MiniSix 40k Bestiary: Humanity

The Koronus Expanse is packed full of the sorts of right nasty fuckers you'd do better to avoid than fight. That being said, it's not always that possible. Although, sometimes the allure of more Thrones than they can shake a stick at might bring them over to your side - always try diplomacy first, failing that CASH MONEY, and failing both of those, the biggest gun you can find.

These guys are all modified from pre-existing sample characters in the MiniSix book, bar the Astartes.

Average Human * 

The common or garden Imperial subject.

Strength: 2D Intelligence: 2D

Agility: 2D Fellowship: 2D

Skills: Any three at +1D each

Gear: As needed by profession.
Static: Dodge 6, Soak 6

Adept - Int 2D+2, Common Lore 1D, Trade (Pick one) 1D, one other Skill (by Home World)
Entertainer - Fel 2D+2, Perform 1D, Charm 1D, one other Skill
Hired Gun - Agl 2D+2, Pistols 1D, Dodge 1D, Intimidate 1D, Laspistol or Hand Cannon, ballistic armour (+3)
Native Guide - Str 2D+1, Fellowship 2D+1, Tracking 1D, Navigation 1D, Blades 1D, Knife (+1D), Crossbow (3D), leather armour (+1)
Scum - Fel 2D+2, Charm 1D, Deceive 1D, Knives 1D (for a Cultist, add Forbidden Lore (pick one))
Voidfarer - Int 2D+1, Fel 1D+2, Navigation 1D, Ship Lore 1D, one other skill


Imperial Guardsman ***
The footsoldiers of the Imperium's war machine.
Strength: 3D+1 Intelligence: 2D
Agility: 2D+1 Fellowship: 2D
Skills: Dodge 3D+1, Rifles 4D+1
Gear: Flak Armour (+4), Lasgun, copy of The Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer.Static: Dodge 10, Block 10, Soak 10(14)

Traitor Guard - Fel 1D, Forbidden Lore 2D

Adeptus Arbites ***

They ARE the law.

Strength: 4D Intelligence: 2D+1

Agility: 3D+1 Fellowship: 2D+1

Skills: Brawling 5D, Dodge 4D+1, Pistol 5D+1, Melee 4D+1

Gear: Carapace Armour (+6), Hand Cannon (4D) or Bolt Pistol (5D) or Combat Shotgun (4D+2), shock maul (+3D, stuns for 1d3 rounds)

Static: Dodge 13, Block 15, Parry 12, Soak 12(18) 

Adeptus Astartes ***** Scale: +2D/+6
The Emperor's Angels, His Will Incarnate
Strength: 6D Intelligence: 3D+2
Agility: 4D Fellowship: 3D
Skills: Melee 6D+1, Rifles 6D+1, Pistols 6D+1, Dodge 4D, Intimidate 3D
Perks: Space Marine, Black Carapace (removes Scale penalties, keeps bonuses)
Gear: Astartes Power Armour (+10, +1D Might), Chainsword (+6D) and Bolt Pistol (5D) or Boltgun (6D)
Static: Dodge 12, Block 19, Soak 18 (28)

Rogue Trader: Ork Grotweed

The barbaric Orks grow many unusual forms of fungus, but Grotweed is one of the strangest. The cap resembles fine, frond-like leaves, with thicker leaves sprouting around the base. There is little variation in colour, most being a swampy brown-green shade. It can grow mostly anywhere, so long as there is some element of Orkoid ecosystem present. What makes it so valuable to the Orks is its ability to be smoked. Crude "cigz" can be formed by drying the leaves, shredding the finer fronds, and wrapping them in the thicker base leaves. The resulting cigar is lit and inhaled - similar to a lho-stick.

For Orks, the Grotweed has a pleasant (if acquired) taste. Many Warbosses and Big Meks (and the occasional Burna Boy) keep a supply of grotweed on hand for celebrating victories, keeping their cool in stressful situations, or when they need to buckle down and get thinkin'. For game purposes, treat these as lho-sticks, for Availability.

