Mandragora Apocrypha
Part I: The Dreadspace Scrolls
The Adeptus Mechanicus..........................1
The Heraion-Trilian Covenant................1
The Monastic Order of the Menitors.......1
The Shaehol Technoclasm....................2
The Hepheron Automacracy..................2
Mechanicus Hierarchy...............................3
The High Tech-Priests............................3
Magos...................................................3
Logis......................................................3
Genetor.................................................3
Artisan...................................................3
The Initiates of the Cult Mechanicus.......3
Electro-Priest.........................................3
Enginseers............................................3
Transmechanics....................................3
Lexmechanic.........................................6
Runic Priest...........................................6
Servitors................................................6
The Collegia Titanica...............................6
The Skitarii................................................6
The Centurio Ordinatus.............................6
The Legio Cybernetica..............................7
The Ordo Reductor...................................7
The Explorator Fleets................................7
The Quest for Knowledge.........................7
The Sixteen Universal Laws......................8
The Mysteries..........................................8
The Warnings..........................................8
The Xenos Testimenta.............................9
The Cant Mechanicus...............................9
Sects of the Mandragoran Mechanicus...10
Archeoscriptorii.....................................10
Cult of Cognosticism.............................10
Khamrians.............................................11
Imperio-Cognisticians............................11
Omnissiads...........................................11
Nihiluminaries of the Shaehol
Technoclasm.........................................11
Omnicopaeian Observants....................12
Organicists............................................12
Techsorcists..........................................12
The Lost Divisio Electromagneticus......12
The Mandragora Apocrypha
Heresies of the Mandragoran
Mechanicus.............................................13
Heresies Dictatus..................................13
Heresy of Progressionism...................13
Sophian Heresy...................................13
Heresies Technologicus........................13
Empyric Engines.................................13
Engines of Destruction........................14
Gene Pollution.....................................14
Gholam and other Forbidden
Fleshworks..........................................14
Malifica................................................14
The Curse of Unliving..........................14
The Proteus Protocol..........................14
The Silica Animus...............................14
Transgenic Blasphemy........................14
Lesser Tech-Heresies...........................14
Misuse of Technology.........................14
Unsanctioned Communication with the
Machine...............................................15
Uninitiated Civilizations.......................15
Heresies Mechanicus............................15
Censure Betrayal of the Cult
Mechanicus.........................................15
False Denominations..........................15
Maletek Incarna...................................15
The Price of Heresy..............................15
Homeworld: Explorator Fleet...................16
Background: Skitarii................................18
Background: Questoris Familia...............19
Role: Secutor..........................................20
Role: Reclaimator....................................21
Elite Advance: Cyber-Resurrection.........22
Elite Advance: Xenarite...........................23
Elite Advance: Rite of Duplessence.......24
Beyond the Stars.....................................25
Adsecularis Alchemistry (X)..................25
Alpha Princeps......................................25
Archeotech Specialist............................25
Artificer Armament................................25
Binary Chatter.......................................25
Cold Hearted.........................................25
Concealed Cavity..................................26
Conditioned Intellect..............................26
Cybernetic Boost...................................26
Cybernetic Calibrations.........................26
Canticles of the Omnissiah...................26
Benediction of Omniscience................26
Blessing of Binharic Deliverance.........26
Chant of the Remorseless Fist............27
Executioner Extremis..........................27
Incantation of the Iron Soul.................27
Invocation of Machine Might...............27
Litany of the Electromancer................27
Shroudpsalm.......................................27
Defensive Alchemistry...........................28
Defensive Augmentation.......................28
Disciple of the Omnissiah......................28
Disturbing Voice....................................28
Doctrina Imperatives.............................28
Hazard Optimization............................28
Gundrill Symbiosis..............................28
Binharic Omniscience.........................28
Mindstate Secutor...............................28
Technomartyr Concords......................29
Hyperaction Protocols.........................29
Electro Illumination................................29
Electrical Succor...................................29
Energy Cache.......................................29
Elimination Volley..................................29
Emotionless Clarity...............................29
Fearless................................................30
Feedback Screech................................30
Furious Assault.....................................30
Gravitic Levitation..................................30
Gun Blessing.........................................30
Ident Confirmed.....................................30
Incense Genetorum...............................30
Inside the Mind of the Machine.............30
Lachrimallus Assault.............................30
Layered Psalm Code.............................31
Luminen Desecration............................31
Luminen Flare.......................................31
Luminen Shield.....................................31
Luminen Surge......................................31
Machine of Flesh...................................31
Master Enginseer..................................33
Masterwork Bionics...............................33
The Mandragora Apocrypha
Malignant Susurrations.........................33
Mechadendrite Use (Techsorcist).........33
Mindlinked Hunters...............................33
Nerves of Steel......................................33
Numinous Reclamation.........................33
Predictive Augury..................................33
Revenant Alchemistry...........................33
Rite of Awe............................................34
Rite of Fear...........................................34
Rite of Pure Thought.............................34
Slaughtersprint......................................34
Suffer the Flesh.....................................34
The Flesh is Weak (X)...........................34
Unorthodox Rites..................................34
Traits....................................................35
Binary-Cortex.....................................35
Doctrina Imperatives..........................35
Heart of Steel......................................35
Meme Virus.........................................35
Part II: Weapons of Enlightenment
Ranged Weapons...................................36
Arc Weapons.........................................36
Cognis Flamer.......................................36
Electrostatic Gauntlets..........................36
Eradication Beamer...............................36
Eradication Ray.....................................36
Flechette Blaster...................................36
Galvanic Rifle........................................36
Gamma Pistol........................................36
Graviton Imploder..................................36
Heavy Arc Rifle.....................................36
Heavy Grav-Cannon.............................38
Incendine Combustor............................38
Irradiation Projectors.............................38
Lightning Gun........................................38
Macrostubber........................................38
Mechanicus Las Weaponry...................38
Mitralocks..............................................38
Neutron Laser.......................................39
Phosphor Weapons...............................39
Plasma Caliver......................................39
Plasma Culverin....................................39
Photon Thruster Weapons....................39
 Rad-Cleanser........................................39
Radium Weaponry................................39
Rotor Cannon........................................39
Stubcarbine...........................................39
Transuranic Arquebus...........................39
Techxorcism Weapons..........................40
Torsion Cannon....................................40
Volkite Weapons...................................40
Grenades and Explosives.......................40
Mindscrambler Grenades......................40
Phosphex Weapons..............................40
Phospex Bomb......................................41
Stasis Grenade............. ........................41
Stasis Mine............................................41
Virus Grenade.......................................41
Mole Mortar Torpedoes.........................41
Standard Torpedo...............................41
Airburst Torpedo.................................41
Incendiary Torpedo.............................42
EMP Torpedo......................................42
Melee Weapons......................................42
Arc Welder............................................42
Arc Maul................................................42
Breacher................................................42
Chain Glaive..........................................42
Coil Whip...............................................42
Corposant Stave...................................42
Electro-Weaponry.................................42
Hydraulic Claw......................................42
Omnisian Axe........................................43
Taser Weapons.....................................43
Transonic Weapons..............................43
Vivisector...............................................43
Weapon Upgrades..................................43
Cognis Awakening................................43
Gyro-Stabilizer......................................44
Secrets of the Machine.........................44
Spoor Targeter......................................44
Symbol of Sanctity................................44
Integrated Weapons................................44
Integrated Weapons Rules....................44
Creating Integrated Weapons...............45
Disconnected Integrated Weapons.......45
Reconnecting and Recharging Integrated
The Mandragora Apocrypha
Weapons...............................................45
Armor......................................................46
Artificer Armor.......................................46
Cataphract Armor..................................46
Kastelan Battlehide...............................46
Kataphron Demiplate............................46
Dragon Scale........................................46
Lorica Thallax........................................47
Praetorian Battle Armor.........................47
Skitarii Warplate....................................47
Sicarian Battle Armor............................47
Special Issue Void Suit.........................47
Forcefields...............................................47
Amulet of Warding.................................47
Mechanicum Protectiva.........................48
Reductor Field.......................................48
Stasis Field............................................48
Voltagheist Field....................................48
Clothing and Personal Gear....................48
Abeyant.................................................48
Blessed Raiments.................................48
Cogitator................................................48
Core-Gel................................................49
Cyber-Familiar.......................................49
Enhanced Data-Tether..........................49
Holo-Projector.......................................49
Holy Vestments.....................................49
Infoslave Skull.......................................49
Isotropic Fuel Rods...............................49
Kastelan Protocol Datawafer Set..........49
Omnispex..............................................49
Opus Machina ......................................49
Greater Icon of Passage.....................50
Melta Drill..............................................50
Planetary Codex....................................50
Portable Gravity Adjustment Panels.....50
Prime Logis Key....................................50
Rad-Censer...........................................50
Scryerskull.............................................51
Tears of the Dragon..............................51
Cybernetics.............................................52
Augur Dome..........................................52
Auxiliary Neural Processor....................52
Ballistic Logis Programming..................52
 Blackbone Bracing................................52
Concealed Weapon Bionic....................52
Cortex Controller...................................52
Cryogenic Distillation.............................53
Djinn Skein............................................53
Dunestrider Legs...................................53
Electoos................................................53
Enhanced Potentia Coil.........................53
Exploration Mechadendrite...................53
Exo-Armor Vambraces..........................54
Gastral Bionics......................................54
Gunsight Overlay..................................54
Hermetic Infusion..................................54
Imperative Actuators.............................54
Injector Rig............................................54
Interkeratic Implants..............................54
Internal Blade........................................54
Inbuilt Pistol...........................................55
Internal Power Cell................................55
Machinator Array...................................55
Mecharachnoid Motives........................55
Mechadendrite Harness........................55
Memory Coils........................................55
Mining Helot Augmetics........................55
Myrmidon Augmentic Mounting.............56
Ocular Sight..........................................56
Pain Ward.............................................56
Plasma-Cutter Mechadendrite..............56
Prehensile Dataspike............................56
Rad Furnace.........................................56
Recoil Dampers.....................................57
Reinforced Exoskeleton........................57
Sarcosan Wave Generator....................57
Sensor Cloaking....................................57
Sensorium.............................................57
Servo-Arm.............................................57
Servo-Claw............................................57
Servo-Harness......................................58
Strength Augmentation.........................58
Synthetic Synapses...............................58
The Breath Of Mars...............................58
Vehicle Interface Circuitry.....................58
Vitae Supplacement..............................58
Biological Implants..................................59
The Mandragora Apocrypha
Chem Gland..........................................59
Emotional Repressive Surgery.............59
Fabricated Flesh...................................59
Haemoncolyte.......................................59
Mnemonic Virus....................................59
Neuro-Synaptic Enhan-Cells.................59
Paraaortic Nodi.....................................59
The Rite of Setesh................................59
Transgenic Grafting..............................60
Vat-Grown Adrenal Gland.....................60
Vat-Grown Cerebral Tissue...................60
Vat-Grown Clone...................................60
Part III: Ships of the Explorator Fleets
Battleship Hulls.......................................61
Ark Mechanicus.....................................61
Cruiser Hulls............................................61
Research Cruiser..................................61
Light Cruisers..........................................62
Secutor-Class Monitor Cruiser..............62
Monitor-Cruiser.....................................62
Forge Tender........................................63
Transport Hulls........................................63
Heavy Transport Cruiser.......................63
Goliath-Class Factory Ship...................63
Repairing Mechanicus Vessels.............64
Gifts of the Omnissiah...........................64
Quest for Knowledge.............................64
Part IV: Exploring the Stellar Regions
How to use this Section...........................66
Discovering New Worlds.........................67
Atmosphere.............................................67
Corrosive Atmospheres.........................67
Inert Gas Atmospheres.........................67
Airless Thin Atmospheres.....................67
Breathable Mix Atmospheres................67
Thick Atmospheres...............................67
Invasive Toxic Atmospheres.................68
Corrosive and invasive atmospheres....68
Gravity.....................................................68
Temperature............................................68
Frozen Worlds.......................................68
 Cold World............................................68
Temperate Worlds.................................70
Warm Worlds........................................70
Variable Temperature...........................70
Burning Worlds......................................70
Biosphere................................................70
Biosphere Remnants.............................70
Microbial Life.........................................70
No Native Biosphere.............................70
Human-Miscible Biospheres.................70
Immiscible Biospheres..........................70
Hybrid Biospheres.................................70
Engineered Biospheres.........................70
Population...............................................70
None......................................................71
Failed Colonies.....................................71
Outposts................................................71
Tens of thousands of inhabitants.........71
Hundreds of thousands of inhabitants...71
Millions of inhabitants............................71
Billions of inhabitants............................71
Species...................................................72
Eldar......................................................72
Humans.................................................72
Orks.......................................................73
Xenos (Other)........................................73
Tech Level...............................................73
Tech Level 1: Stone Age.......................74
Tech Level 2: Pre-Industrial..................74
Tech Level 3: Industrial.........................74
Tech Level 4: Atomic Age.....................74
Tech Level 5: Space Age......................74
Tech Level 6: Space Faring..................75
Tech Level 7: Interstellar.......................75
Tech Level 8: World Builders................75
Tech Level 9: Transsentient..................75
Name the Planet.....................................75
Part V: Corpus Auxilla Mechanicus
Adepts of the Mechanicus.......................76
Magos...................................................76
Secutor..................................................77
Tech Adept............................................78
Tech Priest............................................78
Mandragora Apocrypha
Tech Priest Dominus.............................79
Cybertheurgy.......................................80
Tech Priest Enginseer...........................81
Electro-Priests.......................................81
Corpuscarii Electro-Priests..................82
Fulgurite Electro-Priests......................82
Skitarii.....................................................83
Classiarii................................................83
Secutarii Peltasts..................................83
Secutarii Hoplites..................................84
Sicarian Ruststalkers............................85
Sicarian Infiltrators................................85
Skitarii Rangers.....................................86
Skitarii Vanguard...................................87
Servitoria.................................................88
Cargo Servitor.......................................88
C.A.T. Cyber Altered Task Unit.............88
Combat Servitor....................................88
Excruciator Servitor...............................89
Kataphron Breacher..............................89
Kataphron Destroyer.............................90
Gun Servitor..........................................91
Medicae Servitor...................................91
Murder Servitor.....................................91
Praetorian Servitor................................92
Repair Servitor......................................92
Servitor Drone.......................................93
Servo-Automata....................................94
Vigilies Servitor.....................................94
Warden Murder Servitor........................95
Familiars................................................96
Controlling Familiars...........................96
Creating a Familiar..............................96
Cyber-Creatures..................................96
Berserker Chip....................................96
Psy-Bonded Familiar...........................96
Psyber-Eagle......................................97
Servo-Skulls..........................................97
Servo-Skulls as Familiars....................97
Guardian Skull...................................97
Monotask Skull..................................98
Cherub..................................................99
Nephilim..............................................99
True Nephilim......................................99
 Legio Cybernetica.................................100
Arlatax-Class Battle Automata............100
Castellax-Class Battle Automata.........101
Cybernetica Datasmith........................101
Domitar-Class Battle Automata...........102
Kastelan Robot....................................102
Scyllax-Class Guardian Automata......103
Thanatar-Class Siege Automata.........104
Thanatar-Calix...................................104
Thanatar-Cynis..................................105
Vultarax-Class Stratos-Automata........106
Vorax-Class Battle Automata..............106
Battle Automata Equipment................107
Blessed Autosimulacra......................107
Enhanced Targeting Array................107
Infravisor...........................................107
Searchlight........................................107
Siege Wrecker...................................107
Ordo Reductor.......................................108
Thallax.................................................108
Ursarax ...............................................109
Collegia Titanica...................................109
Princeps..............................................109
Redactus Moderatus...........................109
Shield Warden.....................................110
Servants of the Forges..........................111
Furnace Workers.................................111
Menials................................................112
Mining Helots......................................112
Tech Thralls........................................113
Part VI: Engines of War
Krios Battle Tank...................................114
Ironstrider Ballistarii...............................115
Macrocarid Explorator...........................115
Magos Sky Platform..............................116
Minotaur Artillery Tank..........................116
Onager Dunecrawler.............................117
Ordinatus Sagittar.................................118
Ordinatus Ulator....................................119
Sydonian Dragoon................................119
Termite..................................................120
Triaros Armored Conveyor....................120
Mechanicus Questoris Knight...............121
Mandragora Apocrypha
Weapon Emplacements........................122
Defense Turret....................................122
Mole Mortar.........................................122
Rapier Laser Destroyer.......................123
Tarantula Sentry Gun..........................123
Thudd Gun..........................................123
Vehicle Upgrades of the Mechanicus....124
Anbaric Claw.......................................124
Armored Ceramite...............................124
Auxiliary Drive.....................................124
Blessed Autosimulacra........................124
Broad Spectrum Data Tether..............124
Cognis Manipulator.............................124
Explorator Augury Web.......................124
Mindscanner Probe.............................125
Flare Shield.........................................125
Ramjet Diffraction Grid........................125
Searchlight..........................................125
Smoke Launchers...............................125
Tables
Table 1-1: Electro Illumination.................29
Table 2-1: Ranged Weapons..................37
Table 2-2: Grenades and Explosives......40
Table 2-3: Melee Weapons.....................43
Table 2-4: Weapon Upgrades.................44
Table 2-5: Armor.....................................46
Table 2-6: Force Fields...........................47
Table 2-7: Clothing and Personal Gear..48
Table 2-8: Cybernetics............................52
Table 2-9: Biological Implants.................59
Table 3-1: Mechanicus Gifts...................65
Table 3-2: Quest for Knowledge.............66
Table 4-1: Atmosphere...........................67
Table 4-2: Gravity...................................68
Table 4-3: Temperature..........................68
Table 4-4: Biosphere..............................69
Table 4-5: Population.............................71
Table 4-6: Species.................................72
Table 4-7: Tech Level.............................73
Table 5-1: Servitors and Familiars..........98
Table 5-2: Automata..............................108
Table 6-1: Weapon Emplacements.......122
Table 6-2: Vehicle Upgrades.................125

The Dreadspace Scrolls
he untold riches that lay awaiting in the void are
countless. Even within the threshold of a long founded
Imperial Sector, vast light years go undiscovered -
untouched by humanity, just beyond the reach of known
space. It is for this reason that there exists the great
Explorator Fleets - to seek out these undiscovered worlds to
register them for colonization, conquest, mineral depletion or
exterminatus.
In the vast breadth of the galaxy, both treasures and
horrors await the intrepid adventurers that push the
boundaries of the Imperium further every generation. It takes
a hardened soul, bravery, and commitment to explore the
dark boundaries of the Imperium of Man.
The Adeptus Mechanicus
The Adeptus Mechanicus is a technological organization,
often known as the Priesthood of Mars. It holds a monopoly
on technological knowledge in the Imperium. Their Forge
Worlds turn out the Imperium's most powerful and advanced
weaponry and equipment. The organization's adepts, the
Tech-priests, are vital in maintaining much of the Imperium's
more technologically advanced equipment, not the least of
which is the Emperor's life-sustaining Golden Throne.
While the Adeptus Mechanicus is a part of the Imperium, it
has developed separately and enjoys a considerable degree
of independence. Due to the great amount of power it wields,
the Adeptus Mechanicus could almost be compared to be
like an allied empire, rather than an organization within the
Imperium. The Adeptus Mechanicus also follows a different
religion from the rest of the Imperium. The religion and
religious structure of the Adeptus Mechanicus is known as
the Cult Mechanicus. The symbol of the Adeptus
Mechanicus is a skull, half-bone and half-machine, set
against the background of a black and white cog.
Adepts of the Adeptus Mechanicus are known as tech-
priests. Any member of the Cult Mechanicus over the rank of
menial will often be referred to as a tech-priest, though Magi
The Mandragora Apocrypha
and higher ranks are usually referred to by rank. As befits
the religious nature of the Mechanicus, tech-priests usually
wear robes, which are usually either rust-red or white. Tech-
priests are often cybernetically augmented. The level of a
techpriest's augmentation is highly dependent on his rank
within the Cult Mechanicus; a novice may have only one or
two augmented systems, if any, while very senior members
may have only a few biological organs left in their bodies.
Heraion-Trilian Covenant
The alliance between the Forge worlds of Heraion and
Trilian dates back to before the forging of the sector during
the waning days of the Great Crusade. Founded by common
ancestry during pre-imperial colonization, the two synods of
the Mechanicus have diverged heavily in ethos and focus
since their founding, but have remained steadfast allies in a
shared covenance between each other for millennium.
The Synod of Heraion have long been studious into the
stellar reaches that lay within and beyond the Mandragora
Sector. When the Imperium discovered Heraion, it was
Heraion's knowledge of the Mandragora Region that resulted
in a swift compliance of the sector from the Astra Navis
cartographic maps the explorators possessed. Likewise,
Trilia's weapon forges and cohorts of Legio Cybernetica
greatly enforced the fledgling sector's security and
dominance over the xeno empires that existed during that
era.
The tradition of Trilia arming and providing warriors to
Heraion exists to the modern day. While the two forge worlds
are considered separate synods, they share the same
sphere of influence as if they were a singular, dominating
presence. The inquisitive nature of the Heraion Mechanicus
matches perfectly with the laborious determination of Trilia,
and together both represent a pillar of power and knowledge
in the Mandragora Sector.
Despite their alliance, the two synods of Heraion and Trilia
are quite different in theological interpretation of the
universal laws of the Mechanicus. This is no more evident
than in the conflict between the pro-xenos and antixenos
philosophical view points. Heraion is often accosted of being
xenophilious, being open to the study and exploitative of
technology derived from ancient alien cultures and archeo-
sites. Trilia maintains the perversion of the xenos wrought
technology and ridicule and condemn those that believe any
good can come from it. This point of theological contention is
often and rigorously discussed and debated with fiery and
intense debates and symposiums from both worlds, with
small skirmishes between cohorts not unknown.
The Monastic Order of the Menitors
The Monastic Order of the Menitors is a sub order of the
Heraion-Trilian Mechanicus. A curious and odd practice by
Imperial standards and radical by both the dictates of the
Orthodoxy of the Ecclesiarchy and the Creed Mechanicus,
the order of the Menitors arose on the worlds of the Heraion-
Trilian Covenant influenced cultures of the Marjories
Regency sub-sector. By tradition of the senior adepta of their
order, upon the moment of their deaths transferred their
brains into preservation canisters in secluded data-shrines
across the Marjories. Due to Creed Mechanicus orthodoxy,
1
 the practice was banned from external sensory stimuli,
confined to Data-Librariums where the preserved Magos
were permitted to continue their ruminations and creation of
their advanced interpretations of their field.
When Tyranious Val established a preservatorium on the
pleasure-world of Yanov, Tyranious urged the Magos
Biologis of Trilia to offer interment to influential nobles and
academics, as well as himself and the line of Val. This
request was obliged, and the Introspective Basilicas were
founded to preserve the knowledge of the Collegia Biologis,
as well as the greatest minds of the sub-sector in the
millennium to follow.
Initially, the Heraion-Trilian Covenant was opposed by the
more orthodox minded Mechanicum of Forge Worlds
Hepheron and Shaehol , who warned that while preserving
the mind was not strictly against the dictates of the
Mechanicus, the elongating of their existences treaded
perilously close to violating the proteus protocols.
Regardless, the Heraion-Trilia Covenant paid no heed until
centuries later when the Ecclesiarchy, learning of the data-
librariums of Yanov, saw the violation of human flesh
abhorrent; while the Mechanicus were free to do as they
would to their own, the violation of the flesh of the faithful
drew the ire of the holy synod of Philileos.
However, neither the powers of Philileos, Hepheron nor
Shaehol were able to muster political traction as the world
belonged under the nominal control of the Val dynasty since
its inception, and was reserved from the bulk of Imperial
laws as the seat of political power and intrigue for the entire
sub-sector. The Val dynasty in particular maintained and
brokered accords between the two, assuaging their fears
with the insistence that the practice itself was used to
maintain strictly the knowledge that would guide the sector
throughout the millennium to come.
The Shaehol Technoclasm
The Shaehol Mechanicus Synod is regarded with a mix of
both respect and fear by the orthodoxy of the Mechanicus.
Unparalleled masters of warp technology, the Magos
Immateria of Shaehol seamlessly marry the precise
The Hierarchy of the Synods of the Mechanicus, Mandragora Sector
2 The Mandragora Apocrypha
calculations of the corpus machina with the unpredictable
energies of the Immaterium. To the tech priests of Shaehol,
manipulating and controlling the eddies of the warp is a well
mastered art form leagues ahead of their peers.
The price of their knowledge has come at steep costs.
The Shaehol Mechanicus has always had eyes upon their
every dictate or theorem, criticized for their almost-zealous
willingness to turn to warp manipulation first rather than find
conventional means. Their proponents are largely the other
synods Mechanicus, but have also earned a general mistrust
from the Inquisition.
For these reasons, the Shaehol Mechanicus stand alone
as outsiders to their own order. Preferring isolation, it is only
the need for raw materials that keeps Shaehol in contact
with the rest of the Mandragora Sector.
The Hepheron Automacracy
The autonetites of Hepheron are hermitic masters of
ancient knowledge, withdrawn equally from the sector as
their own fellow synods. The most ancient of the Hepheron
Archmagi have lived their long lives in seclusion, studying
with unrivaled devotion to singular fields of knowledge.
Taking the theological quest for knowledge in its most literal
form, the synod of Hepheron have turned inwards for
guidance, believing the wisdom and knowledge of the
Omnessiah waiting to be re-discovered from their own self
perseverance.
While the masters of Hepheron contemplate and
experiment their own theorems and hypothesis, the lesser
ranked tech priests of their order maintain the operations of
the world. From the outsider's view, Hepheron is automated
by legions of servitors, automatons and the manipulars
guiding them. Even with their senior magi in various states of
self imposed exile, forge world Hepheron is highly valued by
the sector lords of Mandragora for its battle might. The
majestic and revered titans and hosts of Legio Cybernetica
are often petitioned by the Departmento Munitorum, who
truly appreciate the raw dominating firepower of the
Omnissiah's avatars.
Mechanicus Hierarchy
“A man may die and still endure if his work enters the
greater work, for time is carried upon a current of forgotten
deeds, and events if great moment are but the culmination of
a single carefully placed thought. As all men must thank
progenitors obscured by the past, so we must endure the
present, so that those who follow may continue the
endeavor.”
–The Chime of Eons, Garba Mojaro Techno-Magos of the
Adeptus Mechanicus
The head of the Adeptus Mechanicus is the Fabricator
General of Mars. He holds a position as a High Lord of
Terra, and also leads the entire Cult Mechanicus in his
capacity as the Magos Mechanicus. The hierarchies on
individual forge worlds may vary, but they generally fall into
common patterns familiar to any member of the Adeptus
Mechanicus. The Fabricator General of a particular forge
world is supported by a council of senior Tech-Priests
selected from the world’s population. The most frequently
seen council is a form of gerontocracy where the oldest
Tech-Priests hold sway over the forge world by dint of their
superior knowledge and insight into their chosen fields. In
some instances a meritocracy may be used to promote the
most brilliant and upcoming Tech-Priests into positions of
authority on the council. Isolated or socially degraded
Adeptus Mechanicus societies might have councils that take
the form of aristocracies, democracies, or even lotteries.
The High Tech-Priests
The ruling Tech-Priests in a forge world’s hierarchy may
form a seamlessly united front to keep ordinary Mechanicum
members in line, or might be at odds with one another over
esoteric matters of funding, priority, and core beliefs.
Excessively ambitious individuals are likely to fall foul of the
Inquisition or their own peers in the Adeptus Mechanicus at
some point. This means most ruling members of the
Priesthood of Mars have a tendency to be circumspect and
dispassionate about their duties.
Magos
A Magos is an acknowledged master in a field of
technological achievement, one who has spent a lifetime
(perhaps several) refining his understanding of a particular
branch of knowledge. Many divisions of Magos exist,
including ones unique to particular forge worlds where
especially rare expertise is preserved.
Logis
The Logis form the body of logisticians and analysts that
indirectly control a forge world’s resources. They predict
future trends and make forecasts based around a plethora
of seemingly unrelated factors to advise on projected needs.
Among the Adeptus Mechanicus, Logis are regarded as
prophetic figures and their dispassionate analysis is given
great weight in decision making.
The Mandragora Apocrypha
Genetor
Genetors are genetic scientists with great insight into the
human genome and all its multitudinous variants. They are
very heavily represented among the Adeptus Mechanicus,
perhaps in part due to the Mechanicum’s experiences with
mutants on Mars during the Age of Strife. Genetors often
accompany Imperial forces engaged in the exploration of
new worlds to test populations for signs of mutation outside
prescribed norms.
Artisan
Artisans are constructors who design machines,
structures, spaceships, weapons, and other military
hardware. An Artisan commonly begins any project by
examining the sacred records to find out if anything similar
has been attempted before; if it has, then the previous plans
are used with only minor adaptation where necessary.
Artisans exercise overall control of the vast labor force of
servitors on any given forge world.
The Initiates Of The Cult Mechanicus
The vast bulk of the Tech-Priests on a forge world are
workers, scientists, and engineers who direct and oversee
the functions of servitors, tend to the manifold requirements
of the machine-spirits, and conduct the experiments dictated
by the ruling Tech-Priests. Many initiates of the Adeptus
Mechanicus are assigned to serve in technical support of the
Imperial authorities at some point in their lives. Tech-Priests
given extended assignments away from their forge world for
such duties typically view it as a punishment.
Electro-Priest
Electro-Priests dedicate themselves to the mysteries of
energy, its flow through conductive bodies and the
motivating spark it provides to machine-spirits. The most
fanatical Electro- Priests are heavily modified to permit them
to generate electrical energy within their own bodies,
transforming them into living fonts of crackling power.
Enginseer
These warrior Tech-Priests operate on battlefields across
the Imperium alongside Imperial Guard units. Here, they use
their technical abilities to ensure that the mighty war
machines of the Hammer of the Emperor function properly.
Wielding their mighty double-handed wrench-axes in power-
armored fists, they stalk the front lines as red-robed avatars
of the Machine God, smiting all who would stand against the
will of the Omnissiah.
Transmechanic
Transmechanics are specialists in the field of
communications technology. By the nature of their specialty,
Transmechanics are often called upon to serve in other
Imperial organizations for extended periods of time, and
often spend their entire existence aboard Naval vessels or
on Imperial Guard bastion-worlds.
3
 Hierarchy of the Mandragora Mechanicus
The Cult Mechanicus of the Mandragora Sector follows many of the same On vassal domains and worlds (non Forge
Worlds), the leading Archmagos is known as
structures of hierarchy as the greater Cult Mechanicus across the galaxy. an Archmagos Intendant. This rank roughly
corresponds with the role of Planetary
Governor - and are sworn under the fealty of
While variances in nomenclature, ranks, and titles are typical from each their more powerful and sovereign forge
worlds.
forge world and synod of the Mechanicus, these are the generally accepted
across the Mandragora Sector and it's periphery borders.

The Basilikon Astra is the division

of the Machine God's servants tasked The vaunted rank of Dominus is bestowed
with the construction, use and only on those of the Cult Mechanicus with a
operation of void craft and interstellar true talent for war; those who believe the
vessels. This order's divisions by their The Explorator General holds a position in both supremacy of the Machine God is to be proven
nature control the outer reaches of a the Mechanicus and the Administratum, so that the at every opportunity.
Forge World's systems and so stand Administratum has direct links to the planet locating
apart from the planetary synods, but and surveying organization of the Explorators.
are still tied to them by dependence
and ancient tradition. Explorator-Magos Prime is also known as
Explorator-Magos Admiral, or simply Magos-
Admiral. Likewise, Secundus tier is known as
Commodore, and Tertius as Captain. The Prefecture Magisterium is the doctrinal
covenant of the Machine Cult charged with
preserving dogma and the persecution of
The Divisio Explorator is unique amongst the
techno-heresy. Magisterium cohorts and
Divisiones Mechanicus as it’s constituents' can
include Adeptus Minoris and Adeptus Majoris of hunter-killer claves are maintained on all Forge
other Divisios. In these cases, the rank or title Worlds under the authority of the Fabricator
General or Archmagos Intendant
becomes suffixed. An Explorator originating from
the Divisio Logis would be inferred as Explorator
Logis, for example.
Master of many trades, the Magos Errant is
Technomagi are more often referred to as Magi. expected to go forth on behalf of the
Occasionally, Magi are known as a X-Magos, where Mechanicus, to explore new frontiers, worlds
X represents the divisio. So a divisio Genetor Magos and technologies. Privy to all manner of secret
would be a Genetor-Magos, or Divisio Fabricator knowledge, the Magos Errant is prepared for
would be a Fabricator-Magos all eventualities.

