Complete ignorance of and disdain for tactical maneuvers unless specifically beaten into it, wildly reckless (some would say suicidal) bravado. strapping every random bit and bob onto your equipment because they think it'll become "more stabby" or "more dakka" or even just "more flash", the cohesive dichotomy between extreme chaotic individualism and mindless horde behavior, a general obsession with being the biggest and the stompiest, and a perpetual sojourn in search of the best fight... Wherever that may be, and whoever it might be against (doesn't really matter, so long as whatever it is happens to be big).
One day we will get a gorkamorka reboot... One day. 40kOrks are pretty suited for RPG style gameplay. Every time you up your stats and get bigger it's because your ork has gotten bigger. Direct correlation between experience and stats and size and strapping enough gubbins and bits from literally everything you see. Tendency to loot everything just in case it's important later. And for every ork that is orky, there are orks that are not orky. Like stormboyz or burnaboys, allowing for different flavours of unorkiness
There's an ork car combat game around the corner too
I like to imagine you can get to a point where you strap so much stuff onto your cart you're practically immobile but you're just ridiculously shooty and can stop other carts from lapping you using a giant magnet
What about an interplanetary crime boss? Or the local representative of one anyway. Not a cold trader or anything actively heretical like that, more of a smuggler who avoids planetary tariffs on things like alcohol, lho sticks and narcotics for everyday operations, but also deals in stolen goods of high value. He's twigged on to the presence of the Temple-Tendency through contacts in the Ecclesiarchy who have drug habits and the like, and has the general gist of what they want. The return of Vandire style governance is bad for business, and deep down in his greedy heart the criminal does believe in the Emperor and the Thorian reformation, even if he doesn't really understand it.
This one ties in pretty neatly, since the current cardinal is a drug addict who's basically in charge because he's too high to be a threat to the Arch-Deacon
Or so he thinksNever underestimate a sneaky bastard just because they're a decadent wastrel
He offers his support, meaning supplies, some blackmail material on the nobles and ecclesiarchy relating to illicit substance habits, clandestine transportation and some armed smugglers who're willing to pitch in with the more one-sided fights. In return he wants first dibs on various valuables from the various people that are going to be in the firing line. Things like the Arch-Deacon's seal of office, paintings, statues, minor relics, and other such things in the possession of the Temple-Tendency, which he can sell to wealthy collectors of the esoteric, desperate pilgrims who're willing to pool their money to buy even a scrap of sanctified coth from a deacon's robes and charlatans who want to sell a scam with some authentic props down the line. He intends to make a fine profit off of the ecclesiastical trappings, totems and trophies that build up around any high ranking priest.
He might even be a chartist captain/chartist warrant holder. Would make sense if they have a significant sum of clout but falls just short of rogue-trader levels clout. Unless the players can find some way to get a legitimate "privateer letter of marque" for such a person I reckon this would be an incredibly hard sell for the SOBs as they would be a much bigger partner than them. I can see a world where they "fight in the same direction" at least lmao
I'm wondering if your players will tolerate literally any of their potential allies or decide to just purge everyone on the planet with a force strength of forty sisters.
"You would purge this planet with forty sisters?"
"We would purge this planet with one!" [arms cyclonic bomb with menacing intent]
Even if their faith is resolute, I'm fairly certain they wouldn't be able to triumph without making allies somewhere. Like Space Marines they may be a highly mobile, highly armoured and lethal fighting force capable of breaking through most conventional forces; but numbers, heavy-weapons, heavy-armour and communications get more important the longer the fight drags on. It's a bit like how space marine artillery is a highly mobile rocket platform vs the imperial guard's basilisk. The space marine artillery may be able to quickly eliminate enemy artillery and escape before counter-battery fire reaches it, but once it's out of rockets it's out of rockets. The SOBs not having secure medicae facilities to recover wounds between missions reliably, not having access to their armoury to restock on ammunition, not having access to any of their relics or the exotic incendiary ammunition they've been using to devastating effect... I'm ~tentatively hoping~ such logistic concerns can at least make them economically choose where to deliver the Emperor's wrath
I've done some very rudimentary numbers so the tech-priest can slam them on the head with some in-character common sense along the lines of "Dude stop. You are not taking over a Hive with 49 sisters. You would need at least 800,000 men, maybe 4,000,000 - and that's with the majority of the Hive populace supporting you," explaining why he is limiting his own ambitions to just the refineries. Also explaining hopefully that my players will need to enlist allies if they are to succeed
Current list of potential allies/rivals/complications
In the HiveLord Governor Melvin kon Ashant-Is friends with Inquisition radicals (their bodyguard & assassin team are Inquisitorial assets, Ashant provides great resources to several radical Inquisitorial cells on the planet and in his Hive).