For Humans, however, the effects are somewhat different - when inhaled, Grotweed forces the Explorer to make a Hard (-20) Carouse Test (or Toughness Test, if using the BC rules). Failure gives 3 levels of Fatigue for one hour. Passing the Test leaves the Explorer high as all hell, hallucinating as if under the effects of a hallucinogen grenade for 3 rounds, and gives 1 level of fatigue. Passing with 2 or more degrees of success means that the hallucinogenic effect is ignored, but the Fatigue is still taken.

Humans who smoke these foul cigz in the presence of Orks will find a modicum of respect - gain a +20 to any Fellowship rolls (or similar) when dealing with those particular Orks.

W is for WAAAAAAAGGHHHHH!

MOAR DAKKA

Orks.

I do love them.

In a universe dominated by horror, greed, and GRIMDARK, beset on all sides by gibbering abominations, vile heretics, and aliens of all stripes, you have the happiest damn race in the Galaxy.

Why? Because they've already won.

The Imperium wants to rule the Galaxy, as they see it as their divine right. The Eldar want to atone for their past misdeeds, hunting down the forces of Chaos, and trying to bring their race back from the edge of extinction. The Tau want to include everyone in The Greater Good, or kill them trying. The Necrons want to wipe out all life, but there's a lot of it.

The Dark Eldar are just here for the beer. The Tyranids, for the DELICIOUS BIOMASS.

And the Orks? They just want a fight. A "roight good 'un, too". And by The God-Emperor, they've got one. Seeing as everyone else in the Galaxy wants to fight each other, and them, and sometimes themselves, no matter where Orks go, a fight is soon to follow. They're living the dream - something that can be said of scant few people in 40k, never mind an entire race.

Yes, the generally take the role of the "comic relief", but a few of the Black Library novels show us that an Ork can be a credible, terrifying threat - my example...

Roan and his men dived into the trench - it would keep them safe from the gunfire, at least for now, but the artillery thumping nearer and nearer let them know they had scant time to enjoy their rest.

A few of the men (brave souls that they were) had taken up firing positions, bracing their lasguns against anything they could for a better shot at the enemy. Callis... was nowhere to be seen. The Heavy Bolter the Captain had slung him with would be of great use here, shielded from the worst of the fire, and directly in front of the advancing line.

Lunatics! They were charging through the No Man's Land without a care in the world! The men tried to take them down before they reached them, and succeeded in killing maybe a dozen - each of the beasts needing several shots to down. Roan had seen what a Lasgun can do to an unarmoured man, but the creatures wore little more than scraps of leather and the odd metal plate. They were bizarrely tough, taking shots to the face that would kill an average man, and yet they kept coming, screaming.

For each the men downed, five more took their place in the charge. There was no way they would manage. The Captain ordered them to fall back into the trench and prepare their bayonets - the fight was coming to them.

The first of the beasts threw himself into the trench. It was massive - the size of one of the Emperor's Astartes, at least. It wore a huge, roughly-beaten metal faceplate, wrapped around its jaw - it even looked like it might have been implanted into its face. And its expression... it was smiling, as it screamed an unholy, bastardised dialect that seemed strangely familiar. Its green skin shone with oil, blood, and a general waxy demeanour.

With a single swipe, it knocked Davin off his feet, and plunged a wicked-looking blade into his chest. The great beast laughed and roared as it continued through the trench, followed by his brothers. All larger than even the biggest of the Guardsmen, all wielding cruel-looking blades and handguns that looked ready to fall apart.They slaughtered the men, making sport of it - laughing as they killed, huge gouts of gore sending cheers through the advancing tide of green.


Roan had sought to escape from the onslaught, and hopped out of the trench, running blindly away from the enemy. He had feared the Commissar would have him shot, but looking over his shoulder, he saw a massive metal claw, easily the size of a Lascannon, sweeping through the air out of the trench, followed swiftly by the top half of Commissar Jenkins.


To this day, the last words he heard would haunt his sleep, marking every minute of every day...


"LOOK LADZ, I GOTZ DA HAT! I IS DA COMMI-TZAR NOW, SO YOU DUZ WHAT I SEZ!"


Savages.

