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To say that Sisters of Battle are different than normal human females is a understatement. But the book Faith and Fire talks about them like they are just normal women in power armor. So do they get no enhancement whatsoever? Because there are 400 year old Sisters. That isn't normal. Also, the book talks about how one sister never took her armor off. That would get messy and festering after a week. Unlike Spacemarines, normal humans produce waste.

What level of surgeries and enhancements do the SoB's get?

They're normal humans. Rejuv treatments are reserved for important folks, but dont require augmentation to function.

Things like cybernetics can happen, but are generally the result of battle damage rather than a pro-active "makin it better". Their superpowers come purely from manifesting the pseudo-Warp powers of the Emperor.

 FezzikDaBullgryn wrote:
Because there are 400 year old Sisters. That isn't normal.

There is technology to keep people alive - the more important they are the longer they get. The oldest 'normal born' human we know about was murdered when he was around 1,500 years old.

 FezzikDaBullgryn wrote:
Because there are 400 year old Sisters.

Juvenat treatments.

The Imperium has the technology to reverse the aging process. The Imperium provides it to individuals who are important enough to keep around longer. Government officials, Inquisitors, Generals, etc... It is also available commercially for those with the cash to pay for it.

There is a wide breadth in quality of Juvenat treatments however. Cheaper and less effective methods exist, but also expensive and super effective methods. Bionics can also extend someones life as well. General medical technology has also probably contributed to a longer lifespan, for those with access to it via either power or wealth.

This is why we see Inquisitors many hundreds of years old who don't look a day over 40.

Juvenat treatments do however leave some telltale signs. People who use it a lot will have a vague "ageless" look to them. And the process is less effective as time goes on, so their apparent age will still advance, just at a slow rate.

Also worth noting that sisters are generally selected from the most well suited of candidates from schola, so no, you not going to see a whole lot of average going on. Those get filed off to the administratum.

Yeah, despite what people may think, Imperial medical technology is actually quite sophisticated. They pretty much eliminated death by natural causes. Its just that its not available to everyone.

Also, the book talks about how one sister never took her armor off. That would get messy and festering after a week. Unlike Spacemarines, normal humans produce waste.

So do space marines. Power Armour processes it. Rather concerningly the function is called "nutrient recycling", which gives you an idea what it does with it.

locarno24 wrote:

Also, the book talks about how one sister never took her armor off. That would get messy and festering after a week. Unlike Spacemarines, normal humans produce waste.

So do space marines. Power Armour processes it. Rather concerningly the function is called "nutrient recycling", which gives you an idea what it does with it.

True, although that might be specific to marine armor? In any case, I don't think power armor is designed to do anything about general cleanliness. That sister must smell like a horde of overripe hobos... I pity whoever is going to get that suit of power armour when she passes it on.

 Tiennos wrote:

locarno24 wrote:

Also, the book talks about how one sister never took her armor off. That would get messy and festering after a week. Unlike Spacemarines, normal humans produce waste.

So do space marines. Power Armour processes it. Rather concerningly the function is called "nutrient recycling", which gives you an idea what it does with it.

True, although that might be specific to marine armor? In any case, I don't think power armor is designed to do anything about general cleanliness. That sister must smell like a horde of overripe hobos... I pity whoever is going to get that suit of power armour when she passes it on.

I'm sure Inquisitor Amberley Vail mentions that her power armour can recycle - and she definitely mentions that it smells bad!

 FezzikDaBullgryn wrote:
To say that Sisters of Battle are different than normal human females is a understatement. But the book Faith and Fire talks about them like they are just normal women in power armor. So do they get no enhancement whatsoever? Because there are 400 year old Sisters. That isn't normal. Also, the book talks about how one sister never took her armor off. That would get messy and festering after a week. Unlike Spacemarines, normal humans produce waste.

What level of surgeries and enhancements do the SoB's get?

