Space Marine Chapter Creation Tables

This article presents a cut-down and then expanded version of the Space Marine Chapter Creation Tables from the Rites of Battle (pp. 13-43) supplement to Fantasy Flight Games' Deathwatch RPG , allowing you to create your own Chapters, albeit without in-game mechanics.

Do be sure to roll on the Planet generator and System generator tables for further fluffing. Also please help with the Space Marine Chapter Homeworld Generator.

Chapter Origins

Why Was The Chapter Founded? (d10)
1-4	Strategic Prognostication - "Our tarot cards say there's going to be a threat here, maybe. Found a Chapter!"
5-6	Counter - "There are Orks over here! Found a Chapter!" "But it'll take 50 ye-" "Do it!"
7-8	Standing Force - "This area doesn't have any Marines in it. Found a Chapter!"
9-10	Crusade - "We need people running around and hitting the Imperium's enemies. Found a Chapter!"

When Was The Chapter Founded? (d100)
1	Unsupported claim of Second Founding status, but definitely ancient. You can count this as Third Founding but with major connections to elder Great Crusade and Horus Heresy veterans forming the initial Chapter Council, with possibly some still being alive in Dreadnoughts to this day.
2	Late M31; Third Founding.
3-10	Unknown
11-15	32nd Millennium, War of the Beast and subsequent Fourth Founding.
16-20	33rd Millennium
21-25	34th Millennium; 8th Founding (sometime mid-millennium) and 9th Founding (between M34 and M35)
26-30	M35; 9th Founding, 10th Founding, 11th Founding, 12th Founding and 13th ("Dark") Founding, which is called that since the Imperium lost all data regarding the chapters created at this time, save for the fact that the Exorcists, the Death Spectres and the Crimson Sabres who went traitor and became the Crimson Slaughter are from this founding. It may also have spilled over into the 36th Millennium.
31-40	M35; 14th-20th Founding , these foundings were the greatest wave of foundings in history, with an astonishing nine foundings in the same millennium, even excluding the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and the following one.
41-50	991.M35; 21st ("Cursed") Founding, this chapter be fucked. This was the individually largest founding of Firstborn Astartes, but only handfuls of loyalist Chapters survive.
51-55	36th Millennium
56-60	37th Millennium
61-66	M38; 23rd ("Sentinel") Founding
67-72	39th Millennium; 24th Founding
73-78	40th Millennium; 25th ("Bastion") Founding
79-84	41st Millennium; 26th Founding
85-100	M41/M42; Ultima Founding consisting of Primaris Marines. Actually in two waves (+ intermittents inbetween), first in 999.M41 and 000.M42, intermittent foundings during the intervening years to replace destroyed chapters or garrison key areas, and the second in 012.M42 after the first phase of the Indomitus Crusade ended with victory at the Battle of Raukos from the last core of Unnumbered Sons veterans, capping off the largest founding in history.

If there's no founding listed in the millennium you rolled, go check which ones are available and pick the closest one to see what they are counted as being from, even if the founding was before or after the official timing. And remember that the Imperium routinely loses planets due to rounding errors, so your chapter not knowing exactly when it was founded is hardly out of step with the lore.

Who was the Chapter's Progenitor? (d100)
1-50	Ultramarines
51-65	Blood Angels
66-75	Dark Angels
76-80	Traitor Legion or unknown
81-85	Imperial Fists
86-90	White Scars
91-94	Raven Guard
95-98	Iron Hands
99	Space Wolves (may reroll if not chimeric gene-seed or from Ultima Founding)
100	Salamanders (the Salamanders do not recognize any of their successors, though this doesn't apply to the Ultima Founding)

Due to the Curse of the Wulfen the Sons of Russ are under a hard limit in canon, though you can do as you wish, possibly justifying by Chimeric gene seed fixing the worst problem at the cost of other issues. Or you can just make an Ultima Founding successor like the Wolfspear. The Dark Angels can not have any Chapters in the Fifth and Sixth Foundings, as the High Lords of Terra were explicitly avoiding to make any new ones at this time out of suspicions of Legion building.

