40k Imperial Guard Roleplay!

[Beckoncall]

"THOSE FAITHFUL TO THE EMPEROR WILL HAVE HIS PROTECTION"

Hello out there! Just doing an interest check to see if we can get a forum game going of something similar to "Only War" (The RPG) but more sandbox with a custom and looser dice system.

Players will be imperial guard troopers in a unit of their own "comrades" -- basically each player will have a handful of NPCs to fight along side them and do much of the dying that will be required in the grim future where there is only war.

I will help each player create a character and a unit (maybe even a company background) and the players will be thrust into horrible terrifying situations where blood and bodies are a currency to be spent by generals and life can be cheap and short, but sometimes -- heroes rise above -- inspire their comrades and turn the tide of a battle, or even a war.

As far as story goes I have plenty of ideas but I was thinking of short engagements in a variety of scenarios -- some including but not limited to -- Xenos Safari, Pitched battles against Traitors/Heretics/Cultists, Assisting the Arbites in the Underhives, Liberation of territories from ravening orks, search for ancient and xenotech, and just all manner of desperate scenarios where surviving is winning, and actual true victory may be naught but a vain hope one bravely strives and dies for.

Characters may die frequently (but there is always another to take their place) and comrade NPCs will likely die CONSTANTLY -- but that is just part of life in the imperial guard. The lucky, the brave and the truly mad might rise to something more than cannon-fodder... But they will have to stand on hills of the dead -- both comrade and enemy alike.

Depending on how many people are interested I might include vehicles or various roles for particular units (Medics, Stormtroops, Heavy Weapons, Vehicle attachment) -- but for now I would just like to see who is out there with me and interested in getting something together.

 

[Dizmason Eternus X]

Beckoncall I am intrigued enough to be involved, looking forward!!!
Also, this will be my very first forum role-playing experience.

 

[Pat]

Sounds like an interesting concept.

 

[Lord Mitmar]

Oh absolutely. Consider me interested!

 

[ithinkcat]

I guess I'm interested as well. I'd want some help making a character and I have a couple concerns, but it still sounds like a good, fun, idea.

 

[Beckoncall]

I guess I'm interested as well. I'd want some help making a character and I have a couple concerns, but it still sounds like a good, fun, idea.

I'd love to help you make a character. I'll make a short list of things to consider below and then we'll discuss it character creation.

What are your concerns?

 

[Beckoncall]

Beckoncall I am intrigued enough to be involved, looking forward!!!
Also, this will be my very first forum role-playing experience.

Welcome to our world of forum roleplay, and I hope you find what you're looking for!

 

[Beckoncall]

Here are some things to consider before making your character -- A member of the 1118th Ad-Hoc Irregulars. This Company consists of a diverse population of survivors and recruits from a variety of places and backgrounds, while most Imperial guard regiments come from a single world or background, Ad-Hoc companies are a melange of a variety of all types of troops, expected to be able to adapt to any situation rather than be rigidly prepared for a particular type of warfare...

Specialties: What are you in your unit? Your comrades will generally be regular weapons specialists but you can choose a role for your character that may have an impact/role as regards other players, your NPC comrades, and how you fit into the larger picture of the imperial guard.

• Heavy Gunner: Big, strong, and tough, these Guardsmen wield any heavy weapons that are given to the Squad.
• Medic: Dodging deadly weapons-fire and explosions, these Guardsmen risk everything to keep their squad-mates alive.
• Operator: A bit less leery of the strange technology that the Imperial Guard often employs than their compatriots, these Guardsmen are often entrusted with piloting the Squad’s transport or other vehicles.
• Sergeant: Every Squad needs a strong commander to lead the charge into combat. The Sergeant keeps his men motivated and coordinated through the toughest battles.
• Weapons Specialist: The “average” Guardsman, these men and women perfect the use of the lasgun or other weapons, bringing death to the enemies of the Imperium.

World of Origin/Background: The type of planet you come from can have a huge effect on the kind of person you are, what your strengths and weaknesses are, and a variety of other qualities.

