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I'm in the middle of writing a novella featuring the unlikely alliance of a human mercenary band and some Eldar from a nearby craftworld against the forces of Chaos. In the story I planned on having a more open-minded Eldar Ranger give Mikael, the leader of the mercenaries, an Eldar long rifle as a token of friendship. The only problem is, since Eldar technology is based on psycho-reactive matter, would a human even be able to use the weapon?

Humans are minorly psycic, some more so than others so perhaps make your main character latently psycic?

I remember reading that Eldar weapons are genetically coded so that only their real owner can use them. The gift weapon would thus have to be "unmarked". I don't know whether Eldar weaponsmiths manufacture such "blanco" weapons and whether a human is able to lock his own genetic fingerprint on them if he is given one.

The only problem I could see would be whether the trigger uses psychic impulses instead of physical ones. However, I don't think it would be unreasonable for the eldar to have either a physical trigger or a psychic trigger with a manual override built into it as well. Especially since rangers probably want low maintenance weapons.

:EDIT: Genetic codes? Interesting. I'm sure they'd be able to set their weapons to be open to everyone if they wanted, though.

Yes, in the eldar codex it shows their weapons have gene specific lockouts. Any race wishing to use an Eldar weapon, with the exception of grenades, would have to overcome this problem first.

In the case of some weaponry, like Direswords, there are eldar spirit stones animating the weapon and have an intelligent eldar soul inside. Such a soul would not take kindly to being used by non-eldar.

Hmmm, yes, I can see how the spirit stones would be a major issue for a mercenary like Mikael to overcome. And as for the genetic fingerprint problem, I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be violating 40k Eldar canon TOO much by having the friendly Ranger change the genetic fingerprint to match Mikael. I mean hey, if it's his weapon, I'm sure that he'd have the ability to change ownership of the weapon.

As for the trigger mechanism problem, that's what was really giving me trouble. If Eldar weapons do indeed have a physical trigger mechanism, then my problems are nonexistent. If they're triggered by psychic impulses, though, (which I'm thinking they are), then I'm at a roadblock. Mikael isn't a latent psyker, and he isn't going to become one, either, so that solution doesn't work.

Ah. Just looked at the Eldar Codex weapon diagrams... Couldn't find anything on the weapons that resembles a trigger. Uh oh. Might have to use creative license a bit.

If any weapon's going to end up non-standard, it'd be a ranger's long rifle. They're outcasts after all.

If any weapon's going to end up non-standard, it'd be a ranger's long rifle. They're outcasts after all.

True that. Thanks for the helpful information, everyone. I think I have what I need now.

I once read a Caption, about a Tau army that came to the help out a craftworld from Slannesh Demon's or Marine's Can't recall but after the whole ordeal the Tau ask for some Eldar Tech, and the Eldar shoot the commander and fly away.

Their pretty fickle bastard's but i guess it could work to the better too.

Yes, they are indeed fickle, that's why they can be fascinating characters. The reason that it's a Ranger becoming friends with a human is that Rangers are a little less stiff when it comes to inter-racial interactions. Hell, it isn't even unheard of for Eldar to join bands of mercenaries containing other races, providing they're wild enough.

As for the technology stinginess, I intend for the Ranger to put some pretty potent failsafes on the weapon itself to protect it against tampering. He's entrusting Mikael with the weapon as an act of faith, but he's not going to let the secrets of the Eldar tech fall into Mon-Keigh hands.

As ex-military and an Eldar player, I have a simple solution for you.

While the Eldar use psychic impulses to control some things (like Direswords and wraithbone) a sniper(Ranger/Pathfinder or even a real one) wants a weapon that is simple, easy to fix, and dependable. Eldar are aware that there are things in the warp that can hinder their psychic powers at bad times, a sniper cannot afford to have a shot ruined at a critical moment by something as simple as "interferance", so I would imagine they would install a mechanical trigger for that very reason.

Look at the M24, the American army still uses it even though it is a bolt-action and there are semi-auto rifles that can do the same job, But the simple design of the bolt action allows it to be more accurate, less prone to jam, and easy to clean.....3 things that are at the top of a snipers needs for a weapon.

