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Hello all,
I'm starting an Only War campaign soon, and my players will be a Guerilla regiment. I thought it'd be really interesting to have them infiltrate an imperial planet that has recently seceded, try and set up a resistance, argue theology and ancient feuds with the locals etc.
Then I thought to myself that I could cause a collective dropping of housing blocks by having the world be part of a recently-renegade astartes chapter's private empire. The mission is to disrupt the industry and empire building, but if they do too well they could bring drop pods down on their heads. The regiment has been sent in because there's just nothing else available to slow down the renegades, and a few thousand guardsmen is definitely expendable, and might even do something to help when the imperium does get around to attacking.

I've figured out how they'll get there, and have a range of missions and situations for them to deal with planned out. The only thing I can't get a handle on is making the chapter's reason for going renegade compelling.

I've read through a summary of the badab wars, and lifted a few elements, but don't just want to carbon-copy it. I might want the alpha legion involved, but I like the idea of them having already infiltrated the planet with operatives, be ready to start a revolution, then be blindsided by the change of loyalty of the Storm Hounds and end up in opposition to the players when initially they were helping.

I might have the chapter fall to Chaos eventually, but it feels a bit cheap to have that be the reason they go renegade in the first place.

So, would anyone like to wade in? Any compelling ideas for going renegade? I thought that it could be as a result of the loss of the astronomican, but even that doesn't give much depth and I'm not married to it. Any and all ideas why would be welcome.

Cheers!

My Chaos Space Marine force is built around the concept of survivors of one of the chapters which was sent on the Abyssal Crusade (where a crazy Chaos dude who held a high position more or less condemned a bunch of chapters for being "bad" and they were sent on a penitence quest to the Eye of Terror etc.). I won't list out the whole thing here though!

There are still bad/tainted/Chaos individuals in the Imperium and some who hold great power. All it takes is some tricks and treachery and I don't see why a chapter couldn't be turned (even if just temporarily) against other Imperium forces. Even if they're acting on bad info, I'd say it's plausible. Then you have the old "We know better" possibilities. The "We're acting in the Emperor's name..." but they've gone a bit loony. Perhaps they've become too fervent, or even just the Chapter Master is a bit wonky.

You could also have the "loyal dog" syndrome (think Space Wolves) where the marines are sent to eliminate a threat - again possibly based on bad information. Perhaps they're there to summon another Chapter to answer for a massacre, etc. Their loyalty to the Emperor/cause is stronger than their bonds with fellow Imperium soldiers and fellow Space Marines, etc.

Perhaps the Chapter was lost in the warp, released via Cicatrix Maledictum and they've suddenly jumped several thousand years - don't trust anybody, think they're in a different place, perhaps they've gone slightly mad and think the world they're on is a daemon world?

keep in mind you don't need an evil CHAPTER. a single space marine would be a scary eneugh boss for your guys. a single SQUAD gone bad could easily carve out a small empire.

Anything but 'Joined Tau because muh grater gud' is a fine reason.

You want to get the 'Black Crusade' RPG books.

I like the idea of Chapters going renegade unintentionally. Like an Inquisitor responding to some transgression that results in a declaration of Excommunicate Traitoris, and the Chapter being forced to respond. They're not whole on traitors, but they have a mark on their back.

If you can get a hold of the Badab War stuff, it provides terrific insight into how and why a Chapter might go Renegade. The Executioners ended up being on the wrong side over misplaced loyalty and an over-developed sense of honour.

It also shows how the High Lords view and utilise the Marines as a whole. The Salamanders and Raptors etc were withdrawn ostensibly to allow them to recoup their losses after a few years on the front lines. The real reason was the fact the High Lords and Inquisition needed the Minotaurs, Carcharodons, Star Phantoms etc. to apply the coup de grace with extreme prejudice and without any qualms.

Thanks folks!
As I said before, I might have the chaos stuff creep in later - from your responses I'm feeling motivated by them actually seceding for the "right" reasons, moral reasons that modern people would agree with.

I won't have them actually have to face any full marines, they might try and assassinate one at some point (who's on the planet training up the equivalent of the tyrant's legion) but the "climactic battle" I imagined would be a scout squad chasing them.
They'll mostly be facing local pdf as just one marine in only war is effectively an army. Even a solid direct melta hit doesn't kill a chaos marine in one shot.

So, perhaps they seceded initially for moral reasons - like being disgusted with the behaviour of the inquisition, or wanting to give their empire's worlds a better life. Could have happened during the blackout. But now they've had a taste of it, they don't want to give it up - they're not returning to the fold. Thus the regiment being despatched by the local authorities to at least slow them down.

I will try and get my hands on badab for a read!

One idea i had when i was considering doing a renegade chapter a tzeenchian one at that, was that they discover a prophecy that basically has them destroying the it home sector SNF turning to Tzeench. So realising this they do everything in their power to prevent it happening however slowly they became corrupted by the tome containing the prophecy. In the end it came to pass and they turned sides choosing Tzeench over the emporer. My justification for this was the worlds native religion had long ago been infiltrated NY a tzrenchian cult so the new recruits the chapter were receiving were technically chaos worshippers.

Pride is always a good reason for marines to do anything - their own and that of others. Many marines see themself as "allies" of the IoM, bound by ancient oaths, not subjects that can be ordered about at will.

They would be upset at being asked to do something that will tarnish their honor, whatever that might be. Staunch anti-xenos marines would be upset if an Inquisitor asked them to work with xenos, more so if he didn't explain the need in detail. Honorable combat types might be upset at underhanded tactics needlessly used by their imperial allies. If the marines help in a campaign and the other high-ups disrespect their contribution they would also be upset.

