Questions about Chapter Creation?

[SickSix]

I am tinkering with publishing a DIY chapter but want to get some questions answered first.

 

1. Where do the very first recruits come from?

 

2. At what size/strength would a new chapter become operational? Would they not be given a mission until all thousand battle brothers are trained and the armory full?

 

3. There is precedent, but how kosher is it to have individual companies in a chapter that are vastly different than the rest of the chapter?

 

4. How common is it for a chapter to change names? How would it happen?

 

If this isn't in the right place I gladly accept a flogging. Thanks.

[Sgt. Tiberus Satio]

1.If I recall the Mechanicus are the only ones who have the abilities to create more geneseed stock other than the current chapters supply. Recruits are usually picked from the near by systems, or depending on how the chapter is made (i.e. a space fleet only without a homeworld) then they pick them from worlds they pass by during their journeys.

 

2.Missions are difficult to determine because even a small battle company can contribute, even a squad. They can start helping other chapters as fill in til they replentish their fallen, inquisition with deathwatch if deemed fit, etc.

 

3. Each company is chosen a leader that is fit by honours, duty, loyalties, etc. So it would be similar to a hierarchy. a leader > then his squad.

 

4. Usually they never change names unless the chapter master im sure sees fit and makes it aware for record keeping. In the HH novels, Horus was the one who governed the legions, so no one really had a say in what name was chosen because his decision usually overruled them all.

 

With Do it yourself armies, YOU decide how these things work. The only thing I see to keep factual is that the chapter has no more than 1000, you can have less than that if you wish. Make sure your background flows together and tells the story on how they got to where they are now.

[SickSix]

1.If I recall the Mechanicus are the only ones who have the abilities to create more geneseed stock other than the current chapters supply. Recruits are usually picked from the near by systems, or depending on how the chapter is made (i.e. a space fleet only without a homeworld) then they pick them from worlds they pass by during their journeys.

 

I understand about how new chapters are founded, but some specifics seem to be missing on what I have read about it. I meant, more specifically, where do the first new novitiates come from? Terra? Or is a homeworld picked first and the chapter built on site?

 

2.Missions are difficult to determine because even a small battle company can contribute, even a squad. They can start helping other chapters as fill in til they replentish their fallen, inquisition with deathwatch if deemed fit, etc.

 

So a chapter doesn't have to be full strength before it enters into operations. Thanks.

 

3. Each company is chosen a leader that is fit by honours, duty, loyalties, etc. So it would be similar to a hierarchy. a leader > then his squad.

 

Sorry I don't see how that answers my question at all. I am trying to see how believable/acceptable it would be to have events in a chapters history cause one specific company to become divergent from the chapter, so far that it even takes a different paint scheme.

 

4. Usually they never change names unless the chapter master im sure sees fit and makes it aware for record keeping. In the HH novels, Horus was the one who governed the legions, so no one really had a say in what name was chosen because his decision usually overruled them all.

 

So its not common but not unheard of and I would have to have a pretty good reason.

 

With Do it yourself armies, YOU decide how these things work. The only thing I see to keep factual is that the chapter has no more than 1000, you can have less than that if you wish. Make sure your background flows together and tells the story on how they got to where they are now.

 

 

Yes, I know I can do what I want but I would like it to jive with cannon as much as possible. Thanks for your responses.

[Sgt. Tiberus Satio]

I understand about how new chapters are founded, but some specifics seem to be missing on what I have read about it. I meant, more specifically, where do the first new novitiates come from? Terra? Or is a homeworld picked first and the chapter built on site?

 

3. Each company is chosen a leader that is fit by honours, duty, loyalties, etc. So it would be similar to a hierarchy. a leader > then his squad.

 

Sorry I don't see how that answers my question at all. I am trying to see how believable/acceptable it would be to have events in a chapters history cause one specific company to become divergent from the chapter, so far that it even takes a different paint scheme.

 

Well like I said depending how you have the chapter formed it can be a fleet only chapter or if they have a homeworld they choose from the main planet or surrounding ones for more suitable ages.

 

A company doesn't really diverge from the chapter. There is rivalries between brothers yes, but they pull together as one for the chapter and do their duty til death. If you wanted to diverge from that, then you can have a brother tainted and slowly fall to corruption, which would cause issues and such as they try to corropt others. (Read Iron Snakes if you haven't that will put more perspective on what I am trying to explain). You can also have them have different rituals that set them apart from allies and such, more of an outlook as the Mortifactors are to the Ultramarines and vise versa.

[Arikel]

For question 3, this would depend mostly on the chapters's personality, recruitment makeup, how divergent they are from a more standard "codex" chapter, etc. Almost all chapters 1rst companies will diverge from the basic paint scheme of the chapter, to show off their veteran status. This can include things like as simple as a different helmet color and some extra bling like the ultramarines to completely different paintjobs.