Rogue Trader: Ork Zzzap Gunz

"PUSH IT! PUSH IT 'ARDA, GROT! ROIGHT, STAND BAKK, LET ME SHOW YA 'OW ITZ DUN..."
-Last words of Big Mek Gobstompa

Orks are known for their ramshackle technology - though behind layers of rust, gubbins, and assorted blades, they can be surprisingly effective - like the Zzzap Gun. Normally crewed by Gretchin (though an Ork might use it in a pinch, or if it's in a particularly killy mood), these huge weapons fire bolts of weird green lightning, and can tear through infantry, armour, and vehicles with terrifying ease...

If the Grot at the trigger has the guts to use it right.

Zzzap Gun
Exotic (Ork) Heavy Weapon (requires a tripod or vehicle mount)
Range: Special (see below)
Rate of Fire: Single/-/-
Damage: Special (see below)
"Clip": 25 charges
Reload: 2 Full Rounds
Qualities: Special (see below), Inaccurate, Unreliable to non-Orks,
Weight: 90 kgs (note that this varies from Zzzap Gun to Zzzap Gun, no two are made the same!)

Roll 1d5 each time the weapon is fired. This determines how many rounds the brave (or cowardly) Grot is willing to charge the weapon.

1- The Grot simply taps or squeezes the trigger, producing a weak shock that can still stop a man in his tracks. This setting uses 1 Charge.

Range: 30m Damage: 1d10 Special Qualities: Shocking

2- A longer squeeze of the trigger produces a blast that may prove lethal. Uses 2 charges.

Range: 60m Damage: 1d10+5 AP: 1 Special Qualities: None

3- This blast can easily kill a man, and might dent smaller vehicles. 3 charges.

Range: 60m Damage: 1d10+10 AP: 2 Special Qualities: Blast (1)

4- Now we're talking. A great green bolt of energy flies from the gun, capable of killing even a heavily-armoured target. 5 charges.

Range: 200m Damage: 2d10+10 AP: 4 Special Qualities: Blast (3), Felling (1)

5- This Grot has some stones, or is too stupid to know better. The charge produced here is enormous - easily capable of taking out tanks and fortified positions. However, the blast produced comes with a great backlash - if a Grot is operating the weapon, they are killed outright, much to the amusement of the surrounding Orks. If it's an Ork (or other humanoid crazy enough to use a Zzzap Gun), they take the same damage as the target, ignoring Armour. Few could hope to shrug off such a blow, but Orks are stupid tough. And stupid, too. 10 charges are used every time the weapon operates in this capacity.

Range: 300m Damage: 5d10+10 AP: 6 Special Qualities: Rending, Shocking, Blast (4), Felling (2), Overheats (Special - see above)

If there are not enough charges for the weapon to operate at the rolled level, simply use the highest level of charge available (so, rolling a 5 when you only had three charges left would result in a "modified" roll of three). Use the highest possible charge first (so, with 4 charges left, you would use a 3 charge blast, then a 1 charge shock).

For PCs (or intelligent NPCs) operating the gun, it's their choice how long they want to charge the gun - any result that would lead to a Jam, however, is resolved as though they were using the gun on its highest setting (i.e. the user takes damage equal to that which would have been taken on a successful hit).

While these are usually stand-alone artillery pieces, many Ork vehicles can take a Zzzap Gun - mostly Buggies and Trukks. They are also commonly seen as light weapons on the mighty Squiggoths... though you wouldn't be so cruel as th throw one of those at your players... right?

There is a chance that Ork Freeboota or Mekboy PCs (especially Mekboyz) might want to get their hands on one of these - if so, it cannot be used with the Bulging Biceps talent (even for an Ork, it's too cumbersome to use without a mounting). It also might seem powerful, but remember - at the point they can blow up small buildings with it, they take the same damage. It's a risky trade-off, but one that any Ork would be willing to take to get his hands on so much DAKKA.

Rogue Trader One-on-One: Part Six: Peace Through Superior Firepower

As the Captain scanned and analysied the now Ork-infested planet, she had a plan brewing at the back of her mind.

She commanded her Tech-Priests to alter the armour of her personal guard, adding spikes, stripes, and generally "Orkifications". The same was done with her personal Power Armour - somewhat reluctantly, it has to be said, with the Tech-Priests ensuring that all of the near-heretical modifications to the sacred Template be easily removeable.

Speaking to the crew, she found those who had experience with Orks - including Corbec. She asked for as much information as she could get, and even studied the Ork language (or at least the rudiments thereof) to help communicate with the Orks. She picked her biggest men, and equipped them with the deadliest, most impractical weapons she could find.

