Space Marine (5e Race)
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Space Marine[edit]
They shall be my finest warriors, these men who give of themselves to me. Like clay I shall mould them, and in the furnace of war forge them. They will be of iron will and steely muscle. In great armour shall I clad them and with the mightiest guns will they be armed. They will be untouched by plague or disease, no sickness will blight them. They will have tactics, strategies and machines so that no foe can best them in battle. They are my bulwark against the Terror. They are the Defenders of Humanity. They are my Space Marines and they shall know no fear.- The God-Emperor of Mankind
Physical Description[edit]
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| A space marine, in and out of power armor. Source |
Space marines are, in essence, massive stocky humans. The smallest of them larger than any human, with a body of 75% muscle mass, the rest being their hardened bones. While most look the same before the gene-seed, certain changes occur from some. Some, like the gene-sires of Vulkan or Corvus Corax, skin tones or eye colors shift. Other specific chapters experience minor mutations from the gene-seed, although this is few and far between, due to mutation being seen as a sign of chaos.
History[edit]
After the Emperor of Mankind had conquered Terra in the Unification Wars, He had sought superior, more reliable warriors. The Thunder Warriors which He lead were prone to failure, mentally and physically. He spent decades with other gene-wrights and experts, creating the twenty primarchs, demigods of power akin to His own.
However, the great enemy, the Chaos Gods, knew of His plan. After the primarchs were created, they were whisked away to different corners of the universe, still in their gestation pods. However, He still had much of the material used to create the primarchs, and from this created the gene-seed, and thus the Space Marine legions. And so, the Great Crusade began.
The Great Crusade, lead by His eighteen legions, was done to both find His lost primarchs, and reunite the fractured humanity, scattered across the stars.
However, even in the times of the Great Crusade, when all of the primarchs were located and inducted into their legions, some of the greatest days of the Imperium of Man, a schism approached. Lorgar, primarch of Word Bearers legion, found himself betrayed by his father, as did his legion. They, as incredibly pious men, saw the Emperor as something akin to a god, something He specifically attempted to avoid by instating the Imperial Truth. They had preached His word as gospel, despite His direct commands to stop. He sent the Ultramarine legion to torch Lorgar’s homeworld, as punishment for his actions. This built up a great resentment, a rather dangerous one. He was keen on worshipping something, and it did not need to be the Emperor.
Society[edit]
A majority of loyalist space marines are organized into “chapters”, a self governing military organization of about one thousand marines. The chapter is generally headed by a chapter master, and below him are ten captains, who each hold control over 100 marines, among their other duties. Aside from the main organization are specialist marines, like apothecaries, chaplains, librarians, and techmarines, who are lead by the chief apothecary, the master of sanctity, the chief librarian, and the master of the forge respectively.
Space marine chapters are highly religious, to a level which rivals some inquisitorial agencies. While the specifics may vary(some may praise certain weapons above others, perhaps certain detachments, or other bizarre things such as the replacement of limbs with bionics), they always revere the God-Emperor of Mankind and their primarch, and hold a dedication to the greater imperium. This faith is maintained and bolstered by the chaplains, who seek to destroy potential heresy in the chapter at the source by doing so.
Space Marine Names[edit]
Space marine names vary heavily between chapters, as each sources recruits from different planets, who tend to keep their names.
Names: Marneus, Grimaldus, Gabriel, Tyberos, Asmodai
Space Marine Traits[edit]
Superhuman warrior monks from the far, far future.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2. and your Constitution score increases by 1.
Age. The lifespan of a space marine tends to vary, heavily. While some chapters, especially those that are the gene lineage of Sanguinius, may have something akin to a lower lifespan, as far as most know they are biologically immortal. Almost none live long enough to use this time, though.
Alignment. From the start of their training, space marines are indoctrinated into complete and utter loyalty, and thus are almost always lawful. Their chaotic brethren tend to vary, though.
Size. Even the smallest space marines tower over humans, as they are all at least over 6 feet tall, the largest of them reaching 8 feet. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Martial Legacy. You have proficiency with simple and martial weapons. If you are in a setting with firearms, you are proficient in their use, too.