Considering how closely tied the Adepta Sororitas are to the Ecclesiarchy, and the Imperial Cult's doctrines concerning the "Holy Human Form", I doubt they have undergone any kind of genetic modification for the purposes of enhancement. Plus, some hard liners among the Magos Biologis consider, radical, casual and/or unsanctioned genetic engineering to be a form of tech heresy and dangerous.

There have been cases of sanctioned experimental genetic enhancement on Imperial Guard personnel in the past. The most notable cases were the so-called "Gland War Veterans" and a crack detachment of Elysian Drop Troops known as "D-99" (both projects involving better countering the Tyranid threat). Also, let's not for the failure known as the Afriel Strains and their legendary bad luck. These are examples off the top of my head concerning approved genetic enhancement of ordinary Humans in the modern Imperium of Man. There may be more. And with Cawl now being given leeway in "innovation", you might see more done in future fluff in the interests of military necessity

 oldravenman3025 wrote:
And with Cawl now being given leeway in "innovation", you might see more done in future fluff in the interests of military necessity

Going slightly OT - Cawl does not have 'leeway'. He is very aware he is walking a very narrow line, and several Forge Worlds (and Inquisitors) consider that he's crossed it.

beast_gts wrote:

Going slightly OT - Cawl does not have 'leeway'. He is very aware he is walking a very narrow line, and several Forge Worlds (and Inquisitors) consider that he's crossed it.

Ayup. The only reasons he hasnt been served a bolter shell for breakfast is because he provides one of the only efficacious solutions to the Imperium's sad state of military affairs, and his (present) good(ish) standing with the Lord Commander.

beast_gts wrote:

 oldravenman3025 wrote:
And with Cawl now being given leeway in "innovation", you might see more done in future fluff in the interests of military necessity

Going slightly OT - Cawl does not have 'leeway'. He is very aware he is walking a very narrow line, and several Forge Worlds (and Inquisitors) consider that he's crossed it.

He has more leeway than any other Mechanicus character, past and present, has had since the Great Crusade era. The feelings of the fundamentalists are irrelevant. He's the biggest dog on Mars right now and has the backing (to a point) of Grandpa Smurf. Cawl also knows how far he can take things, and has the support of a significant number of techpriests/engineers and Magi. The only thing his detractors can do is stew right now

The problem with fundies is they consider the low level of innovation demonstrated by Cawl and his followers to be beyond the pale. Fortunately, because that kind of hidebound thinking being detrimental to the Imperium after the Great Rift, they can do jack gak about it right now.

beast_gts wrote:

 oldravenman3025 wrote:
And with Cawl now being given leeway in "innovation", you might see more done in future fluff in the interests of military necessity

Going slightly OT - Cawl does not have 'leeway'. He is very aware he is walking a very narrow line, and several Forge Worlds (and Inquisitors) consider that he's crossed it.

I'm not a fan of Cawl at all but it does seem pretty clear to me that if he went "right you lot, we're going to start actual innovation and we're starting by working out how computers work" then the Imperium in general would immediately try and kill him. At that point all Guilliman would be doing is trying to persuade people to leave his mechanical bits intact to download his knowledge.

pm713 wrote:

beast_gts wrote:

 oldravenman3025 wrote:
And with Cawl now being given leeway in "innovation", you might see more done in future fluff in the interests of military necessity

Going slightly OT - Cawl does not have 'leeway'. He is very aware he is walking a very narrow line, and several Forge Worlds (and Inquisitors) consider that he's crossed it.

I'm not a fan of Cawl at all but it does seem pretty clear to me that if he went "right you lot, we're going to start actual innovation and we're starting by working out how computers work" then the Imperium in general would immediately try and kill him. At that point all Guilliman would be doing is trying to persuade people to leave his mechanical bits intact to download his knowledge.

That level of technophobia for the Imperium at large tends to get overplayed because grimdark. The worst that Cawl would have to worry about, assuming he doesn't do anything stupid, is the Mechanicus orthodoxy.

