21st 'Cursed' Founding Mutation Ideas

[Mazer Rackham]

Just a plug for a small channel - for Cursed Founding knowhow, fluff and some speculation overall, I'd like to drop this video here.

 

Spoiler

 

 

[Gamiel]

On 3/17/2023 at 1:07 PM, Gamiel said:

Concept: a BA successor that similar to the Lamenters seems to lack the BA's Flaws, something that have made the other BA chapters consider them wrong or question their gene-line, but have during the last millenium begun to have members falling into the Black Rage, something they see as a blessing as it shows that they are true sons of Sanguinius and he has not forsaken them. 

Ashigaru Argant: For five millennia have they not suffered from the Flaw of Sanguinius' gene-line, something that have made them a pariah among many of there kin-chapters. During M40 have some of them have begun to fall to the Black Rage, something the Ashigaru have taken as a blessing as in their eyes they are not forsaken by their Primarch awakening a fewerish need in them to show that they are worthy of their Father’s blessing. Infantry and infiltration specialists. Recruit from feudal worlds, not from the warrior-nobility but from the sons of foot soldiers.  

Symbol is a black trefoil clover, armour is white with red pauldrons, knees and backpack. Show their company and battlefield role using the BA system, squad belonging is shown on the right knee using japanese numbers. Sergeants have black pauldrons and black right knee with their chapter symbol and squad number in yellow. Chapter Master is usually silver instead of white, and some of the captains are that also, but that’s up to them personally to decide.

 

 

[Gamiel]

26 minutes ago, Mazer Rackham said:

Just a plug for a small channel - for Cursed Founding knowhow, fluff and some speculation overall, I'd like to drop this video here.

 

  Hide contents

 

 

Is there a podcast version of it? Find those easier to lisen to since I can tehn walk around.

[Mazer Rackham]

16 minutes ago, Gamiel said:

Is there a podcast version of it? Find those easier to lisen to since I can tehn walk around.

 

I don't think so, unfortunately.

[Gamiel]

A theory I think I read somewhere (can't link to it since I don't remember where I saw it) is that at least some of the Cursed Founding chapters were created from Traitor gene-seed and either it was that their "mutations"/"curses" were just the problems their founding Legion had, or that the powers behind the 21th F. had tried to manipulate the traitor gene-seed used so they would not fall this time and therefor the mutations/similar among so many of the 21th F. chapters. Personally I think that it's not that likley but if you want to creat a Traitor gene-seed chapter that's not 2nd/3rd F. is the Cursed F. a better explenation than some. 

 

-----------------------

 

some more mutations:

38. The chapter’s brothers all stink. It’s a smell that they naturally produce and can’t be washed away. The stink is locked in by full power armour but any removed part or piercing damage will release it for others to notice.

39. Misshapen jaws with teeth poking inward, outward or both, that makes it impossible to fully close their mouths completely. Drool escape their lips constantly. 

40. Mashed looking face with nearly flat nose and jaw, not only does this look weird but also makes breathing difficult. Running noses and eyes are common side effects.

41. No sense of smell.

 

A mutation that's not obvious untill after the coming of the Primaris could be that there is something in the chapter's gene-seed that creat a notably higher than normal amount of failurs regarding the implants when it comes to Aspirants becoming marines after they introduced the Primaris process.

 

  

On 3/25/2023 at 4:43 PM, Mazer Rackham said:

Just a plug for a small channel - for Cursed Founding knowhow, fluff and some speculation overall, I'd like to drop this video here.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

He had some intersting ideas, suggest people take a listen, but I think he misses that a mutation/curse can be mental as well as physical and in 40k even take the form of something more spiritual/mystical. I do agree that the Lamenters famusly bad luck is not really that bad compared to some other chapters (they are still around after all) but he missed that the Lamenters was somehow not suffering from the Flaw of the BA gene-line until recently, and that the Mortifactors did not fight beside them not becouse of their supposed bad luck but becouse of them being a 21th Founding Chapter. 

 

[Gamiel]

A possebility regarding mutations could be that the chapter lack something that's specefic to their gene-line, like: RG successors that don't turn pale skinned with black hair and eyes, or SW successors that don't grow fangs, etc. 

