endtransmission wrote:I always assumed that the Patriarch was still around, but kept to the shadows and acted like a queen bee. Rarely seen, but a focal point of the entire colony. Likewise, I assumed the brood lords were more combat oriented, acting as the elite guard that could, if the patriarch died, evolve into a new one or go off and start a new cult if they wanted to spread over a planet. At least that's how it all still lives on in my head as I still dearly miss my cult army.

I don't think anything has explicitly stated that the Broodlord is a direct replacement of the patriarch did it?

Lockark wrote:

H.B.M.C. wrote:Yeah but nothing is overt. Genestealer Cults are in that limbo stage between being part of the 40K fluff and being Squats.

And I never said Space Hulk was an old source. I said Necro and Inquisitor were. Please don't put words in my mouth.

Point is they still sell the Necro and Inquisitor games, and most of the fluff from thows books are still considered "Canon". (Or as close to cannon as you get in 40k.)

Genestealer reproduction and hybrids are still described in the fluff, and genestealer hypnotiseing humans is also still in the fluff.

Heck. Even in Mark of the xeno mentions hybrids and their birthing cycle. They don't go into detail, but it's still a clear sign of the idea is still thier. They also do talk about the Mind control aspects of genestealers, and how they "implant" DND into people. Read the rules for "Genestealer Kiss". The infected host will give birth to a Genestealr hybrid, that then they are compelled to love and protect with their lives.

That's the whole concept behind the genestealer cult!

I REALY doubt they are planning to "squat" the Genestealer cult from the fluff when they keep printing references to it in one way or the other.

What I AM expecting is GW will probably wants to revisit/revise the idea, thus why they have been keeping vague on the details. Fluff can always change like we see with the crons'. I accept that. Genestealer cults in time will have evolved alot since their old fluff, and may not even go by the same name. But I got a feeling their here to stay.


All I have to say is, you wanted new sources? I'm giving you new sources of fluff.

Edit:

Also from what I've been told Genestealer cults are mentioned by name in a story from the "Planetkill" anthology, and in Xenology. Sure it's Black library. But it's still something.

Shadow Walker wrote:In current fluff Genestealer Cults still exist but Patriarch was replaced by Broodlord and there seems to be no Magus any more. If you ask me I like that new version more than old one.

I noticed that also. In all honesty the Broodlord is almost a Patriarch by another name in all honesty. But I'm not convinced the Magus is gone. 4th gene hybrids that look completely human, and mind controlled humans are still in the fluff. The Magus is basically the "human" face/mouth pieace of the cult/Broodlord/Patriarch. A figure/role that makes allot of scene from a story perspective.

I always liked the Genestealer cult for the fact it "humanizes" the nids in a way that made them alot scarier to me. (Mind controlling aliens Vs. omnomnomnom. It sort of brings the horrror of the nids to a more personal level.)

FFG wrote: Legal Grey Areas

Hostile Acquisitions, a supplement for Rogue Trader, is now on sale.



“Always be watchful of pirates and other ne’er-do-wells; seldom, if ever, are they unarmed, and even one who appears at your mercy may still have a trick or six left. A micro-stubber, a sneak-knife, a tox-mister or something more malicious still may lurk beneath sleeves, within hidden pockets elsewhere about their person.”
–Chief Petty Officer Vincholo, addressing a new group of Armsmen aboard the Vengeful Martyr

Rogue Traders are accustomed to earning their livings in the grey areas of the law, but a few brave or foolhardy captains take it a step further...

Hostile Acquisitions, the latest supplement for Rogue Trader, is now on sale at your local retailer and our webstore! Within this detailed book, players and GMs will find all they need to run a campaign on the far side of Imperial Law. From new characters and equipment to creating nemeses and running games based on criminal enterprise, Hostile Acquisitions is an invaluable resource on those Rogue Traders who are more rogue than trader.


