Warhammer 40'000 - Disadvantages of Space Marines

[Onkl]

Hi guys

A week from now, we'll start a short campaign in which the PC will be Space Marines, serving in the Deathwatch. The campaign will be very high-powered, cinematic and combat oriented. Think Dungeon Fantasy in the dark future with boltguns.

I've created templates for a generic Space Marine, for five Chapters and six roles.

Let me explain what disadvantages I have done so far:

Generic Space Marine template - everybody has those:

• Duty (The Deathwatch, Always, Extremely Hazardous) [-20] - pretty self-explanatory
• Code of Honor (Adeptus Astartes) [-15] - Honor your wargear. Wear your chapter colours with pride. Revere your primarch and his father, the emperor. Avenge any insult aimed at the chapter, primarch or the emperor. Preserve the purity of your geneseed. Uphold the oaths of your battle-brothers and the traditions of your chapter. Have no dealings with aliens, daemons or other unclean beings. Show no mercy to traitors.
• Sense of Duty (Kill Team) [-5]

Now to the problem I would like you to help me with: Disadvantages which make a distinction between the five different chapters. I have so far:

Black Templars: Due to their corrupted gene-seed they lack the Betcher's Gland and the Metabolism Control the other chapter have, so this is their disadvantage.
Blood Angels: Bloodlust, Selfless and "Red Thirst" (A customized variant of Berserker - see this post for more information)

The other chapters all lack a from [-5] to [-20] in points.

Dark Angels: Stubbornness [-5] - lacks [-20] in disadvantages.

I've thought about a few different things:
Compulsive Behaviour ("Stand your ground") (12 or less) [-10] - While it suits the behaviour often attributed to the Dark Angels, this takes the rest of the party hostage. As I can't image that the Kill Team would leave one Battlebrother to fend for himself. So, this Dark Angels disad becomes a group disad. Unfair to the other players.
Reputation ("Aloof and uncommunicative") (Large group, almost all the time) [-10] - While this also suits the Dark Angels as I know them, meaningful social interactions where this disadvantage comes into play are very far between.
Secret ("The Fallen") at least [-20] - I just don't see how I can bring this into play. An Inquisitor making the life of the Dark Angel character miserable? I think in this case too, the whole group would suffer... and... how do I bring this into play in a combat-heavy "space-hulk crawl" game?

Space Wolves: Curse of the Wulfen (Customized Stress Atavism) - lacks [-5] in disadvantages.

Compulsive Carousing [-5] - Yeah, they like to party, to drink... before a battle occurs. I just don't see this fitting in a campaign where the PCs ought to be the saviours of humanity and angelic warriors. Just seems very unprofessional to me.
Reputation (Savages) (Large group, all the time) [-5]- The same as with the Reputation of Dark Angels. Social Interactions are a seldom occurance. So I don't see this as a meaningful advantage.

Ultramarines - lacks [-25] in disadvantages.

Disciplines of Faith (Monasticism) - Yeah, sure... but don't all Space Marines have that? Or at least some form of Disciplines of Faith, ranging from Ritualism to Asceticism, including every characteristic in between. Also, this does not come into play in the campaign as I envision it.
Fanaticism (The Emperor) - Uh-huh... How is a Space Marine who has this disadvantage different from the one who lacks it? Is it worth [-15]?

The Ultramarines are currently my biggest headache. I have no clue what I should give the cookie-cutter chapter member...

If you have any ideas, suggestions or insights what Disadvantages these chapters could have, please feel free to share them with me as can't come up with anything remotely suitable.

Cheers

Onkl

[Walrus]

Dark Angels - Obsession (Find particular Fallen) or Compulsive Fallen Seeking.

Space Wolves - Gluttony, of course!

Ultramarines actually lack disadvantages. You can freely give them less points in advantages because their purity is a trade-off of greater power.

And if you assume possibility of Dark Angels and Space Wolves in the same unit, don't forget their old grudges.

[Onkl]

Originally Posted by Walrus

Dark Angels - Obsession (Find particular Fallen) or Compulsive Fallen Seeking.

Space Wolves - Gluttony, of course!

Ultramarines actually lack disadvantages. You can freely give them less points in advantages because their purity is a trade-off of greater power.

Superb!

The Gluttony really warants an "of course" :D

Thanks! And please... keep them coming!

[chandley]

You might tweak the Code of Honor a bit, Deathwatch Space Marines will deal with aliens... when it suits their purposes. Really, the whole thing about aliens, daemons and such is probably better represented by Intolerance, rather than rolling it into the CoH.

Fanaticism seems valid to me, not all Space Marines are actual Imperial fanatics. All Sisters of Battle are, and that is really the distinction. I didnt think even MOST Space Marines considered the Emperor to be a god. He was just worthy of devout respect as the savior of mankind in his own person.

Given how they feel about the Codex Astartes, Fanaticism or Obsessions about the Code seems warranted for the Ultramarines. After all, they exile members who fail to adhere to the code. A Reputation as sticklers for the code (possibly two, one positive for those who like it, one negative for those who dont) would be a possibility. If two reps, they dont have to zero out.

Space Wolves: Carousing should at least be optional for Space Wolves. Plenty of heroes have that, its not a detriment to saving humanity. Itll just **** off the Dark Angel members of the watch team.

For the Dark Angels, bringing the secret into play wouldnt be too hard if you really wanted to. Any encounter with Chaos Marines has the potential to trigger a crises for the secret. Even an encounter with certain kinds of Daemon would. Why is the Dark Angel pounding the relatively weak Blue Horrors into paste when the far more dangerous Flamer is torching his friends? And what ARE those Blue Horrors babbling about anyway?

[Walrus]

And a bit more after thinking.

Black Templars certainly have Intolerance (Psykers) (Abhor the Witch!).

Dark Angels may have OPH (Maintain Secrecy about everything).

[Keiko]

I'd give most citizens of 40K at least a Quirk degree of Hidebound. Change is almost literally bad in that setting, tradition is all important and things are done because that's the way they are always done and too much innovation is frowned on.

[Walrus]

Originally Posted by Keiko

I'd give most citizens of 40K at least a Quirk degree of Hidebound.

Certainly not for Adeptus Mechanicus and most of Inquisitors, except, maybe, very puritan ones.
But it fits very well to some Space Marines. Black Templars, maybe some Dark Angels (Death Wing usually) and Space Wolves. Not Ultramarines because they are the most broad-minded of successful Chapters. Not for Adeptus Mechanicus-related Chapters either, like Iron Hands or Salamnders (I wonder why they're not included into list). And not for those who use unconventional tactics like Raven Guard or White Scars and their successors and maybe Ravenwing of Dark Angels.

[smurf]

Callous

Chapter pride may interfere with conduct.

Fairly impulsive... they got that big armour on and the emperor likes them plus they can be heroes.

Some lust for hand to hand combat. Guns are bad okay.

Obey orders, a sort of Honesty. Sarge knows best and chapter commander knows better than Sarge.

[Keiko]

Originally Posted by Walrus

Certainly not for Adeptus Mechanicus and most of Inquisitors, except, maybe, very puritan ones.

It's been awhile since I've been into 40K material but yeah. They work according to what's been done before, use the tried and true methods, etc. Hidebound doesn't seem to mean you can't innovate but that you find it difficult and don't like too. The mechanics mostly repair and maintain not innovate. Which doesn't mean they can't be exceptions (who are probably "PC material") but Imperium always seemed like a pretty good example of a Hidebound society overall. Though not without fair reasons.