Iron Gods: TNG (Info and Recruitment Thread)

[Mazer Rackham]

Just now, Necronaut said:

The Omnissiah's Will is as deep as it is mysterious.

 

Being a Librarian....I knew you'd say that.

[Lysimachus]

1 hour ago, Trokair said:

Iron Gods lore question for Lys, how do specilisations such as Techmarine get trained, as they cant be sent to Mars? Is it basicly an extensive mentoring by one of the Techmarines that defected fro mthe Imperium? 

 

58 minutes ago, Necronaut said:

@Trokair that's more or less what I would think: aspirants which show natural ability coupled with hard-won practical knowledge acquired while still youths would be apprenticed to a renegade techmarine, which would lead to highly idiosyncratic, individualistic and iconoclastic techmarines with a very skewed world-view relative to those steeped in the mysteries of the Omnissiah.

 

 

Exactly this, just like Chapters that have a poor relationship with the AdMech? Unfortunately for Necro, the 'trainers' he would have had would include Ithan Khor and Draak... 

 

Thanks for the geneseed rolls, as well. Of course, I'm not going to tell anyone what their results are right now. That's fun for once the game has started! 

 

And also:

 

@A.T. - Tactical

@Xin Ceithan - ???

 

That takes us up to 6 players so far, with up to 4 more slots available. If we get more than 10 interested parties, I'll ask for some brief character ideas from everyone and then pick the ones I think will suit the game best/make up the best team.

 

Also, I should have said, I'm not really looking for more than one of each Specialist, so Techmarine is now filled. The exception to that is I might allow a second Librarian if someone besides Mazer also wants to play one. The game is set in the time of the Great Rift and the subsequent Psychic Awakening, after all...

 

 

 

[Mazer Rackham]

Had a whirl through the IT Iron Gods, but may have missed it - do the 'Librarius' use the standard blue, or is everyone in the cinders and sanguine?

[Necronaut]

@Mazer Rackham I seem to remember the "chief librarian" being depicted in all grey armour with a few splashes of crimson from the previous Iron Gods installment in his brief appearance during the chapter 2 introductory cut-scene.

 

@Lysimachus any suggestions for Hive Worlds in the vicinity from whence my techmarine aspirant might have been recruited (read: abducted)? Also are our characters going to be first-born astartes? I'm guessing Talek Varn hasn't blackmailed Lord Rowboat into forking over new dosh and enhanced space-goop...

[Lord_Ikka]

I will throw my hat in, but if we go to more than max I'll bow out for a newer player. 

[Machine God]

13 hours ago, Lysimachus said:

@Trokair - Tactical

@Necronaut - Techmarine

@Mazer Rackham - Librarian

@Machine God - ???

 

I'm thinking 7 or 8 players, up to 10 as an absolute max if there is enough interest, but that is a cracking start already!

 

 

Tactical or

 

Devastator... 

 

 

 

[Lysimachus]

Awesome, so we've got:

 

1 Mazer - Librarian
2 Necro - Techmarine
3 Tro - Tactical
4 MG - Tac or Dev
5 AT - Tac
6 Xin - ???
7 Ikka - ???
8
9
10

 

 

8 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

Had a whirl through the IT Iron Gods, but may have missed it - do the 'Librarius' use the standard blue, or is everyone in the cinders and sanguine?

 

 

Yep, Necro has it, all in the red/grey. Talek Varn doesn't care about what the Codex dictates.

 

That said, I think maybe Vesalius had a little bit of white on his armour, and Ithan was called Redcloak… though I suppose in both of those cases, they are former members of Codex Chapters…

 

But basically, there's a lot of personal freedom with armour decoration, so if a young psyker wanted to add a little bit of blue in some way to his grey+red, Varn wouldn't care at all?

 

 

 

6 hours ago, Necronaut said:

@Lysimachus any suggestions for Hive Worlds in the vicinity from whence my techmarine aspirant might have been recruited (read: abducted)? Also are our characters going to be first-born astartes? I'm guessing Talek Varn hasn't blackmailed Lord Rowboat into forking over new dosh and enhanced space-goop...

 

 

So, worlds that are mentioned in the IT:

 

Feraxus II - Agri
Cordis III - unspecified, maybe Civilised?
Cordis VII - Hive
Ksergha IV - Feral
Talathi Prime - Hive

 

In the game, we've also had:

 

Viorda Prime - Hive
Viorda Secundus - maybe sort of Frontier-ish?

 

I can't think of others, though there may be… could also recruit from the populations of places like the ships of the IG fleet or Elysium Station or even the Crag itself?

 

But feel free to make up more worlds around the edges of the Nebula if you want, there must be plenty more!

 

 

[Mazer Rackham]

So, this is fine, then?