 

Or IF successors that has functioning  Betcher's Gland and Sus-an Membrane.

[Gamiel]

So I found something, thanks to Adeptus Ridiculus episode about the Cursed Founding mention that there used be rules for the Cursed Foundingchapters made me look around to see which WD it was in (it was #261 from 2001) and I also found that that article was among the stuff that GW had republished on their old homepage (back when they republished some of the WD stuff on their then-homepage) and while that article disappeared when their homepage went down, somebody had saved it, and reuploaded it, together with the article about the Cursed Founding background from WD#260:

Cursed Founding background

Cursed Founding rules

 

The real interesting stuff would I say are: the part where Andy Chambers say that you can use the rules given for the exemplary Cursed Founding chapters for your own CF-chapter, meaning that we can either have other chapters with similar mutations, or mutations that would give the same rules effect. 

And the new unites "cursed knight" and "abomination" which I don't think we have seen reapear in any of the books where CF chapters have appeared.

 

 

[Gamiel]

On 3/28/2023 at 11:03 AM, Gamiel said:

A theory I think I read somewhere (can't link to it since I don't remember where I saw it) is that at least some of the Cursed Founding chapters were created from Traitor gene-seed and either it was that their "mutations"/"curses" were just the problems their founding Legion had, or that the powers behind the 21th F. had tried to manipulate the traitor gene-seed used so they would not fall this time and therefor the mutations/similar among so many of the 21th F. chapters. Personally I think that it's not that likley but if you want to creat a Traitor gene-seed chapter that's not 2nd/3rd F. is the Cursed F. a better explenation than some. 

regarding this did ABD say  "Let’s take it as read that maybe Traitor gene-seed does mean something major, after all. Let’s say all the Cursed Founding Chapters aren’t cool mysteries and it’s really as simple as “They used Traitor gene-seed and that contains deep spiritual darkness,” (which is very blunt… but still cool in its own way.) But in that case, it’s an extremely bad thing and your Chapter is basically doomed." during his Interview with Goonhammer

[Gamiel]

On 4/2/2023 at 5:47 PM, Gamiel said:

And the new unites "cursed knight" and "abomination" which I don't think we have seen reapear in any of the books where CF chapters have appeared.

Do anybody know if anything like the "cursed knight" or "abomination" have appeared in any media, beside this article, with any of the Cursed Founding chapters? I know that the Lamenters have some comments in the BA codexes about unstable genes but nothing outright like the "cursed knight" or "abomination"

[Xin Ceithan]

That the problems of all Cursed Founding Chapters are all due / because of the use of traitor gene seed seems a bit blunt and too much limiting the fun of their possible deviations to me… especially since we know there were Chapters involved with obviously other donors ( Lamenters ).
 

But I always liked the idea that it’s a bad idea to use gene-seed from the traitor legions in general … at least in the long run.
 

The idea that there is something fundamentally wrong it.
That  once/ since  their Primarchs have  gone dark side , there is something resonating / aligning within the stuff - even if it was taken / created before the fall of the Primarch involved.
Triggers   all the “ as above/ so below” sympathetic magic vibes… 

 

And where would the problem be with “so they are all doomed in the end” - isn’t that sooo 40K ?! 

Edited April 5, 2023 by Xin Ceithan
Abhor the typo in all it’s forms

[Gamiel]

16 hours ago, Xin Ceithan said:

But I always liked the idea that it’s a bad idea to use gene-seed from the traitor legions in general … at least in the long run.
 

The idea that there is something fundamentally wrong it.
That  once/ since  their Primarchs have  gone dark side , there is something resonating / aligning within the stuff - even if it was taken / created before the fall of the Primarch involved.
Triggers   all the “ as above/ so below” sympathetic magic vibes… 

Then the question would be what problems that could be seen as a "curse" that chapters created from Iron Warriors, Death Guard, Sons of Horus, Emperor’s Children, Alphan Legion, World Bearers gene-stock should/could have?