Death World -- Characters from death world regiments have left behind the danger and ferocity of their home world. They are rugged, uncomplicated individuals for the most part, at ease with the hazards of the battlefield and the dangers posed by alien monstrosities. However, death worlders are slow to trust off-worlders, who cannot understand the hardships they have faced, and they often lack discipline, which gives them a reputation for unreliability in the eyes of more strictly-trained regiments. Death worlders are renowned for their ability to endure the worst the galaxy can throw at them, and exemplify the concept of survival of the fittest.

Fortress World -- Characters from fortress worlds have been raised to serve in war, and by the time they reach maturity, they are wellversed in the arts of war and the doctrines of the Tactica Imperialis. Each has been long trained to destroy the enemies of the Imperium, particularly those whose threat forced their world to be fortified in the first place. Fortress worlders are disciplined, honourable, loyal, and with the highest regard for integrity, and each is already a proficient combatant long before they are taken to serve in the Imperial Guard.

Highborn -- Highborn characters were born into wealth and privilege, shaped by tutors and the heavy burdens of dutiful tradition and dynastic obligation. Many highborn bloodlines have long and proud traditions of military service, viewing the arts of warfare as the obligation and honour of the wealthy, the powerful, and the influential. They are born to rule, and most highborn who serve in the Imperial Guard aspire to command and high office, seeing such authority as their right.

Hive World -- Characters from hive world regiments are one amongst many. Due to the colossal populations of hive worlds, musters from them tend to be large, sometimes numbering over a thousand regiments at a time, each of which may number as many as ten thousand men. In many areas of a hive world—not just the twisted depths of the underhive—murder, rioting, and gang warfare are rife. Constantly having to avoid (or take part in) such dangers turns the people into capable warriors and survivors.

Imperial World -- Characters from Imperial world regiments represent best the greatest mass of humanity. Their minds are shaped by faith and humble duty, their bodies honed by toil. While lacking the tenacity of death worlders, the unyielding discipline of a fortress worlder, or the unthinking zeal of the penitent, Imperial worlders are faithful, loyal, and adaptable, unconstrained by the focus of specialisation.

Penal Colony -- Characters from penal colonies tend to be ruthless, opportunistic individuals, the desperate conditions of their origin making them eager for any opportunity to survive for just a little longer, or profit just a little more from a situation. While ill-disciplined and commonly impious, the expendable, vicious nature of convicts makes them quite useful in the Emperor’s wars.

Penitent --The penitent are not those born of a single type of world, but rather those of a particular mind-set. While all the Imperium lives in the Emperor’s service, the penitent are those who eagerly give their deaths as well. Willing martyrs all, the penitent fight to demonstrate their zeal or to show their contrition for the sins of the past. The penitent may be from Shrine Worlds, or the masses of pilgrims who cross the Imperium, while others hail from worlds where some ancient crime demands countless generations of absolution. In all cases, the penitent are savagely pious, seeking to bring death in the Emperor’s name, or die trying.

Comrades: These are the NPC warriors that are attached to your main character. I will help generate a handful of (approx. 3-5) random troops with particular names, demeanors, and maybe even a few defining characteristics. Comrades will often be replaced as those serving beside you die or are otherwise separated from you in the maelstrom of battle.

TLDR: What does your character do? (Class) Where are they from? (Background) Who are they with? (Comrades)

 

[Heyitsjiwon]

Looks fascinating!

 

[General Deth Glitch]

For the Emperor!

 

[Beckoncall]

Okay Everyone, I'm still hoping we get more joiners, but I think I'm going to set up a discord to help people create their characters to get things rolling. DM your discord ID if you want to talk in real time on Discord. If you don't discord and still want help let me know and I can hold your hand via the forums.

Include with your reply what kind of enemies you'd like to fight in the campaign (if any) and what, if anything makes this campaign stick out to you, this will help me cater to what people want from the get-go.

 

[Beckoncall]

ALSO FOR CHARACTER CREATION:

Doctrines: You can choose one specialty or two that your unit is especially competant in: Recon, Drop Troops, Hunter-Killer, Light Infantry, Line Infantry, Siege Infantry. Close Combat, Die-Hard, Favored foe, Hardened Fighter, Iron Discipline, Sharpshooters, Survivalists.

