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I know once you sell your soul to the dark gods you can never go back, and you wouldn't be welcome even if you did. But what if said marine or chapter never forsworn the emperor? As in they where excommunicated by the inquisition, and maybe made contact with chaos or killed other space Marines, but found proof that the inquisitor was corrupt and had gone ahead and deliver the emperor's judgment.

Could they fight/go through a trial to redeem themselves or would the sins they preformed while excommunicated seal their fate.

leivve wrote:
I know once you sell your soul to the dark gods you can never go back, and you wouldn't be welcome even if you did. But what if said marine or chapter never forsworn the emperor? As in they where excommunicated by the inquisition, and maybe made contact with chaos or killed other space Marines, but found proof that the inquisitor was corrupt and had gone ahead and deliver the emperor's judgment.

Could they fight/go through a trial to redeem themselves or would the sins they preformed while excommunicated seal their fate.

Yes. If they declared Excommunicate they can come back, if they never went to Chaos. For example, the Vorpal Swords.

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/.UuXE5vQo5Fk

At most I could see a penitent crusade similar to that of the Lamenters, Mantis Warriors and Executioners as they were essentially all duped into aiding Lugft Huron during the Badab War rather than any corruption/treachery on their part. However, given that this was already quite lenient on the Imperium's part and this was without direct chaos involvement I would say this would not likely be an option for a chapter that you describe.

The Imperium generally has a "better safe than sorry" mentality and even a hint of chaos corruption/contamination like a chapter having even minute trade dealings with CSM forces would result in immediate excommunication and retaliation. The Relictors and Soul Drinkers to a large extent seem to fit the type of chapter you're describing. At most they might have a trial depending on what ties they have with their founding chapter similar to the Soul Drinkers but otherwise I think most of the time they'll have a fate to that of the Relictors and have most of their chapter wiped out by the Inquisition to prevent any taint from spreading.

Well, the Soul Drinkers were written on the Imperial Fists' hall of heroes after they had already been declared excommunicate traitorous. It was a bit of a moot point and we'll never know if they'd be allowed back in after the result of their trial because there were no more around after that incident, though.

I would say no, there is no redemption. The Inquisition can't be seen to be back peddling, they are the Emperor given form so to speak and the Emperor can' t be shown to be wrong.

The Vorpal Swords weren't declared to be traitors, just possibly had corrupted Geneseed and the quest into the Eye was supposed to show that they weren't. The Swords were one of the only Chapters to prove that they suffered no taint and were allowed to rejoin the Imperium, even proving that the man that sent them into the Eye was a agent of Chaos himself.

Lamentors, Mantis Warriors and Executioners were all put on trial but were not declared Traitors but all suffered some form of punishment including penitent crusades.

It' s a big risk allowing a Traitor force back into the fold and could have big consequences.

Individual Marines from Chapters that are Renegade, but not Chaos Mutated, can make their way to the Deathwatch and become Blackshields. These guys are suicidally brave, and take on (and/or are assigned) the worst of the worst missions the Deathwatch perform.

Entire Chapters? Depends... if they swore allegiance to Chaos at some point, whether that's a Ruinous Power or the House of Chaos Undivided, then definitely not. Those who are simply on the wrong side of an intra-Imperial conflict (like the ones who supported Huron during the Badab War) can be redeemed through a Penitent Crusade and other sanctions.

 Pilau Rice wrote:
I would say no, there is no redemption. The Inquisition can't be seen to be back peddling, they are the Emperor given form so to speak and the Emperor can' t be shown to be wrong.

The Vorpal Swords weren't declared to be traitors, just possibly had corrupted Geneseed and the quest into the Eye was supposed to show that they weren't. The Swords were one of the only Chapters to prove that they suffered no taint and were allowed to rejoin the Imperium, even proving that the man that sent them into the Eye was a agent of Chaos himself.

Lamentors, Mantis Warriors and Executioners were all put on trial but were not declared Traitors but all suffered some form of punishment including penitent crusades.

It' s a big risk allowing a Traitor force back into the fold and could have big consequences.

the Vorpal swords also proved that the guy who called them into question in the first place was a servant of chaos IIRC

Penitent crusades for everybody!!!

 Psienesis wrote:
Individual Marines from Chapters that are Renegade, but not Chaos Mutated, can make their way to the Deathwatch and become Blackshields. These guys are suicidally brave, and take on (and/or are assigned) the worst of the worst missions the Deathwatch perform.

Seriously? Is this a fact? I didn't know that.. Do we have an example from the fluff for that? And is this possible to be played in a Deathwatch RPG game? Sorry I know I m getting off topic. Just wanted to ask as it made me curious..

There's a short story about the Deathwatch called "The Purge" that involves a Blackshield. He has no iconography to denote his parent chapter and he never speaks of it. He's essentially been given to the Deathwatch for the remainder of his life to atone for his "sins". I won't ruin the amazing revelation, but it's definitely worth a quick read.