Adept is a catch-all term for anyone above the

Rank of Technographer and is akin to the term
"brother". Another, more informal tem between
Tech-Priests is Tech-Brother, or simply Brother.

The next rank up from tech-acolyte is Technographer; these learn the mysteries
of the Hex Signs and treating Machine Spirits. They become proficient in a particular
divisio that reflects their abilities best, and are apprenticed to that divisio. They will
learn the ways of that divisio. When working or disseminated, they will chiefly be
serving as either more advanced technicians, for when their simple rites and
preparations fail, and servicing and using more complicated technology.
Even the Magi will rely on the tactical
experiences of the Skitarii Consul. Commanders of
the Skitarii and able to call on Auxilia of
Praetorians, Myrmidon, and the dread Ordinatus,
Consuls embody the fighting will of the Machine-
God.
A Master of Skitarii is the commander of a Cohort of Skitarii. A
significantly augmented Human, a Master of Skitarii has undergone
years of service in the Skitarii ranks before ascending to a full
leadership position. They possess neural networks to issue
commands without the need for voicing them. In battle, a Master of
Skitarii is something of a paradox, with combat drugs leaving the
Master with the red mist of a berserker chained to the logical
thought processes which the Adeptus Mechanicus values.

A Tribune is the equivalent of a Lieutenant in a
normal ranking scheme and commands a Maniple,
drawn not from the ranks of the Legiones Skitarii
but the Divisio Mandati. Similarly, a Magnus is
equivalent to a Captain and commands a Cohort,
with a Colonel-Priest commanding a Macroclade.
A Magos of the Divisio Mandati that leads an
entire Legion of the sub-organization of Auxilia
Myrmidon or Legiones Skitarii is known as a Magos
Commander, or Magos Militant. These Magi are
masters of strategy and tactics, and are the
generals of the Mechanicus Mandragora’s armies.

Some forge worlds style their armies the 'Divisio Skitarii' or

'Skitarius' and group their cohorts into regiments instead.

A forge world's first Macroclade

traditionally garrisons its Titan
Servitors cannot rise through the ranks, but Legion and/or Ordinatus Engine
anyone can become a servitor if they commit a
crime against the Omnissiah.
(The first Macroclade is known Each Macroclade is comprised of 4 cohorts, each consisting of 3
variously as Prima Macroclade, maniples, resulting in 12 maniples - a number sacred to the Adeptus
Tech-thralls are commonly created from
Macroclade Primus etc.) Mechanicus
captured prisoners and criminals requisitioned from
local authorities. Considered a lower order of being
than even Servitors by their masters, the ultimate
fate of most Tech-thralls is to end their lives
recycled into Servitor components and their The typical Skitarii maniple is the combined arms Battle Maniple,
implants harvested for use in future thralls as their but specialist cohorts, maniples and clades can be arranged as
bodies fail under the relentless toil to which they needed: Infiltration Clades, Armored Cohorts, Close Assault
are subjected. Maniples, Anti-aircraft Cohorts, Anti-Tank Cohorts, and so on.

4 The Mandragora Apocrypha

 The Collegia Titanica has four Divisiones, the Divisio Mandati, the Divisio Telepathica,
the Divisio Investigatus, and most importantly, the Divisio Militaris, which is the main
fighting force of the Collegia Titanica. The Divisiones are further divided into a number of
"Legions" or "Orders": groupings of Titans bound by a common heritage such as the
Legio Imperetus or the Legio Caminus. Each Titan Legion is a self-contained unit
headed by an officer with the rank of Grand Master.

The Collegiate Extremis is
the judicial branch of the
Adeptus Mechanicus. Traitors
to the Omnissiah are
prosecuted and their crimes
analyzed. At its head is an
ancient cabal orchestrating the
collegiate, known as the
Prefecture Magisterium. Every
Forge World has their own
variant of this collegia.
The ruling noble houses of the Knight Worlds form their own unique
culture and traditions which have become closely linked with the
Mechanicus over time. Households often serve alongside the Titan
Legions as vassal warriors or allied forces, responding to ancient pacts
of mutual support in times of war.
The techmarines of the Adeptus Astartes, or The Centurio Ordinatus is the sub-organization that Anyone with the strong will to control a titan can be taken into
frater astrotechnicus as their traditional name goes, develops the massive ordinati, both majoris and the Collegia Titanica as a crew member of a Titan, and serve
are priests of Mars and are given ranks exist minoris, for the use of the Mechanicus. Its ranks as either a moderatus or princeps cadet. For eight years, they
outside of the standard structure of the appear to be similar to those of the titan orders – do an observational study. Once approved, they become
Mechanicus. They begin as an apprentum, trained princeps and moderati are used. The Lord of the either a moderatus or princeps - moderati monitor weapons
on Mars and sent back to their Chapter to complete Centurio Ordinatus is a title given to an Archmagos systems and other such duties, whilst the princeps controls
his training. They then become a full fledged Veneratus Investigatus. the titan itself. A princeps senioris a high ranking princeps in
techmarine, who may one day become a the legion, but the highest ranking princeps in the legion is the
techmarine suprema, placed in charge of several princeps maximus. The praetorian princeps - not to be
techmarines. A Chapter’s Master of the Forge is confused with praetorian skitarii or the praetorian-class
the highest ranking techmarine in the Chapter, and servitors - are the princeps beneath the Grand Master.
is held in high regard.
The Prefecture Magisterium is the doctrinal
covenant of the Machine Cult charged with
preserving dogma and the persecution of techno-
heresy. Magisterium cohorts and hunter-killer
claves are maintained on all Forge Worlds under
the authority of the Fabricator General or
Archmagos Intendant

The Collegiate Extremis has at least one type of

unit of members dedicated to hunting techno-heresy:
the diagnostic coven, which has the authority to shut
down hive cities on Forge Worlds.

The Xenologis and Xenobiologis are controversial Divisiones in The Legio Cybernetica is a sacred order
the Mechanicus, due to the 9th Universal Lore. On anti-xenos Forge devolved into cohorts charged with the
Worlds, these Divisiones are not likely to exist. On pro-xenos Forge construction and use of Battle-Automata,
Worlds, these are likely to exist, but it is possible that they are existing both as fully independent
combined under the general title of Divisio Xenologis, and staffed by structures and sub-factions owing either
Xenologist. pacts of mutual support or alliance with the
Synods of major Forge Worlds.
Adepts of the Mechanicus may at any The Ordo Reductor is the domain of
time fall out of favor, due to transgressions siege weapons and vehicles. This order is
against the machine orthodoxy. While there staffed primarily by myrmidons of the
exist varying degrees of excommunication, Auxilia Myrmidon. They embody the
the punishments remain largely the same - animus of the Omnissiah, its duality not as
ranging between exile, death, internment or a creator or embodiment of knowledge, but
un-life as a servitor. as destroyer and bringer of oblivion.

Dictatus: Excommunicated for holding
doctrinal differences, that while may not be
strictly heretical or damning, have fallen in
disfavor with the orthodoxy of a prevailing
authority, earning a tech-priest the title of
Malatek. These individuals, while rare,
may regain favor and accepted back.
Technologicus: Excommunicated for
espousing technological theorems or
philosophies that are deemed too radical or
heretical by the orthodoxy of the Adeptus
Mechanicus. These tech-priests typically
are imprisoned or exiled. Many choose to
flee rather than accept their fates.
Mechanicus: Excommunicated completely
and irrevocably from the Adeptus
Mechanicus for committing tech-heresy of
the highest order and violating one or more
of the universal mysteries. These
individuals are apostates of the highest
order, and rarely permitted to live past
judgment.

Divisiones Mechanicus The Cult Mechanicus Hierarchy

Arcanum (Unknown) Lachrimallus (Slavers and Overseers) Divisiones: The Cult Mechanicus is structured under divisiones of research, each division focusing on particular fields of scientific and academic at
Aeronauticus (Aerodynamics) Lexmechanicus (Applied Mathematics) the exclusion of all others. While there are overlapping fields of knowledge, the divisiones exist to both preserve and safe-guard the rites, rituals and
Alchemys (Chemistry) Linguistica (Xenos Linguistics) mysteries of the collected wisdom of the Cult Mechanicus.
Archaeos (Archeology) Logis (Mathematical analysis) Covenants: Some divisiones organize their members into teams for organizational purposes, such as enginseer teams for the Divisio Fabricator and
Artisan (Design, Construction and Engineering) Mhalagra (Unknown) ordnance teams for the Divisio Militaris. These hierarchal covenants are wide spread throughout the Divisiones Mechanicus.
Astrographicus (Immateriology) Mandati (Military Command and Strategy) Congregations: During short term or temporary needs for cooperation between divisiones, a congregation will be formed until the completion of a
Astrologicus (Astrophysics and Astrology) Metalurgicus (Metallurgy) particular goal is met. The most famous of the congregations are those raised in battle, with the myriad forces of the Legiones Mechanicus being
Biologis (Biology, Bacteriology) Militaris (Military Logistics) joined together under the nominal leadership of a Magos Dominus.
Cordantor (Unknown) Orbologis (Earth Sciences) Collegiates: The collegiates of the Adeptus Mechanicus are congregations that exist that require the expertise and knowledge of multiple of
Cybernetica (Bionics and Cybernetics) Pecunius (Arithmetic and production logistics) divisiones for the foci of a singular purpose. The Collegia Titanicus, near-universal across all Forge Worlds, is the collegiate dedicated to war and,
Dialecta (Linguistics and Encryptions) Physic (Physics) most importantly, the raising and maintenance of the mighty Titan Legions. Likewise, the Collegia Astartes is dedicated to the purpose of cultivating
Digitalis (Computer sciences and Communications) Prefectus (Administration) the training of Adeptus Astartes Techmarines, as well as arming Adeptus Astartes chapters. They also are keepers of the Gene-seed tithe, which are
Dominus (Automata) Provender (Provisions and Logistics) ultimately brought to Mars. Each Forge World has their own collegiates, with unique and often circumstantial goals unrelated to the greater
Electromagneticus (Electrical Sciences) Psychologis (Psychology and sociology) Mechanicus Orthodoxy.
Errant (Scouting) Psykana (Psychic Sciences)
Explorator (Cosmology and Astra Cartography) Technicus (Technology)
Fabricator (Maintenance and Engineering) Telepathica (Psychic Weaponry)
Genetor (Genetics) Vulpaxis (Unknown)
Graviticus (Gravity) Xenobiologis (Alien biology)
Investigatus (Advanced military research) Xenologis (Alien technology)
Hesphestari (Unknown)

The Mandragora Apocrypha 5

 Lexmechanic through seas of poisonous dust that would have engulfed
conventional troopers. The great war engines were also
Lexmechanics compile and rationalize information so that
thickly armored and powered by plasma reactors, so that
it can be entered into centralized data-stacks. Thanks to
they could operate continuously for years at a time with only
their implants and conditioning, they function with machine
limited maintenance. When the Great Crusade swept
speed and accuracy, whether assembling battlefield reports,
outward from Terra, the Titan Legions of Mars accompanied
economic statistics, planetary analysis, or other matters of
it and proved their worth a thousand times over in the battles
interest. Like Transmechanics, Lexmechanics are commonly
that followed.
assigned duties outside the Adeptus Mechanicus assisting
the Adeptus Terra.
The Skitarii
Runic Priest
The Skitarii are the ubiquitous warriors of the Adeptus
Runic Priests are a type of Tech Priest within the Adeptus
Mechanicus, and the term is often used to describe all of the
Mechanicus. Adeptus Mechanicus Runic Priests scribe
Mechanicum’s fighting forces with the exception of the Titan
runes and chant liturgies over machines as part of the Cult
Legions. They protect the Tech-Priests’ expeditions when
Mechanicus' rituals of initiation given to new machinery. A
they venture into hostile regions, and help to guard the forge
Runic Priest is trained in the arcane branches of scientific
worlds, ships, and facilities of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
lore such as intuitive mechanics, speculation, and
When Titan Legions go to war, they are commonly
improvisation. They are famous for their lateral thinking, and
supported by huge numbers of Skitarii (also dismissively
may be called in to solve problems when strict logic and
known as Tech- Guard to outsiders) acting as auxiliary
standard procedure fail.
infantry. the types and classifications of Skitarii vary
immensely from forge world to forge world and even
Servitors between the retinues of individual Techno-Magos. Common
Those without the capacity for knowledge and those who to all Skitarii is an utter devotion to the Cult Mechanicus and
betray the secrets entrusted to them by the Tech-Priests are a willingness to lay down their lives in defense of the Tech-
re-purposed into living machines by the Cult Mechanicus. Priests and their sacred machines.
Servitors are mindless slaves, manufactured from living flesh
and purposeful metal. They lack all volition of their own and The Centurio Ordinatus
are usually programmed only for extremely limited tasks. A
servitor is fitted with specialized prosthetics for their purpose:
The Centurio Ordinatus is the branch of the Adeptus
a cargo hauler might have arms replaced with hooks, for
Mechanicus responsible for the huge siege machines known
example, and legs reinforced with pistons for additional lifting
as Ordinati. Most of the Ordinati were built during the Horus
power. The overwhelming majority of any forge world’s
Heresy, when the Mechanicum turned their most heinous
population are made up of servitors, ranging in form and
technologies upon each other, and represent a level of
function from monotask mining cyborgs and holomats
sophistication unachievable by later generations. After the
(holographic recording units), to Gun Servitors and armored
Heresy many of the giant weapons were lost or abandoned,
Praetorians.
while others were purposefully hidden in secret armories or
remote locations. The Centurio Ordinatus is responsible for
The Collegia Titanica the recovery and operation of all surviving Ordinati. The
rediscovery of an Ordinatus often triggers local civil wars
Probably the most significant military organization of the over its possession due to its incredible power. In these
Adeptus Mechanicus is the Collegia Titanica, more circumstances it is the duty of the Centurio Ordinatus to
commonly called the Titan Legions. Most forge worlds have secure the weapon using any means necessary.
their own Legion, and particularly important worlds often Each Ordinati is a unique weapon of destruction,
have more than one. A Titan Legion is a military force of constructed for a specific purpose or even for a single battle.
almost incomparable power in the galaxy, one that is The Ordinati are named after the planet where they were
capable of protecting or conquering the most sophisticated built to fight, and always carry that name with them in the
worlds. The mere rumor of a Legion being dispatched is rare instances they are transported from one world to
enough to force the retreat or capitulation of most foes. another.
Those who choose to fight must be ready to do so on an
unprecedented scale. The reason for this is simple—the The Legio Cybernetica
sheer might of the Titans themselves.
It is said that when the Emperor first came to Mars, He
The Legio Cybernetica is one of the oldest sub-branches
found that the Tech-Priests had created immense war
of the Adeptus Mechanicus and is responsible for deploying
engines they called Titans. The Titans were great humanoid-
fully autonomous Battle-Automata for both combat duties
shaped fighting machines, bristling with the most potent
and support tasks intended to aid Imperial armed forces in
weapons the Tech-Priests could devise, towering entities
the field. The Legio Cybernetica can trace its lineage to the
that the Cult Mechanicus viewed as being sacred avatars of
time before the birth of the Imperium of Man when Mars was
the Machine God. On the barren expanses of Mars, the
an independent empire ruled by the Tech-priests of the Cult
Titans could step across fissures and stride effortlessly
Mechanicus. Its members regard themselves as an elite

6 The Mandragora Apocrypha

within the ranks of the Mechanicus, as their Legio has a long
history of serving the will of the Emperor of Mankind.
However, many of those within the Legio broke faith with the
Emperor during the Schism of Mars, siding with the
traitorous forces of the Warmaster Horus and fighting
alongside his Traitor Legions throughout the Horus Heresy.
When this conflict ended the Traitor cohorts of the Legio
Cybernetica fled into the Eye of Terror, where they remain to
this day, warped and twisted by their exposure to the power
of Chaos. The remaining Loyalist elements of the Legio
Cybernetica pledged themselves anew to the Imperium, and
its members took binding oaths of loyalty more terrible than
any taken even by the Astartes. Over the millennia since the
Heresy, the Legio Cybernetica has regained the respect and
admiration of the rest of the Adeptus Mechanicus as well as
the other myriad Adepta of the Imperium, though in fact it
has rarely been deployed in recent centuries.
The Ordo Reductor
The Ordo Reductor is a specialized military division of the
Adeptus Mechanicus that makes use of the forbidden
weapons of a bygone age, engaging primarily in siege
warfare. Known to their fellow adherents in the Machine Cult
as the "Bringers of Blessed Ruin", the Ordo Reductor's
sacred role is that of the un-maker, slaughterer and breaker;
they embody the animus of the Omnissiah, its duality not as
a creator or embodiment of knowledge, but as destroyer and
bringer of oblivion. The Ordo Reductor was particularly
active during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy, and
deployed the potent cybernetic shock-troops of the
Mechanicum known as the Thallax.
The Explorator Fleets
Explorators form something of a breed apart in the Cult
Mechanicus, though any Techpriest is free to join their ranks.
Explorators undertake the Quest for Knowledge across the
stars, seeking out undiscovered data and uncatalogued
phenomena, forgotten archeotech hordes and unknown life
forms. Research stations, exploration ships and outposts
any distance from a forge world are likely to be manned by
Explorators, intrepid (most Techpriests would say foolhardy)
adventurers delving in the unexplored reaches of the galaxy.
Explorators have found many of the greatest prizes in the
Quest for Knowledge, and their role in many other affairs has
been key to their success. However, countless Explorators
also meet with grisly deaths in the hostile galaxy they
discover and, on mercifully rare occasions, their ill-conceived
prying has unleashed cataclysmic horrors on Mankind.
The Mandragora Apocrypha
The Quest for Knowledge
Individually and collectively, the Adeptus Mechanicus is
driven by what the Tech-Priests refer to as “the Quest for
Knowledge.” The Quest can take many forms, such as
research and exploration, or scouring ancient worlds for
archeotech, but its ultimate embodiment is in the pursuit of
ancient, near mythological devices known as STC systems.
STC systems were created at the height of the Dark Age of
Technology, when humanity was thought to have colonized
many hundreds of worlds. Some colonies prospered, some
failed, and others failed to achieve more than a subsistence
level existence. However, all of the ancient colonies
consistently maintained a high level of technology, thanks to
a huge database of information they carried from Terra. This
massive storehouse of technical knowledge was called the
Standard Template Construction (STC) system. The STCs
are believed to hold the sum total of human knowledge in the
fields of technical accomplishment and material sciences.
The system included designs for every imaginable device,
from simple agricultural machinery to data-cores and nuclear
power-grids; in theory, every possible advancement a
growing colony might need or eventually aspire to. However,
the early colonists’ needs were simple, and fulfilled with
more conventional power sources and low level
technologies, so these form the majority of the STC data the
Adeptus Mechanicus have retrieved. Little, if any, of the
advanced theoretical knowledge contained in the STC
databanks was ever transcribed into the fragmentary
physical copies that have survived the intervening thousands
of years. No intact STC system has survived into the 41st
Millennium, and very few examples of first-generation STC
design schematics exist. Even so, the vast majority of the
most common weapons, vehicles, and systems in use
throughout the Imperium have been faithfully copied from
ancient STC information. Where such information exists, it is
precious and sacred to its keepers, an artifact that has been
passed down over hundreds of generations. Magos Arkhan
Land is still remembered and celebrated thousands of years
after his death for his discovery of a single STC fragment in
the 31st Millennium. That single fragment yielded
construction templates for the famous Land Raider battle
tank and Land Speeder aerial attack vehicle, both named in
honor of their discoverer.
Wars have been fought and worlds ruined over fragments
of STC data. The Adeptus Mechanicus has pursued any
trace of STC information with truly religious fervor for
thousands of years. For them it is the most holy of texts, a
truly sanctified connection to enlightenment from a lost age.
It is their lost bible, their holy grail, their cup of knowledge.
The slightest rumor of a new discovery or a hidden cache of
STC materials brings multitudes of Tech-Priests to
investigate. Any resistance is apt to bring the full force of the
Adeptus Mechanicus to bear without reference to any kind of
Imperial authority. The Imperium itself is bound by the Treaty
of Mars to ensure that any such discoveries are handed over
to the Tech-Priests, but that has not prevented avaricious
Planetary Governors, Rogue Traders, and even Inquisitors
from ignoring the Treaty for their own gain.
7
 The Sixteen Universal Laws
The ultimate goal of the Cult Mechanicus is to understand
the Omnissiah. The communal and individual attempt of
Mechanicus believers at this is known as the Quest for
Knowledge, and the Cult's followers view this endeavor as
paramount and more important than any other concern.
Generally, the Quest is pursued through scientific and
exploratory endeavors. The Cult believes that all knowledge
already exists, and it is primarily a matter of time before it
can be gathered together to complete the Quest. The
Mechanicus' members are therefore disinclined to perform
much original research, and they consider it more important
to safeguard that knowledge which they already have
accrued and gather more by searching for STC templates
and similar lost pieces of ancient human technology from the
Dark Age of Technology. Some original research does
happen within the Adeptus Mechanicus, although the results
of such endeavors are strictly quarantined for many years
before being disseminated publicly.
To understand a Tech-Priest’s mind is to understand an
intellect that has been manufactured and processed to work
as smoothly and seamlessly as a Cogitator. The purpose of
his being is encapsulated in the tenets of the Adeptus
Mechanicus, his goals and purposes laid out by prior
generations of Tech-Priests attempting to map the perfect
path to enlightenment. Many of these concepts are
embodied in what are called the “Universal Laws” or
sometimes “The Sixteen Universal Laws,” a set of holy
commandments passed down through the centuries.
Whether sixteen “Universal” laws truly exist, and whether all
forge worlds would fully agree upon them, is a subject of
fierce debate, but most of the Universal Laws have been
enshrined and widely proclaimed as core principles of the
Creed Mechanicus.
In the Quest for Knowledge, members are guided by the
Sixteen Universal Laws. The Sixteen Laws, or "lores" are as
follows:
The Mysteries
 The First Universal Law - Life is directed motion.
 The Second Universal Law - The spirit is the spark of
life.
 The Third Universal Law - Sentience is the ability to
learn the value of knowledge.
 The Fourth Universal Law - Intellect is the understanding
of knowledge: The Fourth Law is most commonly
interpreted as stating that the ability to comprehend and
utilize knowledge is the basis for the measurement of
Intellect. It is entirely possible for any sentience to realize
the value of knowledge (or stimulus, as some members of
the Cult Mechanicus might refer to it) while only
possessing simplistic levels of it. It is also possible for an
Archive or Holomat to contain vast quantities of
knowledge and the understanding thereof, without
apprehending the value of that Knowledge. Neither of
these two examples would possess true intellect in the
eyes of a Tech-Priest.
 The Fifth Universal Law - Sentience is the basest form of
Intellect: The so-called Fifth Law is often seen as being
closely related to the Fourth Law. Tech-Priests often view
Sentience as a commonly held trait, and they see it as
only the first “tier” of Intellect, the lowest rung on the
ladder of Understanding. Superior Intellect is generally
agreed to be developed through the acquisition and
understanding of knowledge
 The Sixth Universal Law - Understanding is the True
Path to Comprehension: The concept of “Comprehension”
holds special significance for Tech-Priests. It is often
viewed as a state of transcendence, a level of Intellect
that encompasses all Knowledge.
 The Seventh Universal Law - Comprehension is the key
to all things: The Seventh Law is widely seen as relating
to the Sixth. Debate rages about whether “the Key to all
things” is a literal or figurative expression. Many believe
the Seventh Law means that Comprehension of the forces
of the universe brings with it the keys to reality, the ability
to implement any change or creation desired.
 The Eight Universal Law - The Omnissiah knows all,
comprehends all: The Eighth Law enshrines the
Omnissiah as the supreme being, the entity able to
comprehend all Knowledge in the universe.
The Warnings
 The Ninth Universal Law - The alien mechanism is a
perversion of the True Path: Alien science is twisted and
perverse, a corruption of the pure thought of the Machine
God. Most aliens enslave Machine Spirits to their will
without showing them proper respect, hence their
creations are invariably rebellious, dangerous and corrupt
– rather like bound Daemons in Mechanicus Lore.
 The Tenth Universal Law - The soul is the conscience of
sentience.
 The Eleventh Universal Law - A soul can be bestowed
only by the Omnissiah.
 The Twelfth Universal Law - The Soulless sentience is
the enemy of all life.
 The Thirteenth Universal Law - The knowledge of the
ancients stands beyond question.
 The Fourteenth Universal Law - The Machine Spirit
guards the knowledge of the Ancients.
 The Fifteenth Universal Law - Flesh is fallible, but ritual
honors the Machine Spirit: To a Tech-Priest, organic
components (like people) are weak, forgetful, and
ultimately expendable for the greater glories of the
Machine God. Only the correctly prescribed rituals can
purify the fallibilities of the flesh, and enable the
enlightened to interact with a machine-spirit. It would be a
grave crime for a Tech-Priest to dishonour a machine
spirit by not enacting the proper rituals in its presence.
 The Sixteenth Universal Law - To break with ritual is to
break with faith: As imperfect, organic beings, most Tech-
Priests believe that they must rely on Ritual over
understanding. Every screw turn and button press is
precisely documented for every mechanism they build or
use. There is a strong belief that the slightest deviation
from ritual is an invitation to disaster and will lead to the
unleashing of uncontrollable forces. In matters such as
plasma reactor maintenance rituals, this has been
demonstrably true.

8 The Mandragora Apocrypha

The Xenos Testimenta
Individuals may on occasion break one of the teachings of The Cant Mechanicus
the Mechanicus, through quirk of personality or personal
The Tech-Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus
interpretation, active sabotage of their psyche or incorrect
speak a number of strange dialects that blend the
instruction into the Cult Mechanicus. Often this will cause
machine tongue with those of the wider human race.
great angst within the individual at a later date, suffering the
These include binharic cant, Lingua Technis,
biological equivalent of a repeated error message in his
hexamathic code, noospheric bleed and Novabyte,
mind. This can be cured with reprogramming (or Bio-error
amongst many others. Few outside the Adeptus
Purgation as it is commonly referred to by the Techpriests),
Mechanicus can comprehend these tongues, let alone
but if it is not treated can lead to all manner of psychological
reproduce them. Many Tech-Priests have their jaws
problems, leading to greater and greater heresies. This is no
and throats altered, the better to speak languages that
more evident than in the conflict between the pro-xenos and
were designed only for cogitators to use. Furthermore,
antixenos factions within the Cult Mechanicus. In many ways
each language is replete with internal self-references
this mirrors the Puritan and Radical divide that exists within
and allusions to knowledge that remains unknown to
the Inquisition, but originates not from a philosophical
those outside the order. Their use is forbidden by any
viewpoint, but rather on interpretation of the Sixteen
not of the Cult Mechanicus. A lot of these languages
Universal Laws. As such, in some areas this is an open,
have words and even entire grammatical structures
theological debate, while on some forge worlds such
missing, eroded by the entropy of millennia or
discussion may itself be deemed worthy of castigation. Much
corrupted by scrapcode. They are sourced and re-
of this stems from the contradictions thrown up by the Ninth
imagined from alphabets, lexicons and tongues
Universal Law (often known as the Xenos Testamenta, and
throughout history into an omnibet that only the Tech-
also the Prime Warning).
Priests truly understand. This meta-language is the
The pro-xenos believe that even though it has been
root of the sigils and icons that adorn the warriors and
corrupted, the knowledge to be found within alien
war machines of the Adeptus Mechanicus. More than
technology, and ancient archeotech for that matter, can be
that, it is the foundation of the battle cant they chant to
salvaged for the Quest for Knowledge. Thus comprehension
empower their minions in times of war.
of xenos tech is paramount to the continued mission of the
Lingua-technis, also known as Techna-Lingua, is
Adeptus Mechanicus and should be embraced.
the official language of the Adeptus Mechanicus and
Opposed to these thinkers are the anti-xenos, who believe
its Tech-priests. It is actually a form of binary machine
that the corrupted knowledge within alien technology is no
code that is comprised of bursts of non-random static
different from the knowledge that can be found in honest-to-
emitted through the cybernetic implants present in
goodness human technology. They ridicule the idea that
most Tech-priests of the Mechanicus which cannot be
somehow aliens could be privy to different knowledge to
understood by unaugmented humans. This digital
Humanity, and instead point to the perversions of the
language has been optimized for the rapid
Machine God that have been created as lures away from the
transmission of technical data to other Tech-priests
true path to understanding.
and to provide commands to Servitors and other
There are also those who think that much can be learned
servant machines of the Mechanicum. Even if the
from xeno artifacts in the right conditions, but Techpriests
language's binary code could be translated into a form
are at risk of being immolated in some accident or corrupted
understood by normal humans, it contains multiple
by alien ideas. Many forge worlds officially ban the study of
arcane references and allusions to the secret
alien artifacts, others allow it but only under the most
knowledge held only by devotees of the Cult
rigorous monitoring and restrictions. Nonetheless many
Mechanicus. The Lingua-technis is rarely used in the
Magos study alien artifacts in secret, hoarding their
Imperium outside of the Forge Worlds of the
knowledge for fear of reprisals.
Mechanicus. However, certain elements of the
Just as with the Inquisition, this conflict can sometimes
language can be found to have been integrated into
become physical, and the weight of belief varies widely from
the dialects of Low Gothic spoken on some of the
one forge world to the next, and may even be influenced by
Imperium's more highly industrialized or
the beliefs of the most senior ranking Magi at any given time.
technologically advanced worlds. Since the end of the
Thus a pro-xenos inclined Fabricator General of a forge
Horus Heresy the ability to fully translate Lingua-
world may instigate several programs of research into alien
technis has been a priority for the Inquisition, which is
tech, and direct his Explorators to locate such things for
well-aware of the Mechanicum's autonomous nature
study. By the time the Explorators return, if ever they do, an
and the threat of heresy this presents for the rest of
anti-xenos Fabricator General has ascended to command
the Imperium. However, in over 10,000 standard
and the expedition may well be declared heretical and
years, the Inquisition's best efforts have been
hunted down.
unable to decipher even a rudimentary syntax for
machine language.