As for the genitic lockout..... I agree with the above poster that a Ranger/Pathfinder would turn down a feature like that. When you are out in the field without support from your army, you would want every member of your squad to have access to every weapon your squad is armed with....... I would be pretty well screwed if my gun was smashed and I couldn't use my dead squadmates gun because of a Lock-out feature and a 20 mile hike to base-camp to get a new weapon.

it would make sense for a Ranger to be able to hand off a rifle....at least to me it makes sense.

Those are some very valid points, DJ Illuminati. Thanks for the help.

By the way, purely as an aside, would anyone be interested in the few pages I have written up on this so far? Getting a few people to check out my story is always nice. If enough people are interested, I'll post it.

I can't speak to the Sniper rifle.

But back in 2nd edition, my favorite Space Marine special weapons guy was the one that had a Shuriken Catapult.

I did a quick search but was unable to find the old Beaky marine image.

It happens. I remember reading a BL book that had Space Marines crack down on some wannabe mob family that had given its goons some black market shuriken catapult. Ended with the one member who really wanted to repent and was so sorry maybe he could start over as a priest and he really hated his family for their heresy and *bolt pistol to face*.

Old 3rd edition codex had a powersword that was genetically locked, probably like the little finger cutters on Blade's katana. But I wouldn't expect them to do that for mundane weapons and such.

Found it...

It's Heresy!

The Dreadnote wrote:It's Heresy!

DOUBLE HERESY!

Look at the M24, the American army still uses it even though it is a bolt-action and there are semi-auto rifles that can do the same job, But the simple design of the bolt action allows it to be more accurate, less prone to jam, and easy to clean.....3 things that are at the top of a snipers needs for a weapon.

Some great points there, all of which i would agree 100% with. (military think alike?)
Also, on a note to this many of the SAS and SBS snipers refuse to use the S.T.A.R rifle for the same reason, its not dependable.
Instead they prefer to use the M40A3, once again, a bolt action weapon.


Now, if this weapon was a gift then i would guess that it was crafted for the user, rather than being a standard issue weapon.
In this case its more than possible that it was crafted for use by a human and has a standard trigger operation.

Something that you could write about, and that Eldar would do, would be to have the weapon function as a slow-action poison, psychic or otherwise. Basically the Eldar gift the weapon as a token of friendship, but it kills the user in the last climactic battle, or causes him to get out of position (there was an Inquisitor character that used an Eldar soul-stone in a device that slowly possessed him), or something, then the Eldar scoop up the weapon, mutter something about dumb mon-keighs, and carry on. Two vermin with one rifle.

Or have it that the Eldar equipment infects non-Eldar with a highly contagious engineered virus that stays in incubation until a psychic signal activates the phages. You could have the Eldar hiring some underworld merc crew to help them fight some unimportant enemy and reward them with highly desirable, and destructive, Xeno tech. After the "battle" they return back to their Hive World and continue with their business as usual, infecting millions of people at an exponential rate. Even better if they travel for jobs off world.

50 years later, an Eldar ship appears in system and the entire population suddenly dies within a week. Eldar retake a maiden world from the Humans they were attempting to convert from an agriworld to a hive complex.

Or have it that the Eldar equipment infects non-Eldar with a highly contagious engineered virus that stays in incubation until a psychic signal activates the phages. You could have the Eldar hiring some underworld merc crew to help them fight some unimportant enemy and reward them with highly desirable, and destructive, Xeno tech. After the "battle" they return back to their Hive World and continue with their business as usual, infecting millions of people at an exponential rate. Even better if they travel for jobs off world.

Ha, that's so devious and wicked that it's friggin' awesome. Normally I would write something depressing and wicked and altogether suited for the world of 40k like this, but I rather wanted to highlight the obvious similarities between men and Eldar in this story, and have them actually foster something akin to respect, if not friendship.The virus idea, though... Heh. That I might use in a later story, with a craftworld that's less lenient towards the Mon-Keigh.

Now, if this weapon was a gift then i would guess that it was crafted for the user, rather than being a standard issue weapon.
In this case its more than possible that it was crafted for use by a human and has a standard trigger operation.

It's actually not going to be crafted specifically for him, as the gifting is a spur-of-the-moment decision by a particularly young and rebellious Ranger. But I'm going to go with the majority of advice and say that Eldar weapons have physical triggers, especially the long rifles.