Chapter Properties and Flaws

Gene-seed purity (d10)
1–5	Pure - Same as progenitor in terms of purity, and will maintain close links with it
6-7	A New Generation - Gene-seed is slightly divergent (usually because of attempts to breed out flaws, real or not), leading to the Chapter being less linked to its progenitor
8–9	Altered Stock - Gene-seed is altered and some implants are deficient - roll on Gene-Seed Deficiencies table
10	Flawed - Chapter's gene-seed is flawed and sets them apart from their progenitor - roll on Chapter Flaws table

Chapter Demeanour (d10)
1	Swift As The Wind - Going slowly and thinking things out? *BLAM* NO
2	Cleanse and Purify - Not destroy everything? *BLAM* NO
3	No Mercy, No Respite - Let the enemy go so we can follow them? *BLAM* NO
4	Purity Above All - Mutants? *BLAM* NO
5	Scions of Mars - Flesh is strong? *BLAM* NO
6	See, But Don't Be Seen - Run onto the battlefield in colourful armour screaming like a maniac? *BLAM* NO
7	Suffer Not the Alien to Live - Xenos? *BLAM* NO
8	Suffer Not the Work of Heretics - Heretics? *BLAM* NO
9	Brothers in Battle - Hos before bros? *BLAM* NO
10	Uphold the Honour of the Emperor - Performing unheroic acts? *BLAM* NO

Based on the Chapter's Progenitor, how likely are they to suffer gene-seed mutation? (d100/d20)
Ultramarines	10% (1-2)
Blood Angels	50% (1-10)
Dark Angels	10% (1-2)
Imperial Fists	35% (1-7)
White Scars	20% (1-4)
Raven Guard	25% (1-5)
Iron Hands	20% (1-4)
Salamanders	90% (1-18)
Space Wolves	75% (1-15)

If they have a new mutation, what is it? (d10)
1	Hyper-stimulated Omophagea - Eat the enemy!
2	Oversensitive Occulobe - "I'm in the dark and I can see perfectly! How usefuAAAAH THE SUN'S COMING UP HOLY EMPEROR MY EYES"
3	Mutated Catalepsean Node - Yeah, just go here. It's basically the same effect.
4	Malfunctioning Melanochrome - Weird-coloured skin. Yeah, that's it.
5	Disturbing Voice - Ranges from speaking like a creaking floorboard to having a deep, booming voice. Might have something to do with the multi-lung or the neuroglottis messing with their vocal cords.
6-7	Lost zygote - Something's gone. One of the silly EMPRAH-BLESSED things like the Betcher's Gland or Melanchromic Organ, not something critical like the Black Carapace
8	Lost zygote or Progenitor-specific. Some mutations are more common in particular gene-lines, see the next table.
9	Doomed - the Chapter has either lost the ability to generate Progenoids or the Black Carapace, stopping future neophytes from being created. Unless they fix this fast, they're fucked.
10	Multiple instabilities - roll d3 more times on the table, rerolling multiples of the same result.

Progenitor-specific mutation
Ultramarines	Lost zygote
Blood Angels	Hyper-stimulated Omophagea
Dark Angels	Lost zygote
Imperial Fists	Reroll with a d6
White Scars	Hyper-stimulated Omophagea
Raven Guard	Oversensitive Occulobe
Iron Hands	Disturbing Voice or lost zygote
Salamanders	Oversensitive Occulobe or lost zygote
Space Wolves	Hyper-stimulated Omophagea

Lost Zygotes (d100)
01–08	Catalepsean Node
09–17	Preomnor
18–26	Omophagea
27–35	Occulobe
36–44	Lyman’s Ear
45–53	Sus-an Membrane
54–62	Oolitic Kidney
63–71	Neuroglottis
72–80	Mucranoid
81–89	Betcher's Gland
90–98	Melanchromic Organ
99–100	Roll twice on this Chart

If one exists, what is the Chapter's Flaw? (d10)
1–2	We Stand Alone - The Chapter is either distrusted for some reason, or shuns contact with others.
3–4	Pride in the Colours - The Chapter hates doing anything that covers their livery, including wearing Deathwatch black.
5–6	Faith in Suspicion - The Chapter particularly hates a single Imperial institution, and refuses to work with them.
7–8	Eye to Eye - The Chapter hates any method of warfare other than running up to the enemy and punching them.
9-10	Chapter Cult - The practices of the Chapter are weird and probably quite unsavory.