The Mandragora Apocrypha 9

 Sects Of The Mandragoran Mechanicus of the Thorian belief present. The Ephraemi Omni Rescriptus
was collected with several other techno-heretical doctrines
and preserved as the Four Unbinaric Codices.
“Bio-chauvinism, and on such a small scale, when it comes
When Gottfriedus Ephraemi was declared excommunicate
to the processing of knowledge, is laughable. Give me any
technologicus, summarily pronounced Heretek, and his
savant you care, and I shall match his worth tenfold with
works condemned as Perdita and heretical his name should
even the most basic of Machine Spirits.”
have become a footnote to the annuls of history. Centuries
-Extract, The Problems of Organic Thinking, Chapter XII
later, during the expulgation of the arch-heretek Granthul
Slake, a Diagnostic Coven was formed to lead an inquiry into
The Priesthood of Mars contains many sub-groups and
the techpriests fall. The coven discovered vast datastores
organizations. These range from the Titan Legions to the
penned by the late Magos detailing advanced forms of
Knight Worlds, from the Theoriticians and Lectors who
forbidden sciences, hinting at Anima Silicus and Proteus
catalogue and excavate ancient knowledge to the
transference. The stores had been corrupted from centuries
Lexmechanics and Calculus Logi who analyze and craft the
of misuse and evidence suggested a cache existed in hiding
holy code-rituals enshrined in the machine altars, from the
with the full, undamaged tracts secreted away. By order from
Electro-Priests and Skitarii who defend the mighty forge
the Fabricator-General of Heraion, a small sect was formed
worlds to the Magos of the Ordo Reductor who eliminate the
to locate the undamaged cache to analyze, catalogue, and
enemies of the Machine God—the methods of serving the
append the knowledge contained therein.
Omnissiah are vast and varied. The Mandragora Sector itself
The Archeoscriptorii, composed of mainly Theoriticians
also encompasses a number of unique additional sects,
and Lectors, began their arduous task. As years grew it
cults, and divisions.
became clear to them that Gottfriedus had been possessed
of remarkable foresight, and had taken great measures to
Archeoscriptorii disperse his knowledge in the hopes of influencing future
During the mid-36th millennium, Magos Ephraemi generations while remaining safe from the prying eyes of the
Gottfriedus of Heraion penned the infamous Omni Mechanicus and the Inquisition. Centuries later, the
Rescriptus, a codex detailing his pursuits in the creation of Archeoscriptorii continue their endeavor, though now for
the 'Omnissiad Alpha and Omega'. The Omni Rescriptus different purposes. The Archeoscriptorians had been eroded,
was not published in Gottfriedus' lifetime and was discovered slowly losing their purpose by each passing century until
post-mortem after its author had been declared they had come to associate and believe the philosophies
Excommunicate Mechanicum and summarily executed. espoused by the heretek whose work they originally sought
Similar to the concepts of the 'God-Incarnate' of the Thorian to destroy. It is the secret desire of their order to bear
faction, the Omni Rescriptus purposes the theory of a divine witness to the realization of the Omnessiah, hungrily seeking
convergence required before the Omnissiah can manifest the completion of a restored copy of the Codex Omni
into the materium and present himself to his faithful Rescriptus.
followers. The first part of this is simple - the knowledge and
consciousness of the Omnissiah himself, while the second is Cult of Cognosticism
the Corpus Machina, the host to receive it. The theorems
A splinter cult formed from the Divisio Psykana of Forge
presented within the codex take the traditional dogma of the
World Shaehol, the cult was condemned excommunicate
Mechanicum liberally. Gottfriedus' codex became heretical
Technologis by the Mandragoran Mechanicus and are
when he espoused the nature of the Emperor - the
especially reviled by the Autonetites of Hepheron. Beyond
Omnissiad Alpha, or All-Knowledge, current corporeal form
dabbling in Dark Tech, these renegades are known to
should be terminated and his spiritual essence transferred to
practice in sophian heresies.
a more suitable and long lasting host so that the Omnissiah
These Tech-Priests have pursued different types of dread
could be freed from the weakness of mortal flesh. By the
Malifica in an effort to disprove the existence of the
39th millennium, there are only 209 leaves of the codex
Omnissiah. This grand endeavor is taken under the belief
surviving.
that, if the Omnissiah were to be definitively disapproved,
Magos Gottfriedus became ever more obsessed with his
the limitations of the laws of Complexity and the Millennium
theorems that it became an inevitable conclusion that he
of dogma could be cast aside fully, allowing Humanity to
would put them to the test. In order to do so, Ephraemi
embrace the full potential of a technological renaissance.
constructed a massive auger array system. While preparing
The cult have focused in combining Abominable Intelligence
to activate summoning algorithms to produce an Abominable
with the essence of the warp, corrupting countless device-
Intelligent super-computer, the Magos drained the power of
patterns and cogitators.
his entire Forge World in order to power his arcane devices.
The Cult of Cognosticism has been known to associate
Insane enough at the best of times, Gottfriedus' timing
with the fallen Archeoscriptorii, whose goals are
couldn't have been worse - the sudden loss of power brought
complimentary to their own. Among their atrocities include
the swift attention of the Fabricator-General. Shortly after an
the Oculus Technum, the culling of Granthul Slake, and the
investigation, Gottfriedus was stripped of his bionics and
Idiot's Lantern of Nar-Sheptha.
repurposed for duty after being declared Heretek. Due to
politicking of the time, the Magos' works were not destroyed
in the process but instead stored in the vaults of the Grand
Palace of Hecuba on behest of an Ordo Machinum Inquisitor

10 The Mandragora Apocrypha

Khamrians
Amongst the Mechanicus, there exists a certain fear of
sentient machinery – A.I., or 'Abominable Intelligence'. This
fear of A.I. harks back to the Dark Age of Technology, during
which time depraved and bizarre sciences were practiced,
and sentient machines battled their human masters for
supremacy. Since that time, and owing to a decree by the
Emperor himself, it has been forbidden to dabble in the
creation or maintenance of machines that can think fully for
themselves. During the late 34th millennium, however, a
recently ordained and brilliant Magos by the name of Degio
Khamrios was to covertly circulate research he had carried
out on the subject of Abominable Intelligence. His words
carried with them such conviction that a small body of like-
minded Tech Priests were to join with him, dabbling in the
forbidden sciences. By the end of his first century as a
Magos, Khamrios was confident that his theories were ready
for publishing to the Adeptus Mechanicus as a whole.
He had severely misjudged his brethren's opinions upon
the matter, and within months was a hounded fugitive.
Eventually he was brought to heel, but only after much effort
on the parts of the Inquisition, Mechanicus, and at one stage
the Iron Hands Chapter. He was taken into Mechanicus
custody, and his fate is unknown to this day. Despite this,
certain unorthodox Tech Priests still express a desire to
perform research in the field of Abominable Intelligence,
hoping to harness and improve upon ancient examples they
uncover in dusty and forgotten places. Some even attempt to
copy the examples they find, and so produce for themselves
intelligent robotic servants. Should they ever succeed in
producing their heretical creations en masse, the dark days
of the Iron Men could return.
Whole legions of thinking machine-warriors had risen up
and opposed humanity then - who could say that the same
could not happen again?
Imperio-Cognisticians
The Mechanicus' Quest for Knowledge can be defined as
much an inner, spiritual journey as it can be a physical one.
Too many Tech Priests, especially those too old or otherwise
occupied to actually venture forth into the stars themselves,
this very idea holds a great appeal. To them, it is not so
much in the action of searching, but in the more mundane
tasks of everyday data-inputting, repairing, Enginseering,
and a million other tasks that the Quest for Knowledge ever
comes closer to its conclusion. To these members of the
Adeptus Mechanicus, sometimes referred to as the Imperio-
Cognisticians, the Imperium is nothing but a giant super-
computer, ever processing more data in its task that will
ultimately lead it to deliver all knowledge.
This is most often referred to as the Divine Processing
Routine. The followers of this belief are often seen as
traditionalists, and a little too conservative for their own
good. Unless directly called for, such as in response to
armed hostility, things such as change or upheaval are
regarded unnecessary for the benefit of the computing
process.
They regard themselves as anti-viruses in a galaxy full of
corrupted programming (the Dark Mechanicus and forces of
Chaos), and xenotic viruses, and for this reason regard
The Mandragora Apocrypha
anything apart from their own technology as contaminated
and dangerous to use. The only acceptable form of change
that they may instigate is that of upgrading.
When working within the scope of such a large 'computer'
as the Imperium, this can range from the personal act,
whereby a Tech Priest may incorporate a new memory chip
into his brain, to the conquest of new worlds that may better
increase the 'memory' of the Imperium, and so provide more
material for a faster processing of data to bring the Quest for
Knowledge to a satisfactory end. Even then, the most
extreme of the Imperio-Cognisticians see this as too much
change to the Divine Processing Routine, and will seek to
hinder it at any opportunity.
Omnissiads
There is a movement within the Mechanicus not unlike
that of the Inquisitorial Thorians. Theirs is a philosophy
considered highly dangerous by their brethren, a philosophy
in which the summoning of either the Omnissiah (the
Mechanicus' term for the Emperor), or the Machine God
himself into a pre-built, or extensively modified, Avatar, is
greatly desired so that he might lead the Tech Priests on to
the end of their Quest for Knowledge. Though the majority of
this faction may be united in purpose, these members of the
Mechanicus differ greatly in method.
Some may seek out the most able of their mind-scrubbed
servitors, so that they may create a host of both flesh and
metal for their Machine God. There are Genetors that grow
monstrous creatures, that they consider absolute organic
perfection, in great bio-vats, or even darker, those that may
pursue an entirely mechanical construct, touching upon the
dark and forbidden arts of Abominable Intelligence. To the
Adeptus Mechanicus, this is on par with the soliciting of
daemonic entities so reviled by Inquisitors of a Puritan (or
sane) state of mind.
Unsurprisingly, this particular tenet results in its adherents
maintaining and fostering close relationships with other
likeminded philosophies, such as the aforementioned
Thorians, Horusians, and other Resurrectionist Cults that
may provide assistance in the great endeavor to make the
Machine God walk amongst his followers. It is for this reason
that the Inquisition knows so much about the Omnissiads
and has formed numerous secretive pacts with the
Mechanicus in the name of eradicating the heretical
sentiment of summoning Deities.
Nihiluminaries of the Shaehol Technoclasm
A relatively new sect that formed within the already
miniscule sect of Techsorcists, the Nihiluminaries consider
themselves pallbearers of a secret truth; within the twisted
and warped code of corrupt machine-spirits there exists
echoes of a source code that the sect believes to be divine
instructions from the Omnissiah. By exorcising the corruption
and rot, they believe they can piece together the patterns to
deliver an explication of the Omnissiah's will.
The sect has attracted the scrutiny of the Magisterium
Prefectus of Forge World Shaehol due to their reluctance to
submit to neuro-cleansing, and more troubling, a refusal to
submit their works to the Machine Altar. It is their belief that
the sacred message they will bear witness to will never
11
 come to pass if they must continuously expunge their
progress. It is only their claims of delayance, rather than
refusal, that appeases their peers for the time being. Fearing
the potential of Omnissiad heresies, the Magisterium
nonetheless keeps a heavy watch on the sect.
Omnicopaeian Observants
There exists a whispered legend among the Mechanicus,
ranging far throughout the Imperium - the Omnicopaeia.
Rumored to be an artifact of the Dark Age of Technology, it
is believed to be a mechanism that contains every Standard
Template Construct blueprint created by the ancients. This
legend resonates deeply with the countless generations of
Explorators who ply the uncharted regions beyond the reach
of the Imperium, and an informal order has risen among their
ranks known as the Omnicopaeians.
Within their ranks there is a fraction of their order who
dispute the claim that the Omnicopaeia is a master-template
construct. These priests believe the Omnicopaeia was a
name given to the Great Architect, the first of the Artilect (or
better known as the Iron Men). The Great Architect was the
one who uncovered boarder-space physiks, the warp, turned
this knowledge to its (and Humanity's) advantage. It was this
same Artilect that heralded the knowledge of the
Omnessiah, knowledge that was far beyond mortal
comprehension.
What separates this order from other Omnissiad factions
is that they do not believe in the construction of a vassal for
the Omnessiah; Instead, they believe the Great Architect
went into a deep slumber and will return to herald the
wisdom and knowledge of the Machine God once more.
Content to observe the signs and portents leading to this
momentous event.
The Omnicopaeian Observants do not concern
themselves with dalliances or distractions from their duties,
earning their odd (and potentially heretical) beliefs a
modicum of acceptance. Across the void, plying ancient
worlds and heathen stars, these Explorators are seldom
called into question.
Organicists
At first, this philosophy may seem most out of place in an
organization that is based upon the use of so much
machinery and metal. For most of the Mechanicus, flesh is
weak and a hindrance in most aspects – but not so to this
faction. The tenet of the Organicists sees biological matter
as simple machinery in another guise. The brain is stylized
as a complex computer and the body's diverse workings as a
biological apparatus.
This philosophy's followers, as could be expected, are
mostly Genetors and members of the Divisio Biologis,
studying and improving upon organic matter to improve it in
all possible ways, growing all sorts of weird and terrible
creations in their bio-vats. Where a typical Tech Priest may,
at various stages of their career, 'upgrade' themselves with
bionic limbs, data-repositories, and all sorts of other
cyberware, an Organicist is far more likely to implant into
themselves various glands, increase their muscle mass with
stimms, and enhance their senses with laboratory-grown
specimens.
12 The Mandragora Apocrypha
The majority of Organicists do not reject the ideas of their
brethren simply on the basis of their preference for metal
instead of flesh. In some cases, Organicists may even prefer
to make use of bionics themselves; it is simply that they do
not reject biological components out of hand. It is for their
acceptance of machinery, where they choose organic
substitutes that, whilst considered bizarre, the Organicists
are not persecuted by the Adeptus Mechanicus (along with
their proficiency where it comes to servicing older Magos'
remaining biological components).
Techsorcists
A little-understood sect that acquires only a handful of
recruits every few years, the Techsorcists occupy an
unusual role amongst the Calixian Mechanicus. Techsorcists
possess a deep understanding of the effects of the Warp
upon technology and machine-spirits. They also have a
particular interest in the tech-heresy of the Empyric Device,
and are often involved in investigations of suspected
technology that channels Warp energy.
Magos Eremor created the Techsorcists in 824.M36. The
Magos had directed his Explorator fleet to pass through a
region of space then known as the Calyx Expanse. A chance
meeting with Rogue Trader Solomon Haarlock led the two
forces to jointly explore a newly emerged space hulk, named
Fatum Posterus. The expedition ended with deep misgivings
in the Magos’ heart regarding the role of technology and the
corruptive nature of the Warp. From that moment, the Magos
dedicated his research to the task, and began teaching his
Tech-Adepts in methods to identify and cast out unclean
machine-spirits. Eremor believed that once the true code of
a corrupt machine-spirit is known, it can be recorded in a
sealed data-vault, so that it may forevermore be banished
from the pure machine.
Many Techsorcists are lost or mind-cleansed in the line of
duty, and their association with the Inquisition—specifically,
the Ordo Malleus—renders the sect highly unpopular with
Arch-Magi of the Mandragoran Mechanicus. Techsorcists
are trained in the use of special electrogrammatic wards and
meme-chants to clear their minds of corruption. However, as
a precaution, all Techsorcists are forbidden from uploading
their knowledge to the Machine Altar without extensive trials
and neuro-cleansing.
The Lost Divisio Electromagneticus
The Heraion-Trilian Covenant of Mandragora maintain a
divisione of their order not found across the rest of the
Sectors Terriblis, the Divisio Electromagneticus. The electro-
priests of the forge worlds of Heraion and Trilia do not
ascribe to the philosophies of the Corpuscarii or Brotherhood
of Petrified Lightning, maintaining a more pragmatic
understanding and utilization of their fields of mastery.
Insistent that they are the inheritors of the original
philosophies of the electro-priest orders, they have come
under scrutiny by their contemporaries that have moved into
the sector over the last few centuries.
Heresies of the Mandragoran Mechanicus
“Heresy is a subjective term – only you who are in fear of the
Iron Messiah's righteous gaze wish this work to cease. In His
name, I shall see this is never so!”
- Last recorded words of Pater Machinae Dorylbus,
Techno-heretic
The strictures and dictates of the Adeptus Mechanicus are
many and harsh; they form a labyrinthine and iron-clad code
that defines every aspect of the lives of the Omnissiah’s
priesthood, including their outlook and practices. Their
purpose is as simple as it is unwavering: to control and
regulate knowledge and its use, stifle blasphemous
innovation, and above all maintain the Machine Cult’s
stranglehold on the Imperium’s technology. To become a
heretic by that phrase’s purest definition is to abandon this
code, at least in the Tech-priest’s private thoughts. It is to
embrace individual innovation, experimentation, and free will
and stray from the path ordained by the teachings of the
Archmagos Doctrinal. For a Tech-priest to do so is every bit
as rare, as radical and heretical as a Confessor of the
Adeptus Ministorum straying from the Imperial Creed, and
the consequences for those that do stray, should their
deviation be discovered, is every bit as harsh.
Listed below are the various ways a member of the
Adeptus Mechanicus of Mandragora may be declared
excommunicated by the Cult Mechanicus.
Heresies Dictatus
Many tech priests can come to become divorced from the
confines of their cult orthodoxy for a variety of reasons, the
most common of which includes the simple exercising of
their free will away from the structured environments of the
Machine God’s domains. Such heresy is particularly
prevalent among those Tech-priests who serve in the
Explorator cadres or are assigned to the Inquisition’s
service. The consequences of self-reliance and forced
adaptation in the field away from help can affirm the
Omnissian faith for some Tech-priests, but for others it can
lead them increasingly to question and to innovate in order
to overcome adversity and seek their own answers. Others
stray from the doctrines of the Mechanicus for darker
reasons, such as personal ambition and the obsessive quest
for power and knowledge which will allow them no respite
and lead them to increasingly rail against the narrow
confines of the Cult Mechanicus’ approved technologies and
patterns.
Heresy of Progressionism
Progressionist heresy is based on the belief that the
technology used by the Imperium is imperfect and flawed
and needs to be somehow improved by personal design.
These heretics feel that their own logic and intelligence is not
only capable of improving the technologies currently used,
but that it is within their rights to actually question the very
basics of Imperial dogma and systems. In its more harmless
form these heresy is dabbling with improving existing
devices and technologies. However, the most dangerous
The Mandragora Apocrypha
Progressionist heretics are developing whole new designs
and technologies and in their misplaced hubris actually claim
that their own inventions are superior to tried and true
Imperial technologies.
Sophian Heresy
Sophian heretics believe that all information, no matter
how dangerous or blasphemous, should be free to all men.
Many of them have embarked in this philosophy out of
genuine belief that they are helping mankind by distributing
forbidden lore to warn and educate the masses. However, in
order to do so they often fall into the trap of yearning to learn
more and more of this forbidden lore themselves which in
turn leads to many of them being irreversibly corrupted by
knowledge of daemonic or xeno origins. The most extreme
of these heretics have lost all sense precaution and
distribute forbidden texts to anyone capable of reading them
with no heed of the horrifying consequences.
Heresies Technologicus
Even among the unusually open-minded Explorators of
the Adeptus Mechanicus, there are subjects which must be
avoided at all cost to remain true to the dictates of the
Machine God. Tech-heresy is often interpreted differently
across the galaxy and there are many common schemes
that the Mechanicus often label as such. The masters of the
Mandragoran Mechanicus have placed their own stamp
upon the tolerance and definitions of tech-heresy; for
example, acquiring and studying xenos technology is rarely
considered such, due to the particular focus on Explorator
matters. The High Fabricators of the Mandragoran Synods
decree the following to be tech-heresy across the
Mandragora Sector, though this is, of course, not a complete
listing.
Empyric Engines
This tech-heresy involves studying and constructing the
device-patterns of the Archenemy. To the Mandragoran
Mechanicus, any technology that touches upon or
manipulates the Warp, such as the hallowed Gellar field that
protects voidships during Warp transit, is to be considered
cautiously and is often suspect, for any malfunction or
deviation can spell disaster. Thus, tech that directly seeks to
channel and direct the corruption of the Warp is tech-heresy
of the worst sort and is often seen as a direct link to
apostasy. Using technology to bind a Daemon is but one
example of this tech-heresy
Engines of Destruction
Weapons are the foremost goal and desire of many tech-
heretics, whether it’s the discovery or theft of heavily
restricted designs—such as atomics or the dread life-eater
virus used as a tool of Exterminatus, the acquisition of
sophisticated relics like the secrets to creating the induction
coils used in plasma weapons, or the pursuit of alien designs
of terrible power.
13
 Gene Pollution
There are many amongst the Mandragoran Mechanicus,
particularly Magos Biologis, who are devout to the belief that
the form of Man is, in itself, to be revered. This creed states
that the gene-structure of humanity is as the Emperor
intended it—any unnecessary alterations to the human
gene-code is, therefore, anathema. The exact definition of
what is “unnecessary” meddling has waxed and waned over
the centuries, but there are currently many amongst the
Mandragoran Synods who cast great doubt upon even the
smallest changes.
Gholam and other Forbidden Fleshworks
A Gholam is an artificial construct made primarily of flesh
and synthetic tissue by the arts of a gene-sculptor. Although
a widespread technology within the Adeptus Mechanicus,
many branches of this lore are considered heretical and
forbidden. These, in particular, include so-called “Murder
Gholams”—horrific organic fabrications solely intended for
violence, and homonculites—bio-forms fashioned from
harvested human organs, alchemical serums, and vat-grown
tissue in the shape of a living thing with no natural origin.
Rarer creations include “Chimerics”—strange amalgam
creatures that combine many sources of DNA to form twisted
monstrosities with utterly unpredictable results, forced
psychic mutation, and unspeakable “slaver parasites”—
artificial organic grafts that subvert the will and the bodily
functions of those unfortunates they are inflicted upon.
According to sacred legend, such fleshworks were
forbidden by the word of the Emperor during the days of the
Great Crusade in response to the horrors that he and his
superhuman warriors encountered in the wars to end the
Age of Strife.
Malifica
Perhaps the darkest and most arcane of all sciences is
the technology created to manipulate the energies of the
warp or psychic force. A necessary evil for the Imperium and
a cornerstone of its existence, it is a dangerous and volatile
field of study. At the outer regions of the accepted uses and
patterns of this tech lie terrible devices and desires, and the
melding of daemonic spirits with machinery and the
channeling of the raw power of the empyrean through
technology has long been a thing forbidden by the
Mechanicus. For those reckless or insane enough, the
temptation to pursue such dark experiments is great, offering
the possibility of creativity and function unfettered by reason
or the surly bonds of the universe’s physical laws.
The Curse of Unliving
The Calixian Mechanicus refers to the protean
engineering for returning life to the dead as the tech-heresy
Unliving. Adapting technology to raise or communicate with
the dead is considered vile by the Cult Mechanicus, and is to
be stamped out wherever it is encountered.
14 The Mandragora Apocrypha
The Proteus Protocol
Considered little more than a myth by many but the
ultimate goal of an obsessed few, the Proteus Protocol is an
ancient and heretical technology for transferring not only the
engramatic knowledge and memory of an organic brain, but
also the personality and will, granting in effect complete
mental and spiritual immortality in an artificial physical form.
Of the few legends that surround this tech, some state that
the abominations created are soulless beings with dark
desires and alien hungers that can never be satiated.
However, these warnings often fail to deter the Protocol’s
most ardent seekers.
The Silica Animus
An artificial mind (rather than a simple cogitator) created
from forbidden technologies, tradition holds that such unholy
constructs are inherently evil and a perverted abomination in
the sight of Omnissiah. Mechanicus doctrine states that the
machine spirit of a Silica Animus is a twisted mockery of the
soul of man, treacherous and insane. Ancient texts tell
apocryphal stories, shrouded in metaphor, of such
murderous and powerful creations during the Dark Age, and
the legions of iron men that served them, blaming them in
part for many of the terrible wars that laid humanity low in
that lost time.
Transgenic Blasphemy
This field of research embodies the techno-heresy of
combining xenos gene-matter or surgical grafts with human
organic matter. It is an utterly forbidden practice, considered
both a pollution of the divine pattern by the Adeptus
Mechanicus and outright blasphemy by the Imperial Cult.
Lesser Tech-Heresies
The true nature of what constitutes tech-heresy is vague
enough that it can encompass a truly wide variety of subject
and activities. Generally speaking, in the Mandragora Sector
there are several definite actions that are considered
amongst the lesser tech-heresies (called such because they
do not fall under one of the other major categories).
Misuse of Technology
An extremely broad category, this usually refers to the
adaptation of technology to a use other than that for which it
was intended. Such misuse can be as simple as otherwise
innocent technology used against the Adeptus Mechanicus
rather than for it, transmitting blasphemies against the
Omnissiah through a vox-network, or even abusing a
chronically recalcitrant machine-spirit (such as venting one’s
frustration with the offending machine in the presence of a
Tech-Priest). Naturally, due to the imprecise nature of this
category, it is easily misunderstood and rarely draws major
attention from the Mandragoran Mechanicus.
Unsanctioned Communion with the Machine
The influence of the Mechanicus Synods can be quite
powerful on the attitudes and outlooks of the Tech-
priesthood at large within the Mandragoran Sector. For the
lay citizen (one not belonging to the Mandragoran
Mechanicus) to craft unsanctioned augments, or scavenge
technology has been declared tech-heresy. This policy has
sought to go so far as to also include interfering with or
harming a Tech-Priest’s person, but that has yet to be fully
adopted. The extent of this particular category is replete with
a complex set of precedents and exceptions that only those
within the Cult Mechanicus could truly understand.
Uninitiated Civilizations
Frequently, there are civilizations that take the form of
extended clans that share their knowledge only through their
blood relatives, maintaining a level of understanding about
ancient technologies or local Warpspace conditions that
astounds outsiders. The Adeptus Mechanicus is particularly
sensitive to the existence of such heathen collectives and
press other Imperial authorities to mobilize and capture or kill
them as a matter of priority
Heresies Mechanicus
Violating the edicts and doctrines of the Cult Mechanicus
are severe, but there exist certain criteria that are beyond
anathema to the ruling Synods of the Cult Mechanicus.
Those who commit transgressions against the cult itself are
deemed abhorrent and irredeemable, reviled and cast out
from the Mechanicus itself. Those fully cast out are labeled
heretek, and if not caught and sentenced promptly can
cause untold numbers of atrocities and abominations to
threaten the security of the Imperium itself.
Censure Betrayal of the Cult Mechanicus
Simply put, all those who break a pact with the Adeptus
Mechanicus are to be reviled. Any apostates of the
Omnissiah, outcasts or exiles, and especially those who
dare truck with the daemonic, must be given no assistance,
no quarter, and no mercy.
False Denominations
Some transgressors to the Machine Cult may be bold
enough to develop entirely new technologies, combining
components in forbidden manners to produce the ultimate
tech-heresy for many in the Cult Mechanicus -- innovation.
They may go as far as sharing the tools of his trade and the
secrets of its ways with those who have not been trained in
the mysteries of the Machine God. By spreading the taint of
techno-heresy to outsiders of the Mechanicus, the monopoly
held by the Mechanicus is weakened, and the protective
restrictions of the Omnessiah are disregarded or outright
abandoned. These unsanctioned denominations
enthusiastically violate all such strictures, exploring xenos
technology, archeotech from the Dark Age of Technology,
and dabbling in all facets of technology related to the
manipulation of the Warp.
The Mandragora Apocrypha
Maletek Incarna
Not all Chaos rituals are matters of what might be
considered "pure warpcraft." There also exists a dark and
forbidden strain of technological lore which deals in the
manipulation of the Warp long proscribed by the Adeptus
Mechanicus. This corrupted science lurks as a nightmarish
shadow that perverts the empirical understanding of the
universe with the insane Maletek Incarna of the Dark
Mechanicus. Such Incarna, though blessedly rare, are every
bit as dangerous as a Chaos Sorcerer's summonings and
often far more insidious, able to corrupt signals, possess
circuits, mutate metal, and sunder physical laws in terrifying
patterns.
The Price Of Heresy
Those condemned for tech-heresy face a variety of
punishments, depending not only on the severity of their
actions but also their accusers. Minor slights that do not
draw untoward attention might only result in loss of resource
access or, more often, exile to the far regions of the
Mandragora Sector, there for the Tech-Priest to reflect on
the nature of his incorrect thoughts. These often include
actions not technically heretical, but against the current
tenets of the Council or moduli-scholem of the Mandragoran
hierarchies; such apostasies result in the individual being
labeled Malatek.
More serious heresies require greater punishments, such
as permanent removal of blessed augmentations, cranial
scouring, and corrective re-engramation, all followed with the
heretic’s formal declarations to the Mechanicus on the errors
of their ways.
The most serious crimes demand the most serious of
punishments, with mere cessation of thought and bodily
disposal being the least imposed. Those found guilty of
heresies that would shake the Mandragoran Synods are
often sentenced in closed tribunals, the better to ensure that
others do not learn such heresies exist. Their fate is often
Servitude Imperpituis, and their minds are destroyed as their
bodies are transformed into base servitors for the rest of
their wretched lives. Especially heretical Tech-Priests might
be sent to the horrors of a Data-Cryptum first, so that every
possible datum can be extracted from their brains, the better
to root out the extent of their heresies. Such is the will of the
Machine God, and the will of those who rule in his name.
15
 Homeworld: Explorator Fleet
May your weapons be guarded against malfunction, as your soul is
guarded from impurity. The Machine God watches over you. Unleash
the weapons of war.
- Chant for the Prevention of Malfunction
he Quest for Knowledge has long carried the Tech-
Priests far into the depths of the hostile void, far outside of
charted areas of the galaxy. The Explorator fleets are those
tasked with the highly perilous task of entering unexplored
regions to analyze and catalogue them, securing important
data or artifacts by force if necessary. Wilderness space
harbors many secrets such as lost colonies, wrecked ships,
alien ruins, and hidden repositories of knowledge. Explorator
fleets often spend centuries at a time away from their home
forge worlds, working their way methodically through a star
cluster or nebula. Only the discovery of something truly
significant brings the fleet back early. More often, an
Explorator fleet vanishes into the unforgiving black, only
years of silence betraying its fate and prompting the dispatch
of another fleet to the same area centuries later.
The deep void harbors many dangers. There are aliens,
fugitives, and renegades that would destroy an Explorator
fleet on sight just for the vast haul of technological plunder it
represents. There are lost colonies that do not desire to be
rediscovered, perhaps wishing to continue their own petty
fiefdom and not return to the Imperium’s fold, or worshipping
heathen gods that would bring the fires of the Ministorum
upon them. There are uncharted natural and unnatural
phenomena that can wreck a fleet, or strand it for an eternity.
The number of ships the Adeptus Mechanicus dispatches
on such quests amount to only a fraction of those in service
with the Imperium, but they are exceptionally well-protected
and well armed. Perhaps the best example of this is the
near-legendary Ark Mechanicus, a class of ship with more
firepower, greater range, and significantly stronger defenses
than any Imperial battleship operating today. Such is the
power of the Machine God and his servants in the holy
pursuit of knowledge.
Life among the Mechanicus
Although often held to be planet-spanning factories, as
much as half of a forge world owned by the Adeptus
Mechanicus is primarily given over to huge repositories of
technical knowledge. These immense libraries and
databanks of information are highly eclectic and
disorganized, so that one may find a crystal storage device
containing information on biogenetic engineering next to a
scroll covered with designs for steam locomotives.
Techpriests are a holy order that worships the Machine God
and the intimate knowledge of technology that he holds.
They jealously guard their independence, and even the
Inquisition will not lightly interfere with or recklessly
investigate the Mechanicus on one of their own forge worlds.
It is ordered in a strong hierarchy, but details on what form
this takes are not made widely available to those who have
15 The Mandragora Apocrypha
Homeworld:
Explorator Fleet Rules
A character from an Explorator Fleet applies the
following benefits during character creation:
Characteristic modifiers
+ Intelligence, + Perception, – Fellowship
Fate Threshold
3 (Emperor’s Blessing 3+)
Home World Bonus
Fit for Purpose: A character from an Explorator Fleet
treats his Carrying, Lifting, and Pushing thresholds as
if his sum of SB and TB were two higher to determine
his maximum weight values.
Home World Aptitude
Intelligence
Wounds
An Explorator Fleet character starts with 8+1d5
wounds.
Recommended Backgrounds
Adeptus Mechanicus, Imperial Guard,
Imperial Navy, Rogue Trader Fleet
not been so indoctrinated. Generally, more highly positioned
techpriests are expected to have more seniority and
knowledge than lower ones, and are consequently more
important as greater repositories of knowledge.
To the Techpriests, flesh is merely an inconvenience;
weak and frail in comparison to the mighty pistons, gears
and chains of machinery. It must be sustained artificially
beyond a certain point and, if one is to make most use of it,
much of it needs replacing by newly grown parts or, more
preferably, manufactured limbs, organs and systems. Their
brains incorporate devices known as memo chips, ingrams
or electrografts, which allow their memories to store an
incredible amount of information and access it quickly. They
are often fitted with a variety of neural plugs which allow
them to .jack in. to the network of a terminal or machine,
becoming part of its operating or control system. It is not
uncommon for the most senior Techpriests to have entire
limbs replaced with more functional devices, such as lifting
arms, augur arrays and weapons. The most aged of the
Adeptus Mechanicus are many, many centuries old, kept
alive by horrifically produced anti-agapic elixirs which
nourish the few parts of mortal flesh left on their bodies,
although the wealth of knowledge and experience crammed
into their brains has entirely divorced them from reality and
driven them mad.
The lowest ranks of Techpriest have mainly maintenance
and construction duties, but as a Tech-adept progresses and
acquires greater knowledge, he is relieved from day to day
tasks to study ancient texts and learn the greatest mysteries
and techniques. Thus, the Adeptus Mechanicus endeavors
to maintain this position of absolute knowledge and
authority, and a Techpriest who feels that this is threatened
will go to any lengths to protect his power, including murder,
extortion, kidnapping, sabotage and terrorism. After many
decades of service, techpriests may be elevated to the rank
of Magos, from where they may begin service in one of the
many sub-sect Divisios and factions within the Cult. It is the
Fabricator-General that is the highest-ranking member of the
Adeptus Mechanicus on any given forge world, serving as its
de-facto planetary governor. His authority is exceedingly
great, and in fact the Fabricator-General of Mars holds a
permanent seat among the High Lords of Terra. However,
among the lower ranks of Techpriests, held in highest regard
are the Magos Explorator.
The Quest for Knowledge
The Cult Mechanicus follow Sixteen Universal Laws,
which define their existence. Possibly the most revealing is
the Eight Universal Law: The Omnissiah knows all,
comprehends all, the Omnissiah is the Supreme Being, the
entity able to comprehend all knowledge in the universe. To
fully understand the Machine God is the ultimate,
overarching goal of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and so they
strive to attain enlightenment through their studies and
biological/mechanical symbiosis. The communal and
personal attempt at this form of enlightenment is known as
the Quest for Knowledge. The Cult believes that all
knowledge already exists in the universe, and it is primarily a
matter of time before it can be gathered together to complete
the Quest. Much of this lost knowledge is widely believed to
reside in the form of the now-lost STC’s, and no effort will be
spared to pursue any lead that may reveal the existence of
an even partially-functioning STC system. The Cult is
therefore disinclined to perform much basic research and
development. Despite this, some original scientific research
does continue on Mars and the other Forge Worlds of the
Imperium, enough to keep Imperial technology advancing
steadily, if extremely slowly.
To this end it are the Magi Explorator that seek out this
information. Obsessed with the quest for knowledge, they
search high and low across the known galaxy for lost
Standard Template Constructs and ancient archeotech.
They view this endeavor as paramount as and more
important than any other concern, and is considered by them
to be among the most vital missions of its space fleet. A
breed apart from regular techpriests, any Explorator or
member of his team will willingly walk into forgotten
catacombs, even at risk of death, for snippets of long-
forgotten knowledge. Toward this end the Adeptus
Mechanicus have at their disposal a large fleet of starships.
Because the Quest for Knowledge can involve long, arduous
forays into unexplored space, it is important that they be
heavily armed and armored. This is not only for their own
protection from those who covet their technology but to
engage in combat when necessary to secure vital data or
artifacts that may prove crucial to the Quest. Though the
total number of ships the Adeptus Mechanicus has at its
The Mandragora Apocrypha
disposal dispersed among its many forge worlds is far
outnumbered by that of the Imperial Navy, it goes without
saying that those responsible for all starship construction
reserve for themselves among the most powerful and best-
equipped warships encountered anywhere in the Imperium.
Explorator Characters
Explorators themselves tend towards a greater
independence of mind and inquisitive thought than
adherents of the Machine Cult in more sheltered roles, and
they often have their own secret agendas and arts far
beyond those of their more pedestrian peers. Many tech-
adepts, particularly of the more junior and provincial variety,
regard the Explorators as dubious outsiders, prone to stray
beyond the bounds of the arcane dogma and rigidly
adhered-to precepts laid down by the inviolable teachings of
the Machine Cult. Whether or not this is true, it is
undoubtedly the case that amongst the adherents of the Cult
Mechanicus it is they who are the most likely to be exposed
to the proscribed technologies of the alien and the sins of the
dark past. In truth, Explorators are on the frontline of perils
few can understand. There are more than a few Explorators
who, in their desire to uncover the secrets of the universe,
have fallen prey to some xenos dogma and turned from the
rigid doctrine of the weight Universal Laws, have become
corrupted by warp twisted engramatic code and lost their
souls to the abyss of Chaos, or have simply been driven
mad from knowing too much.
Yet, the risks are worth the rewards, and Explorators have
found many of the greatest prizes in the Quest for
Knowledge, and their role in many other affairs has been key
to their success and the Imperium’s survival. However,
countless Explorators have met with grisly deaths in the
hostile galaxy they explore, and on mercifully rare occasions,
their ill-conceived prying has unleashed cataclysmic horrors
on Mankind.
Sample Explorator Fleet: The Heraion
Explorator Fleet
The Explorator Fleets of Forge World Heraion are
preliminary in the Mandragora Sector, allying with the warrior
clades of their covenant with Trilia. Regularly maintaining the
bastions of Imperial Navy vessals and fleet ships of the
Adeptus Terra of Mandragora, the Heraion forgemasters are
experts in the intricacies of void ship constructs. As a result,
the Heraion Explorator Fleet is regularly sent into the
uncharted deep voids within and without the Mandragora
Sector itself in its perpetual quest for knowledge, and it has
been responsible for many great and grim discoveries in the
annuals of the Mandragora Sector's darkened histories.
17
 Background: Skitarii
Background:
‘The machine spirit guards the knowledge of the ancients. Flesh is
fallible, but ritual honours the machine spirit. To break with ritual is to
Skitarii Rules
break with faith.’ A character with the Skitarii Background applies the
following benefits during character creation:
- The Warnings, Tenets of the Adeptus Mechanicus
Starting Skills
he Skitarii are the bionic heart of the Adeptus Athletics, Awareness, Common Lore (Adeptus
Mechanicus), Dodge, Linguistics (Techna-Lingua)
Mechanicus’ legions. Their tireless legions defend the forge
worlds of the Imperium, annihilate the enemies of the Tech-
Priests, and fight at the vanguard of the Quest for
Starting Talents
Knowledge. As the technocracy of the Cult Mechanicus Weapon Training (Low-Tech, Solid Projectile)
extends its reach into the stars, the cybernetic Skitarii are
always at the fore. Starting Traits
Mechanicus Implants
Role within the Imperium
Starting Equipment
Underneath their augmetic battleware, the warriors of the Mechanicus Robes, Autogun (or Sword and
Skitarii Legions are still technically human, yet each has Autopistol), Good Craftsmanship Bionic Replacement
been mutilated, dismembered and extensively rebuilt to
better serve the Omnissiah’s will. Their manifold
Background Bonus
augmentations ensure not only their lethality, but also their
Eternal Vigilance: When attacking, the Skitarii
utmost obedience. Neurosync implants allow the strictly
ordered Skitarii cohorts to fight in perfect concert, each Character can replace any results of 1 or 2 on damage
rolls with his Intelligence Bonus instead.
maniple permanently uplinked to their masters via invisible
streams of information. To compare a maniple of Skitarii to a
platoon of Imperial Guardsmen is to compare a well-oiled Background Aptitude
gatling gun to a simple iron hammer. The Skitarii do not Offence or Finesse
simply crush their foes, but instead pitilessly blast them into
bloody chunks of flesh. Even as they do so they record every Recommended Roles
tiny screed of battle data for later analysis. Assassin, Warrior or Fanatic
Just as the Skitarii exload the martial capabilities of the
foe to their masters, the Tech Priests inload their own
programs into the Skitarii. It is usual practice for a legion’s never deletes anything, and its appetite for knowledge
overseer Tech-Priests to monitor each battle from a scryer- knows no bounds. A Skitarii Legion’s sacred duty to protect
ship high above. Floating in a sea of data, each adept sends its forge world is second only to its quest for hard data –
battlefield commands down via data-tethers to the Skitarii on information for their masters to digest, or to archive away
the planet below. In this way their soldiers can be remotely unheeded to gather the dust of aeons.
augmented, used as eyepieces, forced into suicidal
engagements, or even possessed entirely. Skitarii Characters
The ever-devout Skitarii see these incidents as the divine
spirit of the Omnissiah entering them and acting through
One who looked for consistency in Skitarii augmentations
them to the betterment of the Imperium. To the Tech-Priests,
would be sorely disappointed. It is often said that were one
their minions are little more than electric puppets jerking
of these enhanced warriors to be rendered down, traces of
upon strings of preprogrammed impulse.
nearly every element known to man could be found
The Skitarii Legions do not fight alone, for they escort the
somewhere in the remains. The Tech-Priests know this to be
vast goliaths of the Centurio Ordinatus to war, and even
no exaggeration, for dissection is but one of the dark fates a
march in the shadow of the god-machines of the Titan
Skitarius might undergo in order to satisfy his masters’
Legions. It is the Skitarii that bolster the battle robots of the
predatory curiosity.
Legio Cybernetica and they who act as bodyguards for
Due to their extensive modification, the Skitarii can excel in
Tech-Priests brave enough to take the field. Collectively,
almost any environment. Each legion hails from a hyper-
they have fought alongside the Astra Militarum, the Adepta
industrialized forge world – extreme doses of radiation are
Sororitas, the Adeptus Astartes, and even the Primarchs of
nothing to those who have trodden the toxic wastes of Mars.
legend. Throughout the millennia the Skitarii Legions have
Even in the time-ravaged fringes of the Halo Stars the
fought with impeccable skill and discipline even when alien
Skitarii Legions march onward. They have painstakingly
colossi and ravaging Daemons slaughter them in droves. In
conquered worlds across the breadth of the galaxy, and
doing so they have assimilated a functionally infinite amount
whatever perils they face, their march falters not.
of information for their masters. The Adeptus Mechanicus