Then, with a little technical jiggery-pokerey, the Tech-Priests sent a message to whatever crude radio recievers the Orks might have had, asking them to get to a point she would mark with "Great Dakka", by sunrise the next day, and shelled the crap out of an area near a valley.

As the dust settled on the fresh macrocannon craters, Orks were already making there way, from across the entire continent, or so it seemed. By sunrise, the crater, and most of the surrounding area (equivalent to a small city) was a sea of green. Orks filled every open space, howling, fighting, drinking, and occasionally doing all three at the same time (it's amazing how well an Ork can balance his drink while jumping on someone's head).

She descended on her shuttle, and was amazed at how easily Yacob managed to dodge the various shells and armaments fired indiscriminately into the air. As they unloaded, her men began performing what can best be described as the "Imperial Hakka", dancing, shouting, screaming, and firing weapons in the air to gain the attention of the assorted Orks. Most continued what they were doing, but some turned to view the odd spectacle.

Claudia began announcing her presence, and her request - to bring them a good fight. Not with her, of course, but with a mutual enemy. A certain 'Umie in red power armour... she had prepared a large canvas, painted with the likeness of Captain Krawkin, and described how heavily-armed his cruiser was.

As she spoke, she felt a tingling sensation at the nape of her neck. Tiny bolts of red lightning jumped from her armour, spike to spike, and as the tingling built, she started to feel them running between her teeth...

In a flash of red light, a figure appeared before her. At least nine feet in height, with armour and ornamentaiton taking him above that, stood an Ork, easily the largest one there. His face was coated in light-green scars, and one of his eyes (and a chunk of his skull) were replaced with crude augmetics. With a simple grunt of "WOT D'YOU WANT?", in heavily accented Low Gothic, she was introduced to Warboss Kragza. The sheer fact that he seemed to know enough Low Gothic to hold even a simple conversation was enough to set the Lord-Captain on edge - and to remind her that while Orks were simple, they weren't stupid.

She explained her situation, and made a show of being the biggest and strongest of her men (the power armour helped, as did the lifts installed in her shoes). Though a combination of wits, charm and intimidation, she managed to win the Warboss over - in exchange for some of the ship's weapons, they would fight Krawkin and his men when the arrived.

And they would - Claudia had set two extra teams to the other side of the planet, to enact two different plans. The first was a crack team led by Corbec and his men - to extract the Eldar relic from its place of burial (several dozen feet underground). While they dug, they had to fend off Ork war parties, a few light vehicles, and what appeared to be a second Warboss, from another tribe. All were easily despatched, through a combination of tactics, sharpshooting, and heavy macrocannon shelling.

The second team had taken several items - a vox, set to brodcast as one of the Vegas's shuttles, a lump of the psychoactive coral, and a few stray scraps of wraithbone - if Krawkin's psyker was as powerful as he seemed, he'd find the bait no bother. Attached was a short video clip of the Captain, explaining that they were long gone, no doubt rich beyond his wildest dreams, and that the Greenskin cavalry would arrive shortly, followed by several rude gestures.

Once negotiations were settled, however, the Auspex teams and the Astropaths began reporting strange readings around the captain - she turned just in time to see a new player enter the field - a team of mysterious figures, dressed in ornate armour (which she immediately guessed as being Eldar in origin), tearing their way through reality itself, teleporting their way across the battlefield in short jumps, leaving a trail of destruction wherever they went.

The Orks had went at least half an hour with no more than a brief punch-up, and were more than happy to get themselves stuck in to the new opponents. But they moved too quickly to be easily despatched - dissapearing, only to reappear momentarily a fet dozen feet away, light, ornate blades ready to cleave through flesh with little apparent effort. Some unleashed even greater armament - a launcher, attached to their waist (and seemingly under mental control), which unleashed a shimmering cloud that reduced men and Orks to a fine red mist in seconds. Closer inspection led Claudia to believe it to be monowire - molecularly thin and razor sharp. As she bolted to the shuttles, entorage in tow, she was face with one of the Eldar as he appear but a few feet in front of her, and unleashed a spool of monowire in her direction - but quick reflexes and heavy armour saved her from dismemberment. A single bolt shell from Jayne, the Lord-Captian's Security Officer and personal bodyguard, forced the Eldar to teleport once again, allowing Claudia safe egress onto the shuttle.