Honor Among Thieves

For more on Hostile Acquisitions, let’s hear from Rogue Trader’s lead developer:

Hostile Acquisitions has some particularly exciting aspects that were deviously fun to work on. One was the new character alternate career ranks, such as the Swashbucker, the House Operative, and the Cold Trader. These new alternate career ranks are highly flavourful, and allow you to make a character with a distinctively “scoundrel” bent. The House Operative is especially interesting, because it allows players to make characters who are essentially secret agents for a more powerful entity. They might even be working for the Rogue Trader’s dynasty’s interests, rather than the Rogue Trader, so players may take the role of an agent who may be secretly working against his own boss.



Another fascinating part of Hostile Acquisitions is the Nemesis Origin Path. A modification of the popular Rogue Trader Origin Path system, the Nemesis Path helps GMs craft a custom made adversary for their groups. The Nemesis Path actually ties into the Origin Path that the players fill out, so that the choices they make can determine the type of adversary they’ll go up against.

Of course, this is only some of the new content in this book. Hostile Acquisitions has new gear and starship upgrades to facilitate piracy and smuggling, a section on Imperial adversaries and details on Imperial Law, guidelines on how to run a “con” game, and a list of mythical treasures waiting to be “liberated.”

Hostile Acquisitions is a guide to crime for Explorers with a flexible sense of morality. A catalog of valuable treasures wait to be “liberated.” In short, Hostile Acquisitions is proof that in the Koronus Expanse, crime often pays.

For more on Hostile Acquisitions, check out our previews: Tools of the Trade, Fleecing the Faithful, and Your Nemesis is Waiting. Then, head to your local retailer to grab your copy today (please acquire it honestly and without the use of threats)!

H.B.M.C. wrote:Cults are one of my favs as well Kyoto. Had an army of 'em in 2nd Ed, and our Dark Heresy campaign is based around them. I'm also pretty sure that one of my project leads, Tim Hucklebery, is a fan of them as well.

As for hearing things? I've heard minor rumbles, but it's nothing that's really come up. That's why I take the 'gone as we knew them' line of thinking, and it's my opinion that GW wants to expand on them, but hasn't yet found the right 'new' way to do it.

Time will tell.

[EDIT]: That's how I've used Broodlords in my campaign so far - the big bad enforcers of the Genestealer Cults, second only to the Patriarch and Magus. One of them damn near tore the party apart even with two high-level NPC's helping out!

FFG wrote:With a Ravenous Hunger
A preview of The Jericho Reach, an upcoming Deathwatch supplement.



“Scores of winged creatures are approaching the Hive complex. The larger ones are dropping organic missiles that burst on impact, and they seem to screech as they swoop down. The sound is becoming louder and louder. The screaming, Emperor preserve us, the screaming!"
–Vox recording recovered from Hive Cresson on Castobel

Back in November, we announced the upcoming release of The Jericho Reach, a supplement for Deathwatch that provides in-depth information on the struggles of Kill-teams currently operating throughout the Reach. Each chapter delves into detail on the personalities, planets, and themes of a specific salient, while providing players and Game Masters alike with important resources for integrating the setting more deeply into their campaigns.

In our first preview, we looked at the Acheros Salient, where the Battle-Brothers of the Deathwatch wage a bloody war against the Chaos-worshipping forces of Stigmartus. Next, we explored the Canis Salient and the Deathwatch’s struggle against the Tau. Today, we’ll turn our attention to the Orpheus Salient. Once the greatest accomplishment of the Achilus Crusade, this troubled sector has since languished beneath the looming shadow of Hive Fleet Dagon. Now, only the direct intervention of the Deathwatch on a few key remaining worlds can ensure a continued Imperial foothold.


Terrifying evolution



Initial contact with the Tyranid foe suggested that the xenos forces were little more than a minor splinter fleet. But over the years since first contact, the Tyranid menace has shown few signs of abating, instead advancing inexorably into the Jericho Reach. This relentless swarm continues to grow, as each new triumph expands its available bio-mass. The stalwart vigilance of the Deathwatch in concert with the near-boundless sacrifices of the Achilus Crusade has blunted the pace of the xenos advance, but the tide has not yet turned. The size of Hive Fleet Dagon is so far undetermined, but one thing is certain: the forces of the Crusade and the Deathwatch are struggling to compete.