 

Edited June 8 by Mazer Rackham

[Xin Ceithan]

13 hours ago, Lysimachus said:

Exactly this, just like Chapters that have a poor relationship with the AdMech? Unfortunately for Necro, the 'trainers' he would have had would include Ithan Khor and Draak... 

I guess there  are quite  a few great stories that could be told here… 

 

Not quite sure about a role yet - but this..

 

Spoiler

14 hours ago, Lysimachus said:

Also, I should have said, I'm not really looking for more than one of each Specialist, so Techmarine is now filled. The exception to that is I might allow a second Librarian if someone besides Mazer also wants to play one. The game is set in the time of the Great Rift and the subsequent Psychic Awakening, after all...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

….. might be tempting.  Maybe with a more melee/ CC focus since here isn’t any Assault specialist as yet. For variety, something more like a SR Adept as opposed to a wizardly type?  
Brings up the question how the Iron Gods train their potential librarians? Which might be interesting to explore on its own? Would we using the “Forbidden thingy” expansion for psykers used in Blackest Heart? 

 

But like Ikka, I am certainly willing to take a step back to allow especially new players to get into a game!

[Lysimachus]

1 hour ago, Mazer Rackham said:

So, this is fine, then?

 

 

 

Looks good to me! (I might throw a little bit of IG burgundy somewhere, but it's in no way a requirement!)

 

Are you thinking to have your guy recruited from a Feudal World to give him the same feeling as a HG?

 

 

 

28 minutes ago, Xin Ceithan said:

Brings up the question how the Iron Gods train their potential librarians? Which might be interesting to explore on its own? Would we using the “Forbidden thingy” expansion for psykers used in Blackest Heart?

 

 

At the end of the previous game, Varn asked Odysseus to work with Degier (who would be the Chief Librarian equivalent) to form a Conclave that could train any psykers among the young recruits, so they would handle it? Also, as mentioned in the OP, more renegades have joined the IG in the 4-5 years between the old game and now, so it is possible their Conclave could have been increased to 3 or 4 members by now?

 

I think in rules terms, we'd be sticking to standard DW books. As I said to Mazer, psy powers would mostly be taken from the basic Disciplines, but if there was a Chapter-specific power that you particularly wanted or would suit how you picture your recruit, then I'm happy to discuss that?

 

Edit: I'm being thick, I'm sure, but... SR Adept?

 

Edit edit: I'm not 100% sure, but I might do something with the rules to make using psy powers a bit more risky... these recruits aren't getting the same level of training as a proper full Librarius would be able to provide...

 

 

 

28 minutes ago, Xin Ceithan said:

But like Ikka, I am certainly willing to take a step back to allow especially new players to get into a game!

 

 

I would definitely like to give some spots to new/newer players. But we've still got 3 empty at the moment, so it's all good right now. If we get more than 3 more players wanting to join, then I might have to take you gents up on the offer to sit this one out, but we can cross that bridge if/when we need to?

 

 

Edited June 8 by Lysimachus

[Mazer Rackham]

1 hour ago, Lysimachus said:

Looks good to me! (I might throw a little bit of IG burgundy somewhere, but it's in no way a requirement!)

 

I'm working on a few iterations for Lexicanum Xaran Thrace, mostly trying to get co-pilot to stick in some red iconography, but it's being....well...it's usual self.

 

1 hour ago, Lysimachus said:

Are you thinking to have your guy recruited from a Feudal World to give him the same feeling as a HG?

 

Yes, feudal plotter.

 

1 hour ago, Lysimachus said:

Edit: I'm being thick, I'm sure, but... SR Adept?

 

Calling it now, that it's Alpha Legion.

 

It's always Alpha Legion. 

 

1 hour ago, Lysimachus said:

Edit edit: I'm not 100% sure, but I might do something with the rules to make using psy powers a bit more risky... these recruits aren't getting the same level of training as a proper full Librarius would be able to provide...

 

My one little caveat to that would be Psychic Powers are risky anyway. The only real neutralisation is the Rite Of Sanctioning, which is 400xp and locks in the Psychic Phenomena result every time. However, that doesn't mean you can push it at every go without consequence. Fatigue is baked in, so it gets harder, but Perils is also possible if you determine it is a factor (GM Fiat etc).

 

I can play without Rite Of Sanction (RoS) if you proscribe it, no problem, but then I'm running Fettered all the time, as there's simply no risk vs reward to doing anything else. I can't see Uncle Talek letting brain-boyz run around willy-nilly sprouting daemons out of their ears, though! 

 

A half-way house to this could be perhaps making any Psychic Test result of 96-100 automatically Perils, regardless of Sanctioning, due to the Psychic Awakening. That way there's a 10% chance of Phenom (any doubles), plus a 4% Chance of direct Perils, that wasn't there before, and the latter isn't bound by RoS.