18 The Mandragora Apocrypha

Background: Questoris Familia Background:
‘I will uphold the honour of my house, our brotherhood gives me Questoris Familia Rules
strength. I will show no mercy to my foes, none shall withstand my A character with the Questoris Familia Background
fury. I will defend the sanctity of Sacred Mountain, no enemy shall applies the following benefits during character
5
tread Alaric Prime unpunished. I will never forsake my oath, only in
creation:
death does duty end.’

- House Degallio's Oath of Becoming Starting Skills

Common Lore (War), Dodge or Parry, Scholastic Lore
(Questoris Familia, Heraldry), Operate (Walkers)
he descendants of the early pioneers who settled their
respective worlds were found in the knightly houses of the Starting Talents
Imperial Knights. Known formally as the Questoris Familia,
Ambidextrous, Weapon Training (Las, Chain or
these dynasties of Imperial nobility evolved from the need to Power)
protect the early human settlers of the Knight Worlds from
indigenous species discovered on their alien planets. When
the original settlers arrived on distant worlds they
Starting Equipment
cannibalized their sublight colony spacecraft, using the parts Las Pistol, Noble Attire, Sword and decorative sheath,
for the raw materials of survival. The Imperial Knights now Mind Impulse Unit
dwell in massive strongholds, foreboding martial structures,
the heart of which contains technologies taken from these Background Bonus
ancient colonization vessels. The formal role of protector and Rite of Becoming: A Questoris Familia character may
castellan developed over time into the structure of noble make an additional attack with his Mind Impulse Unit
houses that was old when the Imperium was in its infancy. as a Free Action with a secondary MIU Interfaced
The curious fact that the knightly houses are often uncannily weapon.
alike despite their far-flung nature is explained, at least in
part, by the union of noble pilot and his suit of knight armor, Background Aptitude
known as the Ritual of Becoming. Connecting at a neural
Offense
level with the War Spirit (Artificial Intelligence) of a suit of
Knight armor has a profound effect on the consciousness of
the pilot. The joining of mind and War Spirit has helped to
Recommended Roles
create cultures which appear uncannily similar across the Ace, Assassin or Warrior
galaxy, despite evolving on worlds that are far apart, and
have never shared formal communication.

Role within the Imperium Questoris Familia Characters

Since the dark days of the Horus Heresy, the Knight
The Imperial Knights are characterized by their
Worlds have continued to establish themselves as an
independence. They are bound to the Imperium, and to the
important and loyal part of the Imperium. Feared in battle,
Adeptus Mechanicus by oaths of fealty, but they are not
and almost unswayable once they have given their word,
subjects in any true sense of the word. Their culture and
they are welcomed as powerful allies by Imperial
society predates the Imperium by thousands of Terran years,
commanders whenever their services are available. It is only
way back before the Dark Age of Technology, and it is
the relative scarcity of the surviving Knight Worlds, and the
informed far more by the bonds between a noble pilot and
rigid, hidebound society they have developed, that limits the
his Knight suit than any outside influence. Theirs is a culture
impact the Imperial Knights have on the galaxy. Daily life
of relentless, formalized ritual. It is a society that exists
within the strongholds is bound by ancient traditions and
around a stultifying observance to apparently pointless
rituals that can date back, unchanged, more than ten
ceremony and endless courtly mundanity. Against this
thousand standard years, and which the Imperial Knights
tableau of formalized ritual are the Knight pilots. They are a
feel themselves honor-bound to adhere to. This immense
breed of warriors who find their only joy in battle, and they
awareness of tradition manifests itself in rituals that can
yearn constantly to escape the oppressive dullness of courtly
dominate and suffocate all other aspects of life within the
life and ride their Knight suits to war. The thrill of battle and
stronghold. Days are almost wholly consumed tending to the
the risk of death is an infinitely preferable experience for
obscure and esoteric tenets of tradition and with honoring
them to the monotony of life within their fortresses. These
household traditions or important ancestors from thousands
are warriors born to their calling and raised for nothing other
of years ago.
than war. They spend every moment they can preparing,
training and planning for battle –- the alternative is simply too
dull for them to even contemplate.

The Mandragora Apocrypha 19

 Role: Secutor Role:
“…++CORPUS FINIS+MACHINA MAGNUS+ SANCTUS Secutor Rules
METALLUM+POTESTAS OMNISSIAH, OMNISSIAH VULT+DEATH
A Secutor character gains the following benefits:
TO THE ENEMIES OF THE MACHINE GOD++CORPUS FIN…”

— Repeating transmission, overwhelming all signal Role Aptitudes

channels. The annihilation of House Caloclast, Hive Toughness, Ballistic Skill, Weapon Skill, Fieldcraft or
Tarsus. Finesse, Perception

lthough all initiates of the Machine God are versed to

Role Talent
Ambidextrous or Jaded
some extent in conflict and the skills of warfare, certain
Mechanicus sects and military formations exist to study the
art of destruction with the ardent fervor that their fellows
Role Bonus
might apply to the creation of machinery or the recovering of Devastating Precision: In addition to the normal uses
lost technoarcana. Chief among these in the Mandragora of Fate Points, when a Secutor successfully hits with
Sector are the forces of the Auxilia Myrmidon, also known by an attack, he may spend a Fate Point to decrease an
some as the siege engineers or war-savants. Myrmidons are opponent's Toughness Bonus equal to his
expert killers, weapon masters and destroyers. At the behest degrees of Success on the attack roll on the
of the ruling Archmagos of the Forge Worlds, they are sent first hit the attack inflicts.
to accompany explorators in investigating finds in the most
dangerous sectors of space and retrieve the most hazardous
xenos-specimens, while others are tasked to hunt down powerful among them are all but impossible to kill.
renegades accused of the foulest techno-heresies and Myrmidons are held in no little fear and awe by other
terminate them with extreme prejudice. members of the Machine Cult, and have commonly
subjected themselves to cybernetic reconstruction far
beyond enginseers or precepts.
Role within the Imperium
Tech-priests who devote themselves to battle are often
Secutor Characters
inducted into one of the militant sects as their knowledge
and prowess increases over time, either through their own Some tech-priests are drawn to the path of the Secutor
application or the will of their distant Archmagos masters. through a fascination with the unique and intellectual
The first rank of the Mechanicus militant is the Secutor, an challenges warfare provides, while others feel themselves
ancient designation believed to date back, like much of the drawn to the intricacies and beauties of creation and
Auxilia’s organization and secrets, to the armed forces of the destruction, or the sacred art of weaponsmithing. Others
Mechanum of Mars in distant pre-Imperial antiquity. It is a simply see this path as a means to an end, either for the
fact that only adds to their mystery and makes them a protection of the Machine Cult, the furtherance of their own
subject for some concern to those in the Adepta whose independent researches, or some other, hidden agenda.
arcane knowledge stretches to understand what this implies. Regardless of their vocation, a tech-priest skilled in such
Certainly this conclusion is backed-up by the ancient and destructive arts as the Secutor is an invaluable ally for an
terrifying weapons, relics of that distant past which they are Inquisitor, and makes for a singularly lethal Acolyte. The only
known to sometimes employ. downside to such an association is that the Holy Ordos can
Within the Mandragora Sector, the undisputed centre of never be fully sure where the tech-priest Secutor’s loyalties
the Auxilia Myrmidon’s power is the Trilia System and its lie—even more so than others of their kind—or what ancient
vast forge network, and in particular their heavy fortified and dark secrets they may themselves possesses.
arsenal and base on the city-sized orbital station. From this
mustering ground, the relatively few Myrmidons are
dispatched in small bands to oversee the defenses of the
Mechanicus’ domains, seek out and destroy their enemies.
The Myrmidons, although largely independent, are closely
linked to the Archmagos of Heraion-Trilian Covenant, who is
one of their guarantors of their dominance.
Towering figures of steel shrouded in blood-red robes and
bedecked in hardpoint, mounted weaponry of arcane
manufacture, the Myrmidons and other tech-priests militant
are war makers whose knowledge of the arts of siege craft,
weaponry and devastation is without peer. Although few in
number, they are baleful opponents to face in battle. Heavily
augmented, they are relentless, implacable, and the most

20 The Mandragora Apocrypha

Role: Reclaimator
"Tranters, primes, 'lthic cells, hand rippers, I can get 'em all,
reconditioned and good as new—even a batch of good slaught. Great
wheel o' the steel god crush me if it’s not so… The price? Let's not
quibble about the price. You see, I know this up-hive guilder rolling in
gelt and he needs a little intel you may have the knowing of
yourself…"
— Obadiah Plex, Hive Magnogorsk Reclaimator
Reclaimators are the the most-skilled and certainly least
trusted of the Adeptus Mechanicus' minor ranks of Tech-
priests. It is their task to redeem raw materials from old and
damaged systems, to scavenge parts and be tasked with the
endless cycle of minor repairs needed to keep a starship
flying or a hive city’s infrastructure from collapsing under its
own weight. By necessity, a Reclaimator’s skills begin to
stray into a higher understanding of machinery and
technology than most of their brethren and many learn to
worship the Machine God in a fragmentary and superstitious
manner, marking them apart from their fellows. Reclaimators
themselves are often sent into dangerous or unsafe areas
with little direct supervision, and they scavenge and salvage
a good deal more than their masters know. As a result, most
Reclaimators have a well-deserved reputation as suspicious,
shifty characters who sell their skills and the items they
retrieve or repair for a good profit on the Imperial black
market. Many have links to criminal gangs and more than a
few are willing to resort to robbery and even murder to build
up their spoils if they think they can get away with it.
Role within the Imperium
Shrouded in mystery and superstition for most of
humanity. The Adeptus Mechanicus holds undisputed rights
to the secret lore of science and technology, but the tech-
priests themselves are comparably few in number and
particularly set against the teeming billions of the hive worlds
or the isolated crews of ships plying the void. Such people
rely on technological infrastructure in great profusion simply
to live, be it a hive water-recyk system or a ship’s thermal
heaters. The ongoing low-grade maintenance of such petty
systems, along with the day-to-day workings of the more
sophisticated parts of a manufactora’s machinery and the
like are left to an army of technomats, functionaries, duct-
crawlers, voidwalkers and work-prefects gifted by their
Mechanicus masters with just sufficient knowledge to
perform their tasks with due deference and supplication to
the machine-spirits and nothing more.
In the Mandragora Sector, Reclaimators are common in
the reaches of the hive-cities of Nar-Sheptha, Thade and
other worlds, as well as, serving on the great Chartist
vessels and numerous small trader ships. Despite their vital
purpose, rarely, however, do they enjoy a good reputation,
although in some places their ill-renown is more deserved
than others. Among the void born it is no different; the
wreaker crews Used to maintain and repair technological
devices, but through rote memorization rather than true
understanding or comprehension of breaker-ships and
junkers are considered untrustworthy and accursed of their
The Mandragora Apocrypha
Role:
Reclaimator Rules
A Reclaimator character gains the following benefits:
Role Aptitudes
Tech, Knowledge, Fellowship or Agility, Fieldcraft,
Social
Role Talent
Technical Knock or Rapid Reload
Role Bonus
Mechanical Expertise: In addition to the normal uses
of Fate Points, a Reclaimator character may spend a
Fate point to automatically succeed at a Security,
Tech-Use, or Trade (Technomat) skill test with a
number of degrees of success equal to his
Intelligence bonus.
kind and the void families tell dark stories of death-scows,
haunted vessels filled with scavengers driven to cannibalism
and madness by want or by uncovering something best left
alone in their desire for valuable salvage.
Becoming a Reclaimator
Hive and void born outcasts with a technically-minded
bent, or those who fancy themselves as dealmakers and
traders often start their careers as technomats and
Reclaimators before focusing on more “lucrative” work.
While for those born in the iron canyons of a forge world’s
macro-industry, the path of the Reclaimator and perhaps
ultimately the heretek is a natural one to follow. Likewise, the
Inquisition sees them as a useful resource. Often a cut
above their kind in terms of intelligence, a Reclaimator can
make an excellent agent for infiltrating criminal gangs,
contacting cult groups and passing unobserved through the
hive and underhive, while their void born brethren are just as
useful aboard ship or working orbitals and dockyards.
Regardless, it is wise for an Acolyte with such abilities and
history to avoid too many entanglements and questions from
the Mechanicus, or they run the risk of being labeled a
heretek and suffer a fate even the sanction of the Holy
Ordos might not save them from.
21
 Elite Advance: Cybernetic Resurrection
“He has been born again in the purity of metal and the sweet
embrace of the Omnissiah’s lightning. The flesh that so recently failed
him is but a fleeting memory. Glory is his now, shriven of his
weakness and his pain, his is the strength of unyielding iron.”
The Magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus harbor a great
many secrets and ancient and terrible arts. If their price is
met, they can salvage the most ravaged body so long as the
central nervous system is largely intact and the brain is
serviceable. Taking a mangled, burned, but still alive carcass
or even the merest threads of flesh and bio-matter, they can
construct a new body from the remains of the old, or even
refit a servitor chassis to house the brain if needed. Less
heavily damaged bodies are easier to repair, though the
results are far from elegant or guaranteed.
The Flesh is Weak
The Adeptus Mechanicus are more than capable in
rebuilding bodies - their tenets espouse them to the natural
predisposition of habitually replacing their own limbs with
trustworthy bionics and cybernetics. The Cult Mechanicus
believes the frailties of flesh are meant to be overcome with
the adaptation of metallic implants. To them, the flesh is truly
weak - and those who are rebuilt in metal and cable are to
be praised for their ascension.
For a member of the laity (those outside the Cult
Mechanicus) to receive this gift is an extraordinarily rare
event - most performed at the behest and encouragement of
a great institute such as the Inquisition or by the ruling elite
of the sector lords. Despite their origination outside of the
Cult Mechanicus, those who undergo this blessed rite begin
to appreciate the rigors and iron-clad mentality of the Cult
Mechanicus, as their own minds are influenced by their
newly forged bodies.
The Lord Cogniczar
In the late fourth century of the 35th millennium,
the Prefectus of Mandragora Aelzek Greigenholt IX
succumbed to a physical ailment that rendered him
incapable of movement at the prime of his career. Due
largely to his embellishments and rampant favoritism to
matters that concerned the Mechanicus Synods and ruling
councils of that era, the Autonetites of Hepheron took it upon
themselves to restore the sector lord via cyber resurrection.
The Lord Greigenholt quickly recovered from his
transfiguration, returning to office with a fiery urgency
unseen in decades leading to his reformation. Never a man
loved by the highbourne of the sector, the nearly two
centuries of his continued reign proved unfavorable to the
laxities and pleasures of the ruling elite. Greigenholt more
openly and committed embraced the ideologies of the Cult
Mechanicus, and more disturbingly, the cold-hearted and
emotionless certainty of their order, bringing an era of iron-
fisted rule that eclipsed the standard Imperial doctrines in
both measure and harshness. Earning himself the ill-earned
moniker of 'Lord Cogniczar' by his peers among the courts of
the Mandragora Sector, the Mechanicus Synods catalogued
his reign as one of the most illustrious and prosperous of the
22 sector's history, marking him as a true peer of their order.
The Mandragora Apocrypha
Cybernetic
Resurrection Special Rules
The Cybernetic Resurrection elite advance has the
following rules:
Experience Cost
200 or 500 xp
Prerequisites
 Resurrection: You must first have suffered Critical
Wounds sufficient to incapacitate you permanently
or have death averted through burning Fate Points.
The Cult Mechanicus may also charge a price of
their own, which is likely to be very high.
Instant Changes
The effects of this Advance come in two forms
dependant on the state of the body to be remade:
Cyber-Rebuild: The character is repaired with
sufficient replacement limbs, organs and the like to
see him achieve functionality once more. The
replacement parts are of Common quality unless
circumstances dictate otherwise. If the character has
the Adeptus Mechanicus background, any previous
implants are fully restored. However, the experience of
the cyber-rebuild scars the character deeply, imposing
1d10 Insanity Points and permanently reducing the
character's Fellowship Characteristic by 1d10.
Full Resurrection: Assuming that such an individual
can be located and their price—far beyond mere
money—be met, the character is reconstructed with an
artificial body, organs harvested from servitor stock or
vat-grown synthetics, a process that can have terrible
repercussions for the mind. Upon gaining a full
resurrection, apply the follow changes:
 Erase your current Strength, Toughness and Agility
Characteristics and replace them with 30+2d10 for
Strength, 30+2d10 for Toughness and 15+2d10 for
Agility. Any previous Advances to these
Characteristics are lost. Also, you may not improve
these Characteristics without the assistance of a
skilled Magos. Halve your Fellowship Characteristic.
 Any Talents you have whose prerequisites the
character no longer meet are lost.
 Gain 10+1d10 Insanity Points and apply any lasting
effects immediately.
 Permanently reduce your Fate Points by 1
 Gain the Resistance (Cold, Fear, and Toxins) and
the Flesh is Weak (2) Talents
 Gain an In-built rebreather and Autosanguine
implants. You may no longer be healed through the
use of the Medicae skill.
 The GM may allow further implant systems. Also,
the Magos may do more than augment you; they
may tamper with your mind and memories, resulting
in all sorts of unexpected and unfortunate side
effects. Additionally, the character may no longer
swim. Finally, while the character retains his
approximate size and shape, he is clearly inhuman
even at a glance. This may result in a variety
of complications as determined by
the GM.
Elite Advance: Xenarite
“Yes, by way of scripture, it is not for us to question the divine
Omnissiah by studying the technology of alien races. However, it is
my belief that the Machine God has laid the full panoply of
xenological study before us for precisely that reason. I believe His
Will is that we should observe and catalogue all forms of science, not
only those forged by the hand of Mankind. By such study we become
better able to appreciate the technological wonders of Humanity
itself.”
-Hieronomus Tezla at the Vulcanis Symposium, 782.M41
The Xenarites are dedicated to the study and exploitation
of alien technology, a policy which most Tech-Priests find
highly offensive. “If the Omnissiah had meant use to use
xeno-tech,” the saying goes, “he would have given us foul
alien brains to comprehend it with.” Aware of the antipathy of
their colleagues, the Xenarites pursue a policy of covert
study, often dispatching Tech-Priests and their servitors to
alien sites instead of bringing artifacts back to forge worlds
for study as prescribed by doctrine. As a result, it is not
unusual for Xenarite expeditions to encounter resistance
from alien lifeforms, local inhabitants and even Inquisitors
and other Tech-Priests in the pursuit of their studies. Open
conflict with Imperial authorities is not unknown, regrettable
occurrences which have only served to drive the Xenarites
deeper underground, concealing evidence of their activities
and guarding their study-sites heavily.
Xenarite Advances
The following talents are available only to characters with
the Xenarite elite advance, and are purchased in the same
manner as other talents.
Corrupted Charge
Some Xenarites have spent a great deal of time mastering
the art of channeling their internal energies through their
unsanctioned acquisitions, and have found that it can have
unexpected-and deadly-results.
Tier: 1
Prerequisites: Intelligence 45, 2+ Integrated Psychically-
Charged Xenos Artifacts.
Aptitudes: Tech, Intelligence
Effect: Damage from this character's Luminen Shock and
Luminen Blast Talents gains the Force Quality. If the
character fails his Focus Power Test to activate the Force
Quality, however, he suffers 1d5 Energy Damage not
reduced by Armor or Toughness Bonus.
Unhallowed Discovery
By integrating psychically charged xenos artifacts into his
bionic form through arcane processes, the Xenarite cam
channel the power of the artifact through his mind,
performing feats much like those of true psykers by virtue of
their tainted relics.
Tier: 3
Prerequisites: Intelligence 40, Integrated Psychically
The Mandragora Apocrypha
Xenarite
Special Rules
The Xenarite elite advance has the following rules:
Experience Cost
1,000 xp
Prerequisites
 Forbidden Lore (Xenos)
 Xenos Testamenta: Characters who become
Xenarites do so from an internal schism born from
the Cult Mechanicus. The character must have the
Mechanicus Implants Trait.
Instant Changes
 Xenophilious: Through familiarization of Xenos
technological and growing exposure their alien and
bizarre cultures, the Xenarite gains some measure
of deeper understanding of their nature. The
Xenarite character gains the ability to use any
Exotic weaponry belonging to a single xenos
species without penalty, so long as the character
has the appropriate weapon training to similar
human equivalents (i.e. an Eldar Pistol functions
similarly enough to an Autopistol or Laspistol).
 Gains the Enemy (Ordo Xenos) talent.
Unlocked Advances
A character with the Xenarite elite advance also
gains access to a special set of talents. These talents
are available only to a Xenarite character, and are
purchased with experience in the same manner
as regular talents are purchased.
Charged Xenos Artifact
Aptitudes: Tech, Intelligence
Effect: The character gains Psy Rating 1 (or his Psy Rating
increases by 1 if he already has a Psy Rating), and becomes
an Unbound psyker. When a character gains this Talent, he
immediately learns a single Psychic Technique. The Psychic
Technique that the Xenarite can use depends on the origin
and nature of the artifact; the player and the GM should work
together to choose an appropriate power. The Xenarite may
ultimately incorporate as many as three such Artifacts into
his body, each giving access to a particular Technique as
determined by the player and the GM. If the artifact is ever
removed, the Xenarite loses the psychic power until such
time as the artifact is returned to him (provided he survives
having it torn out of his cyber mantle). Each time he acquires
or replaces an artifact, however, and each time he rolls on
Perils of the Warp Table, he gains 1d5 Corruption Points and
suffers 1d5 Energy Damage not reduced by Armor or
Toughness Bonus in addition to any other results as the
strange device gains an ever greater hold over his
augmented mind and body.
23
 Elite Advance: Rite Of Duplessence
“We stand as two minds to one purpose, Lord-Captain. Our
intellects—In a moment, Tharizon—as I was saying, our intellects are
joined in the purity of the Quest for Knowledge and—Excuse me,
Captain; my colleague has just hypothesized something which
demands our immediate attention.”
–Magos Amyntor Golansz, bonded by the Rite of
Duplessence with Magos Abimelech Tharizon
The Adeptus Mechanicus are willing to go to almost any
lengths to further their understanding of the arcane sciences
they study. For many Tech-Priests, the flesh is a weakness,
a soft and feeble container for the brain, and the brain itself
is only useful as a tool for the storage and comprehension of
knowledge. The ritual and methodical replacement of
organic tissue with bionic equivalents, and the cold scorn
heaped upon those who succumb to emotions and other
weaknesses of the flesh (including, but not limited to, eating,
drinking and sleeping) are all indicative of this belief, and
most Tech-Priests eager to discard the flesh that causes
such weakness and replace it with the purity of steel and
electricity.
In the most extreme cases, some of the oldest Arch-Magi
have long since become little more than artificially sustained
brains linked to vast meme-vaults and data-crypts, driven
insane by possessing far more knowledge than any human
mind can truly comprehend and willingly locked within a steel
prison of their own design for centuries. For men such as
these, the pursuit of knowledge is something worth paying
any price for, and such a disembodied existence, basking in
the purity of absolute and incalculable knowledge unfettered
by the weaknesses of the flesh, is something that more than
a few Tech-Priests aspire to.
To discard all but the brain in the pursuit of knowledge is
not as uncommon as it might seem. This is especially
common amongst the most respected Magos, some of
whom are many centuries old. In several other cases
amongst Mechanicus agents, two Tech-Priests working upon
the same project have been known to enter into the deepest
of collaborations, a process known as the Rite of
Duplessence. This procedure requires that one of the two
Tech-Priests shed his flesh and most of his implants to
become a disembodied brain, which is then implanted into
the body of the other Tech-Priest, their brains linked together
so that they can work together more closely. To undertake
this rite is looked upon favorably by many Tech- Priests, who
particularly applaud the one who willingly takes on the
burden of remaining clothed in flesh so that another can be
freed of it.
Rite of Duplessence
Special Rules
The Rite of Duplessence elite advance has the
following rules:
Experience Cost
1,000 xp
Prerequisites
 Mechanicus Implants trait
 Peer (Adeptus Mechanicus)
 Two Minds: The character must find another Tech-
Priest willing to join him in this rite , and both of
characters must undergo extensive augmetic
surgery taking several months in order to become a
Binary Cortex.
Instant Changes
 Binary Cortex: Gains the Binary Cortex Trait.
See below on page 35 for more details
on this trait.
the greatest of boons because knowledge can be shared so
swiftly and fully, without the burdensome need for language.
The union of a Binary Cortex—as the resulting symbiosis
of two brains is called—is not always an easy one, however.
Each mind within the union is still an independent, free willed
entity possessed of its own memories, experiences, opinions
and beliefs. While the Rite of Duplessence is seldom
performed on two Tech-Priests of radically differing
perspectives, differences of opinion can arise, particularly as
both Tech-Priests have no way to be distanced from one
another. Even the purest-minded and most logical Tech-
Priests are sometimes prone to becoming irritated by such
close proximity with a colleague.
The benefits, however, are vast. When working perfectly
in synch with one another, the two Tech-Priests can
collaborate on tasks with impossible speed, completing
research and solving technical problems faster and more
efficiently than either of them could have done alone, able to
receive an alternate opinion on their theories
instantaneously.