Then Pick a Regimental Perk: Augmetics, Chamelioline, Combat Drugs, Demolitions, Scavenging, Warrior Weapons, Well-Provisioned.

these aspects can be described and elaborated on during actual character generation or in contact with me, but Doctrines are basically what your unit is best trained or has most often served as, and a Regimental perk is special equipment or skills that your unit might have given your background or role in the 1118th Ad-Hoc Irregulars.

 

[ithinkcat]

Beckoncall I just PMed you my discord. I'll chat with you over there about everything.

 

[Pat]

Spoiler: Character Example

Joeig Cyros, a highborn penitent medic born on a tundra deathworld. Survivalist experienced with scavenging, personal weapon of lasgun, two male and two female squadmates of highborn background... Holt: overshadowed perfectionist, Xanatov: calm machine whisperer, Arnette: potential antivac mom in our reality, Nyota: unerring and on her seventh life.

Penitent Medic is really great... especially when crossed with highborn. You've been educated and trained as a doctor better than many -- and you choose to spend these gifts in the imperial guard. You once reattached a guardsman's hand during an artillery barrage, that sort of thing.

Ok... you left the safety and elite status and privilege of your old life behind, seeking a true faith in the emperor's service and a drive to command and earn your right to rule should you ever return to your homeworld. Pick Doctrine(s) and Regimental Perk.

(survivalist and scavenger)

Your unit can eat things that make billy-goats puke and have learned to make even poisonous plants edible (with enough boiling and the like) -- you take to a variety of environments easily but tundra and ice will always be your very best. You and your men can scrounge broken materials and make working material with parts, and jury-rig broken things to work, if only for a while.

Ok! The world is a harsh tundra world that gives little without great effort, as well, outside the vast majority of the 'best habitable zones" there are mutants and insurrectionists that commonly attempt to raid and plunder from the wastelands. Scum you've been cutting your teeth on as a guardsman since you were eight. The Best of the world is held by the emperor and his armies, but beyond the frontiers and defense-works your world truly is a hell, and it is full of heretics, mutants, insurrectionists and all manner of madmen.

Lasgun personal weapon chosen

Your unit is a group of penitent medics - true believers in the imperial cult and willing to die saving your brethren or as the emperor dictates. You come from a Tundra Deathworld -- where the most livable places are held by the imperium, outside of which is a cold hell of cannibalism, mutants, and heretics. Your survivalist Doctrine Allows you to thrive in all manner of horrible environments but none better than the cold ones. Your regimental perk is scavenging, disassembling the broken to make functional, and jury-rigging things to work when they should remain broken. Welcome to the 1118th Ad-Hoc Irregulars... what is your name?
​

Two men, Two women. From your highborn background, they are highborn too... though they may die and be replaced by other types.
Holt: Holts father was a feared and fairly reputed commissar, and Holt lives in his father's shadow. Never good enough, Holt occilates between sulking even as his fathers position gives him favor, or feats of suicidal daring in an attempt to somehow distinguish himself.
Xanatov: Xanatov is highly autistic, and it is unlikely without his elite background he would have gotten this far to graduate imperial guard training. The rest of his comrades have covered for his social shortcomings because it seems at times he can practically talk with broken machines and tech. Xanatov doesn't worry about anything stating that it's a probability anomaly that anyone in the unit is even still alive... so he stays relaxed in situations other guardsmen might cower or lose their minds.
Arnette: Arnette is average in almost every way, except for her rescue to survival ratio which is inexplicably higher than normal statistics. "I pray to slow the flow of blood, I pray to staunch the wound" is all she will even say to explain that.
Nyota: Barely a medic -- she compensates for her relative lack of healing skill with unerring following of directions and fierce combat discipline that stands a cut above her comrades. She is burned over 40% of her body and her face is horribly scarred from shrapnel injuries, and she has a metal plate in her head from enduring endless artillery barrages that left microfractures over the entirety of the top of her skull. She by all accounts should already be dead.

​

​

 

[Beckoncall]

That's pretty much everything we discussed. I'll iron out details of characters with anyone else interested in playing.

 

[ithinkcat]

Spoiler: Character

NAME: Elsara
GENDER: Female
PERSONAL GEAR: Laspistol and Sword

SPECIALTY: Medic

BACKGROUND:
Shrineworld Ecclesarchical background, has family in the Adeptus Sororitas, washed out and 'banished' into ad-hoc imperial guard as her status' alternative to execution. She and her cohort have faced horrible fighting and living conditions and have the endurance to show for it. Because of their reliable reputation, they are also earmarked as well-provisioned.