The marines might not even need to be renegades per se. They could still see themselves as loyal to the Imperium, but they got into a fight with an Inquisitor over something. Now the Inquisitor wants to teach them a lesson.

So I'm very tempted to have the Storm Hounds mess with the religion on the planet. I know that normally chapters don't induct everyone on their planets into the chapter cult, just initiates and thralls. So I imagine that the imperial cult would therefore normally be under the supervision of the ecclesiarchy.
It could be any of the chapter, but I was imagining a particularly ambitious chaplain has been preaching to the locals - the Storm Hounds were always the highest order of angels under the Emperor prior to this, but now the Emperor is barely a footnote in the planet's orthodox churches. That will cause unrest and lynching of those who cling to the old faith, and send believers in the Emperor underground. Meanwhile it's something for the players to try and turn around with hearts and minds.

The question is, how Chaos-y do you want them to be?

One reason could be a split within the Space Marine’s chapter or between a successor and its progenitor. The Iron Hands almost saw a schism, and that definitely would have led to some of the chapter going renegade. It could be that it’s an outpost that did something really out of line as to make an enemy of their parent chapter, like Ultramarines that denied the return of Guilliman or Black Templars using xenotech. That way going rogue and taking over worlds is a defense effort against their pissed-off loyalist brethren.

@warpspider, not at all initially. The fall to chaos is inevitable apparently, but that doesn't mean that it has to be instantaneous.

@gnome ok, yeah I can see that - but just to avoid too much marine-vs-marine action, I think I'll have their internal schism be tied to a disaster as well. The chapter's Homeworld and core cadre had been devastated, leading to a significant chunk of the troops deciding to take over new worlds to give them the resources they need to keep fighting.
I want the precursor planet to this infiltration to be fighting orks, so perhaps the waaagh just flattened the Storm Hounds Homeworld, leaving disorganised and embittered survivors going rogue in different directions to try and regain glory.

Cool! I think I'm getting there...

Look at the blooddrinkers story the chapter was declared traitor for attacking the mechanim after being tricked by them into acquiring a chapter relic that they then stole from the blooddrinkers

 Captain Roderick wrote:

I will try and get my hands on badab for a read!

Succeeding is a fine idea and all, but what if through a misunderstanding, the High Lords of Terra sanctioned them for some event (blue on blue incident, tithe fleet was destroyed in the warp, accidentally crashed a Space Marine Cruiser into a Forge World after suffering a critical engine failure) and later declared them traitor?

Stranger things have happened. Poor bastards are now in full defense, protecting the mini-empire they were protecting from an Imperium that wants to expunge the sector.

 kronk wrote:

 Captain Roderick wrote:

I will try and get my hands on badab for a read!

Succeeding is a fine idea and all, but what if through a misunderstanding, the High Lords of Terra sanctioned them for some event (blue on blue incident, tithe fleet was destroyed in the warp, accidentally crashed a Space Marine Cruiser into a Forge World after suffering a critical engine failure) and later declared them traitor?

Stranger things have happened. Poor bastards are now in full defense, protecting the mini-empire they were protecting from an Imperium that wants to expunge the sector.

Hmm, yeah good point. That could be a good way to do things, I don't want the chapter to be all 'hurr durr chaos' so yeah, thanks for that one!

I've been reading Dark Heresy sourcebooks, and have decided that there'll definitely be an element of The Logicians on the planet. I was flirting with the idea that the chapter may have actually read and fallen for the "logical discourse" as it actually sounds a lot like the Imperial Truth from pre-heresy times. But now I'll have a re-think about whether they were just sanctioned for an accident.

They've definitely taken steps to secure their position though, including the destruction of the Arbites fortress-precinct. The surviving Arbites are who requested Guard support, and will act as local info sources and guides for the players' regiment, at least at first.
I also like the idea of having the chapter - in desperation - start allying with hereteks and pirate clans, which is how the Logicians creep in (if the chapter wasn't already allied to them). But yeah, accidental action and a refusal to admit they're wrong sounds like the most space-mariney hubristic fall from grace that you can get!

one idea to ponder as well is that maybe it's not traitors or sucession at all, what if this is in fact some sort of arcane political dispute where neither side is nesscarily right? (consider the early days of the Badb war, it was simply a conflict between two sides over who owned tithe rights) this could give you some real intreasting stuff with all sorts of fun plothooks (including allowing for the over all commander they report to to pull a "NOW THAT YOU'VE KILLED MY FOES I REVEAL MYSELF AS THE TRUE ABD GUY MUHAHAHA" later on. this could allow for you to really throw some oddball developments and make your players come out HATING imperial politics.

The Celestial Lions were all but declared traitors by the Inquisition which nearly wiped them out because the Lions were very vocal about certain practices that were employed. Now they were never declared to be traitors and they didn't turn their backs on the Imperium, but that sort of thing could push a chapter out.

Inquisition shenanigans is often a cause. Influential Rogue Traders could have some clout in forcing a Chapter onto the brink. Some Chapters are oath bound and have been for centuries. A lot of the time it's wrong place and the wrong time.

Being a mega-powerful magic-roided mutant with killguns and plot armour can go to your head. Arrogance, boredom and a particular set of skills can combine to make a Chapter set out on their own path, to use their abilities and strength to carve out their own empire - be that due to a misplaced sense of honour, resentment at their treatment as lackeys when they perceive themselves as gods, or plain boredom. Tonnes of reasons that could be deemed plausible!