Chapter Legends

Figure of Legend (d100)
01-20	A Battle-Brother seconded from a previous generation Successor or even the First Founding Legion that provided the new Chapter’s gene-seed. Roll again on this table to determine what type of warrior he was, rerolling if you get this result again. Determine if he was part of the new Chapter (likely as Chapter Master) or if his geneseed was used in the founding after he died (if you roll Chapter Master or Chapter Champion/Chief Librarian/Master of Sanctity/Master of the Forge/Chief Apothecary after this, that means he was picked as the first or got promoted afterwards in the new Chapter as it wouldn't make sense if a CM/Chapter Champion/specialist Master left his Chapter to found a new one).
21-40	Chapter Master
41-50	Chapter/Company Champion (roll D2 to determine Chapter (1) or Company (2), if Company roll d10 to determine which company)
51-60	Chief Librarian
61-70	Master of Sanctity
71-73	Master of the Forge
74	Master of the Fleet (who wasn't the Fourth Company Captain, either due to temporary step down or the post being separately appointed as a full-time Marine)
75	Chief Apothecary
76-85	Company Captain (roll d10 to determine which company).
86-90	Company Lieutenant (roll d10 to determine which company, roll d2 to determine Junior (1) or Senior (2) lieutenant).
91-95	Squad Sergeant (roll d10 twice to determine company and squad).
95-99	Battle-Brother (roll d10 twice to determine company and squad).
100	A specialist of your choice (Librarian, Chaplain, Techmarine, driver, pilot, etc).

Deeds of Legend (d100)
01-17	The figure is remembered as the bane of the Orks, to such an extent that his name is known to the vile greenskins even to this day.
18-45	The individual was a stalwart enemy of the servants of Chaos, and slew a Daemon Prince.
46-60	The hero led a glorious campaign against a rebel army, defeating the foe and bringing an entire sector back into the light of the Emperor.
61-75	The figure led an action against an Eldar craftworld, boarding it and inflicting grievous casualties before withdrawing. He and his Chapter are especially hated by the pernicious Eldar, for whom the event is still fresh and raw.
76-85	The hero was lost to his Chapter in a warp accident, yet his descendants have cause to believe he lives still and may one day return to them in glory.
86-93	The hero was the first to face some newly discovered alien race, and ultimately responsible for its total destruction. Centuries later, only the Chapter remembers the name of the race, so utterly was it and its works cast down.
94-100	The hero led his Chapter in many glorious campaigns, slaying hundreds of the enemy’s greatest champions. In the end, he was brought down by the Chapter's enemies, and is a reminder to all Battle Brothers of their holy duty.

Chapter Homeworld and its Properties

Do be sure to flesh out in the Planet generator and System generator tables.

Chapter homeworld (d100)
01-30	Hive World
31-60	Feral World
61-70	Feudal World
71-80	Civilised World
81-90	Uninhabited World
91-100	Fleet-based

Fleets have 10+d10 vessels, made up of Battle Barges, Strike Cruisers and Escorts and possibly other vessels; 50% chance they're battle-ready, 50% they're damaged or have other problems. At a minimum, a powerful Battle Barge as a Fortress Monastery, at least a Strike Cruiser and preferably a Battle Barge for each company + Strike Cruisers and Escorts that accompany them. Obviously, fleet based Chapters have larger fleets than then norm.

Homeworld terrain (d100)
1–20	Jungle/Forest/Swamp
21–40	Desert
41–50	Mountains/Hills/Highlands
51–60	Ice (water or otherwise)
61–65	Ocean (almost always water)
66–75	Wasteland
76–80	Urban/Human Ruins/Xeno Ruins
81–85	Dead
86–90	Airless
91–100	Temperate/Garden

Quoth FFG: A Hive world, for example, may be an ash-blasted wasteland—or its rearing spires might form islands of plasteel amidst an endless sea of jungle. Death worlds are often thought of as deadly jungles, but might just as easily be ocean-bound planets. The type of terrain in which a Chapter builds its Fortress-Monastery might have little bearing on its character, but may have plenty, especially if that terrain has shaped the qualities of the peoples from which it recruits.