- Born on a shrine world to a noble family devoted to the Ecclesiarchy
- Family has produced several sisters of battle to include Elsara's older sister
- Elsara tried living up to the family expectations and tried to become a Sororitas herself
- Didn't have the white hot passion and loud zealousness that other candidates have
- She has a more quiet and interpersonal faith, and could not bring herself to kill a fellow candidate during training
- Was up for execution due to her failure to follow orders but her family pulled some strings to get her simply expelled
- To avoid any further embarrassment they got her transferred to a far away IG recruitment camp, never to be heard from again
- During boot camp, she did well and cared about keeping her fellow recruits alive and helping them pass boot camp

DOCTRINE: Die-Hard

PERK: Well-Provisioned

COMRADES:
Herc: From a Feral world, he still doesn't trust a lot of complex tech, and Elsara befriended him in basic when she taught him how to use a washing mechanus and an automatic can-opener. Herc is either Heroic, or straight up suicidal. He hasn't died yet, so people are leaning on the former until the latter proves true.

Zora: From a Hiveworld where most of the units from her starting regiment are already dead, she's the dregs of the dregs. Always complaining about superior officers, is careful to keep her mouth shut when it counts. She's often the last one to have her helmet on but the first one to have her boots tied. It's unclear why, but she always has an extra butterscotch pudding cup in her rations on resupply day -- and nobody in the rank and file gets those. She trades them to your Ogryn friends for protection, and every resupply there is a knock down battle between the Ogryns over who gets the pudding cup.

Mord: A Male Ogryn, this giant labrador of a person just took a weird liking to you and has saved your life and carried your crap for you ever since. Has a dent in his head from an ork wound he survived; it makes him a little "touched" even by Ogryn Standards. For example, He doesn't recognize Elsara as a woman, instead calling her "My Friend Curvy Man". Elsara taught Mord some Sororitas litany tunes to get his mind off traveling in cramped transports so he isn't as willful in tight spaces thanks to her.

Alta: A female Ogryn, she follows orders to the letter but is scared of interior darkness more than most. Outside however, she's a literal ass-kicking machine and collects bayonets for her heavy stubber as trophies making it almost comically dangerous in melee at this point. Alta is smart enough to know she's stupid... and has attached herself to Elsara following Mord's example in the vaguely bright idea that if she outsources all thinking and decision making to somebody educated -- maybe she'll survive.

The group has formed around Elsara as she is an educated medic and somebody who knows how to deal with authority. Zora is definitely using Elsara, but she's saved Elsara's life at least once so maybe they both figure Elsara owes her. The Ogryn have been assigned to Elsara to get her to carry maximum injured off the battlefield so she can "Wake dem up again." Herc just believes in Elsara and her commitment to saving lives, so he figures if he's going to go down, he wants somebody like her to see it. His heroism loop is catalyzed by his belief that her unit will save him.

 

[Demonsoul]

I would be interested in joining, I am a fan of both your rps and 40k so this works out for me.

 

[Beckoncall]

I would be interested in joining, I am a fan of both your rps and 40k so this works out for me.

As soon as I get the current party up and running I'll see about attending to you, sir.

 

[June Verles]

Hey so, two things.

Have I ever rped with you before Beckoncall? I remember doing something along the lines of a dark souls primitive thing where we were sent to some sort of underworld.

And secondly are you still looking for spots in the rp? If not I will understand, it's just nice to find you.

 

[Beckoncall]

Was it "Kingdom Death" June Verles ? I'd love to add you to the game, send me a DM with your discord and I'll add you to the group. It will kick me in the pants to get things moving apace!

 

[Bronco]

Howdy, I understand that this concept is an oldy, but it really is just super cool. What are the odds that this is still an ongoing rp?

 

[Beckoncall]

Indeed it died out. but it had a short but exciting run... it was called "Those faithful to the emperor will have his protection"

 

[Bronco]

ah nooooooo, damn. Well I hope it was fun while it lasted. If you're interested in bringing it back in any way feel free to count me in. Don't know TOO much about the lore of 40k, but the basics I'm familiar with.