Adeptus Astartes (3.5e Race)

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Adeptus Astartes

Personality

Often proud and haughty. Varies greatly by chapter.

Backstory

The Space Marines or Adeptus Astartes are foremost amongst the defenders of Humanity, the greatest of the Emperor of Mankind's warriors. They are barely Human at all, but superhuman; having been made superior in all respects to a normal man by a harsh regime of genetic modification, psycho-conditioning and rigorous training.

Space Marines are untouched by plague or any natural disease and can suffer wounds that would kill a lesser being several times over, and live to fight again. Clad in ancient power armour and wielding the most potent weapons known to man, the Space Marines are terrifying foes and their devotion to the Emperor and the Imperium of Man is unyielding. They are the God-Emperor's Angels of Death, and they know no fear.

The Astartes are physically stronger, far more resilient and often mentally far removed from the lot of most normal Human beings. In the presence of the Astartes, most people feel a combination of awe and fear, and many cultures on the more primitive worlds simply worship them outright as demigods or angels of the God-Emperor made flesh.

Physical Description

Space Marines are a genetically engineered super human kind of being. Easy to notice differences are their height, which easily reaches 7.5 feet, their bulky bods with extra muscles and their perfect looking physique. Internal differences are an extra heart (which can pump adrenaline for an extra boost and can completely replace the original in case of heart failure), an augmented mind which allows them to stay awake for extended periods of time (up to a week), extra chest and cranium bones as well as total lack of reproductive means. Their spit is poisonous to most living beings and can slowly melt through the hardest of metals, and it is also highly flammable. Their stomachs can digest almost anything and in case of poisoning, they can endure almost every poison known to man and are extremely resistant to all other poisons. An Astarte's smell and taste as well as hearing all reach hound levels, being able to track from extreme distances. Their facial and skin characteristics vary depending on their gene-seed's origin. Finally, their eyes can see better in dim-lighted conditions, with cases where even total darkness can't hide their prey.

The 2,000 pound power armor they are clad in will triple, or in some cases even quadruple their speed; adds +8 to their Strength, doesn't count towards encumbrance, adds +8 to armor, and increases damage reduction by 10/adamantine.

Relation

Space Marines feel little compassion for those they have sometimes termed "mortals" in comparison to themselves, seeing the very people they were created to protect as little more than obstacles to a more efficient eradication of the Imperium's enemies.

This is an attitude sometimes taken by whole Chapters. They see normal Humans as frail, weak creatures given to the follies of temptation, avarice, greed, lust and cowardice -- all emotions they rarely feel, if ever.

Yet there are some Astartes who remember why they were created by the Emperor, who avoid the trap of hubris which the Space Marines are so prone to and which has seduced so many of their number to serve the Ruinous Powers of Chaos. They are the final guardians of Mankind, the saviours of last resort.

They were intended not to lead Humanity, but to defend it, sometimes even from itself. At the heart of that mission lies the limitless compassion the Emperor extended to every man and woman in the galaxy when He willingly chose to condemn Himself to more than 10,000 years of imprisonment within a dying prison of flesh for their sake.

Their relations with non-humans are generally worse, especially for races that would harm humanity.

Alignment

Any.

Lands

Planets in the Imperium. Preferences for death worlds due to the tough people they generate for recruits. Some are fleet based and recruit from willing, or unwilling, people from the planets they visit/rescue.

Religion

With the exception of the Black Templars and Chaos Space marines most astartes are either atheist, or simply choose not to worship gods. Although, theoretically any could choose to worship any god, as long as the Inquisition doesn't find out, and it doesn't hamper their work in the eyes of their brothers and cousins.

Languages

High Gothic and Low Gothic, plus whatever languages may be commonly spoken on their home world. New languages can be learned instantly via uploading it into their brains, and are learned rapidly thanks to their eidetic memories.

Names

Any that humans may have.

Racial Traits

• HD 20d8 monstrous humanoid
• Ability Scores: +17 Strength, +14 Dexterity, +12 Constitution, +12 Intelligence. Their enormous physique proves to be resilient to damage and enhances their strength beyond that of the strongest humans, while complementing their speed by sheer power. In the meantime, their advanced brains in correspondence to them being from an alternate "future" plain, makes them capable of understanding almost all technology, all the while their reflexes after years of warfare have reached the apex of humanity.
• Monstrous Humanoid: You can't really say they are humans, since their genes have been modified.
• Natural Armor: +8
• Astarte's base land speed is 300 feet without armor, and 900' with armor. It does not suffer from wearing Medium or Heavy Armor.
• Damage Reduction 3/-
• Immunity to natural diseases.
• Omophagea - The Omophagea, also called the Remembrancer, is the 8th gene-seed organ. The Omophagea is implanted into the spinal cord and then wired into the central nervous system so that it is directly attached to the cerebral cortex and to the stomach. It allows the Astartes to gain part of an individual person's or creature's memory by eating its flesh. This special organ is implanted between the thoracic vertebrae and the stomach wall and is designed to absorb information and any DNA, RNA or protein sequences related to experience or memory. This implant thus allows a Space Marine to literally "learn by eating." Four new nerve bundles are also implanted connecting the spine and the stomach wall. The Omophagea transmits the gained information to the Astartes' brain as a set of memories or experiences. This enables the Space Marine to gain information, in a survival or tactical sense, simply by eating an animal indigenous to an alien world and then experiencing some of what that creature did before its death. It is the presence of this organ that is responsible for the various flesh-eating and blood-drinking rituals for which certain Space Marine Chapters are famous, as well as giving names to Chapters such as the Blood Drinkers and Flesh Tearers. Over time, mutations in this implant's gene-seed have given some Chapters an unnatural craving for blood or flesh.
• Low-Light Vision: A creature with low-light vision can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of shadowy illumination. It retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. A spellcaster with low-light vision can read a scroll as long as even the tiniest candle flame is next to her as a source of light.
• Toxic Glands: The Astartes focuses in order to produce toxic saliva that can burn through almost any metal. The save DC is Constitution-based.
• Proficient with all simple and martial weapons, as well as bolters, guns, meltas, chainswords, flamers, and flamethrowers.
• Automatic Languages: High Gothic, Low Gothic, any spoken on their home world. Bonus Languages: Any.
• Favored Class: Fighter, Barbarian, and Monk.

Table: Random Starting Ages

Adulthood
18 years

Table: Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
150 years	300 years	400 years	immortal
At middle age, +1 to Str, Dex. At old age, −1 to Dex and Con; +1 to Int and Wis. At venerable age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +3 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Table: Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	6' 4"	+1d20	250 lb.	× (2d4) lb.
Female	6'	+1d20	200 lb.	× (2d4) lb.

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