 

The Night Lords, Thousand Sons and World Eaters are easy - NL: uncontrolled dark prophetic visions, sadism, split personality*; TS: the Flesh change; WE: overdeveloped killing instinct, berserker rage, unstoppable battle lust,

* anyone else remembering Krieg Acerbus comment about Kurze suffering from that in Lord of the Night ?

 

Unless of course that the people behind the 21th founding did manipulate the gene-seed of all the chapters created in with case they will not only have the wrongness (in this senario) of their Traitor Legion gene-seed but also the mutations created from whatever failed experiments was done to their gene-stock...

[Xin Ceithan]

Defining the flaws / mutation is certainly  major part of the fun here! 
 

I am imagining 40k / AdMech genetics in way more like medieval Alchemy than exact science, so one might think along the line of what they wanted to cure or enhance and then go wild from there.. 

 

Like, In keeping with example of the Lamenters - they were thought to loose the classic bloodlust but inherit the doomed destiny of their primarch

 

I’d avoid the too obvious hints at what their primogenitor  and come from it at an angle… 

 

With IW they could be stoic to a fault, to the point where they are unable to act outside their chain of command or battle plans.. up to the point where they are essentially Rubric Marines in anything but in name. 
They might even actually turn to ore rich skinned Astartes or crystalline forms. 
And/ Or they go all frenzy and berserk if you ignore their plans or when their calm breaks

…

or maybe they simply like to go directly to fill up on the “Iron within”!

Maybe because they suffer from a sort of anemia or even sort of haemophilia/ a deficit of their regenerative processes that causes them to bleed continuously or in vast quantities?

 

These might even think themselves descendants of Sanguinius, the poor battle brothers  when their flaw is actually in the “iron within” 

 

(I think I just created a chapter/ warband there )

[Gamiel]

9 minutes ago, Xin Ceithan said:

I’d avoid the too obvious hints at what their primogenitor  and come from it at an angle… 

Easiest to do that is to present their culture and/or focus as different from their sire-legion, like a IW successor that has the Pertorabo's tendency for jealousy and perfectionism but focus that jealousy into becoming masters of single combat with constant duels and contests of skills going on between brothers who all strive to become the best. Or a TS successor that’s barbaric in culture and whose Librarians are much akin to the Space Wolves’ Runepriests in how they see and use the Warp.

 

35 minutes ago, Xin Ceithan said:

or maybe they simply like to go directly to fill up on the “Iron within”!

Maybe because they suffer from a sort of anemia or even sort of haemophilia/ a deficit of their regenerative processes that causes them to bleed continuously or in vast quantities?

Alternative take on “Iron within”: a mutation similar to the Sons of Antaeus, maybe with the added bit that they have a need to eat much more metal than a ordinary SM needs in his diet.

 

------------------------------

 

Here are two traitor successors where it's more their "natural" problem that makes them wrong in the eyes of other:

Fangs Argant: While similar to the White Scars in way, with their preference for fast mounted combat and in their savagery tempered by artistry and philosophy, do the Fangs Argant claim no direct kinship with Jaghatai, or any other primarch. Their Librarians suffer all from spontaneous dark visions of the future, and even a few Marines outside of the Librarium has this “gift” (they are marked out by a blue right pauldron trim and arm) - as they receive the visions a battle-brother is lost to the world and easy prey if his brothers don’t protect him. The chapter put much faith in the visions of their prophets, but know that the future (often) can be changed, and there are the possibilities of misunderstandings, so they employ the Emperor’s Tarot and going through what information they have before making any decision based on the visions.

This constant knowledge of coming misfortunes have affected the chapter with a air of tragedy about, and a tendency for paranoia since they know that the future can change and that also means into even worse.

Symbol: stylized fangs in argant

Colours: Red, with polished iron backpack, helmet and pauldrons trim. Left knee colour shows company belonging.

Rules: count as Lamenters.

 

Grotesques Submarined: They are known to have a mind for tactics and administration, making the times they have functioned as leaders or advisors of war efforts near certain victory. They are also master duellists and armour piercers, constantly testing their skills against each other and allies. Grim mirth fill them when they have the opportunity to test themselves against a worthy foe or show allies their superiority in skills. They have been known to become focused on enemies or allies that upman them, not resting until they have beaten them in one way or another.