Two Minds with a Single Purpose

To undertake the Rite of Duplessence is a sacrifice and a
boon in equal measure. To remain clad in flesh while your
colleague escapes it is an act viewed with great honour
because it is burdensome, and because it shows you to be
willing to sacrifice your own selfish desires in exchange for a
greater benefit to others—in essence, you have
demonstrated yourself willing to be a cog in a far greater
machine. To take on the mind of another into your body is

24 The Mandragora Apocrypha

Beyond the Stars
“The Quest for Knowledge drives the Mechanicus to the stars;
forgotten Archeotech and un-catalogued celestial phenomena await,
the voice of the Omnissiah awaiting to be witnessed.”
–Explorator Enginseer Acula
xplorators are on the frontline of perils few can
understand. There are more than a few Explorators who, in
their desire to uncover the secrets of the universe, have
fallen prey to some xenos dogma and turned from the rigid
doctrine of the Universal Laws, have become corrupted by
warp twisted engramatic code and lost their souls to the
abyss of Chaos, or have simply been driven mad from
knowing too much.
Yet, the risks are worth the rewards, and Explorators
have found many of the greatest prizes in the Quest for
Knowledge, and their role in many other affairs has been key
to their success and the Imperium's survival. However,
countless Explorators have met with grisly deaths in the
hostile galaxy they explore, and on mercifully rare occasions,
their ill-conceived prying has unleashed cataclysmic horrors
on Mankind.
The following new talents and traits are available to all
Acolytes who meet the prerequisites. Acolytes can select
these new talents in exactly the same fashion as those in the
Dark Heresy Core Rulebook, by paying the xp cost
determined by the talent’s tier and the character’s number of
matching aptitudes.
Talent Descriptions
The following presents each new talent, including its
effects, prerequisites, and aptitudes.
Adsecularis Alchemistry (X)
Tier: 3
Prerequisites: Medicae, Forbidden Lore (Tech Heresy)
Aptitudes: Tech, Intelligence
Effects: The character has learnt the skills of the
Lacryaemarta, whose arts are those of flesh-craft and
alchemistry who drive on mercilessly the half-living tech-
thralls employed by the Mechanicus as expendable troops,
driving them to inhuman levels of resilience and function in
the short term at the expense of the ruin of their subject's
bodies.
The character can raise and command a number of Tech
Thralls equal to 10 times X, where X equals the number of
times this talent is taken. This talent can be selected up to a
number of times equal to the character's Intelligence bonus.
The Mandragora Apocrypha
Alpha Princeps
Tier: 3
Prerequisites: Fellowship 40
Aptitudes: Fellowship, Tech
Effects: The Skitarius in question has been inducted deeper
into the Omnissiac mysteries, and has been granted a level
of independence and tactical acumen for squad based
control. The character gains the Leadership aptitude. In
addition, when a Fate Point is used by anyone in the
character’s Maniple to activate a Doctrina Imperative
(including the character himself), the character may
immediately make a Challenging (+0) Command test, with a
penalty equal to 10 times the Doctrina’s Tier (For example, a
Tier 3 Doctrina Imperative would impose a -30 penalty). If
this test is successful, the Fate Point does not count as
being spent, and the Doctrina may be used again in the
encounter.
Note: Only one Command test can be performed.
Archeotech Specialist
Tier: 3
Prerequisites: Intelligence 35, Forbidden Lore (Archeotech)
+10
Aptitudes: Knowledge, Tech
Effects: The character has spent long years learning the
likely resting places of priceless artifacts and how to turn
them to his advantage. The Character may substitute
Forbidden Lore (Archeotech) for Influence when rolling for
requisitions.
Artificer Armament
Tier: 2
Prerequisites: None
Aptitudes: General, Tech
Effects: The vault of the forge worlds contain the deadliest
weapons that Mankind has ever devised. Some are even put
into use, entrusted to the most senior of Skitarii veterans. A
character with this talent may spend a Fate Point to lower
the rarity of a requisition item by one degree.
Binary Chatter
Tier: 1
Prerequisite: Mechanicus Implants
Aptitudes: Intelligence, General
Effects: The character has optimized his use of Techna
Lingua for controlling servitors. The character receives a +10
bonus to any attempt to communicate with servitors, and any
vessel upon which he serves receives a +1 bonus to Crew
Morale due to increased servitor efficiency.
Cold Hearted
Tier: 1
Prerequisite: None
Aptitudes: Willpower, Defense
Effects: Either chemical and surgical treatments or sheer
will has rendered the character immune to most mundane
temptations. Seduction attempts against the character
automatically fail and Charm Tests increase their Difficulty
by one level. Taking this Talent causes one Insanity Point.
25
 Concealed Cavity
Tier: 1
Prerequisites: None
Aptitudes: Tech, Toughness
Effects: The character’s flesh or augmetics conceals a small
compartment. This might be a pouch hidden under a flap of
flesh, or a chamber fitted into a cybernetic enhancement.
The character may conceal one small item, no larger than a
closed fist, within this cavity. Discovering this compartment
requires success on a Difficult (–10) Scrutiny Test. If using
a medicae scanner or auspex, the Difficulty is reduced to
Ordinary (+10).
Conditioned Intellect
Tier: 2
Prerequisite: Intelligence 40, Total Recall
Aptitudes: Intelligence, Knowledge
Effects: By spending ten minutes studying or analyzing a
problem, the character gains a +10 bonus to his next
Intelligence Test. If the character succeeds, he counts as
having passed by an additional degree of success. The
character can also automatically remember any piece of
information he might feasibly have picked up in the past.
When trying to recall more detailed or obscure facts, such as
the precise layout of a crime scene or a page he read in an
ancient grimoire five years ago, the character must make an
Intelligence Test.
Cybernetic Boost
Tier: 2
Prerequisite: One or more Cybernetic Limbs, Tech-Use
Aptitudes: Intelligence, Tech
Effects: Cybernetics are an important part of life for many
members of the Imperium. Though most know better than to
tamper with these sacred devices, some enterprising (or
foolish) individuals have been known to modify the baseline
capacities of these devices, allowing them to get a short
burst of power by overloading the device in a semi-controlled
fashion. As a Half Action, this character may spend a Fate
Point and make a Challenging (+0) Tech-Use Test. If he
succeeds, he gains either the Unnatural Agility (X) or
Unnatural Strength (X) Trait, where X is equal to one, plus
one for every two additional Degrees of Success he scores
on the Test (or increases existing versions of those Traits by
X). These Traits persist for a number of Rounds equal to his
Intelligence Bonus. The character may end the effect at any
time. At the end of each Round in which the character allows
it to persist, he gains 1 level of Fatigue.
Cybernetic Calibrations
Tier: 3
Prerequisite: Two or more Cybernetics, Tech-Use +10,
Cybernetic Boost
Aptitudes: Intelligence, Tech
Effects: This character, either through initiation into the
mysteries of the Omnissiah or tinkering that would certainly
attract negative attention from such individuals, has fine-
tuned his cybernetic implants to a point of optimization.
All of this character’s Cybernetics count as being one level
26 The Mandragora Apocrypha
of Craftsmanship higher than their base Craftsmanship (so,
for instance, a Poor Craftsmanship bionic arm would
become Common Craftsmanship, or a Good Craftsmanship
limb would become Best Craftsmanship).
Canticles Of The Omnissiah
In times of war, the disciples of the Omnissiah incant
complex war-blessings. These are as much optimization
subroutines as they are expressions of faith in their all-
knowing, all-comprehending deity. By spending a Fate Point,
Canticles grant powerful boosts to all allies nearby when
cast, as opposed to Doctrinas which affect only a single
character. Allies within 30 meters gain bonuses depending
on how much of a penalty the character decides to take
when taking the Forbidden Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus) test.
The effects of the Canticle last until the start of the
character’s next turn.
Canticle Of The Omnissiah: Benediction Of
Omniscience
Tier: 1
Prerequisites: Intelligence 30, Forbidden Lore (Adeptus
Mechanicus)
Aptitudes: Knowledge, Tech
Effects: Those blessed enough to comprehend this blaring
vox-prayer find their targeting reticules guided by the
Omnissiah’s own vigilance. The character makes a
Forbidden Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus) test as a Half Action
at the selected penalty below.
 Challenging (+0): Allies reroll failed Ballistic Skill tests of
up to one degree of failure.
 Difficult (-10): Allies reroll failed Ballistic Skill tests of up
to two degrees of failure.
 Hard (-20): Allies reroll all failed Ballistic Skill tests.
Canticle Of The Omnissiah: Blessing Of
Binharic Deliverance
Tier: 3
Prerequisites: Intelligence 40, Forbidden Lore (Adeptus
Mechanicus) +20
Aptitudes: Knowledge, Tech
Effects: The unalloyed version of this famous blessing
carries great power. It siphons a fraction of the Motive Force
from those faithful nearby and releases it in the form of
crackling electrogheists that intercept incoming shots,
delivering the Omnissiah's chosen from harm. The character
makes a Forbidden Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus) test as a
Full Action at the selected penalty below.
 Challenging (+0): Allies gain a PR20 defensive field,
which does not overload.
 Difficult (-10): Allies gain a PR35 defensive field, which
does not overload.
 Hard (-20): Allies gain a PR50 defensive field, which does
not overload.
Canticle Of The Omnissiah: Chant of the
Remorseless Fist
Tier: 1
Prerequisites: Intelligence 30, Forbidden Lore (Adeptus
Mechanicus)
Aptitudes: Knowledge, Tech
Effects: In spitting out a staccato chant to the Motive Force,
the faithful warriors of the Cult Mechanicus are filled with
merciless surety as well as intent. The character makes a
Forbidden Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus) test as a Half Action
at the selected penalty below.
 Challenging (+0): Allies reroll failed Weapon Skill tests of
up to one degree of failure.
 Difficult (-10): Allies reroll failed Weapon Skill tests of up
to two degrees of failure.
 Hard (-20): Allies reroll failed Weapon Skill tests.
Canticle Of The Omnissiah: Executioner
Extremis
Tier: 3
Prerequisites: Intelligence 40, Forbidden Lore (Adeptus
Mechanicus)
Aptitudes: Knowledge, Tech
Effects: The proscribed imperative known as Executioner
Exremis drives the faithful to the absolute peak of their
potential. Rumors exist that it causes subtle but irreparable
damage to brain stems and circuit nests in the process, but
discerning Tech-Priests judge the sacrifice worthwhile. This
Canticle is unique in that, if successfully cast, a player may
choose not to have his character benefit, due to the costs
that may be inflicted upon them.
Note: The benefit this Canticle grants is not a bonus, but an
increase to the characteristic itself, so it does not count
towards the maximum +/- 60 limit.
The character makes a Forbidden Lore (Adeptus
Mechanicus) test as a Full Action.
 Challenging (+0): Allies increase their Ballistic Skill and
Weapon Skill characteristic by +10, but suffer a
permanent loss of 1 Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, and
Intelligence.
 Difficult (-10): Allies increase their Ballistic Skill and
weapon Skill characteristic by +20, but suffer a permanent
loss of 2 Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, and Intelligence.
 Hard (-20): Allies increase their Ballistic Skill and weapon
Skill characteristic by +30, but suffer a permanent loss of
3 Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, and Intelligence.
Canticle Of The Omnissiah: Incantation of the
Iron Soul
Tier: 2
Prerequisites: Intelligence 35, Forbidden Lore (Adeptus
Mechanicus) +10
Aptitudes: Knowledge, Tech
Effects: Raising their voices in binharic praise, the Disciples
of the Machine God bolster their spirits with the surety of iron
The character makes a Forbidden Lore (Adeptus
Mechanicus) test as a Reaction at the selected penalty
below.
The Mandragora Apocrypha
 Challenging (+0): Allies (including the character) gain
+10 Willpower.
 Difficult (-10): Allies (including the character) gain +10
Willpower until the start of the character’s next round, and
reroll failed Fear and Pinning tests.
 Hard (-20): Allies (including the character) gain +10
Willpower until the start of the character’s next round, and
gain the effects of the Fearless talent.
Canticle Of The Omnissiah: Invocation of
Machine Might
Tier: 2
Prerequisites: Intelligence 35, Forbidden Lore (Adeptus
Mechanicus) +10
Aptitudes: Knowledge, Tech
Effects: The Tech-Priests lead their minions in a binharic
prayer that sends miraculous strength surging through
tendons, wires and pistons.
The character motivates his allies to punch as hard as if they
were at an English football match. The character makes a
Forbidden Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus) test as a Full Action
at the selected penalty below.
 Challenging (+0): Allies gain the Unnatural Strength (2)
trait.
 Difficult (-10): Allies gain the Unnatural Strength (4) trait.
 Hard (-20): Allies gain the Unnatural Strength (6) trait.
Canticle Of The Omnissiah: Litany Of The
Electromancer
Tier: 2
Prerequisites: Intelligence 35, Forbidden Lore (Adeptus
Mechanicus) +10
Aptitudes: Knowledge, Tech
Effects: Summoning the spark of the Machine God’s divinity
that burns within them, the Omnissiah’s faithful manifest
blazing auras of energy that lay low the unbeliever. The
character makes a Forbidden Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus)
test as a Full Action at the selected penalty below.
 Challenging (+0): Enemies in melee with characters in
range of the Canticle automatically suffer one hit, dealing
1d10+4 E Pen 0. This attack may be dodged, but not
parried.
 Difficult (-10): Enemies in melee with characters in range
of the Canticle automatically suffer two hits, dealing
1d10+6 E Pen 0. This attack may be dodged, but not
parried.
 Hard (-20): Enemies in melee with characters in range of
the Canticle automatically suffer three hits, dealing
1d10+8 E Pen 0. This attack may be dodged, but not
parried.
Canticle Of The Omnissiah: Shroudpsalm
Tier: 2
Prerequisites: Intelligence 35, Forbidden Lore (Adeptus
Mechanicus) +10
Aptitudes: Knowledge, Tech
Effects: Robot, servitor and priest shift their binharic
emissions into the visible spectra, the static pouring from
their vox-grilles manifesting as an electromagnetic storm that
27
 hides them from the foe. The character makes a Forbidden
Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus) test as a Full Action at the
selected penalty below.
 Challenging (+0): Enemies targeting the character and
allies suffer a -10 penalty to their Ballistic Skill tests.
 Difficult (-10): Enemies targeting the character and allies
suffer a -20 penalty to their Ballistic Skill tests.
 Hard (-20): Enemies targeting the character and allies
suffer a -30 penalty to their Ballistic Skill tests.
Defensive Alchemistry
Tier: 2
Prerequisites: Defensive Augmentation, Toughness 40
Aptitudes: Defense, Toughness
Effects: When hit by an attack, as a Reaction, the character
may make a Hard (-20) Toughness test. If he succeeds, he
may triple his toughness bonus for the purpose of damage
reduction for that attack. This has a chance of negating
damage entirely.
Defensive Augmentation
Tier: 1
Prerequisites: Toughness 30
Aptitudes: Defense, Toughness
Effects: Through faith in the Omnissiah, the character
shields his body from harm as he shields his soul. When hit
by an attack, as a Reaction, the character may make a Hard
(-20) Toughness test. If he succeeds, he may double his
toughness bonus for the purpose of damage reduction for
that attack. This has a chance of negating damage entirely.
Disciple Of The Omnissiah
Tier: 3
Prerequisites: Willpower 40, Nerves of Steel
Aptitudes: Willpower, Defense
Effects: The religious fervor of the character is literally
infectious, screeds of holy litany spilling across his
noospheric aura to steel and condition the minds of his
Skitarii followers. The character and allies within 30 meters
no longer suffer penalties to Fear and Pinning tests. This
takes two Full Actions of meditation and ritual incantation to
activate.
Disturbing Voice
Tier: 1
Prerequisite: None
Aptitudes: Fellowship, Social
Effects: The character’s voice has particularly baleful or
menacing qualities, causing others to quail before it. The
character gains a +10 bonus to all Intimidate Skill Tests, but
suffers a –10 penalty to Fellowship Tests when dealing with
others in a nonthreatening manner, such as animals,
children, or the easily startled. In addition, the character is
more adept as instilling fear in his followers and when using
the Command Terrify Special Skill Use, and adds +10 to his
Command Skill Test to counter the effects of Fear.
28 The Mandragora Apocrypha
Doctrina Imperative: Binharic Omniscience
Tier: 3
Prerequisites: Doctrina Imperative: Gundrill Symbiosis.
Aptitudes: Ballistic Skill, Tech
Effects: The Skitarii find their minds possessed by blessed
binary, the entire battlefield reduced to a series of zeros and
ones through which the causal path to the enemy’s demise
as clear as day. Rapt in this display of the Omnissiah’s
might, the Skitarii bullseye the foe with merciless, inhuman
efficiency. As a Free Action, the character may spend a Fate
point, and gain a +40 Bonus to Ballistic Skill, but suffers a
penalty of -20 to his Weapon Skill, until the beginning of his
next turn.
Doctrina Imperative: Gundrill Symbiosis
Tier: 2
Prerequisites: Doctrina Imperative: Hazard Optimization.
Aptitudes: Ballistic Skill, Tech
Effects: The Skitarii blend their souls with the machine
spirits of their weaponry until gun and wielder become one.
A split second of silence follows as the Skitarii meditate upon
sacred firing doctrine – then the night lights up as deadly
accurate firepower criss-crosses the battlefield, scything
down the foe wherever they may hide. As a Free Action, the
character may spend a Fate point, and gain a +30 Bonus to
Ballistic Skill, but suffers a penalty of -10 to his Weapon Skill,
until the beginning of his next turn.
Doctrina Imperative: Hazard Optimization
Tier: 1
Prerequisites: None
Aptitudes: Ballistic Skill, Tech
Effects: Commanded to bring their ranged weapons to bear
by gamma-level imperatives, the Skitarii stalk forward into
firing positions. Their Tech-Priest masters, unwilling to risk
full possession at this critical moment, gently increase each
cohort’s accuracy to a higher lethality. As a Free Action, the
character may spend a Fate point, and gain a +20 Bonus to
Ballistic Skill until the beginning of his next turn.
Doctrina Imperative: Hyperaction Protocols
Tier: 3
Prerequisites: Doctrina Imperative: Technomartyr Concords
Aptitudes: Weapon Skill, Tech
Effects: The Skitarii feel the press of an invisible hand upon
their minds as the Machine God drives them to assault the
foe. They wield blades, goads and lances with the pinpoint
skill of master Secutors, making their foes seem clumsy and
blunt by comparison. As a Free Action, the character may
spend a Fate point, and gain a +40 Bonus to Weapon Skill,
but suffers a penalty of -20 to his Ballistic Skill, until the
beginning of his next turn.
Doctrina Imperative: Mindstate Secutor
Tier: 1
Prerequisites: None
Aptitudes: Weapon Skill, Tech
Effects: The warrior wisdom of ancient and experienced
Secutors is forceloaded into the Skitarii’s minds. Each
thrilling pulse of data gifts them knowledge of the most
efficient way to dispatch the foe at close quarters whilst Table 1-1: Electro Illumination
Difficulty Example
retaining a reserve of strength for later use. As a Free
Ordinary (+10) Chemical Battery, Glow Globe
Action, the character may spend a Fate point, and gain a Challenging (+0) Las Gun Charge Pack, Data Slate,
+20 Bonus to Weapon Skill until the beginning of his next Personal Heater
turn. Difficult (–10) Overcharge Pack, Air Conditioning Unit,
Servo-skull
Hard (–20) Land Speeder Engine, Las Cannon
Doctrina Imperative: Technomartyr Concords Charge Pack, Servitor
Very Hard (–30) Industrial Press, Cogitator Engine, Xenos
Tier: 2 Tech
Prerequisites: Doctrina Imperative: Mindstate Secutor Note that at the GM’s discretion, some technology is simply too arcane,
broken or power hungry to activate.
Aptitudes: Weapon Skill, Tech
Effects: Devotional commands spool through the minds of
the Skitarii at dizzying speed, each new imperative driving
the warriors of the Omnissiah further into the ranks of the Electrical Succor
foe. One so compelled will fight with the skill of a true Tier: 2
weapons expert, his mind and muscles filling with the Prerequisites: Mechanicus Implants
boundless energy of the Motive Force. As a Free Action, the Aptitudes: Tech, Toughness
character may spend a Fate point, and gain a +30 Bonus to Effects: The character calls upon the sacred flow of energy
Weapon Skill, but suffers a penalty of -10 to his Ballistic Skill, to replenish his weak flesh. Whilst in contact with a
until the beginning of his next turn. functioning, powered machine, or fully charged battery, the
character may make an Ordinary (+10) Toughness Test. If
Electro Illumination he succeeds, he removes one level of Fatigue plus one
Tier: 3 additional level of Fatigue for each degree of success. This
Prerequisites: Luminen Blast, Luminen Charge, Luminen takes one minute of meditation and ritual incantation to
Shock , Luminen Capacitors, Mechanicus Implants activate
Aptitudes: Ballistic Skill, Tech
Effects: The character has mastered the electricity that Energy Cache
flows through his biological and mechanical components, Tier: 2
allowing him to use it as a deadly weapon or to feed the Prerequisites: Mechanicus Implants
hungry circuits of machines. Aptitudes: Tech, Toughness
The character may blast his enemies with electricity at a Effects: The character has learned to focus the power
distance by making a ranged attack (requiring a Ballistic Skill stored within his Potentia Coil with greater efficiency. He no
test) against a single target within 10 meters, ignoring all longer gains Fatigue from using Luminen Charge, Luminen
range modifiers (the bonus for Aiming still applies, but not for Shock, and Luminen Blast.
Short or Point-Blank range). The character may also deliver
a deadly shock to an opponent in combat by either making a Elimination Volley
single melee attack, or by grappling to deliver the blast (yes,
Tier: 3
this Talent may be used while grappling). The attack does
Prerequisites: None
1d10 + Willpower Bonus Energy damage, has a Penetration
Aptitudes: Ballistic Skill, Finesse
equal to the character’s Willpower Bonus, and has the
Effects: The character is excellent at marking enemies for
Shocking quality. The character may opt to spend wounds to
his allies to destroy. If the character uses a weapon with the
boost the Damage and Penetration of the attack by one point
Luminagen quality, and inflicts at least one wound against a
each per wound. If the loss of these wounds cause critical
target, until the start of his next round, all allies gain a +10
damage, it counts as Energy Damage to the character’s
bonus to Ballistic Skill tests against the enemy, and ignore
body. The character always counts as having Weapon armor points granted by cover to the enemy
Training for this weapon and after making an attack with it,
he must pass a Toughness test or suffer 1 level of Fatigue.
On a successful Toughness Test, the character may use
Emotionless Clarity
his bio-electrical field to recharge or power machinery. This Tier: 3
takes one minute of meditation and ritual incantation to Prerequisites: Predictive Augury, Willpower 35, Fearless
activate. The difficulty of the Toughness Test varies Aptitudes: Willpower, Offense
depending on the nature of the technology, as follows: Effects: With a mind blissfully unsullied by the passions
common to the flesh, the character can take perfect aim
even when monstrous beasts and daemons bear down upon
him. When subjected to a Charge action by an enemy, the
character may perform the Ranged Standard Attack, Semi
Auto Attack, or Full Auto Attack action as a reaction against
the enemy with a +20 bonus. Spray weapons grant a -20
penalty to the agility test to avoid the shot.

The Mandragora Apocrypha 29

 Note: This reaction attack may not benefit from Doctrina
Imperatives.
Fearless
Tier: 3
Prerequisite: Nerves of Steel, Adamantium Faith
Aptitudes: Willpower, Defense
Effects: Through hard experience with horrifying situations,
fear no longer commands the character’s actions. The
character is immune to the effects of Fear and Pinning, but
disengaging from combat or backing down from a fight is
difficult for them to stomach, and as such requires a
successful Challenging (+0) Willpower Test.
Feedback Screech
Tier: 1
Prerequisites: Mechanicus Implants, Vocal Implants
Aptitudes: Tech, Intelligence
Effect: The character can haywire his vox synthesizers,
causing a hideous blast of noise that shocks and distracts
others. All unprotected creatures within a 30-metre radius
who have the ability to hear must make a Challenging (+0)
Willpower Test or lose a Half Action on their next Turn as
they involuntarily react to the cacophonous shriek.
Furious Assault
Tier: 2
Prerequisite: Weapon Skill 35
Aptitudes: Weapon Skill, Offence
Effects: The character’s speed and martial prowess allow
him to land several blows where lesser combatants land
one. If the character successfully hits his target using the All
Out Attack Action, they may spend their Reaction (and thus
cannot Parry or Dodge until their next Turn) to make an
additional Attack using the same bonuses or penalties as the
original attack.
Gravitic Levitation
Tier: 3
Prerequisites: Maglev Grace, Maglev Transcendence,
Maglev Coils, Mechanicus Implants
Aptitudes: Intelligence, Tech
Effects: The character has mastered the secrets of anti-
Gravitic field generation. He floats above the ground and can
even raise himself to float through the air in defiance of
gravity. The character may hover, at will, 20 to 30
centimeters off the ground, and may move normally while
doing so. He may deactivate and reactivate this effect at will
as a Free Action. Should the character fall, he takes no
damage so long as this rite is active when he reaches the
ground. Once every 6 hours, the character may spend a Half
Action to gain the Flyer (3) trait, which he may maintain for a
number of minutes equal to the character’s Toughness
Bonus.
30 The Mandragora Apocrypha
Gun Blessing
Tier: 1
Prerequisites: Mechanicus Implants, Ferrous Implants
Aptitudes: Tech, Weapon Skill
Effects: Using the character’s sacred ability to subtly affect
ferrous materials, he can un-jam a number of weapons with
a wave of his hand. With a wave the character can unjam a
number of guns equal to his Intelligence Bonus. The
character may bless any weapon in a 10 meter radius. To do
so, he makes a Challenging (+0) Intelligence Test. A
success indicates that he has rallied the spirits of the
weapons. This blessing is a Full Action.
Ident Confirmed
Tier: 2
Prerequisites: Perception 40
Aptitudes: Finesse, Perception
Effects: High ranking Magi of the priesthood impart the
character with specialized killdata for a specific target. When
the Maniple is deployed on a mission to assassinate a
specific target, the character may spend a Fate Point. The
character may then reroll damage rolls against the target
(the second result stands) until the target is killed, the
character is forced to burn fate to live, or he spends a Fate
Point to select a different target.
Incense Genetorum
Tier: 1
Prerequisites: Willpower 30
Aptitudes: Willpower, Defense
Effects: Sweet-smelling incense bleches from vents in the
character's gen-pack, soothing his soul and hiding him from
the sight of the Omnissiah's foes. Once per Encounter, as a
Full Action, the character may release Incense from his
back, granting him and allies the Fog, Mist, Shadow, or
Smoke Combat Circumstance in a 5 meter Radius.
Inside The Mind Of The Machine
Tier: 2
Prerequisites: Intelligence 30
Aptitudes: Weapon Skill, Tech
Effects: The character can cow the savage battle spirit of
enemy war machines. The character may spend a Fate
Point to apply the Haywire (X) quality to his melee attacks,
where X is equal to his Intelligence Bonus.
Lachrimallus Assault
Tier: 2
Prerequisites: Adsecularis Alchemistry
Aptitudes: Tech, Intelligence
Effects: The character may make a Challenging (+0) Tech
Use test. If he succeeds, one Tech Thralls the character has
created and is control of gain the Hatred (All) talent, plus one
additional Tech Thrall for every Degree of Success.
Layered Psalm Code
Tier: 3
Prerequisites: Intelligence 40
Aptitudes: Leadership, Tech
Effects: The character uses binharic cant and his flesh-
voice in tandem, leading those nearby in uplifting hymns to
the Omnissiah's glory. When casting a Canticle of the
Omnissiah, if the character succeeds on the test with 4 or
more Degrees of Success, the Fate Point does not count as
being spent, and the Canticle may be used again in the
encounter.
Luminen Desecration
Tier: 3
Prerequisites: Luminen Capacitors, Mechanicus Implants
Aptitudes: Tech, Willpower
Effects: The Explorer’s implants generate a violent
techsorcism pulse, allowing him to disable technology in his
presence. A single gesture and most sophisticated devices
simply cease to function. A successful Challenging (+0)
Ballistic Skill Test allows him to direct the energy against a
single target within 10 meters. This is a ranged attack and
can be Dodged but not blocked by Fields or other protective
devices. If the target is carrying any electrical devices—
including energy weapons and bionic systems—then they
cease to operate for 1d5 rounds, as if their power had run
out. If the target is a vehicle, then it immediately suffers a
Critical Hit as if the user had scored Righteous Fury,
subtracting one to the Critical Hit result (a result of zero
results in no Critical Hit).
Luminen Flare
Tier: 3
Prerequisites: Luminen Blast, Luminen Capacitors,
Mechanicus Implants
Aptitudes: Ballistic Skill, Tech
Effects: The character has mastered the ability to channel
his will through the Potentia Coil into a powerful blast of
energy that brings the fury of the Omnissiah to all who might
stand in his path. On a successful Ballistic Skill Test, he may
direct this energy at a single target within 20 meters The
attack deals 1d10 plus his Willpower Bonus in Energy
Damage, and has the Blast (X) Quality, where X equals the
character’s Willpower Bonus. This counts as a Half Action,
and each time the Acolyte uses this Talent, he must first
pass a Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or gain a level of
Fatigue.
Luminen Shield
Tier: 2
Prerequisites: Luminen Capacitors, Mechanicus Implants
Aptitudes: Defense, Tech
Effects: Focusing his energy in all directions at once, the
Acolyte is capable of creating a hazy field of static, strong
enough to turn aside incoming blows and stop weapons fire
in its tracks. As a Full Action, he may activate a Luminen
Shield which remains active for a number of Rounds equal to
the character’s base Willpower Bonus. The shield has a
The Mandragora Apocrypha
rating equal to the half the character's Willpower
Characteristic, rounded up (e.g. an character with a
Willpower of 43 would have a Luminen Shield with a Rating
of 22). As long as the shield is active, the character may
attempt to stop incoming Ranged and Melee attacks by
rolling a 1d100 and comparing it to the shield’s Rating. If the
roll is equal to or under the Rating, the attack is stopped
completely. If the roll is over the Rating, the attack
penetrates the shield and causes Damage as normal. This
roll is made before reductions for Toughness and Armour. If
the 1d100 roll ever results in a 01-04, the shield stops the
attack, but is overloaded in the process. It instantly
collapses, and the Character must pass a Challenging (+0)
Toughness Test or gain 1 level of Fatigue. The character
can use Luminen Shield a number of times equal to his
Willpower Bonus every 24 hours; however, upon the second
activation of the ability within 24 hours, and upon each
subsequent activation in that time, he gains 1 level of
Fatigue.
Luminen Surge
Tier: 3
Prerequisites: Luminen Shock, Luminen Capacitors,
Mechanicus Implants
Aptitudes: Ballistic Skill, Tech
Effects: The character is able to channel even more power
through his hands, sheathing them in a glowing torrent of
power that can rend armor and bone alike. He must touch
his enemy for this ability to work. In combat, he must either
make a successful Challenging (+0) Weapon Skill Test or
be Grappling to deliver the blast. Each Luminen Surge deals
2d10+3 points of Energy Damage. This counts as a Half
Action, and each time the character uses this Talent, he
must pass a Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or gain a
level of Fatigue.
Machine Of Flesh
Tier: 3
Prerequisites: Medicae, Scholastic Lore (Chymistry) +30
Aptitudes: Tech, Knowledge
Talent Groups: Brute, Clawed/Fanged, Feels No Pain,
Multiple Arms, Nightsider, Regeneration, Sonar Sense,
Sturdy, Tough Hide, Venomous, Winged
Effects: Flesh is not a weakness as far as you are
concerned, but rather a font of untapped potential. Locked
within your genes and your tissues are the secrets to greater
power, and though you do not eschew the purity of steel nor
your existing implants, you see them only as part of the
mechanism by which you can better yourself.
You gain one of the following mutations: Brute,
Clawed/Fanged, Feels No Pain, Nightsider, Tough Hide, or
Venomous, or one of the following Traits: Regeneration,
Sonar Sense or Sturdy. You gain that Trait or the effects of
the Mutation (although, as you are either grafting biological
systems into your body or manipulating your own genetic
structure, whether or not you are actually a mutant is
debatable).
31
 Archmagos Barbossa Mordicai unleashing a luminen desecration amidst the Heraion Mechanicus aboard the Scientia Metallis

