Flaws

Flaws are drawbacks that significantly impact your character, and they should be roleplayed accordingly.

For instance, it makes little sense for most Astartes to be Hunted, as they are soldiers operating within a military command structure and generally keep to themselves. That said, it could be made to work, but then the hunters would have to have the resources and motivation to take on an entire Legion of Astartes.

There are three degrees of severity: Mild (+1 karma point), Moderate (+2 karma points), and Severe (+4 karma points). A fourth degree of severity, Burnout, can only be “gained” during play, but is usually so crippling that you might as well make a new character.

Karma can buy you Secondary attributes (Edge, and Psy, if you’re a psyker) or extra Talents.

Primus Astartes (max 4 points): Up to 3 flaws, one of which may be Moderate (so basically 1 Moderate and up to 2 Mild).

·         Your genes are so pure and your screening so total that you’re unlikely to have any significant flaws.

Secundus Astartes (max 6 points): Up to 3 flaws, but maximum Moderate severity.

·         The default. Not much worse than a Primus marine.

Tertius Astartes (max 8 points): Up to 3 flaws, one of which may be Severe.

·         Not only were you created from weak seed, you’re potentially a weak link in more ways than one.

Human (max 16 points): Up to 4 flaws of any severity.

·         Mortals be mortals.

Here are some common Flaws; the list is not meant to be exhaustive:

Addiction (Mild, Moderate, Severe)

You are hooked on chemical substances, technological or psychological stimuli devices, or addictive activities, such as gambling or sex. The more severe your Addiction, the more resources and time you must devote to the activity.

Astartes CAN have additions, but they are usually more exotic or complex than simply doing recreational drugs.

Mild: It’s an addiction, even if you don’t want to admit it, but it doesn’t usually interfere much with the rest of your life.

Moderate: You’re in trouble. A lot of time and resources are wasted on this, and you’re sometimes under the influence at the worst possible time.

Severe: Most of your time and resources go towards satisfying your needs. You’re frequently under the influence, even when on duty. Even if you’re not, you're thinking about your addiction.

Astral Beacon (Mild, Moderate, Severe)

Your Warp signature is highly visible in the Immaterium.

Only characters with a Psy rating may take this quality.

Mild: You’re somewhat more visible to those looking, be they psykers or xenos lifeforms.

Moderate: You’re more like a beacon, clearly visible to anyone looking. Unless you are well protected, this will quickly become an issue.

Severe: Normally, this means a one-way ticket to Terra—alternatively, insanity and comic body horror. You pick your poison, but it’s not recommended for a PC.

Bad Luck (Mild, Moderate, Severe)

You are cursed with bad fortune. If you believe in such things, that is.

Mild: When the character uses Edge, roll 1D6. On a result of 1-2, the point of Edge is spent, but has no effect.

Moderate: As Mild, but the range is 2-3 for not working, and a result of 1 has the exact opposite effect intended (gains Disadvantage instead of Advantage, damage is reduced, or injury becomes more severe).

Severe: As Moderate, but the 1-2 gives the opposite effect, while 3-5 does nothing. Only on a 6 does your Edge actually help. Basically, you don’t want to ever use your Edge, which is a pretty big drawback!

Black Mark (Mild, Moderate)

You have a dark and lasting stain on your reputation and honor.

Mild: This thing will come up from time to time, either giving you Disadvantage on some social checks or just making life more complicated.

Moderate: It will come up more often, as will the Disadvantage. You’re unlikely ever to make officer rank or otherwise get very far in the ranks.

Code Of Honor  (Mild, Moderate)

You are bound by a strict code of honor, defining how you can and cannot behave in various situations. It’s not the same as normal or excessive loyalty. Instead, it introduces rules and guidelines for how you may and may not act in various situations.

This is a pretty common Flaw among some Legions (but not all). To the 11^th, for example, upholding the chivalrous aspects of the Dragon’s Honor is pretty important to them. They strive to be courteous in their dealings with those not of the legion, don’t lie unless it is necessary, and don’t cause collateral damage if it can be avoided.

Mild: Still important, but the rules can be bent or overlooked if the ends justify the means.

Moderate: The character is bound to his code and will never willingly go against it.

Combat Paralysis  (Moderate, Severe)

You tend to freeze in combat. Needless to say, this isn’t a great trait in the grim darkness of the far future, but if you play more of a support character, it might not be such a huge disadvantage.

Moderate (Human): After rolling for initiative, remove the highest d6 from your pool. You cannot spend Edge to add to your Initiative.

Severe (Astartes): After rolling for initiative, remove the highest d6 from your pool. You cannot spend Edge to add to your Initiative.

Driven (Mild, Moderate)

You have an obsession, something that drives you forward. It could be some goal or a mystery that needs to be unraveled. Whatever the cause, when faced with a clue or opportunity to advance their quest, you must do so, even if it would be inconvenient or dangerous.

Mild: It’s important to you, but more of an overarching goal or motivation that something that drives your every action.

Moderate: It dominates your life to the extent that even your duties take a back seat to your obsession.

Excessive Loyalty (Mild, Moderate, Severe)

This is not the loyalty that all good people feel toward the Emperor, or what Astartes feel toward their gene fathers. It is that, but dialed up to 11 (or 12 or 13).