This need to show their superiority combined with a social coldness and an overall callousness regarding collateral damage have made even those that don’t care about any supposed curses unwilling to fight alongside them.

Symbol: A batwinged grotesque in hunched position

Colours: sea-green with swirl patterns in black. Use the Dark Angels heraldic system.

Rules: “Obsessions edge”, function the same way as the Black Dragons “Ossific Blades”

[Xin Ceithan]

You deserve a special internet cookie for finding a way to use the word “submarine/ submarined” while labelling space marines ! 

[Mazer Rackham]

At this point, I think it would be a better curse to not be cursed at all. The Chapter uses a geneseed that is Traitor, NL or IW, one that is specifically pure and free of mutation. They're straight and true, completely normal, without any kind of flaw or problem. The Chapter behaves impeccably at all times, with a string of victories and maybe minor defeats or setbacks that are perfectly in line with the nature of the beast. They're great to work with, if a touch aloof, but they settle within Imperial Battleplans, and have much honour from recognised Chapters.

 

The problem is that you've got this jackass Inquisitor making life hard for them at every turn.

 

Surprise inspections, tribunals, hold-ups of equipment and supplies because the Inquisitor is mad as a bag of spiders having a foodfight with a box of frogs - and he knows it's NL or IW geneseed, he's even got evidence but he's got this grand vision the chapter will turn traitor, and he'll expose them, but they never do, and because of his mania, the chapter ends up getting a few setbacks with local forces, and people shunning them, because they bring the douchebag with them, who then stirs up trouble for Chapters that don't need it, like the Space Wolves or Blood Angels.

 

It basically becomes Les Miserables, turned up to 11, with an Inquisitor being perpetually inconvenient, looking inside every helmet for horns, under every bed for effigies, and every cupboard for human-skin aprons, but not finding any. He causes trouble enough that any lapse or failing by the Chapter draws his stupidity, so in order to get out from under him they basically commit more and more forces to battles all over the place, thus increasing his paranoia and lunacy, which drives them to commit ritual battle seppuku just to avoid the idiot, until they're all dead, and finally the guy tells another Inquisitor about it, at which point he's executed as a heretic.

 

The Imperial Sceptres are cursed with the Imperium and fringe morons.

[WrathOfTheLion]

Could have a chapter who has a mutation, along with good luck, maybe too good it gets them in trouble, being the foil having 'stole' the Lamenters' luck.

[Brother Cambrius]

On 4/7/2023 at 12:58 AM, WrathOfTheLion said:

Could have a chapter who has a mutation, along with good luck, maybe too good it gets them in trouble, being the foil having 'stole' the Lamenters' luck.

 

There would be a wonderful air of irony if it was one of the Canon chapters with a name and colour scheme only called the 'Celebrants'...

 

Cambrius

[Gamiel]

On 4/5/2023 at 7:11 PM, Xin Ceithan said:

 

But I always liked the idea that it’s a bad idea to use gene-seed from the traitor legions in general … at least in the long run.
 

The idea that there is something fundamentally wrong it.
That  once/ since  their Primarchs have  gone dark side , there is something resonating / aligning within the stuff - even if it was taken / created before the fall of the Primarch involved.
Triggers   all the “ as above/ so below” sympathetic magic vibes… 

One possibility for this is that the chapter suffer from something similar to the Black Rage where they believe themselves to be their Primarch at some big movement after he has turned his back to the Emperor, like when he accend into daemonhood, or had one of the big fights of the Heresy. The chapter most then constantly make certain that they find and kill anybody of their members that have fallen to the “Black Rage” since those in the “Rage” will not just be fighting, like Sanguinius’ sons, but also be very willing to do horrible things to others. And possibly work as beacons for warp powers…

And like the Swords of Haldroth (now the Carmine Blades) can the chapters have no idea why some of them suddenly go mad.

Edited April 10, 2023 by Gamiel

[Gamiel]

On 4/5/2023 at 7:11 PM, Xin Ceithan said:

But I always liked the idea that it’s a bad idea to use gene-seed from the traitor legions in general … at least in the long run.
 

