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Not sure if this is the best place to ask.

I apologize for anything that does to not fit in with the lore and if it just sounds blatantly stupid . I am not THAT concerned at this point, but I would still be grateful if you pointed out any mistakes that I will most defiantly make.

Currently, I am running the PnP RPG Only War and the squad has been ordered to go to an abandoned Mechanicus Facility, where they are to retrieve several Artifacts that are sacred to the Adeptus Mechanicus and in return, they shall aid the Imperial forces in the war against the orks that plague the planet.

My question is, What would be considered sacred by the Mechanicus and would it be something that the guardsmen would be able to retrieve?

And if you have any ideas of your own, let me know as well.

Such an operation would be incredibly common. Although there would be an Ad Mech representative sent along to do the actual retrieval. Other forces would be only used as escort in the event Mechanicus forces were unavailable.

The Mechanicus would also likely be actively working to help remove the orks if there were artifacts on the planet. They would help of their own violation if the planet their artifacts were on was threatened.

More likely is that they would ask for the team to provide security for their retrieval team as the bulk of their forces are holding back the orks.

Doesn't matter what world, as long as the world has some rare archeotech, it deserves all the separable resources a nearby forgeworld can throw at it.

An escort mission? That would make things more interesting.

Any suggestions as to what the item is that needs retrieval?

Could be as simple as a small data chip. Could be as complicated as a massive data cogitator or a rare vehicle that requires a lot of effort to remove.

That helps, thank you!

Essentially, either ancient or unique technology, or records of data about technology (how to make it or where to find examples of it).

In order of preference, the Mechanicus would:

a) Send an explorator expedition protected by a Skitarii Titan Legion and tell the guard to get the hell out ot the way

b) Send an explorator magos with bodyguard and requisition guard to clear a path to the temple, whilst the magos and bodyguard do the actual retrieval

c) send a lower ranking techpriest with the guard as a bodyguard to do the retrieval

d) send some random Astra Militarum 'tags-in-bags' to look for something they might not recognise and cant handle correctly if they do.

The more desperate the mechanicus is, the further down the list they have to go. Now, if they have the resources to meaningfully 'help', then clearly they could do (a), if they had enough time. Which means time is the deciding factor - presumably the ork Waaaggh! is heading straight for, or has already overrun the temple? If so, it's only a matter of time before the orks destroy or (worse) loot the temple. Which in turn, means the squad is going to be behind enemy lines, or directly in the path of the main attack.

...Some running may be involved...

Its a really good 40k rpg scenario as you have lots of options for the GM to make it interesting:

The sheer otherness of the Mechanicus as compared to the Guard - depending on their own internal faction they either worship the Emperor in a different way or something else. Lots of good RP opportunities - especially since the Guard can't just shoot them for being heretics.

The Mechancius are by nature secretive, political, factional and bound by tradition - they don't like Imperial interference and use it only when they have to.

A staple of BL fiction is the Magos not telling anyone what the actual mission is - and often involves some ultra dangerous piece of old, forbidden or Xenos tech that they have a good chance of unleashing as some rampaging death machine on everyone..again

There is usually another party after whatever it is - that might be the true owners, the Inquisition, other AM factions or just the Orks wanting to mess about with it.

I'd go with a Magos, a couple of attendants - perhaps a specific interpreter / liaison officer to deal with the Imperials, a bodyguard or two and some suitably brutal / primitive looking Skittarri.

Could even throw in a Inquisitorial operative keeping an eye on things - officially or undercover.

as for what it is.... don't tell your PCs have the tech preists be suitably vague when asked. heck if you want to have some fun even lay VERY subtle hints that they don't know eaither

I am loving the ideas guys.

I was planning on having 4 squads be sent with the tech priest to recover the item. 1 squad would cover the Entry/Exit, 2 squads would be sent in to clear a path and the final squad (My players squad) would guard the Priest. They would lose contact with the 2 squads they sent in and eventually the squad guarding the entrance/exit will come under attack. Then it becomes a race against time to secure the item and get back to their vehicles before they are over run.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
And maybe a little sewer action to escape if i feel like making their vehicles unusable once they get back to them.

You can also make the players paranoid about their vehicles if the AM (either the ones with the players, rivals or even Dark Mechanicus are able to interface direct and control them at will - could have some fun like in Terminator 3................

One of the reasons why I love 40k is that it's so complicated and complex. Mars may find anything of technological value. It may be anything from a STC to a relic machine. It can be technology from Old Night or it can be some Xeno technology. It's just great for a SCI-FI narrative and tech priests are very secretive with what they know and share even within the Martian priesthood. Heck, I read a novel where some form of data scroll surfaced that stated that the Emperor is not the Omnissiah. This caused a civil war as some believe the Emperor shackled Mars to the Imperium with lies where others believe that the Omnissiah and the Emperor are one. This is one of the many examples that gives you so much wiggle room for all sorts of events.

Just because I like playing devils advocate. What would your group do if the technology they found was "heretical" to the status quo?

We are new to the whole role play thing and some 2/3 players are new to W40K (one has played the some of the Dawn of War games, but I really don't count that).

I am not sure. They met an inquisitor who told them that they should report anything heretical or suspicious to either their commanding officer or himself if they believe that their COs can not be trusted.

Maybe I could have them make choose to allow the Ad Mech to have it and get the reinforcements or stop them fro having it and lose the Ad Mech as allies.

Marathonplayer1 wrote:
Not sure if this is the best place to ask.

I apologize for anything that does to not fit in with the lore and if it just sounds blatantly stupid . I am not THAT concerned at this point, but I would still be grateful if you pointed out any mistakes that I will most defiantly make.

Currently, I am running the PnP RPG Only War and the squad has been ordered to go to an abandoned Mechanicus Facility, where they are to retrieve several Artifacts that are sacred to the Adeptus Mechanicus and in return, they shall aid the Imperial forces in the war against the orks that plague the planet.

My question is, What would be considered sacred by the Mechanicus and would it be something that the guardsmen would be able to retrieve?

And if you have any ideas of your own, let me know as well.

The Mechanicum consider STC data to be sacred and it is definitely something that guardsmen can retrieve. For example: the STC for an Astartes combat knife was found by two guardsmen and they both became planetary governors and had hive cities named after them.

The Mechanicus can richly reward those who do them a solid. This adventure idea might be a way to get the PCs an "in" to some bonus tech or favors down the line. If they do well and impress the Tech-Priest (in so far as you can "impress" a person who has had all emotional receptors of their brains replaced with logic engines), then they may have the option to get customized weapon upgrades, or better-quality augmetics (should they lose a limb) or something along those lines.

 Psienesis wrote:
The Mechanicus can richly reward those who do them a solid.

As a side note, there's a fluff blurb of two Imperial Guard scouts finding an intact STC for a combat knife that is now used by the Astartes today. The two scouts were each rewarded with governship over a PLANET.

Although of course, that's more to show just how freakishly rare STCs are, but it does show that the rewards can get really really big (and although there's comedy in the fact that it was "only" for making a knife, it must be a pretty sweet knife if it's standard gear for Space Marines)

The Astartes combat knife in Deathwatch is plenty deadly, especially backed-up by the power armored fist wielding it.

Specifically, that fluff was from an Abnett book - Xenos, I think - and referred to the STC data for the ceramic-composite that was used to design an upgraded astartes knife.

Why they only used this wonder material for Astartes knives is probably an AdMech cock-up - the file header on the STC wafer probably said 'good for knives' somewhere and they took that to mean 'not good for not knives'.