HyveMynd
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Dirty hippie, PbtA, Fate, & Cortex Prime <3er
Posts: 2,273
Preferred Game Systems: PbtA, Cortex Plus, Fate, Ubiquity
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Currently Running: The Sprawl
Favorite Species of Monkey: None
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Post by HyveMynd on Jul 29, 2018 21:40:59 GMT -8
Howdy folks. At the end of August I'll be running another one-shot RPG for the Kansai branch of the Japan International Gamer's Guild (Kansai JIGG), and I'm thinking about doing an Adeptus Astartes game. I've been tinkering with statting up Space Marines in Cortex Prime, and this would be a great opportunity to kick the tires and see how things work. My issue, and what I'm looking for advice on, is what the player characters might do in such a game. Let's face it. You send Space Marines to do one job: kill absolutely everything. They're not going to negotiate, and the only interaction Astartes would have with most (all?) NPCs is to put a bolter round through their head. If that NPC was a non-human, they'll then bathe the area in flaming promethium just to be sure. Unless it's another Space Marine, they're not even going to bother rescuing hostages or civilians, since it's better for a loyal citizen of the Imperium to be granted a swift death than risk mental, physical, or spiritual corruption. So, it seems to me that any Adeptus Astartes game would pretty much have to be a dungeon crawl. Kick in the door, deal with whatever's in the room (foe, trap, obstacle), move on. Wash, rinse, repeat until the objective is met, or every one of the PCs is dead. Am I wrong about this? I'm not saying that type of game can't be fun, I'm just wondering if there are alternatives. So Jackers. Anyone want to pitch me ideas for what the PCs might do in an Adeptus Astartes game? P.S. - I'm not looking for system suggestions.
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Post by vyrrk on Jul 30, 2018 10:55:51 GMT -8
Oh man... I love me some 40k lore! I wish I could join whatever game this is!
As for stuff to do... You can always run a Deathwatch style. Here is a idea I have been kicking around for awhile...
Put them under a high inquisitor and set it on mars! The Ordos Xenos believes the tech priests of mars are using xenos for tech like the heretics they have always believed them to be. However... there is no proof and even a Inquisitor can't just barge onto Mars and start shooting stuff. So a Deathwatch squad is sent as "Protection" from some made up threat. Then the Space Marines have to do some searching and talking and then when they finally find it, Tau, Eldar whatever... Then they get to shoot all things.
Just my 2 cents.
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lightningcat
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 29
Currently Playing: Pathfinder, D&D 4e
Currently Running: Transformers, Pathfinder
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Post by lightningcat on Aug 19, 2018 15:09:24 GMT -8
Actually space marines have a bit more nuance then you are saying. The Salamanders (or even worse the Celestial Lions) will risk their lives to protect normal humans. While most of the chapters have their secrets that they do not want getting out, sometimes these secrets are even kept from lower ranked members of the chapter (looking at you Dark Angels). These can easily be used to create a storyline that has nothing to do with the space marines being the best murder machines in the galaxy. The Deathwatch itself is a special forces unit created from members of all of the normal chapters for the specific purpose of killing all xenos, and they have few problems with using said xenos against each other, and even have agreements with minor groups. Even the Black Templars (who have the sharpest sticks up their rectums of any chapter) have a "mutual defense" agreement with one of the Eldar craftworlds. In the Space Marine video game you have disagreements between members of the same chapter on how to accomplish their goals. You also get to see how a space marine can interact with normal humans.
Space marines are still more or less human, even if they are a cross between a main battle tank, a shaolin monk, and crusader knight. They might not have (or want) normal human relations, they still have the same ego, hubris, joy, and sorrow of a human. Just cranked up to 11, as is almost everything in 40k.
There is a scene in one of the stories where a Ultramarine and a Space Wolf that had been serving together in the Deathwatch are saying goodbye. And the comment is made that if they ever see each other again, they will have to treat each other not as the brothers that they have become, but just as members of the other chapter. I believe "stuck-up prick" and "uncultured dog" are the terms used.