The idea that there is something fundamentally wrong it.
That  once/ since  their Primarchs have  gone dark side , there is something resonating / aligning within the stuff - even if it was taken / created before the fall of the Primarch involved.
Triggers   all the “ as above/ so below” sympathetic magic vibes… 

Mantis Marines: Believed to have their homeworld somewhere in southwestern Segmentum Tempestus based on the pattern of the reports of their known and believed appearances. The reports of the Mantis Marines describe them as using bio-toxins and -acids together with their standard marine weapons but what have been more of note is their reported sturdiness and seeming ability to rise again from wounds that would slay most Space Marines.

An eyewitness account from members of the Dark Brotherhood chapter, that fought beside them at Erkilarg-III, tell of disturbing sights: of wounded flesh visibly knitting together and of fallen marines that should been dead being helped up by their brothers. They also told of an belief in numerology, with the chapter’s “Tallyman” giving council to the Company Command based on the numbers he had gathered and calculated during the campaign and the current battle.

There are also less reliable but highly disturbing reports of marines with chitin instead of skin, and insectile monsters fighting alongside them. The inquisition is investigating if the chapter have mutated beyond acceptable norm but since there is little known about Mantis Warriors, like many of the chapters from the 21th Founding, including their homeworld, is it still ongoing.

Symbol: a stylised mantis head in white with green eyes

Colours: pale-pink with purple left pauldron. Many of them have white painted parts of their armour.

[Just to be clear the Mantis Marines are Death Guard successors, like their forbearers they use poisons and acids (in their case biobased unlike the DG Legion) and use numerology. And their mutations/abominations are insectile like how Nurgle’s followers are gifted with (beside all the sickness and tentacles) mutations that makes them more insect like, the ability to quickly heal is also one of Nurgle’s returning gifts.

Their colours are a reference to how at least one kind of flower mantis looks. I was thinking that the cahpter’s homeworld is high in plants (and possible animals) with poison and/or acid based defences/hunting methods, with some being very deadly – possibly so much that it count as a deathworld.

EDIT: suggested rules are that they have some kinde of regeneration rule (I don’t know how powerful) and that in a game where kill count is part of the calculation of Victory Points do the player role regeneration (maybe in modified form) for all models that was slain to see if they were really dead or just needed some time to heal.]

 

Claws of the Emperor: A crusading chapter working at the edge of the Emperor’s light, focusing on protecting the worlds there from alien threats, toppling xeno-realms and retaking worlds fallen to xeno-might, heresy or sedition. They leave after themselves grand effigies of the Emperor and his saints on those worlds, created by the population that have been enslaved as a penance for having failed the Emperor (one way or another) so much that His angels had to appear. It has been calculated that many of those worlds lost more people to those works, and mortifications rituals, than to the earlier fighting. Often only leaving a core of highly fanatic, ritualistic, and flagellating population. It has also been calculated that the Claws of the Emperor spend as much time leading those penance-constructions and preaching over the population as they do crusading.

A Black Council demi-company fought alongside the Claws of the Emperor for a crusade and descried them as fanatic zealots, self-righteous and sadomasochistic in their interpretation of the Imperial faith. With a great understanding how to motivated humans and strike moral blows toward the enemy. But too often more focused on preaching to saved population and leading them in building monuments to their faith than preparing for the next conflict. They also cared little for helping rebuild any kind of infrastructure or organisations, beside what was useful when it came to their ritual making or effigies crafting.

It has been noted that the chapter has a notably larger than normal Librarium, something that together with their status as a “Cursed Founding” chapter have made many within the ecclesiarchy that appreciates what they do and how they do it unwilling to show support, even still do they have more allies within the church than many other chapters, making it politically a bit harder to investigate them than any other chapter of the 21th Founding.

Symbol: A winged claw in gold

Colours: quartered white and blue with green head, pauldron trim and knees,

[Just to be clear the Claws of the Emperor are Word Bearers successors, like their forbearers they are self-righteous zealots, and that their main mutation (beside Cursed Knights and Abominations) are a high amount of psykers is a nod to all the mystics/sorceress that the World Bearers have.