Note that while plenty of these terrain types can be combined with the categories previously described, some are mutually exclusive. Others might seem so at first glance, but with a little imagination can be combined. For example, an urban Death world seems contradictory, but what if the planet’s malevolent ecosystem has risen against its population, and the once-populace cities are now reduced to post-apocalyptic ruins smothered in choking vines? An ocean Hive-world might feature air-sealed hives at the bottom of the sea, or afloat on great manmade islands. An Urban Hive World might an ecumenopolis with extreme population even by Hive World standards, and almost certainly allows for both Astartes and Guard recruitment out of sheer numbers. In the 41st Millennium, almost anything is possible!

Rule of homeworld (d10)
1	Direct Rule - "My lord Chapter Master, here are the tax-plans for the North-West district of Boreale City..."
2-4	Stewardship - "Hi, Planetary Governor? It's me, the Chapter Master. Just calling you to remind you that I outrank you, even if I don't do anything."
5-10	Distant rule - "You see that castle up there? It's inhabited by the mighty sky-warriors of Emp-rar. Sometimes they come and steal our children."

Tactical and Strategic Organization

d10 Result	Chapter organisation	Ultramarines	Variant Base Chapter
1-3	Codex-adherent		Matches progenitor
4-5	Codex-adherent
6-7	Divergent chapter	Codex-adherent	Divergent(progenitor)
8	Divergent chapter		Divergent(Codex)
9	Unique organisation	Divergent chapter	Unique(progenitor)
10	Unique organisation		Unique(Codex)

As suggested by Rites of Battle, numbers are different for Ultramarines successors; also usable for successors of the Hammers of Dorn or other painstakingly Codex-observant chapters. "Variant Base Chapter" is for chapters like the Space Wolves, Salamanders, or Dark Angels. (Blood Angels have organization which is nominally Codex-compliant, their deviations are all in geneseed with two things designed/redesigned to deal with that and most Iron Hands successors use the Clan-Company system.) Divergent/Unique(Codex) means their organization is divergent, to a lesser or greater extent, and is closer to the Codex organization than the way their progenitor chapter structures things. Divergent/Unique(progenitor) is the reverse; they are closer to their progenitor than the Codex. The post of Master of the Fleet is the most frequent special assignment to be given to anyone other than the nominally responsible 4th Captain, and a common Codex variant is to assign a full time marine to this and have 4th Captain as another Master of the X (most likely to be found in fleet based Chapters). Some Chapters, especially Imperial Fists successors, have the additional post of Siege Captain, either supplementing or replacing standard Captain duties. Dark Angels and successors must use the Deathwing and Ravenwing.

Combat doctrine (d10)
1	Close Combat
2	Ranged Combat
3	Armoured Assault
4	Stealth
5	Lightning Strike
6	Drop Pod
7	Thunderhawk Assault
8	Siege
9	Shock and Awe
10	Terror

d100 Result	Characteristic Chapter Training
01–10	The Holy Bolter: The chapter undertakes drill with the bolter and meditative prayer daily, and may combine the two.
11–20	Mental Bulwark: The chapter's hypno-indoctrination is more thorough than most, leading to strong-willed if inflexible Astartes.
21–30	Warrior Angels: Astartes of this chapter are famously skilled with both gun and sword, but sometimes lacking in more abstract skills.
31–40	Mens et Manus: This chapter believes in building their brother's minds and bodies to peak performance, the better to be ready for anything.
41–50	Endure Anything: Training in this chapter emphasizes the need for any squad to be ready to endure any trials they find themselves in. They produce tough, durable brothers with diverse specialties.
51–60	Duty Unto Death: Astartes of this chapter will readily take on missions others see as suicidal, and soldier through any pain they encounter on the way.
61–70	Shatter the Foe: This chapter considers the best way to combat the enemy to be fast, powerful strikes which demoralize enemies and inspire allies.
71–80	Scholar-Knights: All Astartes of this chapter are expected to be well-read and treat gathering intelligence as a duty of equal importance to direct destruction of the foe.
81–90	Shepherd-Marshals: The chaplain's arts are spread well beyond the reclusiam in this chapter, and its brothers inspire those they fight alongside with their stirring rhetoric and skill with the blade.
91-100	All Paths to Victory: This chapter encourages an unusual degree of freedom in its training, with a result of very diverse skillsets and aptitudes among its astartes.