Throughout the Hive Fleet’s advance, it has continuously evolved new creatures and tactics. Several Tyranid variant strains have been observed within Hive Fleet Dagon that are believed to be completely novel, and of these, a few have even generated legends and lore among the Imperial forces that oppose them. The Dagon Overlord, for example, is a terrifying monster known for its malicious streak and its ability to drive lesser Tyranid strains to an even more hideous fervour than is typically observed. Meanwhile, the fearsome and solitary Mist Reaper is a variant of the Lictor strain with the uncanny ability to infiltrate deep into civilian areas, beyond the reach of Imperial security measures.

For more on Hive Fleet Dagon, we’re pleased to present a downloadable preview of the winged and serpentine Harpy, a massive flying terror capable of raining death onto an unsuspecting Kill-team. Learn what you will about this formidable foe, but beware: by the time you hear its telltale screams, you’re probably too late.

The Harpy (pdf, 1.4 MB)


Visit your local retailer today to pre-order your copy of The Jericho Reach, and look for it on store shelves in just a few weeks!

Shadow Walker wrote:I totally agree with you about SC. It is a problem that should be resolved before RoB was released. Rules for vehicles were already in Into the Storm so designer should discover that easy to spot problem or at least correct it in errata. there are also other silly things like weird size for many vehicles. For example Land Raider and Ravener both are size enormous.

FFG wrote:From the Swirling Depths
Hand of Corruption, a Black Crusade adventure, is coming soon.



“The ways of Chaos represent the basis for all life in the universe. Without its tender touch, there could be no joy, no anger, and no pain.”
–Brother Ruine of the Scarlet Eye

Back in October we announced Hand of Corruption, a full adventure in three acts for Black Crusade. Presented in one comprehensive volume, Hand of Corruption is an epic story that takes you and your fellow Heretics from the swirling depths of the Screaming Vortex to the far reaches of the Calixis Sector, and then to a parched and windswept Imperial penal world called Saint Annard’s Penance. There, you’ll attempt to perform an unholy ritual to drag the planet into the Screaming Vortex, an offering to the Ruinous Powers.

Since our initial announcement, we’ve seen in-depth details on both the ill-fated Imperial planet and the dark ritual with which you’ll seek to claim it. Now, with the release of Hand of Corruption just a few weeks away, it’s the perfect time to head to your local retailer and place your pre-order.


The Imperium’s Most Wanted



For more on Hand of Corruption, here’s a word from Black Crusade’s lead developer:

As the first book for the Black Crusade line, Hand of Corruption explores one of the fascinating premises first introduced in the Core Rulebook. For the first time in Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay, the players can play characters completely opposed to the Imperium, and Hand of Corruption brings that theme directly to the fore. The Heretics are pitted against the Imperium from the start, and have to infiltrate, deceive, and ultimately fight Imperial forces head on to get what they want. And what they want is nothing less than control of an entire planet full of psychopathic, dangerous, violent prisoners—perfect fodder for the players’ eventual Black Crusade!

Of course, to get there, the players have to go toe to toe with some of the Imperium’s best and brightest—the types of individuals they might have been playing as characters in another Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay line. Plus, this adventure throws plenty of pitfalls along the players’ route. I wouldn’t want to reveal any spoilers, but it’s an adventure Game Masters should have a lot of fun springing on their players, and players should have a lot of fun playing through.

Visit your local retailer to reserve your copy of Hand of Corruption, and in just a few more weeks, prove your worth to the Ruinous Powers!

PrimarchX wrote:... even if it does waste space on a mini-adventure.

... Hostile Acquisitions didn't come with a short adventure. I'd like to see that trend continued ...

H.B.M.C. wrote:

PrimarchX wrote:... even if it does waste space on a mini-adventure.

... Hostile Acquisition didn't come with a short adventure. I'd like to see that trend continued ...

For every person who says this, there's a person who says that FFG don't produce enough adventures. And for every person who says that, there's a person who complains all the published adventures are terrible.