And They Shall Know No Fear. You are immune to the frightened condition.
Gene Lineage. Every chapter of space marines are different, whether due to their progenitor or teachings. Choose two of the traits from the table below.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.
Gene Lineages[edit]
Despised Foe. Choose one creature type, if this type has subtypes(i.e humanoid(drow) or fiend(demon)), you must choose one of those. When you make an attack against them, you can choose to grant advantage on all attacks you make against then until the start of your next turn. You can do this once, and regain the use after a long rest.
Master Artisans. You gain proficiency in one tool of your choice.
Knowledge is Power. You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.
Furious Charge. Your movement speed increases to 35 feet.
Stealthy. You have expertise in stealth.
Slums Fighter. Cover confers an additional +1 to AC for you.
Ranged Expert. Add 15 feet to your normal range for ranged weapons.
Expert Duelists. While you are the only hostile creature within 15 feet of a creature, you deal an additional 1d4 damage on melee attacks.
Indomitable. When you have disadvantage on a saving throw, you can instead roll without disadvantage. You can do this once, and regain the use on a short rest.
Warded. You have resistance to psychic damage, and your mind cannot be read unless you allow it to be.
Battle Fury. If you make an attack on your turn, the next damage you take is reduced by 3. You cannot benefit from this feature more than once at a time.
Arcane Influence. You know one cantrip from the wizard spell list. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Drop Troop. You ignore 50 feet worth of falling damage whenever you do take it. You have advantage on the first attack you make within one round of landing from a fall.
Mechanized Force. You have proficiency with two types of vehicles of your choice, either land, air, water, or space.
Siege Expert. When making ranged weapon attacks, treat half cover as a lack of cover, and three quarters cover as half cover.
Great Slayers. When you make an attack against a creature two size categories larger than you, you can grant yourself advantage on that attack. You can do this once, and regain the use on a short or long rest.
Assault Troop. When you take the dash action, you can make a melee attack as a bonus action.
Terror Troop. Hostile creatures have disadvantage on saving throws against being frightened while within 15 feet of you.
Chosen Tool of War. Choose one weapon type. When you make an attack with weapons of this type, you can make that attack with advantage. You can do so twice, and regain all uses on a long rest.
Chaotic Gene Lineages[edit]
These lineages are made to represent the heretic astartes, and should probably not be taken by a loyalist, or at least not without very good reason(Black Dragons would likely take Ferocity, for example).
Pestulent. You are immune to the effects of disease, and creatures have disadvantage on saves against procuring diseases you carry.
Warp Sorcery. You know two cantrips from the sorcerer spell list. Charisma is your spellcasting modifier for these spells. You take one psychic damage each time you roll a one on any of the die used by those cantrips.
Ferocity. You have a natural weapon of some form. It deals 1d6 + your Strength modifier bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage(your choice).
Random Height and Weight[edit]
| Base Height |
Height Modifier* |
Base Weight |
Weight Modifier** |
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| 5′ 7'' | +6d4 | 300 lb. | × (1.5) lb. |
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*Height = base height + height modifier | |||
Racial Feats[edit]
Primaris Rubicon[edit]
Prerequisites: Constitution 16, space marine race
You have passed the Primaris Rubicon, and have been graced with new power, courtesy of Guilliman's right hand man.
- Your hitpoint maximum increases by your level. Every time you gain a level, your hitpoint maximum increases by 1.
- When you would be reduced to 0 hitpoints, you can instead drop to 1 hitpoint. You can do this once, and regain the use on a long rest.
The Gene-Seed[edit]
Prerequisite: Constitution 13, any non-space marine race
Within you has been implanted the gene-seed, granting you power well above mortal men.
- Your Strength increases by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- Choose two gene lineages. You now benefit from them.
- You now count as a space marine for all intents and purposes.
Race Variant[edit]
The following is a version of the space marine race with level adjustment, to better represent the in-lore representation. The following racial traits are added.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 3, and your Constitution increases by 2, instead of the normal increase.
Level Adjustment +2. After gaining your first level, you must gain 1,200 experience before being capable of gaining experience and leveling up normally.
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