with output for the blog.
The
iconic character of the 41st
millennium is that ceramite-clad, genetically-modified, angel of
death that is the Space Marine. Each one equivalent to a hundred men
in battle, these peerless warriors are the ultimate soldiers, without
whom the Imperium would wilt under the endless assault of their
enemies. Each individual Space Marine is a product of arcane science
unfathomable to the very minds that implement it, and for every
Marine that serves his chapter, dozens of unfortunate, lesser men
have failed to survive the implantation process that elevates them to
the demi-immortal beings they are. Each of the thousand Chapters that
serve the Imperium has a proud lineage that stretches back through
the millennia, with the nine oldest having served with the Emperor
and the Primarchs in the Great Crusade at the dawn of Imperial time.
Each Marine serves with the greatest pride, loyal to the traditions
of his Chapter and ever-willing to lay down his life in defence of
the Emperor and his brethren. While their combat doctrines and
recruitment processes may vary, each Chapter shares the common bond
of duty to Terra.
Gav "greenstuff_gav" Fry was kind enough to allow me to use photos of his Space Marines in this blog post.
Earlier
this year when I had the luxury of free time, I made my way through
the Deathwatch RPG supplements The Jericho Reach, and the Achilus
Assault. I wanted to read them as inspiration for developing the
Carthax Sector’s* background, and while I gained a lot of ideas, I
was also taken with the idea of running a Deathwatch campaign,
something I had dismissed previously as I had felt that Space Marine
characters were too one dimensional to roleplay, and any campaign
featuring them would be an endless line of combat encounters and
nothing else. However, the writers at Fantasy Flight Games have done
a fantastic job of opening different avenues of exploration for
Deathwatch groups, including involving them in the political
wrangling of the crusade’s higher command and attendant
Inquisitors. The RPG line also does a good job of showing how a Space
Marine character would function from a roleplaying point of view.
Honouring the Chapter is foremost in a Marine’s mind, and serving
with respect to his Chapter’s traditions can bring a Marine into
conflict with his fellows and leave him at a disadvantage in combat.
Though they lack the gamut of emotions that plague humanity, they are
not just simple killing machines. Many will struggle with swallowing
their pride and following orders that run counter to everything they
hold in high regard. While a Space Marine will still never be able to
search for rumours in a dirty tavern, campaigns tailored to them can
still be a rewarding experience for players and GMs alike.
Gav is aiming to produce a model from each of the Chapters of the First Founding - seen here his Ultramarine, above his Dark Angel.
Taking
all this into account, I have begun looking at Space Marines in
Inquisitor in a different light. I have never been comfortable with
high-powered characters in my Inquisitor campaigns as I always worry
that they seriously unbalance things in favour of their players, and
make things too easy without hamstringing them with GM powers. Doing
so is a good way to turn off player interest as they will feel they
are being treated unfairly, and with the limited interest in
Inquisitor anyhow this is not something any GM will want to be doing.
I feel that the answer is getting together with players long before
your campaign has been plotted to discuss what characters they want
to use and what goal they want to achieve. With lots of planning,
Space Marines and other powerful characters can be used, but the GM
has to be very careful that these characters are played appropriately
and that players are reminded of their objectives regularly. It can
be a tough gig, but with a firm but fair attitude, all players will
have equal fun. The Artemis model is a hugely popular model too, and
plenty of non-players even have one as a display piece. It’s a
shame that so few get to grace the tabletop, so with the following
guidance I hope we can all find a place for Space Marines on the
Inquisitor table.
Here is Gav's Salamander.
One
of the big problems with using Space Marines in Inquisitor was that
the profile provided in the rulebook abused the D100 system that
Inquisitor is based upon. Having any stats above 100 can break the
game, especially for statistics that are rarely tested with modifiers
and have an effect on other things like Speed and Base Injury Value
or Damage bonuses. It is an oft-repeated observation that Artemis
could cause more damage throwing bolt rounds at his enemies than by
firing his bolter. Clearly, that is not as Inquisitor’s writers
intended, and while a Space Marine should stand head and shoulders
above the common man, some of their characteristics are plainly too
high. Fortunately, an excellent set of alternative rules are
available. Written by Eoin Whelan for Dark Magenta Issue 2, the
Apocrypha Angeli Mortis not only sorts out the major issues with
characteristic values, but also goes into unprecedented detail
regarding the various Adeptus Astartes implants and their effects on
a Space Marine. Missing and malfunctioning organs are now taken into
account during the character creation process and various marks of
power armour are also detailed, with their particular strengths and
weaknesses included. I can’t recommend these rules enough when
bringing Space Marines to game with.
