Genecult

This page is in need of cleanup. Srsly. It's a fucking mess.

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Genecult is a game being run by Sister Acacia. YOU MUST PLAY THIS GAME OR I WILL PUNCH YOU IN THE TIT.

It is based on Warp Cult, by Frank Trollman (which is in turn based on the Shadowrun system). For the most part, in fact, it IS a game of Warp Cult, just specifically about a Genestealer cult. That's right, all of the PCs are genestealer hybrids, helping society to collapse and setting the groundwork for the great Tyranid invasion, allowing the great masters come and OM NOM NOM NOM everything.

Naturally, if the players are successful, the characters all die as they are absorbed into the soup and digested, their genetic material used to make new Tyranid creatures. But that's okay, because it's a HUGE SUCCESS and either the game ends there on the happy note of "Everybody dies and is delicious." or it just continues to a new planet, with new characters (even if they inherit the old personalities).

I will update this over time, with descriptions of the cast, and what they've been up to. Ideally I'd like a bunch of players, so that I can just run it regardless of who doesn't turn up. Scenarios will be made so it doesn't matter if Bob and Chuck are here for session A but not B or C, then appear again for session D, and if Lucy only joins in session C and whatever. It helps that the low-level telepathy hive mind synapse shit can allow you all to go "Ping! This is another one of us, we won't eat them."

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The basic rules for Warp Cult can be found here: http://tgdmb.com/viewtopic.php?t=49189&start=0 In Genecult, characters must have the "Malignant" negative trait. They may also be mutants and/or psykers, but they may not worship/be marked by Chaos gods, nor may they be Blank.

If you want some kind of mutation/growth/biomorph that isn't already covered, seeing as the rules are a WiP, then just ask. Even if it's a biomorph that Genestealers can't usually get. These things are some of the least stable critters out there, so whatever. Likewise, if you really want a pet ripper or larval/pupal Trygon or Zoanthrope, then ask. Because obviously cute little pets THAT BURROW INTO YOUR NEIGHBOUR'S FLESH AND EAT THEM FROM THE INSIDE OUT are suitable in GrimDark.

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Perks from the game that you should pay attention to:

• Carapace (not dying is pretty cool. Also, genestealers have these)
• Extra Arm (special: every extra arm you have, if holding a close combat weapon, adds +2 dice to hit in HtH. If they are unarmed hands, they provide +2 dice to grapple people in HtH.)
• Black Blood (teach those melee bastards a lesson, amirite?)
• Natural Weaponry (special: ignore the standard benefit, choose one of the following CC weapons)

-Mace Tail: This works as the regular benefit, a +2 Damage close combat weapon you cannot be disarmed of. -Scythe Tail: As a Primary action, you may sweep it in an arc, making a +0 Damage attack against all within 5cm of you. -Crushing Claws: When you grapple a foe, you can hit them for a +5 Damage attack at Threshold 1, once per turn as a primary action. -Living Whip: This is a +0 Damage close combat weapon that reaches to 3cm. It also causes the target a penalty of -4 dice on their next roll. -Rending Claws: You have a +0 Damage close combat weapon on each hand. If you roll a critical success (4+ net hits), then you ignore the target's armour entirely. -Bonesword: You have a +1 Damage close combat weapon that cannot be disarmed. The AV of the target must be rolled, instead of automatic soak.

• Tracking Senses (usually in the form of feeder tendrils)
• Bio-ejector (genestealers usually don't have these, but you got lucky on the genetic lottery)

New perks, to help customise your characters:

• Miasma: any non-tyranid within 3cm of you is affected by the toxic chemicals that pour from your body. Unless they have a rebreather or similar apparatus, the Threshold to strike you increases by 1, whereas the Threshold for you to strike them lowers by 1.

• Synapse: you gain non-psychic telepathy with any tyranids within 30cm. It pretty much counts as a radio, but also gives you +4 dice on any Command checks.

• Anaphylaxis: people are highly allergic to you. If you manage to injure someone with any natural weapon or secretion (spitting acid over them counts, even at a distance, firing a fleshborer, a separate creature, does not), then they must immediately make an Endurance test with a Threshold equal to the unsoaked damage. For every level they fail by, they take another injury level.

• Implant Attack: you have a surprise attack, like a tendril with fangs or someone. This pretty much acts as a digi-weapon: when you attack someone in hand-to-hand combat, once per round as a free action the implant can attack. This is a regular Martial Arts check, but has a damage rating of +0, just using your Strength and any scaling by net hits.

• Spine Body: people who charge into you (or let you do the same to them) get punctured. Anyone who charges you must make a Threshold 2 Athletics check. Failure causes them to take a Damage 3 hit, +1 Damage if they suffer an Error. If you charge into combat with someone, you gain +1 Damage for one attack.