32 The Mandragora Apocrypha

Master Enginseer
Tier: 3
Prerequisite: Tech Use +20, Mechanicus Implants
Aptitudes: Intelligence, Tech
Effects: The character’s knowledge of engines and their
machine spirits surpasses all but the most venerable
servants of the Machine-God. The character can feel the
plasma pulsing through a reactor’s conduits as if it was in his
own veins. The character gains a +10 bonus on Tech-Use
Skill Tests. The character may spend a Fate Point to
automatically succeed on a Tech-Use Skill Test for
enhancement, repair, or upgrade of a machine’s system,
taking the minimum amount of time possible on the task. In
addition, at the GM’s discretion, the character may repair
objects without all the parts to hand, jury-rigging a working
device as good as the original.
Masterwork Bionics
Tier: 3
Prerequisites: Defensive Alchemistry, Toughness 50
Aptitudes: Defense, Toughness
Effects: Syringe-tipped limbs and clacking mechadendrites
extrude from the character's cybernetic physic, stabilizing
severe wounds even as battle rages all around. The
Character may reroll failed Toughness tests granted by the
Defensive Alchemistry and Defensive Augmentation talents
Malignant Susurrations
Tier: 2
Prerequisites: Sicarian Infiltrator, Neurostatic Aura,
Perception 40
Aptitudes: Perception, Tech
Effects: The Infiltrator’s Augur Dome has been enhanced
with greater killclade imperatives. The range of the
character’s Neurostatic Aura is increased to 30m.
Mechadendrite Use (Techsorcist)
Tier: 2
Prerequisites: Techsorcist, Mechanicus Implants
Aptitudes: Tech, Intelligence
Effects: The Techsorcist has chosen to alter one of his
mechadendrites to assist in his duties. This mechadendrite
has special electronic wards put in place to resist the effects
of corruption from Chaos-infested machine spirits. It also
houses a small memory unit for storing proscribed
documents and is set to automatically wipe itself upon
removal of the mechadendrite or the death of the
Techsorcist. When using a mechadendrite the Techsorcist
gains a +10 to Forbidden Lore (Tech- Heresy) rolls, and a
+10 to all Tech-Use Tests when interfacing with a corrupted
machine spirit.
Mindlinked Hunters
Tier: 2
Prerequisites: Perception 40
Aptitudes: Finesse, Perception
Effects: The Maniple trains to target enemies, relying on
each other’s’ eyes to guide their shots. A character with this
talent may use another character with this talent within 100m
The Mandragora Apocrypha
to determine if he has line of sight to an enemy. Cover for
enemies is still calculated from the position of the firing
character, however.
Nerves Of Steel
Tier: 2
Prerequisite: None
Aptitudes: Willpower, Defense
Effects: Long years on the battlefield enable the character
to remain calm as fire impacts all around them. The
character may re-roll failed Willpower Tests to avoid or
recover from Pinning. In addition, he is seldom impressed by
the aggressive displays of his enemies and gains a +10 to
Willpower Tests when resisting the effects of enemy
Intimidation Skill attempts.
Numinous Reclamation
Tier: 2
Prerequisites: Electro-Priest
Aptitudes: Willpower, Offense
Effects: Depending on his factional declaration, the Electro-
priest can better steal the energy from his unworthy
enemies, or bless them with further energy! Against an
enemy who was wounded by an Energy based attack in the
previous round, the character may either fire an additional
shot at the enemy (if wielding electrostatic gauntlets) or reroll
damage in melee against the enemy (if wielding electroleech
staves).
Predictive Augury
Tier: 2
Prerequisites: Willpower 30, Nerves of Steel
Aptitudes: Willpower, Offense
Effects: The character can respond with lightning swiftness
to enemy attacks. When subjected to a Charge action by an
enemy, the character may perform the Suppressive Fire
action as a reaction against the enemy. If the character’s
weapon is incapable of the Suppressive Fire action, they
may fire a single shot Ranged attack with a -20 penalty.
Spray weapons instead grant a +20 bonus to the Agility test
to avoid the shot. This reaction attack may not benefit from
Doctrina Imperatives.
Revenant Alchemistry
Tier: 3
Prerequisites: Adescularis Alchemistry
Aptitudes: Tech, Intelligence
Effect: Certain Forge Worlds, particularly those far from the
direct oversight of Mars, are commonly held to contain
elements which practice the forbidden arts of the Dark Age
of Technology. Rumors of the use of the forbidden Sarcosa
Wave and Black Alchemistry are rare.
The character may make a Challenging (+0) Scholastic
Lore (Chymistry) test. If he succeeds, one Tech Thrall, as
well as one additional Thrall per Degree of Success, doubles
their toughness bonus for the purposes of damage reduction
until the start of the character’s next round.
33
 Rite of Awe
Tier: 1
Prerequisites: Mechanicus Implants
Aptitudes: Tech, Willpower
Effects: The Omnissiah has augmetically blessed the
Explorator’s voice box, allowing him to recite infrasonic
liturgies that trigger awe and fear. All humans, regardless of
their ability to hear, within a 50-metre radius feel a sense of
dread and take a –10 penalty to their next Skill Test.
Characters may ignore these effects with a successful
Willpower Test. Whilst incanting the rite, the character may
not talk or communicate with others. The rite requires two
minutes of litanies, and it is considered very bad form to
break off the recitation before completion. Humans without
auditory implants cannot hear infrasonic sound, and though
still affected, will not know the Explorator is speaking.
Rite of Fear
Tier: 2
Prerequisites: Vocal Implant, Mechanicus Implants
Aptitudes: Tech, Willpower
Effects: The Explorator’s infrasonic dirges cause terror in
the weak. All humans, regardless of their ability to hear,
within a 50-metre radius treat the character as if he has a
Fear Rating of 1. While incanting the dirge, he may not
communicate in any other way. The rite requires two minutes
of chanting, and most would not consider halting the
incantations prior to their completion. Humans without
auditory augmentation cannot hear infrasonic sound, and
though still affected, will not know the Explorator is speaking.
Rite of Pure Thought
Tier: 3
Prerequisites: Mechanicus Implants
Aptitudes: Tech, Intelligence
Effects: The character has replaced the creative half of his
brain with sacred cranial circuitry. The character can no
longer feel emotion, and instead embraces the crystal purity
of logic, making him immune to Fear, Pinning and any
effects that stem from emotional disturbance. The GM will
remove any Mental Disorders that no longer apply, and grant
appropriate new ones of equal severity. The character’s
fellow allies may find him somewhat cold, though other
followers of the Omnissiah will rejoice in his newfound
freedom.
Slaughtersprint
Tier: 2
Prerequisites: Agility 40
Aptitudes: Agility, Fieldcraft
Effects: Once per encounter, the character may make the
Charge action with his Run speed. This may be further
augmented by talents like Sprint.
Suffer the Flesh
Tier: 1
Prerequisites: Medicae, Mechanicus Implants
Aptitudes: Tech, Intelligence
Effects: The Magos of the Adeptus Biologis possess the
34 The Mandragora Apocrypha
arcane secrets of mending flesh and bone polished to such a
degree that the only ones that can rival them are the
hereteks who dabble in the proscribed rites of the flesh
looms or protean resurrection.
The character can remove an additional 1d5 wounds with
a successful First Aid test if he possesses a Medical
Mechadendrite.
The Flesh is Weak (X)
Tier: 3
Prerequisites: Mechanicus Implants
Aptitudes: Tech, Toughness
Effects: The character’s body has undergone significant
bionic replacement, trading frail flesh for unyielding metal.
The character is more machine than man now, and has the
resilience to prove it, though his allies might look somewhat
skeptically upon his bionically enhanced form.
This character gains the Machine (X) Trait, where X is
equal to half of the number of Cybernetics he possesses
(rounded up), to a maximum of an amount equal to his
Toughness Bonus. If he gains a new Cybernetic, the value of
the Trait increases to reflect the new Cybernetic. Note that
this only applies to Cybernetics such as bionic replacement
limbs and organ replacements, sub-systems, and
mechadendrites , and not to Traits and Talents that grant
similar effects.
Note that the character only benefits from the Armor
Points benefit of the Machine Trait until the value of this
talent exceeds his Toughness Bonus value.
Total Recall
Tier: 1
Prerequisite: Intelligence 30
Aptitudes: Intelligence, Knowledge
Effects: Mental conditioning or cranial augmentation
enables the character to record and recall great amounts of
information, effectively granting them a perfect memory. The
character can automatically remember trivial facts or pieces
of information the character might feasibly have picked up in
the past. When dealing with more detailed, complex, or
obscure facts, such as the exact layout of a defense
network, the GM may require a successful Intelligence Test
to recall the information.
Unorthodox Rites
Tier: 1
Prerequisites: Trade (Explorator), Mechanicus Implants
Aptitudes: Tech, Intelligence
Effect: Explorators rarely fit in with the mainstream Adeptus
Mechanicus and are far more willing to experiment or
deviate from orthodox rituals or maintenance and operation.
Through carefully communing with the spirits of the engines
they can tune them into a perfect equilibrium so that the
spirits are appeased and the ship receives their bounty.
The character can increase the power output of the
engine by an amount equal to his intelligence bonus. If the
ship suffers the Engines Crippled critical hit it loses these
extra power points and does not regain them until the engine
is repaired and the Explorator makes a Very Hard (-30) tech-
use test, spending 1d5 hours to re-optimize the engines (-1
hour per success on the tech-use test, minimum 1 hour).
These optimizations can only be maintained while the
character is aboard as few can understand just how hard to
push the engines without angering them.
Traits
The following presents new traits, including their effects.
Binary-Cortex
The character's brain is joined by another, allowing him to
share intellect and knowledge swiftly. The brain is that of
another Tech-Priest, with a distinct identity and personality,
and distinct abilities and skills. Roll 2d10+40 to determine
this character’s Intelligence, and 2d10+30 to determine its
Willpower. These characteristic scores are assumed to
already include Simple and Trained Intelligence advances
and a Simple Willpower advance. The brain starts with a
number of Intelligence-based Skills, equal to his Intelligence
Bonus, and all are considered to be Trained Skills, Basic or
Advanced depending on the skill’s normal type.
This second brain has no influence over the character’s
body, nor any access to his senses (though he can share
thoughts and memories freely, so it can see what he has
seen only fractions of a second later), and is utterly
incapable of performing any action with a physical
component. The second brain may attempt any non-physical
skill or ability check (using the characteristics determined
earlier) freely, and may assist the character with any task
involving a Skill that both possess, granting the usual
bonuses for having someone to assist him. If it tests against
a Skill the character does not possess, it can pass the
information gained to him as a free action, allowing him to
use that information as if he had passed the test or been
otherwise informed of those details.
Experience may be spent on skills, talents and
advances for the second brain, all of which are purchased
with its own experience, which it gains at half the rate the
character does. Talents may only be purchased for the
second brain if the effects of those talents are completely
and utterly mental in nature, and the second brain cannot
meet the prerequisites for any talent if they include any
characteristic the second brain does not possess. Similarly,
bionics and implants may be added to the second brain only
if they apply specifically to the brain—there’s no point fitting
a binary cortex with a bionic arm, but a Cortex Implant is
entirely appropriate.
However, having a second mind communicating with the
character constantly, unaware of what’s going on outside
and occasionally disagreeing with him can be distracting. To
represent this incessant distraction, the character suffers –5
to his Perception Characteristic, and a –5 to Initiative.
Heart of Steel
Not known for being warm or personable, the Adeptus
Mechanicus are unforgiving, blunt, and at times quite harsh
to those unfamiliar with the cold, logical way the Adeptus
Mechanicus operates. The same things that make them
difficult to relate to for others actually make them more
trustworthy in the eyes of their peers, and thus a character
The Mandragora Apocrypha
with this trait may substitute their Intelligence Characteristic
for their Fellowship Characteristic whenever interacting with
other members of the Cult Mechanicus.
Meme-Virus
A meme-virus is a viral idea which re-writes the neural
pathways of the brain which contracts it. Infection with a
Meme-Virus results in an addiction to collecting information
and data. It alters the normal, balanced cognitive function of
those afflicted. People with a meme-virus are known to be
hungry for knowledge of any sort, from the most rudimentary
trivia to daemonic secrets, doing anything and everything
they can to acquire it. They often travel with note taking tools
of some sort, such as a data slate. Many Tech-Adepts are
infected by the Meme-Virus and it is said that many infect
themselves deliberately.
Anyone coming into contact with the Meme-Virus or with
blood from a person infected by the Meme-Virus has to
make a Toughness test or has contracted it. Infection with a
Meme Virus results in treating all Common, Forbidden and
Scholastic Lores Skills as Known. However, whenever the
character makes a lore test he becomes subject to the Mind
Locked trait.
Doctrina Imperatives
The Skitarii are fearsome foes, relentless in the pursuit of
the Omnissiah’s agenda and equipped with the most
advanced weaponry in the Imperium. Ultimately, though,
each is but a cybernetic vessel for the will of the Tech-
priests. In the heat of battle, the Skitarii will be remotely
controlled by data imperatives that boost their minds and
bodies to inhuman levels. Whenever a Skitarii rolls Initiative,
he must chose one of the three basic Doctrina Imperatives
listed below. This Imperative can be changed with a
Challenging (+0) Logic Test, taking a Half Action if
successful, or a Full Action upon a failure:
 Hazard Optimization: The Skitarii gains a +10 bonus to all
Ballistic Skill Tests, but conversely a -10 to all Weapon
Skill Tests and -10 to Fellowship Tests.
 Standard Protocol: While in this state, the Skitarii suffers
no bonuses or penalties beyond a -10 to all Fellowship
Tests.
 Mindstate Secutor: The Skitarii gains a +10 bonus to all
Weapon Skill Tests, but conversely a -10 to all Ballistic
Skill Tests and -10 to Fellowship Tests.
Further, the Skitarii may suffer 1d5-2 (to a minimum of 1)
levels of Fatigue to activate a Beta-class Doctrina
Imperative, which are listed below. A Skitarii must pass a
Hard (-20) Logic Test to change Imperatives from a Beta-
class, becoming Easy (+20) if outside of any foreseeable
combat.
 Gundrill Symbiosis: The character gains a +20 bonus to all
Ballistic Skill Tests, but conversely a -20 to all Weapon
Skill Tests and -20 to Fellowship Tests.
 Technomartyr Concords: The character gains a +20
bonus to all Weapon Skill Tests, but conversely a -20 to
all Ballistic Skill Tests and -20 to Fellowship Tests.
35
 Weapons of Enlightenment
“No flesh shall be spared.”
— The MkXIII Cantos.
his section covers the extensive armory utilized by the
Explorator Mechanicum within the Mandragora Sector and
its periphery realms. It also includes Archeotech of the
Dread Region: Unique Mandragoran relics and objects of
uncertain antiquity and frightening consequence.
Ranged Weapons
The ranged weapons of the Mandragoran Mechanicum
are powerful and ancient devices capable of massive
destruction or precise obliteration. The weapons of the
Mechanicus are undoubtedly blessed by the Omnessiah.
Arc Weapons
Arc weapons are powered by
bulky permacapacitors shipped
from Mars’ Great Repositorium.
Some of these zinc-plated blocks
store energy from the days when the Imperium was young.
They discharge with a loud crack, firing bolts of blue-white
electricity that can fry a man’s brain or overload a war
machine’s datacortex in a second.
Cognis Flamer
The spark-like anger of the cognis flamer’s machine spirit
has been fanned to a roaring blaze. When under duress it
will fight with incendiary wrath, even should its wielder be
distracted.
Cognis Flamewall: When the weapon is fired at an enemy
charging the bearer (Usually as part of the action granted
from the Predictive Augury and Emotionless Clarity talents),
the enemy automatically fails their Agility test to avoid the
flame
Electrostatic Gauntlets
Corpuscarii wear metal apparatus around their wrists that
channels tremendous electrostatic potential from dorsal
generators. This can be discharged in a cascade of killing
lightning.
Eradication Beamer
The thin yellow beam fired by the eradication beamer
widens as it projects outward from the weapon’s distinctive
muzzle. Those in the middle distance will be ravaged on a
molecular level by its impossible technologies. Those close
by are simply atomized, their physical forms scattered to the
hot winds of war without a sound.
36 The Mandragora Apocrypha
Eradication Ray
The eradication ray
spells death to any caught
in its pallid light. Those on
the periphery of its cone-
like emanations find
themselves discorporating, melting like smoke into
nothingness. Those unlucky enough to be close to the
muzzle are simply rubbed out of existence.
Flechette Blaster
The flechette blaster is
lightweight but lethal, a favored
tool of the Sicarian Infiltrator. It
fires hundreds of tiny darts,
each of which bears a dormant
cerebral cell awakened in the gun’s chamber. Where one
dart hits home it emits a bioelectric pulse that attracts others,
resulting in a series of impacts that burrow through bone.
Galvanic Rifle
Modeled after
the hunting
flintlocks of Mars’
past, the Mk IV Arkhan galvanic rifle is a precision tool in the
hands of a Skitarii Ranger. Its bodywork is that of an antique,
with a polished wooden stock and curlicues that echo the
sandy seas of Mars’ desert. Yet the galvanic servitor-bullets
inside are incredibly advanced. When such a bullet strikes
home, it causes all the potential energy of the target to burn
out in a killing blast of electric force.
Gamma Pistol
The gamma pistol is entrusted
only to the truly blessed. The beam
of ionizing radiation that leaps from
its muzzle can reduce a man to a blackened shadow in a
second, but this is a waste of its true strength – those able to
tame its savage machine spirit can cut holes in an Aquila
Strongpoint if necessary.
Graviton Imploder
The Graviton Imploder is a type of Graviton Weapon used
by the Adeptus Mechanicus. The weapon was designed on
the Forge World of Tigrus. Also called the 'Tank Crusher', it
was a concentrated beam that created a collapsing grav-field
which brought down kinetic force proportional to the density
and mass of the material it struck. It thus proved effective
against heavily armored foes and vehicles. Crude and
power-hungry, the design was deemed blasphemous by
some Magos who saw it as a perversion of ancient patterns.
However its capabilities proved invaluable during the Horus
Heresy.
Heavy Arc Rifle
Devised to slay the Daemon machines of the Dark
Mechanicum, the heavy arc rifle is powered by ancient
Martian electrotech. It sends out shallow parabolas of
Table 2-1: Ranged Weapons
Name Class Range Rof Dam Pen Clip Rld Special Wt. Availability
Arc
Arc Pistol Pistol 30m S/-/- 1d10+6 E 2 6 Full Reliable, Shocking, 2kg Very Rare
Haywire (1)
Arc Rifle Basic 60m S/-/- 1d10+6 E 2 12 Full Reliable, Shocking, 4kg Extremely Rare
Haywire (2)
Bolt
Maxim Bolter Basic 30m -/-/5 1d10+5 X 4 25 2 Full Tearing 6kg Extremely Rare
Mauler Bolt Heavy 90m -/-/6 2d10+8 X 8 60 Full Tearing 40kg Extremely Rare
Cannon
Galvanic
Galvanic Rifle Basic 150m S/2/- 1d10+6 I 6 32 Full Reliable 3kg Very Rare
Transuranic Heavy 250m S/-/- 1d10+6 I 3 8 2 Full Reliable, Accurate, 12kg Near Unique
Arquebus Lance
Phosphor
Phosphor Blast Pistol 30m S/-/- 1d10+5 E 5 12 Full Reliable, Luminagen 2kg Very Rare
Pistol
Phosphor Serpenta Basic 60m S/-/- 1d10+5 E 5 24 Full Reliable, Luminagen 4kg Very Rare
Heavy Phosphor Heavy 120m S/3/- 1d10+8 E 5 45 2 Full Reliable, Luminagen 12kg Extremely
Blaster Rare
Plasma
Plasma Caliver Basic 150m S/2/- 1d10+6 E 6 24 2 Full Overheats 4kg Very Rare
Plasma Culverin Heavy 100m S/2/- 2d10+12 E 10 16 5 Full Overheats, Maximal, 15kg Extremely
Blast (1) Rare
Solid Projectile
Flechette Blaster Pistol 30m S/2/3 1d10+2 I 0 30 Half Reliable, Storm 1.5kg Rare
Stubcarbine Basic 60m S/2/4 1d10+4 I 2 40 Full Reliable 3kg Rare
Macrostubber Pistol 30m -/-/6 1d10+4 I 2 50 Full Reliable, Storm 3kg Rare
Rotor Cannon Heavy 150m -/6/10 1d10+6 I 3 200 3 Full Tearing 40kg Rare
Las
Laslock Basic 50m S/-/- 1d10+6 E 2 - - Integrated 6kg Scarce
Lighting Gun Basic 50m S/-/- 3d10+8 E 4 - - Integrated, Tearing, 7kg Extremely
Razorsharp Rare
Mitralock Basic 50m S/-/- 1d10+7 E 2 - - Tearing, Integrated 6kg Rare
Radium
Radium Pistol Pistol 30m S/2/- 1d10+2 E 2 18 Full Reliable, Rad-Cleanse 2kg Very Rare
Radium Carbine Basic 60m S/3/- 1d10+2 E 2 36 Full Reliable, Rad-Cleanse 4kg Very Rare
Radium Jezzail Heavy 120m S/2/- 1d10+2 E 2 40 2 Full Reliable, Rad- 12kg Extremely Rare
Cleanse, Accurate
Volkite
Volkite Serpenta Pistol 25m S/-/- 2d10+2 E 4 10 2 Full Deflagrate 3kg Very Rare
Volkite Charger Basic 55m S/2/- 2d10+3 E 4 20 3 Full Deflagrate 6kg Very Rare
Volkite Caliver Heavy 165m S/2/3 2d10+6 E 4 30 4 Full Deflagrate 15kg Extremely Rare
Volkite Culverin Heavy 280m S/2/4 2d10+9 E 4 40 5 Full Deflagrate 39kg Extremely Rare
Volkite Incinerator Basic 25m S/2/- 2d10+4 E 4 20 3 Full Deflagrate 12kg Extremely Rare
(Beam)
(Blast) Melee - - 2d10+8 E 12 - - Prisoned
Exotic
Eradication Beamer Heavy 0-25m S/-/- 3d10+10 E 15 20 4 Full 78kg Near Unique
-60m 3d10+10 E 8 Blast (3)
-250m 2d10+9 E 4 Blast (5)
Eradication Ray Heavy 0-30m S/-/- 3d10+10 E 15 5 3 Full 24kg Near Unique
100m 2d10+10 E 8
Gamma Pistol Pistol 30m S/-/- 2d10+10 E 12 4 3 Full Lance 1.5kg Near Unique
Graviton Imploder Heavy 90m S/3/5 2d10 I 10 50 3 Full Graviton 33kg Near Unique
Heavy Grav Heavy 150m S/3/6 1d10+12 I 10 30 6 Full Concussive (4), 43kg Unique
Cannon Graviton
Torsion Cannon Heavy 100m S/-/- 3d10+10 E 15 6 6 Full Gravitic Contortion 23kg Unique
Electrostatic Pistol 30m S/2/- 1d10+7 E 0 30 Full Twin-Linked 4kg Rare
Gauntlets
Neutron Laser Heavy 300m S/-/- 3d10+30 E 15 20 3 Full Blast (3), Concussive 90kg Near Unique
(3)
Flame
Cognis Flamer Heavy 20m S/-/- 1d10+4 E 3 3 2 Full Spray, Flame, Cognis 8kg Rare
Flamewall
Incendine Heavy 20m S/-/- 1d10+4 E 3 3 2 Full Spray, Flame, Torrent 12kg Rare
Combustor
Techxorcism
Techxorcism Rifle Basic 80m S/-/4 1d10+4 E 4 40 Full Haywire (1), Shocking 15kg Very Rare
Techxorcism Heavy 120m S/-/- 2d10+6 E 6 20 2 Full Haywire (4), Shocking 40kg Very Rare
Cannon
Photon
Photon Gauntlet Pistol 30m S/2/- 2d10+3 E 12 - - Proven (2), 4kg Very Rare
Overheats, Integrated
Photon Thruster Basic 300m S/2/- 2d10+8 E 5 - - Felling (1), Proven (3), 45kg Extremely Rare
Overheats, Lance,
Integrated