 

Just for sake of clarity, I plan to run Thrace with a JP, Avenger, Iron Arm and Short Range Telepathy. So he's got wings and a heavy flamer. I was looking for HG because they can be really killy, and the team doesn't have to worry about assaulters. However, if we did have another assaulter with Double-Team, that could get very spicy indeed....

 

Edited June 8 by Mazer Rackham

[Lysimachus]

Hmm, I tend to agree about the RoS... if you don't have access to it, then sticking to Fettered is just logical - halving PR from 3 to 2 (rounded up) isn't a big loss.

 

I worry that a 1 in 20 auto-Perils on all Psy Tests might be too risky, though? If there are 2 Libbies on the team, the odds immediately jump to 1 in 10 of something happening? 

 

 

 

However, I do think RoS is possibly too good...? Always getting the same Phenomenon (and thereby removing any chance of a Perils ever, right?) is just a bit... dull?

 

Would you consider RoS as still being a worthwhile pick if it instead gave a reroll to the Phenomena Test? (or even roll twice, pick one result?)

 

 

[Mazer Rackham]

1 hour ago, Lysimachus said:

Hmm, I tend to agree about the RoS... if you don't have access to it, then sticking to Fettered is just logical - halving PR from 3 to 2 (rounded up) isn't a big loss.

 

On the face of it, no, it isn't. However....

 

1 hour ago, Lysimachus said:

However, I do think RoS is possibly too good...? Always getting the same Phenomenon (and thereby removing any chance of a Perils ever, right?) is just a bit... dull?

 

RoS is good, no argument, but really, it's a double-edged sword for Player and GM. Sure, I get to pick my Phenom, but it also stops the Party getting blown apart in an unscheduled, rapid, disassembly of reality. Depends on how much fun you're looking for, GM...

 

With RoS, the risks are dull, but I can play fast and loose, and you can rule when Perils is in play.

 

Without RoS, Perils are always present, but never get rolled, because I won't risk it, so we're both disappointed. 

 

1 hour ago, Lysimachus said:

I worry that a 1 in 20 auto-Perils on all Psy Tests might be too risky, though? If there are 2 Libbies on the team, the odds immediately jump to 1 in 10 of something happening? 

 

It's not perfect, I agree. The alternative is to induce a Difficulty/Penalty to all Psychic Tests of e.g -10, and actually attack the bonuses, so it reduces the propensity of  powers to succeed, but again, then you're back to effectively nullifying low-balling noggin-joggin' and stopping a low WP character for even sending a thought outside his skull to ask where the milk is, and causing a TPK if he rolls badly.

 

Another alternative, and possibly the solution is to have it so that if both Librarians (if present) suffer Phenom, it converts into a roll on Perils, as it creates a nexus of psychic confluence. The Perils roll could then be modified by +10 per PR added, with the maximum level being taken, so if I Phenom at Unfettered, but Xin Phenoms at Push +3, the Perils roll gains +30.

 

So the more we use, the more it breaks the barrier/has chance to break the barrier. It also maintains RoS as worth taking, but I might also suggest the RoS Phenom result is individual, so no doubling up, or, it is chosen at the WP Stat when the Talent is Bought - this would mean that higher WP's would incur a pushier Phenom.

 

I think that works better.

 

Dibs on Spectral Gale, though.
 

1 hour ago, Lysimachus said:

Would you consider RoS as still being a worthwhile pick if it instead gave a reroll to the Phenomena Test? (or even roll twice, pick one result?)

 

If it was a little cheaper, it might be worth it, but when 'not bothering' is free, or paying 400xp gives a guarantee, there's absolutely no point.

 

Edited June 8 by Mazer Rackham

[Lysimachus]

Hmm, yeah, it's all getting a bit too complicated, isn't it? 

 

Hmm...

 

Ok, here's the simple answer:

 

In this game (whether due to the 'Psychic Awakening', or lack of proper Sanctioning rituals among the Iron Gods, or whatever) the Rite of Sanctioning Talent will instead allow a second roll on the Psy Phenomena table, with the PC then choosing one of those results to apply.

 

However, as it obviously isn't as good as regular RoS, it will only cost 250xp rather than the full 400.

 

Player utility is still there - as you said, you can choose to stay Fettered and negate the risk entirely? But in this game setting, using psy abilities is a greater risk, and the rules should reflect that.

 

Fair enough? 

 

 

Edit: hang on, hang on... I've just read the entry again... so, if you roll 75+ and get the Perils result, RoS doesn't apply?

 

So it only lets you modify which phenomenon you got, but doesn't change the risk of Perils at all?