For every society in the Imperium that fear science and technology, there is another that doesn't give a damn one way or another as long said technology does what it's supposed to

 oldravenman3025 wrote:

pm713 wrote:

beast_gts wrote:

 oldravenman3025 wrote:
And with Cawl now being given leeway in "innovation", you might see more done in future fluff in the interests of military necessity

Going slightly OT - Cawl does not have 'leeway'. He is very aware he is walking a very narrow line, and several Forge Worlds (and Inquisitors) consider that he's crossed it.

I'm not a fan of Cawl at all but it does seem pretty clear to me that if he went "right you lot, we're going to start actual innovation and we're starting by working out how computers work" then the Imperium in general would immediately try and kill him. At that point all Guilliman would be doing is trying to persuade people to leave his mechanical bits intact to download his knowledge.

That level of technophobia for the Imperium at large tends to get overplayed because grimdark. The worst that Cawl would have to worry about, assuming he doesn't do anything stupid, is the Mechanicus orthodoxy.

For every society in the Imperium that fear science and technology, there is another that doesn't give a damn one way or another as long said technology does what it's supposed to

It took multiple centuries to approve taking heavy bolters off a predator and adding lascannons. That's some intense technophobia towards new things.

 FezzikDaBullgryn wrote:
To say that Sisters of Battle are different than normal human females is a understatement. But the book Faith and Fire talks about them like they are just normal women in power armor. So do they get no enhancement whatsoever? Because there are 400 year old Sisters. That isn't normal. Also, the book talks about how one sister never took her armor off. That would get messy and festering after a week. Unlike Spacemarines, normal humans produce waste.

What level of surgeries and enhancements do the SoB's get?

Actually it is, in fact, normal. There are tons of non-space marine human characters in the canon, and even just within the handful of Black Library books i've read, that are hundreds of years old. As others have already said, it's pretty common tech that's just another part of the 40k universe.

Sisters are not enhanced, and they are indeed normal women in power armor. The only thing that takes them above and beyond your normal human (aside from, obviously, the power armor and space marine equivalent weaponry) is their faith. This is, essentially, the entire lynchpin of their concept and part of what I personally love about them. They literally represent the peak of unaugmented humanity among the Emperor's various forces of war, managing to face the same unfathomable horrors as space marines with pure force of will and (near) unbreakable conviction.

No gene-enhancement whatsoever.

They can also seem to lift bolters and heavy flamers without much trouble. I think this is a good question and the answer that they aren't enhanced, which may be canonically true, seems to fail to address the issues raised.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Bearing in mind Astartes are not only physiologically enhanced (with more robust skeletal structure and greater muscle development), they also have the black carapace which interfaces with their power armour as well as a layer of synthetic muscle between their bodies and the armour which further augments there strength and allows them to do what they do.

That the Sororitas don't have any of this and can still fully function in suits of power armour while heaving huge weapons is seriously problematic... I don't for a minute deny their faith, but that isn't enough to explain how they do these things.

 Sentionaut wrote:

 FezzikDaBullgryn wrote:
To say that Sisters of Battle are different than normal human females is a understatement. But the book Faith and Fire talks about them like they are just normal women in power armor. So do they get no enhancement whatsoever? Because there are 400 year old Sisters. That isn't normal. Also, the book talks about how one sister never took her armor off. That would get messy and festering after a week. Unlike Spacemarines, normal humans produce waste.

What level of surgeries and enhancements do the SoB's get?

Actually it is, in fact, normal. There are tons of non-space marine human characters in the canon, and even just within the handful of Black Library books i've read, that are hundreds of years old. As others have already said, it's pretty common tech that's just another part of the 40k universe.

Sisters are not enhanced, and they are indeed normal women in power armor. The only thing that takes them above and beyond your normal human (aside from, obviously, the power armor and space marine equivalent weaponry) is their faith. This is, essentially, the entire lynchpin of their concept and part of what I personally love about them. They literally represent the peak of unaugmented humanity among the Emperor's various forces of war, managing to face the same unfathomable horrors as space marines with pure force of will and (near) unbreakable conviction.