 

A chapter that recruits from specific planets or population groups might segregate members from different planets or clans by company, and so each company may have different traditions but still be loyal to the chapter as a whole, and they may have diverging but similar paintjobs/company symbols etc (the Iron Hands with their clan companies, and the salamanders with their 7 cities come to mind here)

 

Question 3 also relies heavily on you as the creator! How much variety do you want in your color schemes? Do you want veterans and commanders to stand out as heroes or blend in with the crowd so they don't get sniped? Maybe you want something more distinctive than a simple shoulder patch to tell your squads apart (the Blood Angels use different helmet colors for different types of marines)

 

This isn't only a question of color schemes but fluff as well. Perhaps your chapter has a company that has been sent on crusade into ork infested space, taking on more and more unorthodox practices and tactics as attrition goes on till the remaining survivors function more like a space wolves force than a codex one, before returning from their mission decades or centuries later.

 

Really as creator of the chapter it is up to you to decide how far you are going to take your fellows, the trick is to seeing if you get other people to follow along with you :), and that's the hard part.

 

Addendum:

 

Question 1: The original recruits are generally selected and grown by the Mechanicus from what I understand, with a cadre of marines selected from an existing chapter to train them up and serve as the original leaders. This is the generally accepted Idea anyways, though I don't believe it's ever been laid out by gw themselves

 

Questions 2: I'm assuming that as soon as they had enough men and materiel to take on missions without the danger of the entire chapter being destroyed if a single taskforce was lost then they would start seeing serious fighting. I would pin this at roughly 3-400 marines. Before that point I could see them doing minor policing actions (putting down small rebellions etc) that don't have much risk so that recruits get real experience as fast as possible.

 

Question 4: This doesn't seem to happen much. Possibly if a chapter transitioned from having a home world to a fleet based chapter or vice versa they might do it, especially if they were named after said planet and it got destroyed. I recall it being briefly mentioned but can't remember where that sometimes a destroyed chapters possesions and heraldry are bestowed on new chapters that have been created, sometimes with the same name as the old one, but that's more the opposite of what you are thinking here. It might be more feasible to have your companies and or squads all have their own names they go by, the blood angels and the ultramarines having given each company it's own moniker beyond the official number,.

[frostclaw222]

RE Question 1: Arikel's right in most cases. However, in the event that a chapter splits like the legions did, either due to a large force thought lost and already replaced coming out of the warp suddenly after centuries or something, then it might be something along the lines of the original new chapter members having volunteered or been selected to standup the new chapter. In most cases, they'd be veterans capable of training new initiates, not "virgin" troops themselves.

 

RE Q2: I think the smallest operational chapters I've seen numbered in the scores of marines after sustaining heavy losses. But I'd assume at least a few companies would have to exist before the chapter started functioning independently.

 

RE Q3: That's entirely dependent on how closely they follow the codex, which in a DIY sense, it's all up to you, as has been stated previously.

 

RE Q4: I could actually see a chapter changing their names after the loss through heroic sacrifice of a chapter master, the entire chapter passing through a tremendous ordeal, or something similar. But that's about it. And even then, that'd be rare as heck. I doubt they'd run into any issues, though. If the chapter wants to start calling themselves something different, I'm sure somewhere down the road it'd catch on. There might be folks who still refer to them by the old name, like the AdMech, but if they did change, I don't think the High Lords would cite them for it.

[SickSix]

Thank you Brothers Arikel and Frostclaw. I will work on my IA, and hopefully will get it posted this weekend perhaps.

[NightrawenII]

4. How common is it for a chapter to change names? How would it happen?

... when they turn renegade or chaos.

 

As far as I know there is no case of Chapter changing its name on their own. - The Sons of Horus are special case, because it was Emperor's wish; 'Relictors' is mocking nickname given to Fire Claws and 'Legion of Damned' is classification for the lack of better term.

 

~NightrawenII.

[Kristoff]

One minor side question, if I may, I am building a DIY Cursed Chapter turned to Chaos, which would be the best place to get feedback on its development, in this section, or the Chaos Ascendant?

[NightrawenII]

One minor side question, if I may, I am building a DIY Cursed Chapter turned to Chaos, which would be the best place to get feedback on its development, in this section, or the Chaos Ascendant?

+ LIBER ASTARTES +

:DIY Chapter Creation (Loyalists and Renegades):

 

:D

[Brother Tyler]

One minor side question, if I may, I am building a DIY Cursed Chapter turned to Chaos, which would be the best place to get feedback on its development, in this section, or the Chaos Ascendant?

Actual, multiple places are appropriate, depending upon the background of the Chapter.

 

Liber Astartes tends to be fairly good for the basic process and general knowledge of the lore.

 

Since you're talking about a Chapter turned to Chaos, the Chaos Ascendant forum is also very good for specific Chaos lore.

 

If your Chapter is descended from a particular official Chapter, you might also leverage the knowledge of the members of that forum. So if, and this is purely hypothetical, your Chapter was created from the gene-seed of Sanguinius and you wanted that aspect of their background to play a prominent role (or if you just want to ensure that you don't create any problems with the lore) you might also post in the Blood Angels forum.

 

You could choose any combination of the three, depending upon your focus. I've seen members post solely in one forum based on their focus (such as one currently in the Blood Angels forum and another currently in the Dark Angels forum) and I've seen members choose one forum (typically Liber Astartes) as the central development thread while having one or more satellite discussions in related forums.

 

Your choice. :D