 

Right, scrap all of what I just said! 

 

Edit: I may still come up with something else to increase the dangers of using the warp, though!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 8 by Lysimachus

[Necronaut]

@Lysimachus you may be pleased/interested/irritated/appalled to know that there is a talent from Black Crusade entitled "Favoured by the Warp" (Tier 3, Tzeentch-aligned) which does exactly that.

 

I started typing up something about not reducing the cost, but then I remembered that Talek Varn wasn't an absolutely pants-on-head insane daemon worshiper and that the IG are strongly anti-Chaos while still being renegades. I think you have the right of it turning the psychic phenomena roll into a devil's choice as opposed to a guaranteed least-bad feature (I do love me some bleeding walls when running a Blood Angels psyker for maximum fluff).

Edited June 8 by Necronaut

[Lysimachus]

Yeah, very true, they are anti-Chaos in their outlook.

 

However, as seen in my edit above, I realised I'm an idiot and hadn't read the entry properly! 

 

 

...but I might come up with something else to add to the danger of using the Warp in the current setting!

 

 

Edit: ok, this:

 

Rite of Sanctioning (Lite ) 250xp

 

When rolling on the Psychic Phenomena table, if the result is under 75 (i.e. not Perils of the Warp), you may roll a second time on the table and choose which of the 2 results you want to take effect. (If the second roll is 75+ then your first roll automatically stands)

 

 

 

Edited June 8 by Lysimachus

[Mazer Rackham]

Appreciate the offer, GM, but I think I'll save the XP. 

[Lysimachus]

10 minutes ago, Mazer Rackham said:

Appreciate the offer, GM, but I think I'll save the XP. 

 

Fair enough! 

 

Honestly, once I realised that the official version of RoS does nothing to change your odds of getting a Perils, I started to think that 400xp was slightly overpriced anyway...?

 

[Necronaut]

Honestly I think that activating psychic powers at the fettered level is by-design the intended way to reduce the chance of psychic phenomena/perils of the Warp, and it really doesn't need to be messed with. Being a psyker in 40K is supposed to be inherently dangerous, and just sipping from the Sea of Souls is always going to be a far safer way to access your unnatural powers than drinking directly from the proverbial fire hydrant. There should never be a free lunch as a psyker.

 

Edited for clarity.

Edited June 8 by Necronaut

[Mazer Rackham]

47 minutes ago, Necronaut said:

Honestly I think that activating psychic powers at the fettered level is by-design the intended way to reduce the chance of psychic phenomena/perils of the Warp, and it really doesn't need to be messed with. Being a psyker in 40K is supposed to be inherently dangerous, and just sipping from the Sea of Souls is always going to be a far safer way to access your unnatural powers than drinking directly from the proverbial fire hydrant. There should never be a free lunch as a psyker.

 

Edited for clarity.

 

Who are you, and what have you done with the real Necronaut?

[Necronaut]

12 minutes ago, Mazer Rackham said:

 

Who are you, and what have you done with the real Necronaut?

 

<Looks around nervously>

<Makes gene-stealer noises>

 

 

WOOP WOOP WOOP!

[Machine God]

You can still get Perils of the Warp with Rites of Sanctioning, it's not a Get out of Jail Free card. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Trokair]

Is there a list of all the possible Chapter Trappings?

Was perusing some of the option to find something to go with what I have in mind in terms of character background.

[Mazer Rackham]

Devotion Chain  Black Templars DW 169

Tabard  Black Templars DW 169

Blood Drop Pendant  Blood Angels DW 169

Golden Icons  Blood Angels DW 169

Robe  Dark Angels DW 170

Wolf Pelt  Space Wolves DW 170

Runic Totem  Space Wolves DW 170

Tempest Amulet  Storm Wardens DW 170

Cingulum  Ultramarines DW 170

Heraldry Scroll  Ultramarines DW 170

 

Helmet Picter  Raven Guard 1STF 19

Sable Heraldry  Raven Guard 1STF 19

Promethean Sigils  Salamanders 1STF 26

Vigil Brazier  Salamanders 1STF 26

Honor Gift  White Scars 1STF 34

Chieftain Trophy Rack  White Scars 1STF 104

Icon of the Iron Cage  Imperial Fists 1STF 104

Wolf Tooth Necklace  Space Wolves 1STF 104

 

That's your lot.

 

Edit: tell a lie, there's one more - Howling Griffons, Night World Livery. If the mission is a stealthy one, you can paint your armour black, and gain +10 on concealment tests. Since you're at -40 to conceal anyway, and the mission must be a stealth mission, this is about as much use as hemlock toothpaste.

 

Edited June 9 by Mazer Rackham

[Necronaut]

And let's not forget the Iron Hands' Iron Hand.

 

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