This one is quite common among many Legions, not just the 11^th.

Mild: Your loyalty is merely mildly excessive. In some cases, it might even be perceived as an advantage, but for you as an individual, it means your free will is somewhat restricted. You should, for example, not question the object of your loyalty without an extremely good reason. You are, however, still largely your own master, and with good cause you might sometimes be persuaded to see things from a different perspective. Maybe.

Moderate: At this level, you literally cannot in any way convince yourself that the object of your loyalty might be wrong or even less than perfect. Even if presented with irrefutable evidence, you will somehow explain it away. You will willingly commit any act, any atrocity, and think it “good” or “just.”

Severe: You’re a raging fanatic—a single wrong word from someone, and you might fly into a murderous rage. At the very least, you will put that person on your list of people you intensely dislike. If you plan for your character to interact with anyone outside his loyalty group, this is a Flaw best avoided.

Fatalistic (Mild, Moderate, Severe)

Maybe you think everything is preordained. Perhaps you cannot shake the feeling that you’re just one insignificant cog in the great meat grinder (fun fact: you are). Whatever the precise nature of your fatalism, it impacts you in many ways, small and large.

This is a relatively common flaw among the 11^th Legion.

Mild: Stoicism is a virtue, but you’ve strayed into fatalism. You’re not exactly fun to be around; suffer Disadvantage on social checks where your fatalistic demeanor might come into play.

Moderate: The sense of foreboding and fatalism is ever-present in your life. You still function more or less normally, but you’re an absolute bore to be around (Disadvantage becomes more common on Social checks and might even be incurred on non-Social checks), and less likely to take the initiative or come up with creative solutions.

Severe: Your fatalism has become crippling. You can still get through life, even fight alongside your brothers, but you act only by rote and never take the initiative or come up with anything remotely creative. You basically need to be told what to do. Maybe not an outstanding Flaw for PCs.

Gremlins (Mild, Moderate, Severe)

You don’t get along with technology. Devices malfunction inexplicably, software crashes unexpectedly, vehicles refuse to start, components become unusually fragile at your touch, and wireless links suffer faltering connections and odd interference whenever you’re involved.

Astartes should be careful about picking this beyond the Mild level, as it will interfere with their armor, weapons, and a ton of other stuff. If taken as Severe, they would be unable to interface with their armor at all, and thus never qualify for anything but scout duties (if that).

Mild: Mostly a nuisance, but expect Disadvantage on checks at the worst possible moments.

Moderate: Disadvantage is the norm rather than the exception. It's not remotely funny anymore.

Severe: Unable to meaningfully use tech.

Hunted (Mild, Moderate, Severe)

You have a powerful enemy of some sort, or are hunted for some reason.

Mild: Someone moderately powerful and/or unlikely to come after you.

Moderate: Increased power and likelihood of negative events.

Severe: This is going to end badly—for you. You’ve made a mortal enemy of someone incredibly powerful.

Incompetent (Mild, Moderate, Severe)

Your lack of knowledge or ability with a specific skill or skill group is impressive (in a bad way).

You cannot start with ranks in this skill or skill group and must pay double to advance these skills during play. In addition, the threshold for something causing Disadvantage is reduced. For example, a mild inconvenience (not Disadvantage) for a typical character might cause you Disadvantage.

Mild: One skill.

Moderate: One skill group.

Severe: All skills, except one skill group.

Prejudiced (Mild, Moderate, Severe)

You are prejudiced against members of a specific group of people. In this day and age, that’s typically Xenos (yes, all of them).

Very common against not only Astares, but all humans.

Mild: Your prejudice is real, but rarely goes beyond Disadvantage on social checks or similar. It could also be a more severe prejudice directed against a smaller group, such as one specific alien species or an Astartes legion.

Moderate: You really hate those you are prejudiced against. Act accordingly, with or without involving violence.

·         Astartes with Moderate Prejudice will typically choose violence, so if you want to potentially interact with Xenos (socially, that is), you might want to go for Mild severity.

Severe: Likely to attack on sight.

·         Astartes with Severe Prejudice cannot in any way be persuaded not to attack the alien scum (or whomever is the subject of their Prejudice).

Social Stress (Mild)

Whether as a result of loss or trauma or due to innate psychological makeup, you are burdened with emotions that interfere with your ability to interact with others.

Mild (Human): Any double rolled on a Social skill is a -5 to MoS, regardless of other circumstances, including Edge.

Uncouth  (Mild, Moderate)

You are coarse and have difficulty interacting well with others.

Mild (Astartes): You have Disadvantage on all Social skill checks except Coercion.

Moderate (Human): You have Disadvantage on all Social skill checks except Coercion.

Uneducated (Mild)

You know very little of the world.

When Astartes have this Flaw, it is either a result of flaws in hypno-learning or being part of a Legion that thinks knowledge isn’t essential, at least not for the grunts.

Mild (Astartes): You have Disadvantage on all Knowledge skill checks.

Moderate (Human): You have Disadvantage on all Knowledge skill checks.

Unsteady Hands (Moderate, Severe)

You have mild shakes that affect the dexterity and finesse of your hands.

Moderate (Human): Disadvantage on all Dexterity-based checks.

Severe (Astartes): Disadvantage on all Dexterity-based checks.