• Demolition Machine: you have giant rams, or perhaps a living wrecking ball. This is too unwieldy to use as a hand-to-hand weapon, but can be used to crush buildings. Doing so requires a Martial Arts check as a Primary action. Every hit causes one damage level against a building - so five hits will destroy a large section.

• Bio-electric Warp Field: You have an electrical force field that allows you to still roll your SV against attacks which would ignore it. Alternatively, you can fire a blast as an Assault weapon (Damage 4, 20cm, +4 dice to hit), but you lose your protection until your next turn.

• Shadow in the Warp: Anyone who attempts a Psychic power or any other Power-based ability within 10cm of you has difficulty doing so. The Threshold increases by +2, and the Error Threshold increases by a number equal to your Willpower.

• Bio-Plasma: you count as having a plasma pistol. In your mouth. I think we know what happens on an Error ;_;

• Symbiote: a ripper or larval Zoanthrope/Carnifex/Trygon/Malanthrope/Harridan/your mum has decided to adopt you. It hangs around you and can be sent on simple tasks. Also, if it's on your body and you grapple someone or someone hits you in melee, it can try to bite them. However, when you sleep it latches onto you to drink some of your blood, causing you to start the day with 1 health box of damage. You may take this a second time to get a swarm of up to 6 of the little bastards, although this means you'll start the day having taken 2 damage levels (3 health boxes). If one dies, another always ends up replacing it soon enough.

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• City Fighter: you are used to fighting in confined spaces. If you are within 3cm of cover, you count as having cover (+1 Threshold to hit in ranged combat)

• Hive Spider: You spend half your time hanging upside down from rafters in the hives. You can climb even vertical walls at no penalty without needing to roll, and can climb upside-down and through tight tunnels at half speed (or regular speed on a Threshold 2 Athletics test).

• Ammo Collector: your backpack has all kinds of ammunition stored away. You may make a Logistics test (Threshold 1) once per battle to ignore an Ammunition error. Additionally, once per battle you may make a Logistics test (Threshold 2) to load a weapon with special ammunition.

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Note my shitty art below, showing what a cult might consist of.

Characters

Kalick

Kalick is a 4th generation genestealer hybrid. He is by and large human with the exception that he is synapticly connected to the cult and is fanatically devoted to the cult’s patriarch. He feels utterly alone when not synapticly connected and considers himself to be just one of many nerve clusters making up a greater being. It is for this reason that he is never without larval tyranid on or around him. He has spent his life infiltrating the Ecclesiarcy to further the goals of the cult and has come to a position of relative importance within the clergy.

S:2 D:3 A:4 I:3 C:3 W:4 E:3 [150]

Skills: [120]

Heavy Weapons – 1 [3] Bio ejector [2]

Martial Arts – 2 [6]

Larceny – 2 [6]

Security Systems [2]

Pilot Vehicle – 1 [3]

Logistics – 5 [15] Bureaucracy [2] Research [2]

Technology – 3 [9] Computers [2]

Empathy – 2 [6]

Investigation – 3 [9]

Perception – 3 [9]

Deception – 4 [12] Forgery [2]

Persuasion – 3 [9] Barter [2]

Command – 2 [6]

Faith – 4 [12]

Perks: [30]

Synapse: you gain non-psychic telepathy with any tyranids within 30cm. It pretty much counts as a radio, but also gives you +4 dice on any Command checks. [5]

Symbiote: Kalick is always accompanied by a swarm of what ever larval creatures decided to join him the previous night. [10]

Bio Ejector: Kalick can emit a scream that functions like a weapon with the following profile. Heavy Weapon with a Template range, Damage value of 2 + half his strength (round up). Ammunition rating of 5. [5]

Purposeful: Kalick can ready a heavy weapon while moving. This costs you 2cm of his movement. [5]

Calm Under Pressure: Kalick is blasé even when your life is threatened. He may buy hits even while in combat. [5]

Traits:

+Rich: Kalick bank has a substantial income.

+ Socially Connected: Kalick has friends in the ecclesiarchy in various positions of power.

++ Ecclesiarchical Rank: Kalick has successfully infiltrated the ecclesiarcy and was ordained into the Ministorum.

+++ Writ of Infallibility: Through bribery and social manipulation Kalick has been able to obtain a writ of infallibility.

-- Sickly: Kalick is a genetic anomaly and as such is physically fragile. He is often sick.

-- Mutant: Kalick has a few hidden mutations.

- Day Job: Kalick’s ecclesiastical position makes journeying difficult if not impossible.

- Fanatic: Every member of the cult is dedicated, but this character is just annoying about it.

- Ugly: Kalick is completely bald headed.

Equipment: Laptop, Auto Pistol, Knife, Clerical papers and identification, Miscellaneous necessities (clothing, incidentals, et cetera)