What Template for 40K Space Marines?

[ed_209a]

I might be running a Warhammer 40K-inspired game in a few months, and I am revising my Space Marine profile.

To avoid reinventing the wheel, I plan on basing the SM skill template off an existing military profile. (once I get off my virtual butt and order SO 3E, that is)

In the setting, Space Marines are biotech-enhanced supersoldiers who are trained for years before they even are considered usable.

Strategically, their role is a lot like Armored Cavalry, either smashing an opening for more conventional troops to follow up on, or in envelopments to crush vulnerable targets.

So, strictly skill-wise, what elite unit do they sound like?

[vicky_molokh]

A heavy weapons guy crossed with a knight?

[Azinctus]

Special forces bio-mechanoid suicide fanatics with a hint of priest?

[JAW]

Originally Posted by ed_209a

Strategically, their role is a lot like Armored Cavalry, either smashing an opening for more conventional troops to follow up on, or in envelopments to crush vulnerable targets.

So, strictly skill-wise, what elite unit do they sound like?

Marines combined with warrior monks..

Guns + tactics + general soldiering + melee/close combat skills + meditation + theology (empire of man) + maybe meditation, breath control etc + basic knowledge on aliens + some zero gee stuff (they're space marines after all - though the ships there may have artifical gravity - but still - boarding actions are part of what they do..) ... Not like anything really.

And they don't really have a specific strategic role - space marine chapters are pretty much armies on their own and have troops for many battlefield roles. I suppose when working with imperial guard they might be deployed to armored cavalry roles - but they might as well be deployed to guarding important and defensible places instead. Imperial guards have their own tanks and fast attack troops too.

[Sam Baughn]

The soldier template with the battlesuit trooper lens from Space would be a good start. Then add a fantasy style holy warrior template (unfortunately there isn't a suitable one in Fantasy) combining melee skills with unshakable faith (but no supernatural powers) on top of it.

[Kaldrin]

I can't remember what the 40k stats were supposed to have meant, but I seem to remember each point being a multiplier, like 10x. But that was based on GW's kind of logic. I would probably say they would start out with some super human template fairly high physical attributes, add the soldier and then make your own power armour stats for them.

[Dangerious P. Cats]

Are you space marines going to work like those in the 40K story or in the actual game? There is a huge difference in power here.

Or are you just going with the genetically engineered dudes in power armour approach that most first person shooters seem to go with these days? If that were the case I would just give +4 to ST and HP, combat reflexes, high pain threshold, hard to kill and hard to subdue as a base template. Then whatever skills represent their training (soldier, guns, tactics, sewing (optional specialty bunny toys), perhaps a military art art style or some of the gun art rules from high tech).

[DocRailgun]

40K Space Marines are a lot more than a power-armored soldier template... after all, they have two hearts, a solid bone plate over their vital organs, instantly scar over when wounded, eat most anything, breathe in marginal atmospheres, track by taste, spit poisonous and corrosive saliva, and various other things.

[ed_209a]

I am definitely following the 40K fluff more than the crunch.

Space marines will be badass, biotech warrior monks, who appear out of nowhere to save your ass when all hope is lost. Their boardgame WS, BS, toughness etc doesn't really factor in to that image.

I just finished revising the stats for the implants, and they came up to 215 points. There will probably be another 50 points of ads strictly from training, then at least 100 points of skills.

[Sam Baughn]

Here's a rough attempt at a template for a normal 'battle brother'. I kind of lumped the racial template and the professional template together, since it's hard to decide exactly what should go where in some cases.

Various sources suggest that Astares should have a bunch of advantages like Resistant to Metabolic Hazards, Hard to Kill, Hard to Subdue, Rapid Healing, etc. but I generally subsumed these into a very high HT score and the Fit advantage.

SPACE MARINE TEMPLATE - 330 points

ST +10 (Size, -10%) [90]
DX +2 [40]
HT +4 [40]

SM +1
HP +5 (Size, -10%) [9]
Will +2 [10]
Per +3 [15]

ADVANTAGES
Combat Reflexes [15]
Doesn't Breathe (Oxygen Storage, 50 times normal, -40%) [12]*
Extended Lifespan 2 [4]*
Fearlessness 2 [4]*
Fit [5]
Innate Attack (1d-1 Corrosion; Cyclic, 1 Second, 2 Cycles, +200%; Jet, +0%; Reduced Range 1, - 10%; Takes Recharge, 15 seconds, -20%) [19]
Legal Immunity [5]
Less Sleep 4 [8]
Metabolism Control 4 [20]*
Night Vision 4 [4]*
Psychometry (Sensitive, +30%; Active Only, -20%; Only on Flesh and Blood, -20%; Must Eat Target, -20%; Takes Extra Time 2, -20%) [10]
Social Regard (Feared) 2 [10]*

DISADVANTAGES
Duty (Extremely Hazardous, Almost All the Time) [-20]
Fanaticism [-15]
Intolerance (Xenos and Heretics) [-5]

PRIMARY SKILLS
Brawling (E) DX+2 [4]
Environment Suit (Battlesuit) (A) DX+4 [16]
Guns (Gyroc) (E) DX+4 [12]
Soldier (A) IQ+1 [4]

SECONDARY SKILLS
Religious Ritual (Imperial) (H) IQ [4]
Savoir-Faire (Military) (E) IQ [1]

one of:
Axe/Mace (A) DX+1 [4]
Broadsword (A) DX+1 [4]
Knife (A) DX+2 [4]

one of:
Stealth (A) DX [2]
Throwing (A) DX [2]
Wrestling (A) DX [2]
Fast Draw (Ammo) (E) DX+1 [2] (+1 for Combat Reflexes)

BACKGROUND SKILLS
one of:
Armoury (Battlesuit or Smallarms) (A) IQ-1 [1]
Theology (Imperial) (H) IQ-2 [1]

one of:
Beam Weapons (Rifle) (E) DX [1]
Guns (LAW) (E) DX [1]
Liquid Projector (Flamethrower) (E) DX [1]

one of:
Camouflage (E) IQ [1]
Driving (A) DX-1 [1]
Electronics Operation (Communications) (A) IQ-1 [1]
First Aid (E) IQ [1]

* some sources suggest that these traits should be at significantly higher levels, but I wanted to keep the template somewhat sensible, so I'm going to assume that those sources described exceptional feats, didn't mention special equipment which was used to enhance these traits or were simply not all that accurate.