It was only once she rested that she realised she hadn't fully escaped the wire - the bottom half of her left ear had been removed, leaving an almost perfectly cauterised wound behind.

Warp Spiders are a shamefully underused bit of Eldar fluff - shameful, becasue they're awesome. Darting through the Warp, unprotected, to strike at an enemy when the least expect... badass.

The ambush was to put the willies up Claudia's player, and to show her that the Eldar knew she was after their relics. The injury was to remind her that she wasn't invincible (she had avoided most combats till now, using her men and keeping a safe distance at all times). The little shock seems to have worked - she's been a lot more careful in the last few sessions, and is still paranoid about Krawkin now she knows I'm out for blood...

Orks: Finally Taking the Plunge...

So, after many months mmmmming and ahhhhing, I finally broke and bought a box of Ork Boyz, and have already managed to assemble most of them.

I picked up the standard 10-Boyz-and-a-Nob box straight from Games Workshop, and one of the boxes of four "clip together" Boyz from Static Games (my Friendly Local Gaming Shop).

The standard box is pretty awesome - the sculpts are very cool and characterful, even though they are basic infantry. There's a ton of extra bits and bobs to help make your Boyz unique, and with some clever tinkering, you can make many of the "elite" units from this sprue - though it might take some conversion work.

The "clip together" models are very basic - the only options are for Slugga boys (basic gun-and-knife infantry), and are mostly assembled already. While the product claims they can just be popped together, no glue needed, they're pretty delicate - even with glue, I've found that the arms are prone to moving, no doubt a product of the "pins" used to hold them in place. The bitz are adapted wholesale from the Ork Boy sprue - nothing unique or interesting to them. A few spare bitz, however, will go a long way to customising them past their current "dull" look...

All in all, if you want some Boyz, and fast, it's not a terrible product. It can help bulk out any army (although, with just 4 per box, it feels somewhat... weak). You're way better picking up a full standard box - the options are far more interesting, entertaining, and flexible, and it's (somewhat) better value for money.

I'll post up some WIP pictures as soon as I find a camera...

Rogue Trader One-on-One: Part Five: 'ERE WE GO, 'ERE WE GO, 'ERE WE GOOOO...

Seeing Captain Krawkins ship pull out from the Warp is not a reassuring sight. Bristling with macrocannon batteries, lances, and weapons Claudia had never even seen before, His Unconquerable Will is a ship designed to bring death to the enemies of The Imperium. Turns out, it's a dab hand at taking on the enemies of The Captain as well.

After some terse chit-chat, Claudia demanded the ship prepped for Warp travel. Krawkin demanded she shut her engines down, or he would open fire. And, true to his word, as the good ship Vegas (we finally got a name!) started to drop into the Empyrean, Krawkin let loose a single Lance-strike, aiming to disable the ship. It was, however, too late - the shot missed, and gouged a huge tear into the surface of the water-planet. The seas boiled under the heat, and in some parts, evaporated (and even caught fire) as the lance dragged its way across the surface. Luckily, none of the Hives were in the way - though the planet would face years of ecological problems as a result.

Celebrating their escape, the ship set off for a few different trade ports, to help confuse Krawkin and mask their trail, and the Lord-Captain had a chance to investigate and research the Eldar relic the had recovered. It was a semicircle of wraithbone, about 5 metres in diameter - inscribed with eldritch markings and unknowable runes. In the centre, another smooth curve denoted a smaller disk missing from the starmap. Over the next few days, as they bounced from port to port, Claudia found herself drawn to investigate the map more and more - it was only when she noticed that her usual route through the ship, no matter what way she went, would always deviate to the holding room that she decided it was becoming an obsession. She ordered her guards to keep an eye on her behaviour, reporting anything suspicious to both her and her Seneschal, "Bobby". They were also instructed to plan routes which would keep her occupied and away from the holding cell. When she slept, she still received visions of her true destination - the planet with gemstone beaches and something terrible hiding somewhere on it. What started as a vague feeling of seeing through someone else's eyes became more and more like a memory, and even began to take on elements of lucidity - controlling her path through the dream. A few doses of an obscura-based sleeping aid, and stimms while she was awake, seemed to help repress the dreams somewhat.