Chapter Specialities

Specialty restrictions (units the chapter cannot field) - Only roll if Unique Organisation was selected (d100)
01–20	Apothecary (someone still needs to collect the progenoids)
21–40	Assault Marine (Jump packs can still be issued)
41-60	Devastator Marine (Heavy weapons can still be issued)
61-80	Techmarine (better have close contact with AdMech for those advanced weapons)
81-97	Librarian (can't, won't or unorthodoxly use Psykers)
98-100	Roll Twice on this Chart or choose something truly unusual (i.e., the Chapter has no Scouts, the Chapter’s Veterans are not formed into the 1st Company, etc.)

Special equipment- Roll once if Divergent was selected, twice if Unique Organisation was selected (d100)
01-10	Traditional Weapon: The Chapter favours one specific weapon over all others. Choose one specific weapon to serve as the Chapter’s traditional weapon. Examples: Power Sword, Bolt Pistol, Melta Gun
11-20	Totemic Charm: This Chapter has strong beliefs in the icons of either the Emperor or their Primarch. A Battle- Brother from this Chapter would never be caught without such an icon on their person. Example: Chapter Heraldry on a necklace, Imperial Aquilla tattooed over the right eye.
21-30	Modified Jump-Pack: Primarily seen in Chapters that favor the Assault Combat Doctrine, Battle-Brothers from this Chapter modify their Jump-Packs (with a Tech-Marine’s help of course) to provide a more glorious sight to their allies and a more terrifying one to their enemies. Examples: Jump-Pack’s created in different shapes such as angel wings.
31-40	Bestial Companion: More common among those Chapters whose origins come from Feral Worlds, this Chapter prides itself on raising hunting animals to assist in battle. Examples: Fenrisian Wolf, hunting birds.
41-50	Rare Weaponry: Whether through the blessing of the Adeptus Mechanicus or sheer good fortune, this Chapter has a large stock of weaponry that is considered rare amongst the other Chapters. It is seen as a symbol of honour to wield one of these weapons in battle. Examples: Astartes Assault Cannon, Digital Weapons, Volkites.
51-60	Blessed Wargear: It is common for members of this Chapter to have their Wargear blessed by a Chaplain before battle. Doing so puts the Battle-Brother’s mind at ease and more focused on the task at hand.
61-70	Special Mount: While other Chapters may keep animals as companions, this Chapter uses them for what they were intended for — transportation. Examples: Fenrisian Wolf, Carnodon, very angry Grox.
71-80	Special Vehicle: This Chapter prefers to ride into battle in more modern conveyances. While the traditional Space Marine vehicle is the Rhino, other Chapters may use more rare vehicles as primary transport. Examples: Modified Rhino, Land Raider, or Land Speeder
81-90	Preferred Fighting Style: The Chapter has a specific way in which it prefers to go about killing the enemy in the name of the God-Emperor of Mankind. Examples: Bolt Pistol and Chainsword, dual Power Swords, special Bolter pattern or ammunition
91-100	Modified Weaponry: When the Chapter’s forges produce a weapon, they produce them in a style that is specific to their Chapter. Examples: Power Sabre, Bolt Pistol with weighted butt for clubbing.

Chapter Beliefs

What form do the Chapters' beliefs take? (d100)
01-40	Revere the Primarch - "Our Spiritual Liege is better than yours!" (can reroll if lineage is unknown)
41-65	The Emperor Above All - "Screw your spiritual liege. The big E is where it's at."
66-75	Honour the Ancestors - "Old members of our Chapter are better than your guys."
76-80	Death Cult - "SHUT UP YOU GUYS DON'T YOU KNOW WE'RE GOING TO DIE SOME DAY"
81-85	Totem Creature - "You know how we've got an animal as our Chapter symbol? Yeah, we're going to stick that everywhere."
86-90	Purity of Man - "Flesh is better than bionics!"
91-95	Steel Over Flesh - "Bionics are better than flesh!"
96-100	Esoteric Beliefs - You know our Chapter's beliefs? They're weird.