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plusx2a
Strategicon/RPG Section Staff
Join me at Gamex 2014 Memorial Day Weekend May 23 - May 26
Posts: 238
Preferred Game Systems: Savage Worlds, Modiphius 2d20, FATE, PbTA
Currently Playing: Legend of the Five Rings, Cortex
Currently Running: Savage World of Solomon Cane, Modiphius Conan
Favorite Species of Monkey: Spider
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Post by plusx2a on Sept 10, 2018 10:03:28 GMT -8
There are far more options than you think. Have you read Wolfblade? It's a Space Wolf novel featuring Space Wolves on Terra as bodyguard for a Navis Noble. Space Wolves make great bloodhounds for a mystery. Also, Dark Angels hunting one of the fallen in a hive world where the fallen has infiltrated the planetary government. Ultramarines uncovering and destroying a genestealer cult plot when going to recruit from the underhive gangers.
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Ed from Minnesota
Apprentice Douchebag
Professional Gaming Slut
Posts: 56
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Currently Playing: What is... "playing?"
Currently Running: Shadowrun, D&D 5th, Torg via Savage Worlds, HERO, Gurps One-Shots, CoC One-Shots
Favorite Species of Monkey: Monkey See. No wait... Monkey Do. Doo?
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Post by Ed from Minnesota on Sept 14, 2018 10:05:20 GMT -8
The first question I'd ask is what lore are you trying to play? Space Marines as unstoppable battle machines raging with bloodlust and death to the heretics? If so, you may need to answer how they can live to collect multiple studs for 10 years of service. Some of the original stories were about veterans with 200 years of experience returning to their homeworlds to retire. With that in mind, I would consider trying to play up that Space Marines are much like we consider Saints today. Highly hyped, with only a kernel of truth. People would be intimidated by an 8' montrous person (I'm 6'5", and I get looks). Put them in Power Armor, and nobody remembers him picking a flower to give a child - they remember him covered in battle sign (burns, pock marks, etc). And if they didn't see one in battle, they would have by the next time they talk to their friends (and thus the story grows).
So what do they do in their off time? They would be uncomfortable among normal humans generally, as they are small, squishy, and react in unpredictable ways. Add in that one in a thousand is a potential terrorist (Chaos-tainted), and it is better to minimize your contact when possible.
So back to what do they do in their off time? Enforce the Will of the Emporer? Vague. Try to promote their Chapter? Seems most likely. Consider each Space Marine an elite Commando, able to be called up at any time. The rest of the down time they are training, working on projects, etc. So if a holy relic were to disappear from a world protected by their Chapter, it could be a black eye. Send in a small team to find out what happened, and recover it. Perhaps there are other humans as big as a Space Marine, mutants from Death Worlds or somesuch, that they can disguise themselves as when not in Power Armor. Or perhaps they masquerade as aliens, because whom would suspect?
Hope that gives you a few ideas to work with.
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lightningcat
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 29
Currently Playing: Pathfinder, D&D 4e
Currently Running: Transformers, Pathfinder
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Post by lightningcat on Sept 16, 2018 12:40:10 GMT -8
I just finished the novel Baneblade, and the main character saw a space marine at a formal dinner. While even among the wide veriety of humanity, the Astrete stood out, it was as much because he looked like an astetic monk (at a gathering of nobles) then anything else. While very large, they still blend into the huge variety of human types in the universe. At least when not in their armor. Disguise is an option, although one not liked by most chapters, but that is a cultural issue. The Alpha Legion regularly uses disguises, which is one more reason that the loyal chapters avoid it. It can also be noted that Ogryns are actually bigger then most space marines. Normal Ogryns are 2.5 to 3 meters talls, while an average unarmored space marine is 2.1 to 2.5 meters in height.
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