As the days drew on, she also noticed a few coincidences - she would think of people moments before they voxed her, she would make very lucky guesses, and recieved "hunches" that were too accurate to be chance. She confided in Allesaunder, who believed that perhaps all the contact with Eldar technology and psychic materials of late had awoken some tiny spark of psychic ability. While she would never be a full-blown psyker, she might find her mind becoming not her own over the next few months. The Captain's resolve to avoid excessive contact with the artifact was redoubled - yet also short-lived.

While sorting out some of the other Eldar items recovered from the jungle planet, she located an Eldar Shuriken pistol. The gun's smooth curves called out to her, and she could feel the wraithbone sing in her hand when she held it. She practised with it where possible, and has taken to carrying it on her person.

As they finished making their cold trail, Allesaunder noticed an anomaly in the readings - making so many short Warp jumps in such a small amount of time seemed to have done something to the local Warp current, and they had arrived back to about 4 ship-hours before they arrived at the Waterworld of Piscinius. Not wanting to waste such a valuable lead, Claudia ordered them straight to their next location - a desert planet several days Warp travel from where they currently sat.

After all the stress and work of the past few days, the Captain was looking forward to a relaxing journey - but sadly, it was not to come. One of the Hospitaller Sisters approached her, asking her to come to the Medicae bays immediately.

Astropath Sands (last seen taking on a minor Daemon of Tzeench) had been in a bad way since the encounter. The touch of The Changer of Ways was upon him - a mutation. As she approached his bay (sealed off behind inch-thick quarantine glass), she saw him lying on the steel flooring, weeping openly. Tears of dark black blood flowed from under his blindfold, and made ichorous pools under his head. As he heard the footsteps of the Captain, he crawled fully into view.

Where his legs had been, he now sported a great serpentine tail - hints of previous musculature and bones were still visible, signs the mutation was recent. Still weeping, he explained that he had been too proud and overzealous, that he did not have the willpower to battle such a creature, and that the horrific changes wrought upon him were his punishment - the Emperor's judgement of unworthiness. Still crying, he pleaded for his chance to prove himself worthy to serve the Imperium once more. The Lord-Captain left without a word.

She consulted the Chief Medicae and Magos Biologis, both of whom said he was in a stable condition and showing no further sign of mutation or physical corruption. The Missionary had already placed in a request with the Captain for the man to be shot, burnt, blessed and spilled to the Void. Allesaunder, after a brief investigation, claimed that there is no malignancy in his soul, simply regret and pain. As far as he was concerned, Sands was "safe" to continue duty. After some time and reflection, Clauida decided to allow Sands to stay on the ship, and once more take his place in the Astropathic Choir - under the watchful eye of Blind Mag, and at least one armed guard, at least for the time being. He was removed from his bay, and taken back to his quarters under cover of "night" to recuperate before taking his second chance. With tears flowing once more from his wasted eyes, Sands thanked the Captain, and vowed to show more fortitude in all future endeavours.

Finally, the Vegas arrived at their next location - Hectari-Prime, previously a human settlement, now a dead world. Or so they thought - auspexing revealed movement, life-signs and even explosions and gunfire on the surface of the planet. As they picked up a signal for audio transmission only (the pict wouldn't have good enough resolution at their current range), they caught a bizarre chant that sent shivers down Corbec's spine;

"'ERE WE GO, 'ERE WE GO, 'ERE WE GO..."

Orks. I fuckin' love 'em.

Also, my player finally got around to spending her collected XP, and picked up Exotic Weapon (Shuriken Pistol), and I remembered the looted items from their trip... (she had tried to sell them on Piscinius, but the buyer was a right nasty piece of work, and she refused).

I'm figuring out that, while she's a lot less ruthless and GRIMDARK than most 40k fans, the Captain's player still wants to be put in situations where she is forced to make tough decisions - like with Sands. Here's hoping that her generosity isn't taken for granted...

And, after consulting with her, she's happy to take Psyniscience as an elite advance, to represent her new found abilities - again, this can only be bad news...