No gene-enhancement whatsoever.

I would also say that they are part of a selection process and are therefore "exceptional" specimens in the beginning, given unrelenting training and Faith reinforcement which then coupled with their top of the range (for the Imperium) equipment makes them a powerful force.

 Darian Aarush wrote:
They can also seem to lift bolters and heavy flamers without much trouble. I think this is a good question and the answer that they aren't enhanced, which may be canonically true, seems to fail to address the issues raised.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Bearing in mind Astartes are not only physiologically enhanced (with more robust skeletal structure and greater muscle development), they also have the black carapace which interfaces with their power armour as well as a layer of synthetic muscle between their bodies and the armour which further augments there strength and allows them to do what they do.

That the Sororitas don't have any of this and can still fully function in suits of power armour while heaving huge weapons is seriously problematic... I don't for a minute deny their faith, but that isn't enough to explain how they do these things.

Their power armour assists them. Necromunda gangers and other humans (such as Catachan Gunnery Sergeant Harker) are capable of carrying heavy weapons (plus suspensors exist).

All Sororitas have a specialized organ that makes them absolutely disgusted by weird neckbeards that obsess over them. It triggers their gag reflex and makes them physically ill.

Checkmate, weirdo at FLGS today wearing ninja boots.

 Darian Aarush wrote:
They can also seem to lift bolters and heavy flamers without much trouble. I think this is a good question and the answer that they aren't enhanced, which may be canonically true, seems to fail to address the issues raised.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Bearing in mind Astartes are not only physiologically enhanced (with more robust skeletal structure and greater muscle development), they also have the black carapace which interfaces with their power armour as well as a layer of synthetic muscle between their bodies and the armour which further augments there strength and allows them to do what they do.

That the Sororitas don't have any of this and can still fully function in suits of power armour while heaving huge weapons is seriously problematic... I don't for a minute deny their faith, but that isn't enough to explain how they do these things.

Power Armor enhances strength, and you don't need the black carapace to wear power armor. Inquisitors can wear PA just fine.

 Adeptus Doritos wrote:
All Sororitas have a specialized organ that makes them absolutely disgusted by weird neckbeards that obsess over them. It triggers their gag reflex and makes them physically ill.

Checkmate, weirdo at FLGS today wearing ninja boots.

That’s a deliberately inferior design, though.

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:

 Darian Aarush wrote:
They can also seem to lift bolters and heavy flamers without much trouble. I think this is a good question and the answer that they aren't enhanced, which may be canonically true, seems to fail to address the issues raised.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Bearing in mind Astartes are not only physiologically enhanced (with more robust skeletal structure and greater muscle development), they also have the black carapace which interfaces with their power armour as well as a layer of synthetic muscle between their bodies and the armour which further augments there strength and allows them to do what they do.

That the Sororitas don't have any of this and can still fully function in suits of power armour while heaving huge weapons is seriously problematic... I don't for a minute deny their faith, but that isn't enough to explain how they do these things.

Power Armor enhances strength, and you don't need the black carapace to wear power armor. Inquisitors can wear PA just fine.

How does Sororitas power armour work, though? What's its power source and how do Sisters interface with it/control it?

 Darian Aarush wrote:

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:

 Darian Aarush wrote:
They can also seem to lift bolters and heavy flamers without much trouble. I think this is a good question and the answer that they aren't enhanced, which may be canonically true, seems to fail to address the issues raised.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Bearing in mind Astartes are not only physiologically enhanced (with more robust skeletal structure and greater muscle development), they also have the black carapace which interfaces with their power armour as well as a layer of synthetic muscle between their bodies and the armour which further augments there strength and allows them to do what they do.