As for that marine toting the shuriken catapult... That's just awesome.

Part of the Eldar theme is that despite their obvious physical similarities to Humans, they still believe themselves to be the one and onle Ubermensch;the only creatures fit to rule the galaxy and that all other races are either threats or tools to remove those threats. You cannot trust them. Ever. Even if everything comes out okay and the scary antagonist was killed off and everyone is happy with sunshine and flowers, it all happened for some insidious reason that noone but the Eldar may even realize.

But it's a big galaxy. Do what you want. It isn't like Eldar Rangers aren't already big renegades and rebellious Eldar teenagers. You know, the "NO YOU SHUT THE F*** UP DAD" types.

The Dreadnote wrote:It's Heresy!

kitsunez wrote:DOUBLE HERESY!

Shelegelah wrote:As for that marine toting the shuriken catapult... That's just awesome.

It was back in the day when the Shuriken Cat rolled the sustained fire die getting 1, 2, 3 shots or jamming.
It also had a 24" range, and subtracted 2 from the armor save. Making it far superior to the Bolter of that time.

Can't blame a guy for wanting a better weapon.

Course Eldar Guardians had Lasguns and Banshees had Laspistols at that time too.

Part of the Eldar theme is that despite their obvious physical similarities to Humans, they still believe themselves to be the one and onle Ubermensch;the only creatures fit to rule the galaxy and that all other races are either threats or tools to remove those threats. You cannot trust them. Ever. Even if everything comes out okay and the scary antagonist was killed off and everyone is happy with sunshine and flowers, it all happened for some insidious reason that noone but the Eldar may even realize.

But it's a big galaxy. Do what you want. It isn't like Eldar Rangers aren't already big renegades and rebellious Eldar teenagers. You know, the "NO YOU SHUT THE F*** UP DAD" types.

Yeah, I realize that their overweening pride is their defining characteristic, and I'm definitely going to be representing that in the story. It's not going to be hunky-dorey by any means, in fact the craftworld that the Ranger in question owes his allegiance to is still going to be quite militant about exterminating the Imperial forces in the sector (They made the mistake of colonizing a maiden world, you see.) The only human-elder friendship thingy is going to be between the Ranger squad and Mikael's little group of mercenaries, who are also rebellious, seeing as they all have a rather large beef with the Imperium.

Railguns wrote:You know, the "NO YOU SHUT THE F*** UP DAD" types.

CRAAAALLLLLLIIIINNNNNGGGGGG IIIIIIN MYYYY SKIIIIIINNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THESE WOOOUUUUNNNNDDDSSSSS THEY WIIIIIIIIILLLL NOT HEEEEEYYYYUUUUUHHHHHHLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thats Eldar in a nutshell for you. Monglophile subculture complete with an obsession with ninja swords, throwing stars, wall scrolls, doe-eyed maidens, and crying.

Shelegelah wrote:The only human-elder friendship thingy is going to be between the Ranger squad and Mikael's little group of mercenaries, who are also rebellious, seeing as they all have a rather large beef with the Imperium.

While the Eldar are cruel and cold.... they are not murderers for no good reason. Eldar would treat humans as tools and as such it would be in the Eldar's best intrest to protect a group like the Mikael's team. Any group that would fight the Imperium and not result in death of any Eldar is a group that the Eldar would want outfitted with weapons and pushed towards fights that the team can win........

.......in short, I dont agree with the Eldar killing any of the few humans that are willing to do the work for them........a perfect example is that the Harlequins allow some Inquisitors access to the Black Library....because the Inquisitors are hunting down Chaos and Deamons.....

.......in short, I dont agree with the Eldar killing any of the few humans that are willing to do the work for them........a perfect example is that the Harlequins allow some Inquisitors access to the Black Library....because the Inquisitors are hunting down Chaos and Deamons.....

That's an incredibly good point, right there....

The eldar do trade for things. Violence is just another tool for the farseers to ensure the survival of the species. It would not be out of the question for a craftworld to make a simple weapon like a long rifle for a human in exchange for some favor or item.

The fluff states that the eldar will go to great lengths to recover soul stones. Rather then risk more deaths, trading a weapon for some wouldn't be out of the question.

also, dont forget there is a 54mm inquisitor female model, with a shuriken pistol, so id say do it