Sisters of Battle Terminator Rules

[ArmouredWing]

C'mon guys, does this really have to turn into some type of 'I'm into the fluff more than you' competition?. Agree to differ and start acting like the vets you are!

[Melissia]

Indeed, I know I don't agree with everyone on the nature of the Sisters-- I envision them as more military than fanatical (and thus far more efficient than many others view them). And really, it can probably be said that it would be true, there are Orders that are closer to military organizations than most Orders, so it could be that in that aspect, we're all right.

[madtroll]

again with the no creativity.

You do realise that you're talking about an organisation that for thousands of years has used no other weapons then bolters, flamers and meltaguns.

Religous based organisations are by their nature resistant to any change, and the Ecchlesiarchy is no different. Heck, it took them decades to even pass the Repressor to be allowed from memory. Power armour is already pressurized, and so able to work in space, so the use of bulky suits wouldn't be needed.

 

Also, the Ecclessiarchy has no power to seize equipment from heretical space marines or anyone else for that matter, and even if they did, they would be against using tainted equipment.

 

Inquisitors don't owe people favours, they can requisition whomever they want with the exception of Space Marines.

 

The Ordo Hereticus is not the Ecclesiarchy, and the two organisations are not buddies. In fact the Ecclesiarchy hates the Ordo Hereticus because it is their job to makes sure that the Ecclesiarchy is not breaching an laws (like this) or attempting to seize power (like claiming the armoury from a space marine chapter).

 

The Tau example was:

A: Sarcasm

B: An example of an army that shouldn't have super strong close combat units... just like SoB.

 

This post really sums up a feeling I have had regarding 40k players for awhile. They are split up into two extremes, some are more extreme than others, but not very many fall into the middle. The ones that do fall in the middle usually have a "dude I just wanna play a game" attitude.

 

On one side there are people like me. I read a series of books like the Eisenhorn novels and think "wow, if that happened, I wonder what else could happen" and then let my mind wander.

 

I suspect you are on the other side. The canon purists would read the exact same book I did and think "well everything dan abnett wrote in there is now canon, but nothing else could possibly happen".

 

It's hard for me to believe that across the millions of worlds in the imperium that every single organization and every single person operating in some official role of the imperium operates in exactly the same way. In some cases all we have to go by is one or two paragraphs in some old codex, that can't possibly be the whole story.

 

In Faith and Fire we learn that the emperor is worshiped in different ways on lots of back water planets. The Ecclesiarchy will take elements of whatever religion was already worshiped there and incorporate it into the religion of the imperium. Some really disturbing customs and rituals will be tolerated all in the name of bringing another planet into the imperiums fold.

 

And there are planets where the ecclesiarchy is -the- absolute authority. Of course the inquisition trumps all, but in most cases, who is actually the heretic is decided by who wins the war.

 

How many instances has an inquisitor gone after the space wolves or black templars never to be seen or heard from again? There is a story of the Dark Angels wiping out a Black Templars crusade to keep the secret of the Fallen safe. Everything isnt black and white and there are thousands of shades of gray.

 

Maybe the inquisitor in this small backwater planet knew that the ecclesiarchy *could* decide to support the marines in their claim that that they were not heretics and then the inquisitor would have to fight marines and SoB. If the inquisitor loses or is killed, then that means he was wrong and they were right. Atleast until another inquisitor tries. Maybe this planet was so far out that the inquisitor had trouble getting the proper resources in place, in which case, he needed allies.

 

The governor of a planet that Eisenhorn was operating on threatened to have the inquisitor arrested and tried for murder if he didn't allow one of their senior arbites agents tag along in his investigation. Eisenhorn agreed to the demand, both to avoid having to deal with political BS and also because he is not a god among the imperium. Inquisitors can overstep their authority and many of them pay for it with their lives.

 

I try to avoid absolute statements like "the Ecclessiarchy has no power to seize equipment from heretical space marines or anyone else for that matter, and even if they did, they would be against using tainted equipment." its a fictional world that none of us have any say in how it is written. How could any of us possibly know that to be an absolute fact?

 

All of a sudden the black library publishes a book that describes something similar to that and now your foots in your mouth.

 

The secrets of the manufacture of Terminator suits are known only by a few, so the ones that remain are very valuable and old and are reserved for use by only the most highly trained brethren of the elite Space Marine Chapters.

Incredibly ancient, the secrets of their construction has long since been lost and each one is revered by the Space Marines and lovingly maintained by the Chapter's Techmarines.

 

This is a good way to illustrate my point. I read that and think the secrets of how to make them are known only by a few, so that means someone somewhere knows how to make it, even if they dont fully understand it. Where is the =I= getting their special human operable versions? Somebody somewhere is either making it or converting something else. Even if it is only one suit every 10 years it still happening and that means it is possible to come up with fluff that explains how someone were able to get their hands on it.

 

Others read that and think, "see it says you can't get anymore".

 

I go through this all the time at the game shop too. I run my sisters with my dark angels in an apoc game and its "dark angels would never work with sisters".