The Mandragora Apocrypha

37
 Darkfire Cannon Heavy 375 S/2/- 2d10+14 E
Irradiation Projectors
Irad Cleanser Basic 30m S/-/- 1d10+3 E
Irad Engine Heavy 50m S/-/- 1d10+12 E
Rad-Cleanser Pistol 30m S/-/- 2d10+2 E
crackling energy that revolve around each other, forming
triple helixes as they blast forth. Should these ground upon a
metallic target they will swiftly overload its circuits and
banish its animating spirit to the ether.
Heavy Grav-Cannon
The graviton technologies used by the Adeptus
Mechanicus are fearsome indeed. A target hit by the heavy
grav-cannon’s invisible field will be stunned and likely
crippled, or even crushed under their own exponentially
increased mass until all that is left is an oozing disc of
biometallic waste.
Incendine Combustor
Typically mounted atop the Kastelan Battle Robot, the
incendine combustor hurls out great gouts of burning, thrice-
blessed promethium. Laced with Magos-blessed unguents
and ignited by a flame lit from the Perpetual Forge, each
holy fire-thrower can turn a techno-heretic into foul tallow in
a matter of seconds.
Irradiation Projectors
'Irad' or 'Rad' projectors are potent anti-personnel
weapons and relics of the Dark Age of Technology used
exclusively by the militant forces of the Mechanicus. They
commonly comprise a bulky generator unit terminating in a
dish-like projector that unleashes a powerful blast of deadly
cross-spectrum radiations. Victims caught in the blast of
such a weapon suffer an appalling death as they are boiled
alive from within - their tissues blasted apart on a cellular
level. Thick barriers of solid matter between the beam and
the target provide some protection from this effect, though
victims who survive the initial blast will often die later of
extreme radioactive contamination.
Fleshbane: Damage from this attack ignores Toughness
Bonus. Armor functions normally.
Rad-Phage: Upon taking wounds, the enemy must make a
Challenging (+0) Toughness Test or suffer 2d10 Toughness
Damage.
Lightning Gun
This aptly named weapon takes the form of a baroquely
designed carbine connected to a micro-reactor core. It fires
an ionizing las-beam, down which a powerful phased
discharge of electromagnetic force is unleashed, and is
equally effective at slaughtering the living and overloading
machine targets.
The Lightning Gun requires Exotic Proficiency (Integrated)
38 The Mandragora Apocrypha
5 - - Felling (1), Proven (4), 78kg Near Unique
Overheats, Lance,
Integrated
4 20 4 Full Fleshbane, Rad- 15kg Very Rare
Phase
8 30 4 Full Spray, Fleshbane, 24kg Very Rare
Rad-Phage
7 20 - Blast (2), Recharge, 3kg Very Rare
Fleshbane, Rad-Phage
unless it is connected to a standard Backpack power supply,
in which case a shot count of 20 is used.
Macrostubber
The macrostubber is an
antique pistol able to hurl out a
thunderous cloud of solid
slugs. Though the pistol’s
weapon-science is relatively blunt, the sight of its bullet
stream chewing the flesh of the foe offers an undeniable
charm to even the most jaded Tech Priest.
Mechanicus Bolter Weaponry
The Mechanicus utilize a variety of bolter weaponry which,
while operating on similar principles to the standardized
weapons of the Adeptus Astartes, are often more
sophisticated and difficult to maintain. Such weapons include
the Maxim; a relatively compact, short-chambered rotary
boltgun capable of a high rate of fire, and the Mauler pattern
bolt cannon, a fearsome baroque and bulky automatic
cannon using substantially larger and denser shells than a
standard heavy bolter.
Mechanicus Las Weaponry
The standard weapon of the Astra Militarum for its
ruggedness, reliability, and ease of resupply, the Lasgun
fires a beam of light that can strike the target with a large
amount of energy. These weapons can vaporize unarmored
surfaces, and even pierce armor when sufficiently
overcharged
The Laslocks and Mitralocks of the Mechanicum can
support higher damage over range and rate of fire, and are
often given to their disposable Adsecularis force. The
Laslock and Mitralock require Exotic Proficiency (Integrated).
Laslocks and Mitralocks may mount Induction Chargers,
increasing their RoF to S/-/2, but increasing Availability by
one difficulty step.
Charger Burnout: If a Jam is rolled when firing the Blast
Charger mode, the weapon melts, becoming useless until
repaired with a Hard (-20) Trade (Armourer) test.
Mitralocks
Mitralocks are a type of Las-weapon used by the Adeptus
Mechanicus. Commonly equipped to Tech-Thralls,
Mitralocks release a fan of las-pulses akin to a shotgun
blast. The firing range is reduced in favor of an increased
likelihood of injuring their targets.
Neutron Laser
The neutron laser is the last word in battlefield anti-tank
weaponry. With a stabilized neutronic coil arc reactor as its
power source, it is able to fire a beam so devastating it not
only punches through the thickest armor but also sends out
a blast wave of electromagnetic energy that scrambles
circuits and synapses alike.
Phosphor Weapons
Though the crawling horror of
phosphex weaponry is all but
forgotten in the Imperium, the
blinding white fire of phosphor
weaponry is still utilized by the Skitarii to mark out high
priority targets amongst the battlefield murk. If those struck
by the burning spheres fired by these weapons are not killed
by the initial trauma, they are soon felled by the light-guided
volleys that follow.
Luminagen: For 1d5+1 rounds, a target struck by a weapon
with the Luminagen Quality does not benefit from the
defensive or stealth enhancing capabilities of smoke,
darkness, Cameleoline or similar conditions. Further, every
round a target is affected by Luminagen, roll a 1d10, on a
9+, the character is set aflame.
Photon Thruster Weapons
The arcane secrets of these deadly but unstable beam
weapons are jealously guarded by the adepts who hold
them, leading some to believe the technology is xenos in
origin. When fired they unleash howling, needle-thin beams
of utter blackness able to pierce the densest matter, slashing
and slicing armored men and machinery apart like razors,
leaving pulsing waves of darkness in their wake. The exotic
power sources of these unearthly weapons are extremely
unstable, and catastrophic failure can lead to its firer being
consumed by raging black flames until only dust remains
Plasma Caliver
As volatile as it is
deadly, the plasma caliver
exchanges range for a
truly terrifying rate of fire.
A squad of Skitarii armed with several plasma calivers lights
up the night with each volley. To say they risk life and limb in
the process is a grave understatement, yet to their Tech-
Priest masters, such collateral damage matters not at all.
Plasma Culverin
Plasma culverins sacrifice the range of their cannon-
pattern equivalents in exchange for a higher rate of fire. Only
the Adeptus Mechanicus dare coax such rampant
destruction from their plasma weaponry, yet to the adepts of
Ryza in particular, the scars they leave on wielder and war
zone alike
are
The Mandragora Apocrypha
considered quite normal.
Rad-Cleanser
Rad-cleansers are potent weapons said to be relics of the
longpast Dark Age of Technology, and they are certainly
powerful and terrible enough in effect to justify that mythic
claim. Victims caught in the rad-cleanser’s blast suffer an
agonizing death as their tissues are blown apart on a cellular
level and they are boiled alive from within. Even metals may
combust in the powerful blast created by a rad-cleanser.
These horrific weapons are extremely difficult to
manufacture and heavily proscribed by the Cult Mechanicus.
The “toxic” effect listed on this weapon’s profile actually
represents massive radioactive contamination, and should
be treated accordingly. Rad-cleansers must be reloaded by
refueling their bulky reactor-core units, which cannot be
done during combat.
Radium Weapons
Radium weapons are
so volatile that they
eventually kill their
wielders. Their baroque beauty belies a singularly vile
function – not only to strike, but to render the battlefield as
deadly as the rad-wastes of Mars. Each weapon’s bullet
cylinder is so thoroughly bathed in radium that a volley can
cause a localized rad-storm. Those inside soon find their
flesh blackening and sloughing away.
Rad-Cleanse: Any target struck by a weapon with the Rad-
Cleanse quality, or any character within 1m of a weapon with
this quality during a reload must take a Challenging (+0)
Toughness Test or suffer 1d5 Toughness Damage, on a
natural 100, this damage is considered permanent.
Rotor Cannon
These weapons were multi-barreled Stubbers, using
electric motors to maintain an extremely high rate of fire from
their spinning barrel. Their medium caliber-slugs lacked the
power of Bolter shells, but nonetheless the sheer volume of
them proved effective against unarmored hordes of foes and
fleshy Xenos.
Stubcarbine
The stubcarbine,
though compact, has
the stopping power of
the heavy stubbers mounted on the tanks of the Astra
Militarum. When a squad of Sicarians opens fire with these
weapons, the air fills with a storm of solid shot that chews
their victims to ruin.
Transuranic Arquebus
The precision and inhuman efficiency that typify the
Skitarii Legions are epitomized by these long-barreled heavy
39
 Table 2-2: Grenades and Explosives
Name Class Range Rof Dam Pen Clip Special Wt. Availability
Grenades/Missiles
Mindscrambler Thrown SBx3 S/-/- 1d10+3 E 6 - Haywire, Toxic (4), Blast (3) 0.5kg Scarce
Grenade
Stasis Grenade Thrown SBx3 S/-/- † † 1 Indirect, † 0.5kg Very Rare
Virus Grenade Thrown SBx3 S/-/- 3d10 I 0 1 Toxic (3), † 0.5kg Extremely Rare
Explosives
Phosphex Bomb Thrown SBx3 S/-/- 2d10+5 E 12 - Blast (5), Corrosive, Toxic(2), 6kg Near Unique
Lingering Death, Crawling
Fire
Stasis Mine - - - † † 1 Blast (6), † 20kg Very Rare
Torpedos
Airburst Torpedo - - - 2d10 E 0 - Blast (8), Tearing, † 3kg Rare
EMP Torpedo - - - - - - Haywire (6) 5kg Very Rare
Incendiary Torpedo - - - 2d10 E 0 - Blast (4), † 3kg Very Rare
Standard Torpedo - - - 1d10+12 I 4 - Blast (2), † 3kg Rare
† See item entry for special rules

weapons. Firing a shell of depleted transuranium, the Volkite Weapons

arquebus can puncture a tank from one side to the other, the
resultant pressure wave also pulping any biological
creatures that may be sheltering inside.
Techxorcism Weapons
Utilizing a unique form of energy specifically designed to
destroy technology and drive out machine-spirits,
Techxorcism weapons can render units of Servitors
inoperable in a single blast, or leave a Tech-Priest on the
ground desperately gasping for air as his implants all fail.
Given the choice, the Mechanicus would ban such weapons,
but unfortunately for the Mechanicus there are other
powerful organizations within the Imperium that consider
these weapons vital tools in the war against the enemies of
Mankind. There are numerous examples of Techxorcism
weaponry, but the most common are a rapid fire rifle often
used for suppressing fire and a highly destructive cannon
that can render entire squads of enemy troops helpless in a
single blast.
To use a Techxorcism weapon, the character must have
the Exotic Weapon Training (Techxorcism) Talent. When a
Techxorcism weapon strikes a living target, it deals the
damage listed in its profile with the Shocking Quality. Living
targets struck by a Techxorcism weapon suffer an additional
–20 penalty to Tests to resist the effects of its Shocking
Quality.
Torsion Cannon
The tri-sectional barrel of the torsion cannon is amongst
the holiest of Mars’ weapon technologies. When energized, it
sends out three synchronous gaol-fields that hold sections of
the target in place. As the sections of the cannon’s barrel
turn counter to one another, the matter grasped in the fields
is mercilessly twisted, subjected to an impossible torque that
rips, buckles and ruins alien monstrosities and enemy war
engines alike.
Gravitic Contortion: For every degree of success on the
Ballistic Skill test, the weapon inflicts an additional 1d5
wounds, ignoring armor and toughness, or 1d5 hull integrity,
ignoring Armor.
Favored during the Great
Crusade before the Terran
Boltgun drove them into
decline, volkite weapons
impart so much
thermodynamic energy to the target that those under their
shimmering rays simply combust. Such unfortunates burn to
cinders in explosions of jetting flame, frequently taking
nearby comrades to the grave with them.
Deflagrate: For every hit that inflicted at least one Wound on
an opponent, resolve an additional automatic hit, rolling for
damage as normal. These additional hits do not inflict further
hits themselves.
Grenades And Explosives
The mysteries of the Machine God are readily apparent in
the wondrous devices his servants use for his glory. This is
especially true for those rare creations that can shine
dazzling light on those who would hide from his gaze, or
even stop them in time so they can be dispatched before
they are aware of their fate.
Mindscrambler Grenades
Sicarian Ruststalkers are equipped with mindscrambler
grenades harboring the egg- sac of a Cthellan
electrogenesis squid. When detonated, the resultant surge of
bioelectricity causes heavy neural trauma in living creatures
and artificial sentience alike.
Phosphex Weapons
Phosphex Weapons are a class of extremely deadly
Imperial incendiary weapon. Phosphex has the capacity to
burn without oxygen and with next to no fuel source. It is
capable of burning underwater (being also able to set water
alight) and can burn through solid rock, adamantium, and
ceramite. Known as the 'living fire', 'crawling death' and 'ice-
fire' due to its attraction to movement and sub-zero burning
temperature, once unleashed the green cloud of Phosphex
expands exponentially, burning everything in its path. The
taint of Phosphex residue is far more enduring even than

40 The Mandragora Apocrypha

radiation from nuclear fallout, rendering any area exposed to
its touch uninhabitable.
Phosphex Bomb
These bombs contain phosphex, a rare corrosive toxin
and incendiary compound. It expands on contact with the air
into a seething, liquid mist which burns with an eerie white-
green flame that is attracted to movement. This flame ignites
metal and eats into living tissue, and more ominously cannot
be extinguished by any means short of exposure to a
vacuum. But as effective as this horrific weapon is, its use is
not widespread as it has a tainting effect on planets beyond
even radiation or nuclear weapons.
Phosphex Bombs inflict their base damage, ignoring
armor and toughness, if the enemy fails a Hard (-20)
Toughness test from the Toxic quality.
Lingering Death: After resolving the Phosphex Bomb
attack, make note of the blast’s final location. The blast cloud
does not dissipate, but rather remains active at that location.
Crawling Fire: At the start of every round, the GM may
move any Phosphex Bomb clouds from the Lingering Death
rule up to 3m in any direction, as long as that direction is
closer to a living organism – be it ally or enemy to the party.
The GM must immediately resolve a Phosphex Bomb hit
against anything that falls under the Phosphex Bomb cloud’s
new location. This will cause damage, but no new blasts are
created (the only way to create more clouds is to chuck more
Bombs).
Stasis Grenade
A stasis grenade is a unusual weapon that uses the stasis
field effect. Developed by the Adeptus Mechanicus, stasis
grenades are extremely rare and expensive to acquire. This
and their specialized nature means their issue is limited to
special Imperial agents rather than common soldiers. On
activation, the grenade emits a stasis-loop field around itself.
Everything within the field exists in the same moment
repeated over and over. Eventually the grenade's power
source is expended and the field deactivates. As their power
source is rather small, the stasis field caused by an activated
stasis grenade does not normally last for a long time, though
the duration is normally long enough to cause a significant
amount of battlefield disruption.
Stasis Grenades have a radius of 2 meters, and anything
within this radius is held in time, unable to take any Actions
for 1d5 Rounds. Those outside cannot attack or interact with
anyone within the stasis field’s radius. Stasis grenades are
considered Exotic Weapons, and a character must have the
appropriate Talent before he can use them effectively
Note: Since they are rather bulky and delicate, it is not
possible to fire stasis grenades from a launcher. Instead,
they are typically deployed in a manner similar to that of
melta-bombs.
Stasis Mine
Far larger than a Stasis Grenade, the power systems
within the Stasis Mine can hold their victims for almost an
hour, and can even be recharged and reused.
Stasis Mines have a variable detection radius of up to 5
meters and can be set to detect creatures of a specific size
The Mandragora Apocrypha
(e.g., it can be set to detect Size (Hulking) and above, but
ignore smaller-sized creatures). Once they detect the preset
target they activate automatically, interrupting the Actions of
whatever character triggered the mine. The radius for a
Stasis Mine is 6 meters, and anything within this radius is
trapped and unable to take any Actions for 3d10 minutes.
Those outside cannot attack or interact with anyone within
the stasis field’s radius. Good-Craftsmanship Stasis Mines
come with a remote detonator that allows the user to activate
and deactivate the stasis field at will. Once used, a stasis
field can be recharged with a Difficult (–10) Tech-Use Test.
Three or more Degrees of Failure means that the field
generator has burnt out and the mine is now useless. Stasis
Mines are considered Exotic Weapons, and an Acolyte must
have the appropriate Talent before he is able to use them
effectively
Virus Grenade
Virus grenades are germ warfare grenades, and are the
pinnacle of lethal anti-personnel technology due to being
both completely fatal in effect and being able to be tailored
for the species to be targeted (although this is somewhat
theoretical, as it requires an inimical chemical/nerve agent to
have already been created). Able to defeat common
respirators and anti-gas protection, the only way to survive a
virus strike is to be in a separate, completely sealed
environment. Highly contagious, the effects of the virus
grenade can spread far beyond its initial detonation zone,
although the most complex strains can be designed to
become inert after a certain period of time... although there
is an extremely small chance that it can go dormant only to
break out again in the future, or even mutate the other way
and become stable in the environment, creating a death-
zone.
If the grenade causes any Damage, each round after the
first, check for another target at random (friend or foe) within
1d5 meters to see if any Damage is caused to them (rolling
for a new Damage to represent the mutated virus). Continue
until Damage is not taken or after 1d10 rounds have passed.
Mole Mortar Torpedoes
Each Round, the Mole Mortar operator can change the
type of torpedo. Due to the scarcity of both the launcher and
its ammunition, each round is purchased individually. As
they hit without warning from underground, Dodge Tests
against torpedo hits are made with a –30 Penalty on top of
any other modifiers.
Standard Torpedo
This high explosive charge detonates moments before
reaching the surface, sending a concentrated blast directly
upwards. Anyone hit by a standard torpedo must take a
Difficult (–10) Strength Test or be knocked prone. The blast
area is considered difficult ground from that point onwards.
Airburst Torpedo
Timed to explode a fraction of a second after vaulting from
the earth, airburst torpedoes send razor-sharp shrapnel in all
41
 directions. Airburst torpedoes reduce any Armor Points the
target is receiving from cover by half, rounding up.
Incendiary Torpedo
Like airburst torpedoes, incendiary torpedoes explode just
after leaving the ground. However, rather than shrapnel, they
instead unleash a splash of promethium in all directions.
Anyone hit by an incendiary torpedo must make a Difficult (–
10) Agility Test or be set on fire.
EMP Torpedo
Activating the moment they reach the surface, EMP
torpedoes do not directly damage their targets but instead
send wave upon wave of electromagnetic radiation in all
directions until the torpedo’s small generator burns out.
Melee Weapons
The melee weapons of the Militant Mechanicum are as
terrifying and strange as they are deadly, incorporating many
ancient technologies beyond the grasp of the greater
Imperium.
Arc-Welder
Whilst not technically a weapon, this manufactorum tool is
mostly used for delicate construction work, but can easily
double as an extremely dangerous melee device. Capable of
firing intense blasts of heat at very short ranges, an arc-
welder easily cuts through most personal armor, and the
resulting electrical damage to the target can fry organs from
the inside out.
Aside from its profile in melee, an arc-welder is capable of
cutting through meters of adamantine plating, up to 40
centimeters thick every minute (thinner material can be cut
through faster). Arc-welders are usually mounted on the
wrist and can rapidly extend outwards for use, making them
easily concealable. All enemy Weapon Skill Tests
to Parry arc-welder attacks suffer a –20 Penalty
due to its method of operation.
Arc Maul
The arc maul is at first glance a bludgeoning
weapon designed to crush and pulp its targets.
However, when activated, it becomes a rod of
lightning like unto those wielded by the gods of Old
Earth. Those struck by an arc maul often convulse
themselves to death as the riotous energies playing
across them take their toll.
Breacher
A breacher is a high-power drilling device made from
hyper-dense adamantine alloys and fitted with a matter-wave
generator, designed to drill through the toughest materials
and ore deposits, break up blocks, and puncture bulkheads.
Sometimes carried as a heavy slung rig, but more commonly
implanted into the flesh of a servitor or bonded laborer, the
breacher can also be used as a devastatingly potent
weapon, cable of ripping through armor and flesh like paper.
Because of its bulk and vibration when activated, unless
42 The Mandragora Apocrypha
mounted as a purpose-built implant, a Strength Bonus of at
least 5 is required to wield a breacher as a combat weapon.
Weaker characters suffer a –10 WS penalty for each point of
Strength Bonus below 5. If a breacher successfully causes
Righteous Fury, it automatically inflicts 1d10 to the Critical
Hit Chart rather than the normal 1d5.
Chain Glaive
The Centurions of the Auxilia Myrmidon are often armed
with so called Chain Glaives. These two-handed chain
weapons are fully capable of ripping an armored man in half
or tearing open the most heavily armored heretek in a single
stroke with their adamantium teeth.
Coil Whip
Often seen in the hands of Skitarii, and sometimes even
the fabled Electro-Priests, Coil Whips are long, segmented
chains that glow brightly with electrical energy. Swung in a
great arc that fills the air with forks of man-made lightning,
this integrated melee weapon can knock a man in full power
armor off his feet with a single blow.
Corposant Stave
his battle stave is fitted with a shock charge generator and
is used by the secretive and seldom seen Corpuscari sub-
cult of the Mechanicum. It is often seen in the hands of the
adepts of the Prefecture Magisterium. Corposant Staves
always require two hands to use.
Electro-Weaponry
Symbols of office for the Electropriests, the Electrostatic
Gauntlets of the Corpuscarii fill an enemy with the holy
Motive Force, while the Electroleech Staves stand ready to
take it all away. This Exotic Weapon group contains the
Electrostatic Gauntlets and the Electroleech Stave
Murderous Strike: When triggering Righteous Fury, the
enemy must make a Challenging (+0) Toughness test or
die, unless they are immune to instant death in some way
(Touched by the Fates, etc).
Hydraulic Claw
The Hydraulic claws usually mounted on Kataphron
Breachers are filled with the same oil once used in Titans,
and it is the Techpriests’ belief that the strength of the God
Machines will be imparted upon the servitors. They…aren’t
exactly wrong.
Iron Grasp: When making an All Out Attack, the wielder of
this weapon doubles their Strength Bonus, and resolves the
attack at Pen 12.
Table 2-3: Melee Weapons
Name Class Range Dam Pen Special Wt. Availability
Chain
Chainglaive Melee - 1d10+5 R 4 Tearing, Proven (3) 15kg Very Rare
Taser
Taser Goad Melee - 1d10+4 E 3 Shocking 3kg Extremely Rare
Taser Lance Melee - 1d10+8 E 3 Shocking, Concussive (2), Unwieldy 8kg Very Rare
Transonic
Transonic Razor Melee - 1d5+3 R 3 Transonic 1kg Extremely Rare
Transonic Blade Melee - 1d10+3 R 3 Balanced, Transonic 3kg Extremely Rare
Chordclaw Melee - 1d10+3 R 3 Transonic, Tearing, Proven (4) 2.5kg Extremely Rare
Electro
Coil Whip Melee - 1d10+5 E 4 Flexible, Shocking 3kg Very Rare
Electostatic Melee - 1d10+6 E 0 Power Field 4kg Rare
Gauntlets
Electroleech Stave Melee - 1d10+8 E 6 Power Field, Concussive (0), Murderous 5kg Rare
Strke
Exotic
Arc Maul Melee - 1d10+4 E 3 Shocking, Haywire (0) 3kg Extremely Rare
Arc-Welder Melee - 1d10+5 E 4 Unwieldy, †† 2kg Very Rare
Breacher Melee - 1d10+5 R 4 Tearing, Unwieldy, † 18kg Scarce
Vivsector Melee - 1d5+5 R 0 Tearing, Unwieldy, † 1.5kg Rare
Power
Omnisian Axe Melee - 2d10+5 E 6 Power Field, Unwieldy, † 7kg Unique
† See item entry for special rules
†† The user does not add his strength bonus to his weapon's Damage

Omnisian Axe
A holy icon of the Cult Mechanicus, the Omnisian axe or
glaive is granted to adepts who have shown their faith to the
Machine God in battle. No common weapon, it is forged with
the finest materials and using secrets of tempering and field
generation. These fearsome weapons have no equal
amongst power weapons. Saw-toothed and marked with
sacred equations, to the followers of the Machine God, the
bearer of an Omnisian glaive is a most blessed figure, a
furious incarnation of the Machine God’s power in war.
The bearer of an Omnisian axe receives a +10 bonus to
Interaction Tests involving followers of the Machine God.
The Omnisian glaive also functions as a multi-tool. An
Omnisian axe may never be bought or deliberately
obtained—it is gifted only to tech-priests by their superiors.
Taser Weapons
Powered by hyperdynamo capacitors, taser
weapons store an incredible amount of potential
energy. A solid impact will cause this energy to be
discharged in a scorching blast, only to be
harnessed once more by the electrothief prongs at
the weapon’s tip.
Transonic Weapons
Transonic blades emit a low, insistent buzz that
makes stomachs turn and eyes vibrate in their
sockets. When they strike armor, these weapons will
adjust their hostile sonic field to match its resonant
frequency, quickly slicing right through it – and, in the
case of the feared chordclaw, turning muscle, bone
and fat to jelly.
Transonic: Whenever the character scores three or
more Degrees of Success on a Weapon Skill Test
using this weapon, the weapon’s Penetration is
tripled against that type of armor for the remainder of the
combat. These weapons may only be calibrated to one form
of armor at a time, the wielder may dismiss any current
calibration as a Free Action.
Vivisector
The Vivisector is a long ornate gauntlet that locks over the
user’s forearm. Servo-augmented articulation extends over
the fingers, which are tipped with laser cutters, bio-solvents,
shears and flensing instruments. While the ignorant may
confuse the Vivisector with a medical device, this is no
instrument of healing. Designed to dissect and portion
organic tissues in the flesh works of forge worlds, it can be
turned into an unwieldy but horrific weapon at a whim. A
Vivisector grants the wielder a +10 bonus on Interrogation
and Intimidation Tests, as well as a +10 bonus to Medicae
Tests for the purposes of repairing servitors or conducting
autopsies. The Vivisector may also be fitted with injector
rigs, giving it the additional quality of Toxic (1).
Weapon Upgrades
The savants of the Mechanicus are well equipped,
modifying their weapons with the same fine precision as they
selectively fine-tune the members of their own order.
Cognis Awakening
Cognis weaponry, though superficially similar to that used
by the rest of the Imperium, has one vital difference, a
cognis weapon’s machine spirit has been permanently
awakened by the rites of the Machine God. When the
wielder is unable to give his full concentration, the warlike
spirit of the gun will take over. In any situation where the
character may be Surprised, he instead counts as taking a
Half Action Aim with any wielded weapon possessing this