Suggest using the Black Templars upgrade kit, the anything with fire from the Salamanders upgrade kit, mine Cawdor kits, Sisters of Battle kits, and AoS’ Flagellant kit for parts. Lots of purity seals, relics, flamers and open flames. Suggest using Gal Vorbaks for their Abominations.

EDIT: suggested rules are that they may field more Librarians (and possibly Chaplains also) than normal, and that Librarians start with an extra psychic power.]

Edited April 11, 2023 by Gamiel

[Gamiel]

On 3/11/2023 at 12:07 PM, Brother Cambrius said:

let's discuss what potential other mutations/traits/drawbacks/curses a Chapter could have from their 21st Founding origin.

* Regeneration

* Greater psychic powers among their Librarians

* More aspirants than normal develop psychic powers

* Unnatural talent for a specific school of psychic powers

* Tougher flesh

* Sudden uncontrolled visions of the future. These visions possibly appear as painful, violent seizures that can last for many hours (like the Night Lords).

* give of Anima Chorus energy, making corpses twitch in their presence, possibly giving battle-brothers an “extra round” of fighting after having being killed. They will also be followed by the sounds of eerie discordant moans, the way human ears perceive the Anima Chorus energy-waves.

* have an aura of wrongness about them that gives all enemies facing them Preferred Enemy (stolen from the old rules for Afriel Strain)

- a lesser version would be that the aura is an Area Effect and enemies close enough gets Preferred Enemy

* Mental problem giving them WF’s old Orc & Goblins Animosity rules

* Their bodies are running faster and hotter than normal SM giving them some kind of speed and/or initiative bonus, but at the cost of them sometime running too hot and they fall over, either just unconscious or dead

Edited April 14, 2023 by Gamiel

[Gamiel]

On 4/11/2023 at 7:21 PM, Gamiel said:

* Regeneration

* Greater psychic powers among their Librarians

* More aspirants than normal develop psychic powers

* Unnatural talent for a specific school of psychic powers

* Tougher flesh

* Sudden uncontrolled visions of the future. These visions possibly appear as painful, violent seizures that can last for many hours (like the Night Lords).

* give of Anima Chorus energy, making corpses twitch in their presence, possibly giving battle-brothers an “extra round” of fighting after having being killed. They will also be followed by the sounds of eerie discordant moans, the way human ears perceive the Anima Chorus energy-waves.

* have an aura of wrongness about them that gives all enemies facing them Preferred Enemy (stolen from the old rules for Afriel Strain)

- a lesser version would be that the aura is an Area Effect and enemies close enough gets Preferred Enemy

* Mental problem giving them WF’s old Orc & Goblins Animosity rules

* Their bodies are running faster and hotter than normal SM giving them some kind of speed and/or initiative bonus, but at the cost of them sometime running too hot and they fall over, either just unconscious or dead

* Librarians develop a third eye and can function as Navigators

* their gene-seed is only compatible with a very small group, possibly with some kind of environmental effect on their genetics – e.g. the right kind of rad damage; those small things you find in voidborns that have been travelling the stars for generations that differ them from humans; natives from planets where the veil between realspace and the immaterium is very thin (like Dusk); etc.

* gene-seed is more compatible with a larger group of people (at least the IF and SW are known to have problems with finding subjects that will accept their gene-seed)

* the gene-seed implant process is more survivable

* for IF and RG: all implants function

* for BA: lack the Flaw (the Black Rage and Red Thirst)

- variant: only lack one of them

-variant: it's there but notably weaker

* large numbers of  "cursed knight" and "abomination"

- variant: large numbers of  only one of them

- variant: large numbers of  only one of them and notably few (for a CF chapter) of the other

* low-level psychic powers among all the marines similar to the Geno Five-Two Chiliad's

* low-level precognition ability in the form of only momentary (and possibly subconscious) glimpses or intuitions about the near future. In practice giving them greater reaction since they react before they should and a "sixth sense". Possibly with a rare few full precogs amongst them, these visions possibly appear as painful, violent seizures that can last for many hours (like the Night Lords).