 

"your making a thunderhawk gunship for your sisters? sisters of battle would never be able to get a thunderhawk"

 

"sisters would never use drop pods"

 

A good one is "imperial guard would never work with orcs" when in fact they have. The canon purists never read the story of when they did, so believed it could never happen. All of sudden he finds out that it has happened in the past and now its ok for him.

 

I'm not saying one approach is better than the other but the canon purists in my gaming area are almost all, to the player, WAAC / RAW minmax powergamers that have never read any fluff other than whats in their own codex. They are also all space marine players.

 

I play for story. I made up my own order and they have their own agenda. They work very closely with an ordo hereticus inquisitor lord that is zooming down the radical fast lane without a seatbelt on. Thats fun for me.

 

This thread has been very enjoyable for me to read. I like reading the canon and learning about all the ins and outs of the imperium. But for me the canon is not a straight jacket that restricts me and tells me everything I am allowed to do and can't do. To me the fluff is a guide. It gives me examples of things that have happened and helps steer me towards what could happen.

 

I believe a sisters order could get their hands on a very small amount of TDA and they could learn how to operate it. I've moved on from TDA though. If I am going to make all new rules then I want something that *feels* more sister of battle to me.

[SCC]

Switching tack again, back to Jeffersonian:

The Mechanicus know exactly how to make TDA, its an STC that has been in continuous use since the Dark Age of Technology. At the core of every suit is the Ceramite exo-skeleton, which is poured into a mould and heated to 300 degrees C, then allow to cool. The adamamantiun shell is produced in vast spinning forges orbiting Mars and other Forge Worlds that are several kilometers in diameter. These wheel shaped factories use plasma in magnetic fields to keep the adamantium in a liquid state, allowing centripical force to flow the alloy into moulding chambers along the outer rim. After the body is ready, electro-motive fiber bundles are installed to allow gross movement while smaller bundles of hydroplastics are mated to power actuators for the operation of weapon systems. Then follows a crystal matrix power supply, life support, visual/audio communications suite, sensor suite, and an inner lining of shock absorbent gel.

Can I ask the source for that? Especially the section about TDA being STC produced.

 

Rogue Trader? Warhammer 40,000 Compendium (the red book)? White Dwarf? I noted all three as sources in my last post, and even quote a specific GW article. Did you want the page numbers and the copyright date of the specific books?

 

You do know which book I'm referring to when I mention Rogue Trader? The 1st Ed rule book? And the Compendium is a compulation of White Dwarf articles, including Chapter Approved material, also 1st Ed?

 

How about this: please quote me your sources. I'm not trying to be rude; I'm just curious as to why you missed the first sentence of my last post.

 

SJ

 

Actually what I wanted a specific source for, a publication title and hopefully a page number, was the manufacturing process for TDA that you posted, in addition I wanted to know where it said TDA (as distinct from EA) was an STC design because my impression was that it wasn't, but rather it was a Mechanicus design that they themselves manufacture without the benefit of an STC.

 

I'm not questioning your integrity or trying to attack/insult you when I ask this, I'm just genuinely interested to know if that manufacturing process is official fluff and if so where it comes from so I can track down a copy for myself.

 

As for your reply, well, no, I didn't miss it, it's simply that it's vague:

I pull a lot of my information from Rogue Trader and the 40k Compendium (the red book). I also pull quite a bit from memory of books I've owned in the past yet no longer, such as Freebooters, Codex: Sisters of Battle, and about 15 years of White Dwarf. Another source is my past background as an engineer and the time I spent in the military. I also read quite a bit and enjoy conversing with others about gaming and the hobby in general.

and didn't provide the info I was hoping for, my reply was lighthearted as indicated by the ;) emoticon. As I said before, I just wanted to know if there was a specific quote giving info on TDA manufacturing that I've missed or if your post is based more on your background and memories of the 40K canon.

 

And as for asking for my sources, well, as was pointed out, I already provided copious quotes with sources and page numbers to back up my arguments, I was simply hoping you could do the same and I could go read some fluff I missed. No big deal really, certainly nothing to get bent out of shape about.

 

With the air cleared (and if it isn't feel free to contact me via PM Jeffersonian, I'll happily discuss the issue with you in private) we can go back to the original topic - some sort of heavy assault Sister.

 

I believe a sisters order could get their hands on a very small amount of TDA and they could learn how to operate it. I've moved on from TDA though. If I am going to make all new rules then I want something that *feels* more sister of battle to me.

So what direction are you thinking madtroll? Some sort of light Penitent Engine? 'Iron Armour' Sisters? Something similar to one of the heavier units in 7eAL's =][= project? The Canoness' body guard units in there might be a good starting point...

[madtroll]

I believe a sisters order could get their hands on a very small amount of TDA and they could learn how to operate it. I've moved on from TDA though. If I am going to make all new rules then I want something that *feels* more sister of battle to me.

So what direction are you thinking madtroll? Some sort of light Penitent Engine? 'Iron Armour' Sisters? Something similar to one of the heavier units in 7eAL's =][= project? The Canoness' body guard units in there might be a good starting point...

 

I actually made a new thread already here.

 

Sororitas Pattern Assault Armor.