That the Sororitas don't have any of this and can still fully function in suits of power armour while heaving huge weapons is seriously problematic... I don't for a minute deny their faith, but that isn't enough to explain how they do these things.

Power Armor enhances strength, and you don't need the black carapace to wear power armor. Inquisitors can wear PA just fine.

How does Sororitas power armour work, though? What's its power source and how do Sisters interface with it/control it?

The Repentia models have plugs but this has not (to my knowledge) ever been gone into before - Some Inquisitors use a body glove which mimics the Black Carapace - it quite possibily varies from Order to Order.

In the same way there is little or any info on the Ad Mech presence in the Orders - Astartes have Tech Marines - one assumes there are either Order Specialists or just a large contingent of Ad Mech with the Sisters for logistics and maintaince support.

 oldravenman3025 wrote:
Considering how closely tied the Adepta Sororitas are to the Ecclesiarchy, and the Imperial Cult's doctrines concerning the "Holy Human Form", I doubt they have undergone any kind of genetic modification for the purposes of enhancement.

You're forgetting the 39.000 years between now and M42. It's entirely possible that during dark age of technology every single human was genetically modified, if only to remove genetic diseases and evolutionary mistakes. Hell, it's possible dumb cultists claim the human form is "holy" because of seeming purity of the genetic code that in reality was the work of their distant ancestors, for extra irony. Wouldn't be first time superstitious people took science for a miracle

And if we're to grimdarkify this a bit more, it's possible that a lot of people being hunted as mutants and deviants are, in fact, genetically unmodified humans, their less-than-perfect DNA marking them as inferior scum to be purged, with perfectly normal traits and weaknesses being taken as sign of chaos or xeno taint...

 Darian Aarush wrote:

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:

 Darian Aarush wrote:
They can also seem to lift bolters and heavy flamers without much trouble. I think this is a good question and the answer that they aren't enhanced, which may be canonically true, seems to fail to address the issues raised.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Bearing in mind Astartes are not only physiologically enhanced (with more robust skeletal structure and greater muscle development), they also have the black carapace which interfaces with their power armour as well as a layer of synthetic muscle between their bodies and the armour which further augments there strength and allows them to do what they do.

That the Sororitas don't have any of this and can still fully function in suits of power armour while heaving huge weapons is seriously problematic... I don't for a minute deny their faith, but that isn't enough to explain how they do these things.

Power Armor enhances strength, and you don't need the black carapace to wear power armor. Inquisitors can wear PA just fine.

How does Sororitas power armour work, though? What's its power source and how do Sisters interface with it/control it?

It works on the same principles as Marine armour, though the highest level of functionality has been removed (because it requires the Black Carapace and genetic enhancement)

As mentioned, there is several different forms of technology that mimic the Black Carapace and SoB have backpack generators too. (Unlike the batteries that other PA users have)

 Darian Aarush wrote:
They can also seem to lift bolters and heavy flamers without much trouble. I think this is a good question and the answer that they aren't enhanced, which may be canonically true, seems to fail to address the issues raised.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Bearing in mind Astartes are not only physiologically enhanced (with more robust skeletal structure and greater muscle development), they also have the black carapace which interfaces with their power armour as well as a layer of synthetic muscle between their bodies and the armour which further augments there strength and allows them to do what they do.

That the Sororitas don't have any of this and can still fully function in suits of power armour while heaving huge weapons is seriously problematic... I don't for a minute deny their faith, but that isn't enough to explain how they do these things.

Suspensors exist in 40K. Negating the weight of a weapon makes it much easier to wield.

I'm waiting for the Adepta Sororitas workout DVD - you know it's coming...

"And 1! And 2! And lift that heavy bolter! And 3! And 4! Purify that heretic!"

 Skinflint Games wrote:
I'm waiting for the Adepta Sororitas workout DVD - you know it's coming...

"And 1! And 2! And lift that heavy bolter! And 3! And 4! Purify that heretic!"

only if it's Jane Fonda