 

[40k_fan]

Mutation/Curse Ideas I came up with:

 

Unnatural Need - Members of this chapter are somewhat less efficient than most, and they require more food and water to nourish themselves, and become hungry and thirst much quicker.

 

Chaos Paranoia - With their eyes accursed, members of this chapter see chaos everywhere they look. In everyone. In everything. They are constantly vigilant to the point that they seem insane to others.

 

Temperature Sensitive - Needing a cold climate, members of this chapter must have their armor fitted with cooling vents and machines so that they do not overheat in combat.

 

Unfamiliar Organs - The process of becoming a marine leaves members of this chapter with radically scrambled if not completely alien-looking organ structures, such that any emergency surgery on them by anyone but a specialist is impossible.

 

Doppelgangers - All members of this chapter look identical, like twins, if not clones. The same skin, the same face, the same everything. Really creepy.

 

Translucent Skin - Like ghosts or something of that nature, marines of this chapter have skin that can be seen through, so they look icky.

 

Nocturnal - A mutation of the Catalepsean Node means these marines are most active in the dark night, and sluggish in daylight hours. They tend to be pale, and have sensitive eyes.

 

Female Form - This chapter's transformation results in the dreaded female space marine upon full development. (Despite the gene seed only working on males? Don't think about it too much. Or do.) Probably heresy, but who cares these days.

 

Delayed Death - These marines die slowly, even when they should be completely dead, they tend to linger around at least an extra round of battle or so...

 

Emotional Overload - This chapter is prone to feeling emotions much stronger than any other, and will often be overcome with joy or sadness.

 

Ginger Hair - The most frightening mutation of all. The last chapter to demonstrate this horrid genetic curse was immediately labelled to be traitorous by the Emperor Himself and they were purged from all records. 

 

Edit: Adding More Content

 

Mini-Marines - Inverse to the Sons of Anateus, these marines are no larger than the average guardsman. Their gene seed makes them just as strong as any other marine, merely somewhat lesser in stature.

 

Emotionlessness - These marines operate on pure logic, machine like logic. These marines have no rage or sadness, but in turn they lack faith or pride. Legends say these marines have never bled in battle. That they have never been seen outside their armor. Some even question whether these marines are human at all...

 

Substance Reliance - These marines physiologically need a specific drug. With it, they feel stronger, faster, more powerful. And without it? Their organs begin to fail rapidly. Compare to the Jem'Hadar from DS9 or Aris Boch.

 

Technoantipathy - These marines are forced away from more modern weapons in favor of more simplistic ones, due to the simple reason that technology abhors them. Devices left around them too long fail or cease operation. Poor Techmarines...

 

Simian Marines - These marines have evolved more apelike traits than many of their brethren, such as extra hair, opposable feet, and prehensile tails. They are no less intelligent, simply bestial in appearance.

 

Sons of Betcher AKA Naja Mortis - These marines have specially evolved Betcher glands for spitting especially corrosive acid long-distance. Unfortunately, most marines in this group have jaws and faces that look really burnt and nasty from the corrosion.

 

Silvered - These marines are laced with silver that protects them from dangerous psyker energies. Unfortunately, silver is bad for the human body. So they have purpley-blue skin and a ton of weird issues.

Edited April 20, 2023 by 40k_fan
additions

[Gamiel]

On 4/19/2023 at 4:52 PM, 40k_fan said:

Unnatural Need - Members of this chapter are somewhat less efficient than most, and they require more food and water to nourish themselves, and become hungry and thirst much quicker.

The Space Wolf Haegr the Mountain had something similar: "his metabolism was flawed such that he had both an insatiable appetite and the ability to gain weight. Normally, a Space Marine's body is able to metabolize food efficiently, but Haegr became the only Wolf who could be called fat. His girth, combined with his towering height, dwarfing all but the tallest Space Marines, naturally led to his moniker "the Mountain." His suit of Power Armour had to be specially modified to contain his physique"

 

On 4/19/2023 at 4:52 PM, 40k_fan said:

Temperature Sensitive - Needing a cold climate, members of this chapter must have their armor fitted with cooling vents and machines so that they do not overheat in combat.