As well as the loyalist Chapters, Gav has completed a Night Lord.
When
writing campaigns and scenarios for Space Marines it is important to
bear in mind the capabilities and limitations of the archetype. As
I’ve said before, a Space Marine is unlikely to be found undercover
searching for rumours, but they will be at the forefront of any
military action. Setting a campaign in a warzone is a simple way to
excuse the presence of a Space Marine, and the 41st
millennium is hardly lacking in battlefields. Within this
environment, a Space Marine could be guarding an important dignitary,
acting as an ambassador to a warlike non-Imperial human enclave, or
assigned an assassination mission. He may have been called in to
assist an Inquisitor, or he may be acting on the bequest of his
Chapter Master. It is important for the character to have a definite
objective, and this should be stressed to the player. It would be
unlikely for a Space Marine to be in the wrong place at the wrong
time and drafted into an Inquisitor’s retinue, for example. With
only a million across the galaxy, these characters don’t tend to
mooch around on holiday. They will always be on duty, or training for
their next mission. Whatever form this objective takes, it is key to
keeping a Marine player on task, and stops the temptation to start
butchering their way across the table.
My personal favourite of Gav's First Founding models is his take on Kargos Bloodspitter of the World Eaters.
On
that note, it is probably for the best if Space Marine characters
aren’t directly opposing human PCs in your scenarios. Even with the
slightly toned down version, they are still exceptionally deadly.
This advice goes for other powerful characters like Eldar Corsairs
and Daemons too. If mundane PCs meet their end early in a campaign,
it’s over for everybody. The power of these characters allows for
tougher enemies however, and most GMs will relish the opportunity to
put away the goon squad and bring out the deadly assassins,
Genestealers, Daemonhosts and murder servitors. By evening the odds
with these enemies, Space Marine players will suddenly find they
aren’t the all-powerful beings they thought they were and will have
to approach scenarios more thoughtfully than they have done before.
It is entirely possible to include allied warbands with Space Marines
without making the table too hard for the mundane PCs or too easy for
the Space Marine by introducing localised hazards that only the
superhuman can overcome (and even then with a certain risk). For
example, high radiation levels, high gravity, fire, or vacuums would
be deadly or nigh on impossible for a human to negotiate, but not so
a Space Marine. Cooperation between the Marine and his allies could
be vital to the success of the mission; perhaps a series of remotely
locked doors need to be opened so the Marine can access the area of
high radiation, or perhaps the Marine needs his allies to trap the
xenos creature he is goading towards the airlock. All the while the
allies could be assaulted by lesser enemies. Conversely, the Marine
could be tasked with holding off a powerful foe to allow his allies
to set demolition charges. To draw an analogy to a popular film
series, the Space Marine is an Avenger to the human PCs S.H.I.E.L.D.
While the latter locates trouble and plans how to deal with it, the
former is needed to save the day with their incredible attributes.
My Relictor is a good example of a Marine the Inquisition may wish to investigate.
For
another take on the subject of Space Marines in games I recommend
reading Gav Fry's Dark Magenta article “Huge Chunk of Man”. Not
only does it talk about gaming with Marines, it also gives great
advice on converting the Artemis model into different poses. Your
Space Marines don't always have to be sprinting everywhere! If you want to see more of his First Founding project, including his work in progress models, head to Build Your Imagination.
This
isn't my final word on Space Marines in Inquisitor by a long shot, so
expect more on the Adeptus Astartes in the future. If you have any
pictures of your Space Marines you wish to share, post them on the
Facebook page, or tweet @T_C_Inquisitor. Finally, I promise the next blog post
won't be so long in cooking up as this one was!
The
Carthaxian Inquisitor
*It’s
worth noting that the Carthax Sector Wiki is moving, and will now be
found at: http://carthax.wikia.com/wiki/Carthax_Wiki. The move is not
yet complete, so some content from the old wiki has yet to be
transferred across.