-Is enemies with the Inquisition (suspected of undermining Imperial authority on Erebuni, days are probably numbered as the noose is closing around his neck).
-Hive PDF is led by nobles loyal to the Ashant family. Hive PDF is however armed with domestically manufactured laslocks that can't fire full-auto and domestically manufactured flak armour of dubious quality. All quality lasguns/armour procured or produced is used to equip guard units meant for the tithe, or sold to embezzle thrones by corrupt commanders/nobles/Ashant house.
-Is foolishly allowing the Arch-Deacon to amass a fleet of frigates and light cruisers, as well as a force of "Frateris Militia" and arco-flagellants, believing they will counter-balance the Hereticus forces on the planet.
-Agenda is survival.
Cardinal Vasco Ulture-Is doing so many drugs
-You are not invited to his party go away
-
"Go ahead. Try and assassinate me. You have no idea how many body doubles I have,"-Is in the habit of taking slaught, frenzon, stimms, amasec and other herbal concoctions before delivering sermons. Has a master-chirugeon medicae servitor who regularly replaces his organs with best-quality "donations" probably sourced from the interplanetary crime boss. Most are probably vat-grown organs, some... Most certainly not.
Master-chirugeon medicae servitor (Claudius Aesclepius Pintus the Younger, age 599 cycles and 4 standard months)-Self-awareness was not supposed to survive servitorisation
-
"Please don't go. The drones need you. They look up to you."-"Bits of my mind are floating away. Help me. Help me. Help me."
-Did he deserve this fate?
-Forbidden Lore: [Yes]
(I don't actually know what crime is bad enough to justify such a hell. So for now it's just an unexplained mystery that only the Mechanicus or Inquisition archives would know. Pintus the Younger might not even remember at this point)
Arch-Deacon Kaefor Lamaar-Manages the wealth, assets and property of the Aurelius sector. Each Imperial planet in the Aurelius sector has its own Cardinal in various shades of competency, but the Deacons have slowly been getting replaced by those sympathetic to the heresy of the Temple Tendency [or just see it as an opportunity to loot the sector whilst getting to wear a funny hat]. Actually has a well-loved portrait of Goge Vandire in his personal chambers.
-Is desperately trying to revive the good old days where the Frateris Templar could issue power fields, power weapons and heavy weapons as standard for line infantry. Whilst that is currently not possible, his enforcers do larp as Templars. It also may be possible later, if he happens to discover some Frateris Templar hulks destroyed in warp storms dating back to the Age of Apostasy. Because nothing can go wrong with mass-adopting archaeotech that has spent 4000 years in the warp
-Numerous nobles from neighbouring agri-worlds, hive worlds and imperial worlds have thrown in their lot with him in the mistaken belief they'll share power in the future.
-The feral worlds and feudal worlders are stubborn though. Nothing arco-flagellation can't fix
-The forge worlds are defiant. Unleash the weapons of mass malfunction
-"Good morning I hate Sororitas"
-Is pretty good at hiding his heresy to the point where in between the "emergency militias" and "old saints holidays" most citizens are not aware they are embracing a heresy by donating to the good cause of the
Temple of the Saviour-Emperor Church of the Emperor-Redeemer
Some Arbites chief-I am the law
-Lol nvm not really I'm corrupt and went to the schola with Kaefor Lamaar
-*sips amasec* yeah we go way back anyways please surrender
Magos Divinatus Octus, Alchemys specialisation-Is interested in vacating most of Erebuni. Owed the Ordo Hereticus a favour but now they're even.
-Really likes minerals. Overseeing the Mechanicus's withdrawal from Erebuni.
-Missing. Last seen meeting Inquisitor Xavier Mordaunt
Logis Philikos Skille of the Divisio Investigatus-Sect leader of the Cult of Gellar
-Faith is motion. Fire is change. The Omnissiah is immaterial made material.