Think the HH Death Guard figures with their vents and fans on their armour would fit for this idea if anybody would want to model them

 

On 4/19/2023 at 4:52 PM, 40k_fan said:

Unfamiliar Organs - The process of becoming a marine leaves members of this chapter with radically scrambled if not completely alien-looking organ structures, such that any emergency surgery on them by anyone but a specialist is impossible.

 This makes me think: what about a CF chapter that have one (or more) organ/s that their gene-seed grow that's seemingly unique to them, possibly without any known function but it still has to be implanted for the implant-process to function for the chapter-members, or it could give them some unique/extra ability .

 

On 4/19/2023 at 4:52 PM, 40k_fan said:

Translucent Skin - Like ghosts or something of that nature, marines of this chapter have skin that can be seen through, so they look icky.

Translucent skin would not make them like ghosts, instead it would make them appear flayed. You need it to be translucent skin and flesh, and then it would likely be looking like the “flesh” of a jellyfish with the bones and body fluids more or less visible through it.

 

On 4/19/2023 at 4:52 PM, 40k_fan said:

Technoantipathy - These marines are forced away from more modern weapons in favor of more simplistic ones, due to the simple reason that technology abhors them. Devices left around them too long fail or cease operation. Poor Techmarines...

Can see their own armour, weapons, and other wargear being unaffected because their machine-spirits are used to the marines technoantipathy, or that's the IU explanation given to why their own stuff can function.

[Grotsmasha]

Some really cool stuff in here, and whilst reading, I thought of a potential mutation: The Black carapace that is implanted / grown continues to spread over time, such that it will enter their joints, effecting mobility and movement, but will also get thicker, granting greater protection. I'm thinking this is a glacial process taking centuries, and only significantly effects Marines in the 300+ range.

 

 

My own Heralds of Devastation are a 21st Founding Chapter, and as well as the "general" bad fortune, their curse / secret is they are founded in cloning. Not the marines themselves, but they grow human children for the express purpose of making them into marines.

Edited April 22, 2023 by Grotsmasha

[Gamiel]

On 4/14/2023 at 12:05 PM, Gamiel said:

* Librarians develop a third eye and can function as Navigators

* their gene-seed is only compatible with a very small group, possibly with some kind of environmental effect on their genetics – e.g. the right kind of rad damage; those small things you find in voidborns that have been travelling the stars for generations that differ them from humans; natives from planets where the veil between realspace and the immaterium is very thin (like Dusk); etc.

* gene-seed is more compatible with a larger group of people (at least the IF and SW are known to have problems with finding subjects that will accept their gene-seed)

* the gene-seed implant process is more survivable

* for IF and RG: all implants function

* for BA: lack the Flaw (the Black Rage and Red Thirst)

- variant: only lack one of them

-variant: it's there but notably weaker

* large numbers of  "cursed knight" and "abomination"

- variant: large numbers of  only one of them

- variant: large numbers of  only one of them and notably few (for a CF chapter) of the other

* low-level psychic powers among all the marines similar to the Geno Five-Two Chiliad's

* low-level precognition ability in the form of only momentary (and possibly subconscious) glimpses or intuitions about the near future. In practice giving them greater reaction since they react before they should and a "sixth sense". Possibly with a rare few full precogs amongst them, these visions possibly appear as painful, violent seizures that can last for many hours (like the Night Lords).

 

* Something is wrong with the marines’ internal chemistry and it need to be constantly stabilised manually by them with the help of implanted chem-releasers, their armour’s injectors, inhalers and similar. They have also learned to use this system to increase their own physical capability for a short time, at the cost of their bodies being overworked or their internal chemistry coming into to much imbalance.

 

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On 4/22/2023 at 7:32 AM, Grotsmasha said:

My own Heralds of Devastation are a 21st Founding Chapter, and as well as the "general" bad fortune, their curse / secret is they are founded in cloning. Not the marines themselves, but they grow human children for the express purpose of making them into marines.

Is there a special reason for them only using clones? And are they all clones of the same person, or a group of persons that are cloned?

 

Also, do the Heralds of Devastation get Cursed Knigts and Abominations among their marines?