It's your 40k. If you want to make a chapter that fluff-wise revoked the Imperium of man and spent time in the Eye of Terror but decided to repent of their ways and come back to fight for humanity again,

GO FOR IT.

It'd give people you play against that also have imperial armies a fluffy excuse to wage war with you, too, so whee!

Anyone saying "DEFINITELY NOT EVER RAAAWR" are trying to impose their will on your imagination in a universe where there is a race that literally gets it's machinery to work simply by believing it should work.

What the 40k player zeitgeist thinks about your custom unique chapter with fluff you've actualized should be totally irrelevant to you.

Dark Angels redeem many fallen marines. However, they then immediately execute them.

BrianDavion wrote:

 Pilau Rice wrote:
even proving that the man that sent them into the Eye was a agent of Chaos himself.

the Vorpal swords also proved that the guy who called them into question in the first place was a servant of chaos IIRC

Yep, as you can see, I point that out

Nope, like people previously stated. I wouldn't think hat a whole chapter that swore allegiance to Chaos would be redeemed, but a individual or group of loyal marines which didn't go over might stay with the imperium.

But they most probably would be harassed and tormented by other chapters and marines in general, mistrust to the fact they were in a chaos taken chapter.

I´ve got a sort of similar question. Can you affect if & how you mutate if you join Chaos and is this reversible? Somewhere I´ve read a tidbit about Iron Warriors replacing mutations with bionics...

 tommse wrote:
I´ve got a sort of similar question. Can you affect if & how you mutate if you join Chaos and is this reversible? Somewhere I´ve read a tidbit about Iron Warriors replacing mutations with bionics...

Im not sure, they might cut them off or something. Ive never really heard of a Marine leaving Chaos, and i doubt they would survive if they did.

And you can't decide mutations, i think your god picks them.

Marines being redeemed of chaos. If an unwitting pawn, probably probably penitent crusade or death watch. Going full chaos and then regretting? Probably death by heroic sacrifice. No matter what, you will die.

 tommse wrote:
I´ve got a sort of similar question. Can you affect if & how you mutate if you join Chaos and is this reversible? Somewhere I´ve read a tidbit about Iron Warriors replacing mutations with bionics...

Iron Warriors chop of any mutated limb and replace it with machine. Unless they're infected with the Obliterator virus.

 avedominusnox wrote:

 Psienesis wrote:
Individual Marines from Chapters that are Renegade, but not Chaos Mutated, can make their way to the Deathwatch and become Blackshields. These guys are suicidally brave, and take on (and/or are assigned) the worst of the worst missions the Deathwatch perform.

Seriously? Is this a fact? I didn't know that.. Do we have an example from the fluff for that? And is this possible to be played in a Deathwatch RPG game? Sorry I know I m getting off topic. Just wanted to ask as it made me curious..

Not sure about any representation in the fluff, as there's not a lot of books on the Deathwatch. It is a thing you can be in FFG's Deathwatch, though.

I´ve got a sort of similar question. Can you affect if & how you mutate if you join Chaos and is this reversible? Somewhere I´ve read a tidbit about Iron Warriors replacing mutations with bionics...

You can refuse a Gift of Chaos... once.

Otherwise, whatever your mutation is, it is a sign of your patron's favor, and to turn your nose up at it (assuming you still have one) is a sign of disrespect... which is a sign of stupidity.

No. The Imperium has allowed back a few renegade chapters, but only if another Chapter vouches for them (See the Badab War). However, once you go Chaos, there is no turning back. Even if the space marines redeemed themselves, the Imperium would never take them back into the fold.

Only in death can they redeem themselves and even then they may still be removed from Imperial records.

They can be redeemed by a bolt. If you get the metaphor.

when it comes to chaos the Imperium basicly follows a "better safe then sorry" policy. if you've been so much as touched by the taint of chaos, they'll useally kill you

Anyone may find redemption and acceptance in service to the Greater Good.

EmpNortonII wrote:
Anyone may find redemption and acceptance in service to the Greater Good.

Chaos Tau has found a new nemesis... Tau Chaos!

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:

EmpNortonII wrote:
Anyone may find redemption and acceptance in service to the Greater Good.

Chaos Tau has found a new nemesis... Tau Chaos!

Just imagine a Kahrn-Farsight combo...
CSMs with pulse rilfes (or for assaulty carbines)
Crisis suits at high WS with giant chaos weapons

Excuse me for a few days, I need to make rules for this.

Read the soul drinkers series by Ben counter.

It could be argued the inquisition caused a lot of issues (granted not as many as the mechanichum did)

Jefffar wrote:
Dark Angels redeem many fallen marines. However, they then immediately execute them.

Just an average day at the office for an Interrogator Chaplain like me

Asmodai is a lot less fun to be with as a fallen marine

Yes-the inq. uses brainwashed chaos leggionarres

 Vargard Obi-wan wrote:
Yes-the inq. uses brainwashed chaos leggionarres

Citation needed, if you're meaning anything other than the previously-mentioned Blackshields of the Deathwatch.