Chapter Strength

At what strength is the Chapter? (d10)
1	Endangered: The Chapter numbers only a handful of Companies or less having suffered devastating losses in combat, accident, or dramatic genetic instability. If recovery is even possible it will take many decades, making every Battle-Brother (and his Progenoids) an invaluable resource.
2-4	Under Strength: The Chapter is recovering from a defeat or accident that occurred several decades ago, or has recently suffered heavy, but not irrecoverable losses. It is probably at a minimum of half strength, and should return to nominal strength within a decade.
5-9	Normal: The Chapter can field ten full companies, each with ten squads. In all likelihood most every squad consist of ten brethren and some specialized appointments may be empty, but the Chapter is regarded as fully fit for battle.
10	Over Strength: Some Chapters maintain more than the prescribed ten companies, though it is rare for more than a handful more to be fielded and even then only temporarily. It may be that the Emperor’s Tarot has predicted terrible losses ahead, The Marines are getting some extra Milage out of the the Marines that technically don't count towards the 1000 Marine limit (such as Librarians and Dreadnoughts, or permanent fleet crews) or that the Chapter simply regards its numbers as optimal and cares little for the dictates of the Codex Astartes.

Chapter Relations

Who are your Chapter friendly with? (d100)
1-5	Administratum
6-15	Adeptus Arbites
16-30	Another Chapter (choose one)
31-35	Adeptus Astra Telepathica
36-45	Adeptus Mechanicus
46-50	An Adepta Sororitas Order Militant
51-53	An Adeptus Titanicus Legion
54-55	An Imperial Knight house
56-58	Adeptus Astra Telepathica Astropaths
59-60	Chartist Captains
61-65	Ecclesiarchy
66-75	Imperial Guard from a specific world
76-79	An Imperial Navy Battlefleet
80-85	Inquisition
86-88	A Navigator House
89-91	Officio Assassinorum
91-93	Planetary Defence Force of a specific world
94-98	A Rogue Trader dynasty
99	Schola Progenium
100	Scholastica Psykana

Who are the Chapter's enemies?(d100)
01-02	Roll on Chapter Friends table. (Automatically roll or choose a faction if Faith in Suspicion is taken).
3-21	The Orks (alternatively, you may select a particular Waaagh! or Warboss)
22-30	The Tau Empire (alternatively, you may select a particular Sept, Commander, or Ethereal)
31	The Farsight Enclaves (alternatively, you may select Farsight himself or a subcommander)
32-42	The Eldar (alternatively, you may select a particular Craftworld or leader)
43-51	The Tyranids (alternatively, you may select a particular Hive Fleet)
52-60	The Genestealer Cults (alternatively, you may select a particular Cult)
61-70	Chaos Space Marines (you should choose a particular warband, Chapter, or Traitor Legion)
71-75	A particular Daemon, Daemon Prince or Disciple of Chaos
76-80	A particular Chaos-aligned group (i.e., Traitor Titan Legion, Chaos pirates, renegade Imperial Guard, etc.)
81-90	The Dark Eldar (alternatively, you may select a particular Kabal or leader).
91-99	The Necrons (alternatively, you may select a particular Dynasty or Overlord).
100	Other (choose one force or group, such as aliens (see below) or heretics or a specific cult)

Minor Xenos Species/Empires(1d100)
1-15	Kroot, Vespid, or another T'au client race
16-25	Hrud
26-35	Fra'al
36-45	Uluméathic League
46-55	Yu'Vath/Legacy of the Yu'vath/Rak'gol
56-65	Enslavers
66-70	Barghesi
71-75	Thyrrus
76-80	Hellgrammite
81-85	Loxatl
85-90	Saharduin
91-92	Xenarch
93-95	Cythor Fiends
96-97	Nightmare-Engines of the Pale Wasting
98-100	Other Xenos Species (pick one or roll/write one up)

Lastly, add a name, colours, and heraldry, and you're ready to release your overpowered piece-of-shit Chapter on the world. God-Emperor help us all.