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The do's and don'ts for fluff!
Every week I will compile them to the top of the thread until we have enough to make an article.
Actually think about it and dont just put down, Female marines and missing legions.
Enjoy.

Chapter creation.
Chapters aren't formed by other chapter budding off an making new chapters instead the order comes from the High Lord of Terra and gene-seed is taken from the gene-seed banks that the AdMech have the chapter is then founded and given it's name and number and presumably it's equipment, training and a homeworld.


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Also i think B&C had a tread like this but i'm not sure...

Do use spell check.

Do not rely on spell check.

The best characters are human at heart, even if they are superhuman in nature. The best example I can think of is Death from the Discworld series. If you haven't read them, try Reaper Man or Mort.

Over-the-top killy super-monsters are the norm in the world of 40K, but remember that there's an undefined scale of OTT-Killyness that, when reached - and it does, quite easily - becomes OTT-Silliness and either turns people away or leaves them laughing at your (assumably) serious attempt at fiction.

Give your characters flaws, no one relates to superman.

Do not give your characerts too many flaws, no one likes romeo.

Do NOT make your chapter a missing Legion(unless you can actually do a very, very, very, very(+9000) good job)

Do NOT have your characters interact with Major characters from the 40k universe in a great fashion. No killing any major 40k characters(not even those who can only be Banished because they are Deamon Princes )

Do spend alot of time settling on a name(make sure it is sufficiently grimdark and that it fits your Chapter)

Do give your chapter a flaw(not required, but it does add character)

Do choose a founding Legion. this will give you some ready made fluff to build off of and can help structure your own fluff with a grounding point.

Do make sure your Chapter colors, Fluff, and name match in some way. it adds cohesion and will make it more alive.

Do NOT give your chapter more then 4 Battlebarges for their space fleet(some chapters don't have any. you must share )

Don't make your character's a shining example of perfection and uberness. Character flaws and eccentricities make thing's more interesting. Don't be afraid to muddy the waters.

Lexx wrote:Don't make your character's a shining example of perfection and uberness. Character flaws and eccentricities make thing's more interesting. Don't be afraid to muddy the waters.

If possible try to make their tactics plausible.

purplefood wrote:Chapter creation.
Chapters aren't formed by other chapter budding off an making new chapters instead the order comes from the High Lord of Terra and gene-seed is taken from the gene-seed banks that the AdMech have the chapter is then founded and given it's name and number and presumably it's equipment, training and a homeworld.

Which is correct, although usually veteran elements of an existing chapter may be tasked with training, setting up, and becoming the HQ of the new chapter. So, while your chapter may not 'split from' the Novamarines, it is certainly possible that a new chapter may be created to guard a newly won area of space. If the Novamarines led the crusade that won this area of space, their first captain/distinguished veterans may be asked to be the Chapter Master of the new chapter.


Worth repeating - DO NOT BE ONE OF THE MISSING LEGIONS. Really. Don't. Everyone will instantly hate your fluff, especially as the Horus Heresy books reveal more information about the missing legions with each new book.


When creating your Chapter Master, use a normal Chapter Master (from the Codex) for the rules. That's what the entry is there for. Don't invent your own Chapter Master, with special weapons, special rules etc, and then be surprised when nobody wants to play against you.


Humble Chapters are interesting Chapters. Don't give them the biggest fleet, the best CC warriors, the heaviest armour, a huge recruitment program that means there's 10,000 of them. Good stories are created through adversity. A small chapter fighting for the Imperium in spite of it's own flaws is much more interesting than a massive, uber-chapter.

Do not have your chapter master kill an Eldar Avatar. These guys are already the sparring partner of 40k fiction.

Understand the backround, especially if writing from another race's perspective.

I forget which author it is, but he has gone down ini infamy for this, someone will know what I'm talking about.

Please dont base your loyalist chapter on a traitor legion unless you have a really really good excuse/plausible reason.

Seems like everyone just getting into the HH series wants to start loyalist versions of traitor legions. Its stupid! They are traitors and those who stayed loyal were wiped out. Thats the point of the traitor legions. Go do a pre-heresy army if you have a hard on for loyalist luna wolves, death guard, emperors children, ect, ect.

If you absolutely positively beyond any doubt -NEED- to base your chapter off of traitor geneseed or one of the two lost legions...just say that the records of where they got their geneseed from was lost. Come up with a good reason for it, and drop plenty of hints. The mystery can be quite enjoyable.

until you realise that Ad-mech can pretty easily compare it to other chapters gene-seed

its one plot-hole that blud rahvens have

not if the Blud Revens were 1k sons who never were on Prospero, went into hiding after everything went to , and after hearing about all these little Space Marine Chapters came out and said

"Hi, we are the Blood Ravens Chapter of Spess Murines"

"hmm, whats that?"

"Founding Legion?, not a clue, you see brother librarian Dufous here spilled his coffee all over our book of origin and he can't remember what it said"

even then they must send gene-seed to ad-mech....
and woulnt flesh curse blow their cover fast?

Flesh Curse only was present on Prospero. if they were elsewhere they could have escaped detection entirely.

and Geneseed changes subtely over time so the Geneseed might have changed enough for no suspicions to be raised.

Grey Templar wrote:Do NOT have your characters interact with Major characters from the 40k universe in a great fashion. No killing any major 40k characters(not even those who can only be Banished because they are Deamon Princes )

They can interact, but the influence should only be one way. Your marines can consider Kharne their arch-nemesis if you like, but it is the height of hubris to claim he feels the same way in return.

Mr. Burning wrote:Do not have your chapter master kill an Eldar Avatar. These guys are already the sparring partner of 40k fiction.

And as a more general rule:

Don't try to raise your army up by tearing other armies down. For example, your Chaos warband is not lead by a fallen Grey Knight.

Do NOT have Grey Knights fall the Chaos. EVER.






although my friend has made characters of 2 fallen Grey Knights that are hilarious. Fluffy and Bubba i belive. Fluffy gets eaten by his deamon weapon every game

This tread should be noted as only concerning serious fluff and not jokey fun fluff.