-Praise the Machine-Emperor of mankind
-Has two maniples of Skitarii, two squadrons of heavy servitors, not counting the dozens of tech-priests dotted around the planet (of those that live)
-"They will call me heretic, they will call me apostate - then they will call me saint-savant."
-how the FUCK do holy magnets work
Inquisitor Xavier Mordaunt, Ordo Hereticus-"I think I know who is supporting the Lord Governor"
-Disappears before saying who is supporting the Lord Governor
Inquisitor Gosvinger Brunhilde, Ordo Xenos-Is fucking with the planet behind the scenes. Players never heard of her
-Players probably never will
-Lord Governor has a letter written in cipher from her though
The Order of the Furious Angel-The deeply under-strength, barely mission-capable garrison of SOBs who descend from the Order of the Valorous Heart. Half of their militant branch are sisters repentia, whilst they have enough for a 15 sister strong squad of SOBs and 5 Seraphim. Thoroughly penitent for the role their order played in supporting Goge Vandire long ago. They also have 103 initiaties/non-combat members, one servitor and one rhino.
Oxforn 4th Light Infantry, "The Emperor's Ladybugs"-Has around 800 stormtroopers at any given moment, though only <200 are on-planet whilst the rest are deployed throughout the subsector. Mixed-gender regiment with recruitment sourcing from their home planet Oxforn, but also supplemented by whoever the Hereticus has kidnapped and put through the schola (even as hapless adults being yelled at by a drill abbot/abbess).
-Often operates alongside the Order of the Furious Angel, is basically used as the personal brigade of Inquisitor Mordaunt as he never relinquished command of them after he "requisitioned" them.
-Wears red and black carapace armour when on parade/harassing office clerks. Wears camouflage when expecting to get shot back. Wears reflective armour when expecting to get shot back by lasguns.
-Has a soft height requirement of 6ft 3. Anyone who doesn't already meet this requirement gets bigger legs attached in the event of serious leg injury. Bigger legs and promotions are often awarded as a reward for exemplary service; much talk is given of "earning one's legs."
Interplanetary Crime Boss-To be named
-Possible ties to chartist captains. Might be one themself. It's time to loot and shoot baby
Space banker-Space banking is not heresy it says here in this specific clause of this book
The Emperor-Fearing underhive gangers of this particular streetcode-Devout worshippers of the Emperor
-Has strong opinions on Imperial religion and why the Ecclesiarchy sucks
-Can't read words, can read numbers and signs
-Is covered in glow-in the dark and neon electro-tattoos depicting holy iconography and saints
-Glow in the dark tattoos provide benefits in finding mates in nightclubs. Do not provide tactical benefits in combat
Amaranthine WastesThe vampire-No facial features, just smooth skin where its nose/eyes/brows/ears/mouth/hair should be. Eyes in its hands. Floats towards you. You float towards it. It begins eating your soul. It doesn't want to, but it can't stop now. Run. Run.
Run.
The merry band of highly pious beastmen and abhumans-One tribe of winged minotauroids who speak in Age of Mythology quotes.
-One horde of centauroids who get drunk and go real fast.
-One tribe of bog-dwelling reptiloids who collect essence by devouring their foes.
-One tribe of wyrdling minor-witches who see the future and in every future the vampire is eating them.
-Each of them fearfully and devoutly worships the Emperor and believes they have failed by being mutants. Seeks redemption, and is praying for the Emperor's angels to deliver them from the vampire.
Julistan Kine the Shepherd-His body is covered in marks of Chaos, and his head is studded with a crown of horns.
-He does not know much about his childhood.
-He taught himself how to read and interpret the Ecclesiarchy's divine canon.
-Believes everyone is capable of actual redemption and salvation.
-Ritually burns away the marks of chaos with a red-hot brand of the aquila.
-The marks of chaos always grow back as his body is fast-regenerating.
-He has tried killing himself before. He always comes back.
The Feudal Principalities-Idk yet. Lots of potential for Knightly orders, bishops and missionaries who haven't taken a side yet, Princes and merchants, Kings and nobles, flagellants and cargo-cult engineers trying to appease the machine spirit of a trebuchet. Also Cletus.
The Dark Eldar-Just vibing. Honestly unstoppable unless they accidentally fly into a flak-cannon servitor
The nids-We are in your ocean becoming your fish