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Hey guys, I have a few questions concerning Genestealers.

1. How intelligent is a 3rd Generation 'Stealer'? Human? Subhuman? Can they use tools/weapons/operate heavy machinery?

2. If the Primarch is killed as well as the Magus does the cult scatter? Do they rebuild?

3. How potent is the 'Brood Mind'? What I mean is, can other psykers detect it?


The reason I ask, is because a few friends want to start up a Dark Heresy campaign and I'm designated GM. Unfortunately I'm a little shaky with 40K Fluff and chewing through every wiki and rpg forum I can to bring myself up to speed.

For the starting scenarios the PC's would be investigating sporadic, but growing psychic activity in the lower rungs of a Hive City. Twenty years previous, these same lower rungs saw the emergence of a powerful psyker and small retinue of mutant followers (Genestealers + Magus) but were put down in such spetacular fashion (whole sector collapsed) that they were never properly identified.

So the story goes that a handful of Hybrids survived, one being a 3rd Generation (who's sterile... I think they're called Drones or something) and his Father (an underhive chemist/doctor whatever). The Father has recently been able to modify a local street drug to incorporate the 3rd Gen's DNA and is now producing it en masse in order to spread the virus to a wider audience.

The drug is highly addictive but the 'Stealer' DNA doesn't take hold nearly as quickly or effectively, but users feel an intense, but fleeting, euphoria as they briefly connect to a pseudo 'Brood Mind'. Constant use of the drug will result in indoctrination into the cult however.

TL;DR : Genestealer DNA is being combined with Space Heroin to spread the infection to a bunch of junkies who, in turn, exhibit intermittent psychic behaviour as they get high on the 'Brood Mind'.

So... Is this even possible or am I right out?

I really don't know enough about Genestealer cults to answer your questions, but I must say I like the idea of one spreading through recreational drugs. If I ever get my Dark Crusade game going again I may have to steal that.

Sounds fine to me, it's fiction after all. 3rd generation hybrids can definitely use technology and weapons as well, 4th generation are almost human.

This may help:

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Genestealer_hybrid#.Ub6i3KwtFPE

I don't recall ever reading anything about serious lack of intellect in the earlier generations. There were a couple of one-piece 2nd generation models all of whom had guns, and I'm pretty certain there was a 1st generation with a conversion beamer in an old WD.

It's certainly not a lack of intellect amongst Genestealers. It's just that, the closer you get to being purestrain and technically closer to Tyranid as a result, the more you'll find human concepts like language, society and operating human technology are going to seem "alien". Not to mention, the claws can get in the way.

There is something else you may want to consider that I'm not sure you've picked up on yet. Someone that's in a Genestealer cult is being mind-controlled. In a similar way to how generations and strains work, the more strongly they are being controlled, the less access they will have to their previous memory, including "how stuff works". This is why there are typically a large number of 3rd/4th generation that are indoctrinated but then given objectives and otherwise left to it instead of being directly manipulated. They're used as the eyes and ears of the cult in the outside world.

So, to answer your questions directly:

1. How intelligent is a 3rd Generation 'Stealer'? Human? Subhuman? Can they use tools/weapons/operate heavy machinery?
Yes, but they will experience great difficulty interacting with humans outside the cult.
2. If the Primarch is killed as well as the Magus does the cult scatter? Do they rebuild?
It's Patriarch you want - Primarch is a *very* different thing. They would likely scatter, and are unlikely to rebuild unless there's another Magus or 2nd Generation still knocking around.
3. How potent is the 'Brood Mind'? What I mean is, can other psykers detect it?
Well, it's potent enough that the Tyranids can detect it from far away, so it seems for a planet not to notice it straight away must require some masking on the part of the Patriarch and/or Magus. It's certainly possible for other psykers to detect it - it'll be a weaker version of the psychic blockade that follows the Tyranids, which causes psykers nightmares beforehand, an oppressive and restrictive feeling on the battlefield, and creates warp storms too.

Thank you for the replies.

One of my buddies is a real stickler for fluff, and while I don't mind taking liberties with the material, I'd rather avoid anything too eye-rolling. ("You are greeted by a tap-dancing Black Templar and his talking Hormagaunt!")

So another question would be: If members of the cult are being mind controlled, do they regain their 'humanity' when that mind control ends?

 Warmaster_Horace wrote:
One of my buddies is a real stickler for fluff, and while I don't mind taking liberties with the material, I'd rather avoid anything too eye-rolling. ("You are greeted by a tap-dancing Black Templar and his talking Hormagaunt!")

It sounds like he might anyway - but it could be worth asking him to bring up anything he felt was dodgy.
...then check it back with us.

So another question would be: If members of the cult are being mind controlled, do they regain their 'humanity' when that mind control ends?

I honestly don't know. I do know one thing - either way, if the cult is ended and they're caught, they'll be slaughtered by the authorities.

... also, in regards to your OP...

For the starting scenarios the PC's would be investigating sporadic, but growing psychic activity in the lower rungs of a Hive City. Twenty years previous, these same lower rungs saw the emergence of a powerful psyker and small retinue of mutant followers (Genestealers + Magus) but were put down in such spetacular fashion (whole sector collapsed) that they were never properly identified.

A Sector is a massive region of space, containing anywhere from dozens to hundreds of planets populated by Man. One pskyer and a small cult isn't going to bring about this kind of devastation.... and if it were 20 years prior, well, things would still be in ruins. Nothing happens quickly in the Imperium.

I kind of assumed he meant sector of the hive city (i,e. the people up top just did some "urban renewal" involving high explosives)

Also I now desperately want to see someone make a cartoon about the tap-dancing Black Templar and his buddy the singing hormagaunt who backs him up on piano!

Sorry. Should have said Hive District or something. I just like the idea of solving a problem in a city, by dropping another city on top of it.

 dementedwombat wrote:
Also I now desperately want to see someone make a cartoon about the tap-dancing Black Templar and his buddy the singing hormagaunt who backs him up on piano!

Hehe. It could be the opener for: "The Horus Heresy...through Interpretive Dance!"