The Mandragora Apocrypha 43


Table 2-4: Weapon Upgrades
Name Weight Availability
Cognis Awakening - Extremely Rare
Gyro-Stabilizer + 0.5 kg Extremely Rare
Secrets of the Machine - Special
Spoor Targets + 0.5 kg Very Rare
Symbol of Sanctity + 0.2 kg Scarce
quality, this can affect two or more weapons in the case of
Two-Weapon Wielding. This upgrade does not count against
the maximum upgrades a weapon may have.
Upgrades: Any non Low-Tech Ranged Weapon of Imperial
design.
Gyro-Stabilizer
The weapon has a small auto-stabilization unit that is
typically built towards the end of the barrel. While not as
powerful as a suspensor, the gyro-stabilizer helps keep the
weapon leveled at the optimal angle for firing. A Gyro-
Stabilized weapon never counts its target as being further
than Long Range (normal maximum range still applies).
Heavy weapons with this Quality reduce the penalty for firing
without Bracing to –20.
Secrets of the Machine
The Mechanicus intentionally offers the wider Imperium an
inferior version of its own craft in order to retain power. With
the permission of the Magesterium Prefectus, the restrictions
of any Forge-grade weapon may be overcome, its parts
properly infused with the craft of the Mechanicus. This
upgrade has the rarity of the weapon in question, with a
minimum of Very Rare and improves its Craftsmanship by
one step, it may only be applied once to each weapon and
does not count against the amount of maximum upgrades a
weapon may have.
Upgrades: Any Common or Good Craftsmanship Weapon
of Imperial design.
Spoor Targeter
Reserved only for elite forces, these archeotech miracles
contain sophisticated spoor-sniffers and micro-cogitators
linked directly to the attached weapon. These systems inhibit
the gun from firing when pointed directly at someone
recognized by the micro-cogitators as an ally, making it nigh
impossible for the user to shoot his comrades in the swirling
confusion of combat, barring an unfortunate ricochet. Spoor
targeters are particularly valuable when dealing with close-
quarters fire fights, and are rarely assigned to anyone
deemed more expendable than the ancient and irreplaceable
technology of the targeter itself.
Through an esoteric arcane rite, a spoor targeter can be
imprinted with the bio-profiles of up to 10 individuals, a
process that takes 10 minutes and a Routine (+20) Tech-
Use Test. Once an ally’s signature has been implanted into
the targeter, it prevents the attached weapon from triggering
so long as there is a risk of hitting that ally. Even if pointed
directly at the ally, the weapon’s spirit loyally refuses to fire.
A character with a spoor targeter can shoot into melee
involving anyone whose bio-profile is loaded into the targeter
44 The Mandragora Apocrypha
with no penalty and never hits such individuals when doing
so.
Attaching a spoor targeter to a weapon takes one hour
and requires a Difficult (–10) Tech-Use Test.
Upgrades: Any Pistol, Basic, or Heavy weapon that does
not have the Blast or Spray Quality, or any other Quality that
would cause it to affect an area rather than a single target. A
spoor targeter counts as a sight, and a gun can have only
one sight.
Symbol of Sanctity
This upgrade covers various adornments made to show
deference to the Omnissiah, in the hopes that the weapon’s
machine spirit might repay the respect it has been shown
with its loyalty in times of need and darkness. These marks
of reverence range from small, blinking devices to inscribed
prayers to wax seals bearing the cogwheel of the Machine
Cult. Some Enginseers in the Spinward Front give these to
Guardsmen who frequently find themselves in conflict with
their firearms, assuring them that the Omnissiah watches
over the machine spirits of weapons with his mark.
The first time that a weapon with a symbol of sanctity
Jams during a game session, its wielder can immediately
attempt to clear that Jam as a Free Action.
Upgrades: Any ranged weapon.
Integrated Weapons
Part weapon system and part bionic, the integrated
weapons of the Adeptus Mechanicus give them a clear
advantage over most conventional forces. Each one is linked
directly to a Potentia Coil, giving them a near-endless
amount of energy to draw from, and allowing these ancient
weapons to deliver punishing volleys of fire without pause.
Thanks to this type of weapon, the tech guard of the Adeptus
Mechanicus rarely have to worry about logistical trains or the
vagaries of ammunition quality, but as a downside, the
weapons are virtually useless when separated from a
constant power supply. This means that there is little chance
of fallen tech guard’s weapon being taken and turned
against the servants of the Machine God.
To use Integrated Weapons the character must have
Exotic Weapon Training (Integrated Ranged Weapon) and/or
Exotic Weapon Training (Integrated Melee Weapon).
Integrated Weapons Rules
Integrated Weapons are linked to and draw power directly
from the Potentia Coil, and as such, only those who possess
this implant can make use of this weapon type. There are
ways to jury rig Integrated Weapons so that they can be
used without a Potentia Coil, as described in the Jury
Rigging Integrated Weapon Systems sidebar on page 5.
While connected to a Potentia Coil, Integrated Weapons
have unlimited ammunition and do not need to be reloaded
(unless otherwise noted). Integrated Weapons do not Jam;
whenever an Integrated Weapon would suffer a Jam, the
user instead takes 1 Level of Fatigue as the drain on their
own Potentia Coil starts to wear them down.
Integrated Weapons are always physically linked to their
user, and cannot be dropped or discarded without first
disconnecting them from the user’s Potentia Coil or other
power source. Disconnecting or reconnecting an Integrated
Weapon to a Potentia Coil requires an Ordinary (+10) Tech-
Use Test and is a Half Action. Some Integrated W eapons
take the place of limbs, or are mounted within the body such
as at a shoulder or above the hip. In these instances, quick
removal might be impossible and might require dedicated
medical staff and the correct facilities before they can be
disconnected. It is up to the GM to determine how difficult
removing such a weapon would be, as well as whether it is
possible to remove it in the first place.
Creating Integrated Weapons
Ranged weapons can be modified and converted into
Integrated Weapons. Any Las weapon can be converted into
an Integrated Weapon, gaining the benefits mentioned in the
previous section. Plasma and Melta weapons can be
modified to become Integrated Weapons; this has the effect
of making them far more efficient, as they use less
ammunition for each shot. Integrated Plasma and Melta
weapons double their standard Clip Size as long as they
remain connected to a Potentia Coil (or similar power
source). Integrated Weapons that are also Plasma weapons
can still Overheat, although they lose the Recharge Quality
as long as they remain connected. Integrated Solid Projectile
benefits, but instead gain the Reliable and Storm Weapon
Qualities. Melee weapons can also be Integrated, although
this can only be done to Chain, Shock, or Power weapon
types. Integrated Chain weapons gain the Razor Sharp
Quality. Toughness Tests to resist Stunning from Integrated
Shock weapons suffer an additional –30 Penalty. Integrated
Power weapons increase their Damage and Penetration by
+2. Primitive weapons, ranged or melee, cannot be
upgraded in this manner. Upgrading a weapon to an
Integrated Weapon follows the standard rules for weapon
upgrades, except that the character attempting to upgrade
the weapon requires Forbidden Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus)
as a Trained Skill before he may attempt the Test. The
components required to create Integrated Weapons are only
available on Forge Worlds.
Disconnected Integrated Weapons
Whenever an Integrated Weapon is disconnected, it
quickly loses the benefits of its near-limitless power source.
The weapon usually retains a residual charge, but this
quickly fades until the weapon becomes useless. Ranged
Integrated Weapons retain a clip size of 1d5, and once the
remaining shots have been fired, it cannot be fired again
until it has been reconnected or recharged. If the weapon
had the Reliable Weapon Quality, it loses this Quality.
Disconnected Integrated Weapons can Jam, and if this
occurs they lose all their remaining ammunition immediately.
Integrated Melee weapons lose all power within 1d5 rounds
and revert to a Primitive weapon of the same type (e.g. an
Integrated Power Sword will be treated as a standard Sword
once its power has drained). Integrated Weapons only
regain their special benefits once reconnected.
The Mandragora Apocrypha
Jury Rigging
Integrated Weapon Systems
The Potentia Coil is an arcane device that is, for the
most part, simply unavailable to anyone outside the
Cult of the Omnissiah. For that reason, integrated
weapon systems are largely outside of the forces of
the Mechanicus, as more conventional weapons are
often more convenient than attempting to force an
integrated weapon to work with a non-standard power
source. That said, there are many who have tried to
make captured or stolen integrated weapons operate
without the need for a Potentia Coil. The results are
often far from perfect, but at least the weapon can be
used.
Non-Standard Power Sources
Assuming the player has an external power source
of some kind (Hellgun backpack, Isotropic Fuel Rod,
etc.), it can be adapted for use with the Integrated
Weapon by making either a Hard (–20) Tech-Use Test
or a Hard (–20) Trade (Armourer) Test. If the Test is
successful, the Integrated Weapon regains the
benefits of being an Integrated Weapon, albeit with
some disadvantages (see below). If the Test is failed,
then the character has been unable to adapt this
power source to the Integrated Weapon, but may try
again with a different power source if he has one. If
this Test is failed by two or more Degrees of Failure,
something has gone horribly wrong, damaging the
weapon and burning out the power source. Treat both
items as destroyed.
It’s Working… Just!
As connecting an Integrated Weapon to something
other than a Potentia Coil is tantamount to tech-
heresy, it is unsurprising that the machine-spirits of
these weapons would rebel against such an impure
method of power generation, resulting in some
significant drawbacks. As noted above, once
connected to a non-standard power source the
Integrated Weapon regains all its usual benefits.
However, if the Integrated Weapon is a ranged
weapon, it also gains the Unreliable Weapon Quality
(and loses the Reliable Weapon Quality if it happened
to have it), and any Jam results in a forced
disconnection from the power source, requiring it to be
reconnected as described above. If the integrated
weapon is a Melee weapon, then the unusual and
unregulated energy currents flowing through the
weapon give it the Unbalanced Weapon Quality (and
cause it to lose the Balanced Weapon Quality if it
happened to have it). If the user ever fails a Weapon
Skill Test to Parry an incoming attack, a roll of 91 or
higher results in a forced disconnection from
the power source, requiring it to be
reconnected as described
above.
45
 Table 2-5: Armor
Name Locations Covered AP
Basic Armor
Special Issue Void Suit All 4 40
Carapace Armor
Centurion Battle Armor All 6 45
Skitarii Warplate All 5 45
Sicarian Battle Armor All 4 50
Power Armor
Artificer Armor All 10
Cataphract Armor All 12
Dragonscale Armor All 8 40
Lorica Thallax All 7 40
Reconnecting And Recharging Integrated
Weapons
Once a disconnected Integrated Weapon has been
reconnected to a Potentia Coil or other power source, it
regains all the usual benefits of being an Integrated Weapon.
If an Integrated Weapon cannot be reconnected, it can be
manually charged if the character has access to an external
power source. This requires a Hard (– 20) Tech Use Test,
and grants an Integrated Ranged weapon an additional 1d5
shots and gives an Integrated Melee weapon 1d5 Rounds of
power before it ceases operating again. If the Tech-Use Test
is failed by two or more Degrees of Failure, the recharge
attempt has damaged the weapon, rendering it useless. The
Luminen Charge Talent can be used to recharge
disconnected Integrated Weapons, treating the Toughness
Test as Hard (–20), with the same penalties as the Tech-
Use Test above should the Toughness Test be failed.
Armor
The marching legions of the Mechanicum's Skitarii and its
warrior cohorts are armored with superior equipment as they
are armed with superior weaponry.
Artificer Armor
The armor worn by the more warlike priests of the
Adeptus Mechanicus makes even the advanced Mark VIII
power armor of the Adeptus Astartes seem basic by
comparison. Each suit of war plate is a work of art, its
electrofibre bundles and ceramite plates customized to the
wearer via a hundred cybernetic interfaces. For many of the
Omnissiah’s faithful it is nigh impossible to determine where
the armor ends and the wearer begins.
Artificer Armor provides 10 Armor to all locations (Head,
Body, Arms, Legs), and follows the same rules as Power
Armor for powering the suit. A character wearing Artificer
Armor gains the Unnatural Strength (2) and Unnatural
Perception (2) Traits (or increases the value of these Traits
by 2) and increases the value of his Size Trait by 1 (usually
to Size Hulking/5). Artificer Armor is environmentally sealed
as long as the helmet is worn. Artificer includes a built-in
auspex, photo-visor, and recoil gloves, and grants the Sturdy
Trait.
46 The Mandragora Apocrypha
Max Ag Weight Availability
25kg Rare
6kg Extremely Rare
12kg Very Rare
12kg Extremely Rare
45 40kg Near Unique
32 62kg Extremely Rare
20kg Extremely Rare
36kg Extremely Rare
Cataphract Armor
Like Power Armor, these colossal and ancient suits are
equipped with fiber-bundle synthetic muscles and imposes
few movement restrictions upon the wearer despite their
immense weight. But they are also too bulky, and their
massive weight makes running difficult despite built-in auto-
balancers. These suits suffer from voracious power
demands and few existing armaments can be carried as the
armors' sheer bulk makes handling and reloading
impossible. Cataphract Armor adds +30 to the wearer’s
Strength Characteristic and lowers Movement by 1
Dragon Scale
Worn by the warrior tech-priests of the Magos Militant and
the field Enginseers assigned to frontline duty with the
Imperial Guard, each set of dragon scale is individually
hand-forged from adamantine and ceramite plating and
woven with prayers of permanence and micro-etched with
fractal incantations of defense. Offering protection equivalent
to the finest powered armor, dragon scale’s greatest
advantage is that it is designed to interface directly with the
tech-priest’s cybernetic body and draws its power from his
potentia coil, never needing to be recharged while worn. This
armor includes a photo-visor and a respirator. In addition, it
increases the wearer’s Strength Characteristic by +10. This
armor requires the user to be fitted with a cybermantle and
potentia coil.
Kastelan Battlehide
The robotic automata of the Legio Cybernetica are not
clad in hyper dense metal so much as constructed from it.
No trace of meat nor bone can be found within their hardy
metal frames. Even krak grenades detonate against them
with little more effect than a hive juve’s hurled firecracker.
Kataphron Demiplate
The weapon systems of the Kataphron Destroyer
generate so much heat that their cabling is necessarily
exposed – to armor their wielder in heavy breacherplate
would doom it to swift burnout. Nonetheless, its cyberized
anatomy and heavy steel treads provide a great deal of
protection against small arms fire.
Table 2-6: Force Fields
Name Protection Rating
Amulet of Warding - 1kg
Mechanicum Protectiva 45
Reductor Field 80
Stasis Field 80
Voltagheist Field 30
Lorica Thallax
A divergent form of power armor technology developed by
the Ordo Reductor of the Mechanicus for their Thallax
Centuries, the Lorica Thallax, unlike its Space Marine
counterparts, is permanently surgically bonded to the body
of the wearer. It uses linked mechanical armatures to
replace the primary limbs, and a comp act reactor core to
generate power for the Thallax' weaponry. The armor is
fused directly to the spinal column and nervous system of
the Thallax and marks them both as warriors of the
Mechanicus and serves as a symbol of their servitude.
Lorica Thallax requires the Mechanicus Implants trait to use,
and does not require power. Lorica Thallax granted to the
Thallaxii are equipped with maneuvering jets, granting the
wearer the permanent Flyer (6) trait. Lorica Thallax granted
to the Ursaraxii are equipped with a Jump Pack instead,
which allows for a safe, guided fall from any height, as well
as doubling the user’s base speed via an unlimited series of
short jumps. The user must land at the end of each round’s
movement. The Jump Pack may duplicate the Flyer (12) trait
for up to a minute at a time, but the user must then pass a
Challenging (+0) Toughness test or gain one level of
Fatigue.
Praetorian Battle Armor
Only issued to Skitarii Praetorians, this armor is in many
ways a standard set of Storm Trooper carapace armor.
Where it differs are both its weight, reduced significantly
thanks to the extraordinary manufacturing techniques of the
Mechanicus, and the internal systems built into the armors'
intimidating, skull-shaped mask.
Skitarii War Plate
Skitarii warriors are protected by armored plates designed
to be worn for several years at a time. Secreted under a
superdermal layer of ceramite alloy are recombinant cells
that harness moisture from the wearer and recycle it. This
liquid is transmuted into a gelatinous unguent that coats the
inside of the suit, preventing the slow abrasion of the
wearer’s body whilst affording a measure of protection from
the harmful emanations of their weaponry.
Sicarian Battle Armor
Agility is of paramount importance to the long-limbed
killers of the Sicarian brotherhood. To this end they go to war
clad in multilayered alloy that, though thin and flexible,
provides admirable physical protection. This alloy, informally
known as aegium, acts as a capacitor that harnesses the
energy of incoming attacks and disperses it harmlessly
across the wearer's bionic frame. Sicarian Battle Armor
The Mandragora Apocrypha
Weight Availability
Near Unique
3kg Very Rare
5kg Extremely Rare
2kg Near Unique
2kg Extremely Rare
grants the wearer a Protection Rating of 20 with a
craftsmanship mirroring the armor.
Special Issue Void Suit
These special issue void suits can sustain life for a little
more than an hour before the compact power cells fade and
must be recharged. The suit includes an internal vox-link,
self-sealing repair nodes, a grapnel/clasp system with thirty
meters of ultra strong line, plus a photo-visor. The suit
provides 4 points of Armor to all locations, and thanks to its
high quality manufacturing does not impose any penalties on
the wearer’s Skill Tests. It also includes a light impellor,
which provides a Movement of 6 in zero gravity conditions.
The suit’s weight is 25 kg, should characters choose to keep
it on once inside the comet, where normal gravity resumes.
Force Fields
While physical armor is often as effective as it is
impressive (sometimes merely the sight of a heavily armored
character is enough to quell a would-be heresy), there are
other times where a stealthy approach is required, or the
situation calls for a less combative presence. Force fields
can provide protection in these instances, as they are
usually more concealable and often much more effective as
well. Most are small, otherwise unobtrusive devices that
none even within the Adeptus Mechanicus fully understand.
Some are impossibly ancient archeotech creations from the
Dark Age of Technology, considered holy relics to be
venerated and sanctified before each use.
Amulet of Warding
Often fashioned into the familiar cog and skull symbol of
the Adeptus Mechanicus, these rare, fist-sized amulets
contain powerful refractor field generators capable of
warding off the fiercest blows and most violent assaults.
Rarer yet, the Mechanicus might offer such an item as a gift
or to seal some great bargain, fashioning the generator into
some other pleasing or appropriate form. This amulet
functions as a force field. Any time the wearer is attacked, he
may roll 3d10 and reduce the Damage dealt by the sum of
the dice. Should the wearer roll double ones, the attack
bypasses the field completely (do not reduce the Damage). If
the wearer rolls double tens, the field overloads and shuts
down for 1d10 Rounds. In the case of an overload, the
wearer must roll an extra 1d10. On a result of an 8, the
amulet is burned out and cannot be used again. While
activated, the air around the user visibly ripples and crackles
intermittently with static discharge. This effect imposes a –20
penalty on all Stealth Tests. A field may not be activated for
more than one hour without burnout occurring: the amulet
47
 requires two hours to recharge once it has been used.
Activating a field is a Half Action. Table 2-7: Clothing and Personal Gear
Name Weight Availability
Abeyant Varies Near Unique
Mechanicum Protectiva Blessed Raiments - Scarce
Cogitator
Mechanicum Protectiva are protective energy fields used
Emplaced 100kg+ Average
by high ranking priests of the Mechanicum to defend against Personal 1.5kg Average
the dangers of the battlefield and attacks by rivals. The Core-Gel - Rare
Cyber-Familiar Varies Extremely Rare
frequency and modulation of each protectiva is known only
Enhanced Data-Tether 8kg Very Rare
to the owner. Mechanicum Protectivas grant a PR45 field. Holo-Projector 40kg Scarce
Displaying the Mechanicum Protectiva grants a +10 bonus to Holy Vestments - Common
Interaction skill tests with members of the Mechanicum. Kastelan Protocol - Scarce
Datawafer Set
Infoslave Skull 3kg Extremely Rare
Reductor Field Isoptropic Fuel Rods 10kg Average
Melta-Drill 15kg Extremely Rare
A variation of force field technology that generates a field Opus Machina 0.5kg Near Unique
of energy that, rather than try to stop projectiles, attempts to Greater Icon of Passage 0.5kg Near Unique
cushion the impact to a point where they are of no harm to Omnispex 1kg Very Rare
Planetary Codex 4kg Rare
its wearer. Instead of stopping an attack altogether like most Portable Gravity 50kg (or Average
force fields, the Reductor Field has a Protection Rating of 80 Adjustment Panels heavier)
and, upon a successful use, reduces the damage dealt by Prime Logis Key 20kg Unique
Rad-Censer 3kg Rare
the sum of 3D10 instead of outright negating it. Scryerskull Varies Varies
Tears of the Dragon - Very Rare
Stasis Field
Tech-Priests extend their lives by a variety of means; extension of their own body. Many of the higher-ranking
rejuvenat treatments, anti-agapic elixirs, contrachron Dominus of the Legio Cybernetica and the Ordo Reductor
symbiotes – some even carry exomantic stasis fields that prefer to take to the battlefield mounted on specially outfitted
hold them in suspended animation whenever the wearer’s Abeyants. Often taking the form of either a stylized throne,
life force is in immediate danger. Stasis Fields grant a PR80 armored travel disk or an enclosing scarab-like framework,
field, but if the field successfully blocks an attack, the user’s their principle advantages are that their mag-suspensor
Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, and Agility, and Movement are fields allow the most war-torn battlefield to be traversed with
set to 0 until the end of their next turn. ease, and their armored life support chassis greatly
improves their user's survivability.
Voltagheist Field An Abeyant grants the following bonuses to its user: +5
Wounds, the Hover (6), Size (Enormous), and Regeneration
Nimbuses of pure energy surround all Electro-Priests,
(Unmodified TB) Traits, and the Vac Sealed Armor Upgrade.
crackling from their bare skin to coalesce into sparking
An Abeyant cannot be used unless the user has the
pockets of electromagnetism that hover like will-o-the-wisps
Mechanicus Implants trait.
above a drowned corpse. When incoming projectiles or
energy beams threaten an Electro-Priest these tiny voltaic
ghosts will often intercede, shattering or dissipating the
Blessed Raiments
threats in puffs of burning ozone. When the wearer of the The heavy robes that the Skitarii wear to battle are lined
field charges the foe, those same voltagheists ground upon with tiny leaden leech-spheres that absorb harmful energies.
nearby enemies in bursts of electric force. Voltagheist Fields Branded above the hem is the Skitarii's squad number and
grant a PR30 field. If the bearer performs the Charge action, the symbol of the Forge World to which he belongs.
the field inflicts an immediate hit on enemies, dealing
1d10+7E Pen 0, which may be dodged. Cogitator Systems
Machines created to sift and consider data, to calculate
Clothing and Personal Gear and to process the sacred language of algorithm, these
devices range from small portable models to larger logos
The tools and gear of the cohorts of the Adeptus tabernacles and matriculation-engines integrated into
Mechanicus are many; each piece of gear utilized by the manufactora, star ships and archive centers. Using a
Mechanicus savants serving a purpose and greatly suitable cogitator grants a bonus on Literacy, Logic and Lore
exceeding the standard imperial equivalents. Tests when having to compare or sift through large volumes
of data.
Emplaced: These cogitator systems analyse and process
Abeyant vast quantities of data (planetary tithe records, genotype
Considered in part as a symbol of status as well as a reconstructions, and so on). Most also feature auto-quills to
functional tool by many high-ranking Magos of the print data-scrolls, machine-spirit shrines and symbiotic
Mechanicus, an Abeyant is a name given to a general class operations-savants or holo-projectors incorporated into their
of hovering conveyances into which the rider's augmetics structure. They grant a +20 bonus on relevant Tests. Proper
and life support systems are directly connected through rites and rituals must be observed during cogitator
bionic linkage, so that the machine-vehicle becomes an

48 The Mandragora Apocrypha

operations on this scale or they will become subject to
severe inaccuracies and glitches, perhaps even possession
by malign spirits.
Personal: These portable units are capable of analysing the
information from data-slates and similar sources, and
provide a +10 bonus on relevant Tests.
Core-Gel
Although the more stringent members of the Mechanicus
Priesthood consider it heretical, this transparent material is
fast becoming a necessary part of the day-to-day operations
within many Forge Worlds and with the Divisione Explorator.
Viscous and highly conductive, core-gel acts as a surrogate
for Electoo-inducers and MIU links, giving those who lack
these forms of implants access to cogitators and datacrypts.
A character can use an application of Core-Gel to access
machinery that would otherwise require an Electro-Graft or
MIU interface, even if he does not possess these implants.
Core-Gel decays quickly, and must be cleaned away and
reapplied every hour. Each canister of core-gel contains
enough for two applications.
Cyber-Familiar
This is a term that encompasses a variety of semi-
autonomous devices such as servo-skulls, mek-spiders and
other smaller drone units and lesser haemonculites tied into
the direct neural control of their operator. These minion-
drones are an extension of their master's will and provide
them with a host of additional senses and capabilities. A
Cyber-Familiar is a cybernetic that increases the potency of
any protective fields the user has by +15 (to a maximum of
60), or if the user has no protective field, grants them a
PR20 Field (Overload 1-10). In addition, they allow their user
to reroll failed Exploration and Crafting skills.
Enhanced Data-Tether
Seen as the mouthpieces of the Tech-Priests, who in turn
are prophets of the Machine God himself, those honored
with Enhanced Data-Tethers find themselves part of a
greater communicational whole. An Enhanced Data-Tether
is capable of sending and receiving messages from linked
Vox-Casters, allowing for all linked items to be connected to
each other provided they are within range of the Tether.
Further, the Enhanced Data-Tether counts as its own Vox
Caster with automatic encryption and a range of 200km
Holo-Projector
Cased in brass, crawling with chrome-sheathed cables
and hissing steam, a holo-projector is a feature common to
the briefing rooms of the various arms of the Adepta. The
rituals of constructing and maintaining these devices are
some of the most ancient and sacred. The flickering cone of
blue-tinged imagery it projects is the product of muttered
prayers and burning tapers. A holo-projector can be linked to
a cogitator or other data feed.
Holy Vestments
The robes and cowls worn by all Tech-Priests are made of
heavy, durable materials, but they exist as much to spare
The Mandragora Apocrypha
squeamish allies from the biomechanical horrors beneath as
to afford physical protection.
Infoslave Skull
The dextrous skull-and-digit adjutants that accompany
senior Skitarii record hard data at a prolific rate. To know
their findings are recorded and reported back is a great boon
to most Skitarii. The Infoslave Skull combines the benefits of
both the Utility and Augur Monostask Servo-Skulls, further, it
is capable of transmitting any data found to a specified Vox-
network, exactly as if it possessed an encrypted Vox Caster.
Isotropic Fuel Rods
A basic building block of Imperium technology, and truly a
surviving wonder of the High Dark Age, these meter-long
metal rods contain a concentrated liquid metal storage
medium capable of holding vast quantities of energy. A
single fully-charged rod is able to power a small settlement
or entire hab-block for several weeks. The technology to
create isotropic fuel rods is a jealously guarded Mechanicus
secret, and the rods themselves are highly valuable
commodities.
Kastelan Protocol Datawafer Set
This set of datawafers is used to control the enormous
Kastelan Robots. Unlike Battle Automata, which use a
bioplastic cortex and still spook people due to their
connection with the Horus Heresy, Kastelans are seen as a
safe and sanctified alternative, but far more limited due to
the reliance on datawafers which must be changed mid
combat. When the bearer of a Kastelan Protocol Datawafer
set is within 1m of a Kastelan Robot, as a Full Action, they
may switch the Kastelan’s current directive. The robot will
continue to enact this directive until its datawafer is
swapped. A Kastelan cannot function without at least one
Protocol going.
 Conqueror Protocol: The Kastelan Robot gains the Swift
Attack Talent, but cannot make ranged attacks of any
kind.
 Aegis Protocol: The Kastelan Robot gains the Defensive
Augmentation Talent. The Robot may shoot or punch as
normal.
 Protector Protocol: The Kastelan Robot may fire their
Carapace weapon twice in the same action, but cannot
make movement actions of any kind.
Opus Machina
One of the ancient names given to the skull and cog
wheel symbol of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Opus
Machina is known throughout the Imperium and is as sacred
to the servants of the Omnissiah as is the Aquila is to the
Ecclesiarchy. The versions presented here are no simple
symbols, but contain broadcasted code-ciphers and data-
djinn to proclaim their master’s worth to those that are pure
enough to hear. As long as the character knows how to
employ it properly— that is, has the Common Lore (Adeptus
Mechanicus) skill—the bearer of this symbol gains a +10
49
 bonus on all Fellowship Tests concerning tech-priests and
followers of the Machine God.
Greater Icon of Passage
This devices functions as a standard Opus Machina, but it
also carries numerous code ciphers, over-ride decrypts, and
effector fields, making it the equivalent of a set of multikeys,
granting a +10 bonus on Security Tests made to disable
alarms and commune with machine-spirits.
Melta-Drill
The melta-drill is a remarkably efficient, if cumbersome,
excavation tool. Its original design was pieced together from
fragmented archeotech descriptions of a an attempt to
create a melta melee weapon The result is a device capable
of continuous, short-ranged melta energy emissions,
permanently connected to a hefty, backpack-mounted fuel
source. This makes the melta-drill excellent for fast,
reasonably safe excavation into all but the hardest of
materials. Cogitators built into the handle allow for variations
in the dimensions of the emissions, from as small as 10cm to
as large as 1 meter in diameter. It can bore into all but the
hardest of materials, cutting through at a maximum rate of 1
meter per second. It is safe enough (albeit a bit warm) to
move into such an opening after a single Round. However,
while quite useful for excavation, the sheer size and weight
of the melta-drill makes it difficult to use for any great period
of time and quite unwieldy in combat situations. A melta-drill
always requires both hands to use. If its wielder has a
Strength Bonus of 5 or lower (after any modifications, such
as for wearing Lifter Armor), he gains 1 level of Fatigue for
every minute of use.
When wielded in combat, a melta drill counts as a melee
weapon with the profile below. However, the melta-drill is not
truly suited for melee combat, and so it imposes a –20
penalty on all Weapon Skill Tests to use it and cannot be
used as part of a Multiple Attacks Action.
Melta Cutter Class Melee
R OF —
RNG — DMG 2d10 (E)
PEN 13 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL —
SPECIAL: UNWIELDY
Omnispex
The omnispex carries a raptor-class machine spirit that
can read heat emissions, data signatures, and biological
lifeforms with greater capabilities and automation than the
Auspexes utilized by the general Imperium. This item acts
exactly like the Auspex, only no Tech-Use Test is required to
detect the additional signatures, further these readings are
constantly flowing to a visor-plate connected to the sensor
array.
Planetary Codex
A somewhat dubious counterpart to the eternally sought
after charts used by Navigators, Planetary Codices are
archeotech data remnants, left over from the Dark Age of
Technology. While appearing unremarkable to the eyes of
50 The Mandragora Apocrypha
the unenlightened, in the hands of one able to identify them,
a Planetary Codex is a priceless data storage device,
capable of providing a near limitless wealth of information
about a single, specific planet. Accessing this data, however,
is an art unto itself, and the Codices seem to have an almost
malicious tendency to mislead those unfit to delve into their
secrets. A successful Arduous (–40) Tech-Use Test can
provide access to this data, including (at the GM’s
discretion): a full planetary map, a list of common animal and
plant species, a list of valuable resources and their
quantities, a description of any Xenos activity on the planet
and the location of said activity, the planet’s historical use by
the Imperium of Man, and anything else the GM deems
appropriate. If the Tech-Use Test is failed, the GM should
feel free
Portable Gravity Adjustment Panels
Using technology similar to the potent gravity generators
present on voidships throughout the Imperium, portable
gravity adjustment panels allow for limited control of the
forces of gravity within a chosen area. Their original purpose
is unknown, but they have been adapted to an extraordinary
variety of uses, including specimen entrapment, criminal
imprisonment, transportation of sensitive substances, and
even combat. Though their sheer weight limits their
usefulness in more delicate or time-sensitive situations, the
sheer array of possibilities afforded by devices make them
popular for countless different uses.
Each panel affects a 1 meter by 1 meter square of space
that extends 10 meters above the panel, and can be
remotely activated to manipulate gravity within the zone to
anywhere between 0.1 and 10x standard Terra gravity. A
single remote can be keyed to affect either a single panel, or
up to ten panels at the same time. Once activated, a panel
requires one full Round to activate, and creates an audible
whining noise as it measures and adjusts itself to the
ambient gravity force.
Prime Logis Key
One of the most prestigious objects linked to a forge world
is the Prime Logis Key. It is the mastercipher to the most
revered knowledge of a forge world, handed down from one
Fabricator to the next as part of his investiture. Upon the
completion of each forge world, the Prime Logis Key is
crafted at the planet’s core, encoded by tech-rituals inspired,
it is said, by the Omnissiah himself. The Prime Logis Key
opens any door, activates any machine, and unlocks even
the deepest data-vault upon the forge world for which it is
linked. Every Logis Key is irreplaceable, and the Prime Logis
Key even more so—for if it is lost, the innermost sanctums of
the forge world become nigh-inaccessible, their content only
provided upon receipt of the correct blessed code-ciphers.
Naturally, few Forge Masters wish to risk the wrath of the
Omnissiah in attempting to create a replacement Logis Key.
Rad-Censer
This pitted bronze sphere is linked to a mechanalysis pack
which connects the Skitarius to the digital imperatives of his
masters. Its chimes inform the bearer when ambient
radiation is at critical levels.
Scryerskull
The Adeptus Mechanicus take the assessment and
exploitation of battlefield resources very seriously indeed –
so much so that many of them continue their work in this role
beyond the point of death. Scryerskulls are enhanced servo-
skulls, and have 20 points distributed across the standard
profiles listed at later in this volume. The rarity of the servo
skull increases by one degree in difficulty.

The Tears of the Dragon

The Adeptus Mechanicus makes extensive use of artificial
psycho-viral infection to condition the minds of their servants
via the use of so-called meme-viruses. The Tears of the
Dragon is the name of one such rare and hazardous agent,
used most often on the elite Skitarii Centurions. Once
infected, the subject falls into a deathly fever, and is
confronted with pre-programmed visions and sense-
recordings of the worst horrors the Mechanicus have
encountered in its long history. Those that survive this
meme-virus fever with their minds intact have conquered
fear and the frailties of human sanity. After infection, the
subject must succeed on a Difficult (–10) Willpower Test or
gain 1d10+10 Insanity Points. A successful Test grants the
character the Fearless talent but permanently reduces his
Fellowship by 1d10 points.

The Mandragora Apocrypha 51

 Cybernetics
Table 2-8: Cybernetics
Name Availability
More machine than man, the adepts of the Mechanicus
Augur Dome Rare
are prone to optimizing their bodies and minds to fit their Auxiliary Neural Processor Near Unique
purpose within the holy orders of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Ballistic Logis Programming Near Unique
Blackbone Bracing Very Rare
Concealed Weapon Bionic Rare
Augur Dome Cortex Controller Extremely Rare
Cryogenic Distillation Extremely Rare
The Augur Dome of the Sicarian Infiltrators replaces their
Djinn Skein Very Rare
head, the brain kept alive in chemical containers. The Augur Electoos Rare
Dome contains every suite of sensoria packaging that the Enhanced Potentia Coil Extremely Rare
Exploration Mechadendrite Rare
Infiltrator requires in his ninja work. Augur Domes grant 360°
Exo-Armor Vambraces Scarce
vision without penalty, and contains a Static Generator, Gastral Bionics Scarce
Stummer, and Micro-bead. Gunsight Overlay Varies
Hermetic Infusion Rare
Imperative Actuators Extremely Rare
Auxiliary Neural Processor Injector Rig Scarce
Interkeratic Implants Scarce
The character has upgraded his central nervous system
Internal Blade Scarce
with an inbuilt auxiliary cogitator capable of making Inbuilt Pistol Varies
microsecond decisions. Should something unexpected Internal Power Cell Very Rare
Machinator Array Extremely Rare
happen, the auxiliary cogitator kicks in augmenting the Tech
Mecharacnoid Motives Extremely Rare
Adept's ability to react. These are usually fitted to Tech- Memory Coils Rare
Adepts working on complex and delicate experiments, Mining Helot Augmetics Scarce
however they also have applications in the military sphere. Myrmidon Augmentic Mounting Very Rare
Ocular Sight Extremely Rare
An adept fitted with such a device can assess a situation and Pain Ward Rare
come up with the best course of action in moments. The Plasma-Cutter Mechadendrite Rare
character may delay their actions as a Free Action. Prehensile Dataspike Very Rare
Rad Furnace Very Rare
Recoil Dampeners Very Rare
Ballistic Logis Programming Reinforced Exo-Skeleton Extremely Rare
Sarcosan Wave Generator Near Unique
The character's logis circuit has been upgraded to aid in Sensor Cloak Near Unique
the calculation of trajectories and firing patterns. This gives Sensorium Very Rare
the adept an additional +10 bonus when making a Full Servo-Arm Rare
Servo-Claw Scarce
Round Aim Action. Servo-Harness Rare
Strength Augmentation Extremely Rare
Synthetic Synapses Near Unique
Blackbone Bracing The Breath of Mars Rare
Some or all of the user’s bones are wrapped with a lattice Vehicle Interface Circuitry Rare
Vitae Supplacement Rare
of plasteel to strengthen them and prevent damage. This
implant is commonly provided for fingers, forearms, shins,
and ribs both to offer a stronger punch as well as grant more Cortex Controller
protection in combat. A character with this Implant gains the This control and signaling device uses data-djinn to
Bulging Biceps and Iron Jaw Talents, and gains a +2 bonus command Battle-automata fitted with Cybernetica cortex
to Damage for all unarmed attacks. systems, allowing the wielder to witness the battlefield
through the automata's own senses as well as monitor their
Concealed Weapon Bionic status and exact precise control over their actions. Only the
Using a pre-existing bionic arm, a pistol or a short, most highly experienced and specifically augmented adepts
singlehanded melee weapon can be modified and implanted of the Mechanicus can hope to fathom the use of these
as a concealed device. Weapons concealed in this fashion fractious devices and successfully interpret the storm of data
can be deployed and readied as a Half Action. streaming from their un-living minions.
Poor: The bionic weapon functions as normal, but gains the The bearer of a Cortex Controller may control up to three
Unreliable Quality. In addition, the weapon cannot be Scyllax, or two Vorax, or one Castellax, or one Domitar /
removed with a Disarm, and locating the weapon requires a Arlatax, or one Thanatar variant. As a Half Action, the bearer
detailed inspection or a successful auspex scan. may allow controlled Battle Automata within 30m to enact
Common: As Poor, but the weapon loses the Unreliable their own two Half actions as normal, without being subject
Quality. to the Programmed Behavior rule. This half action counts as
Good: As Common, but the weapon functions as being best an attack, so the bearer may not perform Attack actions
craftsmanship. himself. Without spending this Half Action, Battle Automata
Disadvantage: Any catastrophic Jam or Overheat are limited to a single half action on the bearer’s turn.
automatically disables the limb in question as well as the
weapon.

52 The Mandragora Apocrypha

Cryogenic Distillation
Advanced cryogenic distillation techniques are used by
the character to enable him to survive in almost any
atmospheric conditions. The character gains a +10 bonus to
resistance tests against Cold or Vacuum conditions.
Djinn Skein
At the center of a vast web of information lies the Djinn
Skein, allowing the bearer to coordinate his allies in combat
perfectly. As a Free Action, at the start of the bearer’s turn,
the bearer may make a Challenging (+0) Tech Use test. If he
succeeds, he may grant an ally within 15m a bonus of +10 to
a Ballistic Skill test, or he may draw line of sight from an ally
within 15m for firing Indirect weapons. A Djinn Skein cannot
be used unless the user has the Mechanicus Implants trait.
Dunestrider Legs
Long and spindly compared to the normally human
cybernetic legs issued to normal Skitarii, these legs are
normally found amongst the ranks of the Sicarians. Granting
them great bursts of speed when necessary, the Sicarians
are able to traverse all sorts of terrain swiftly.
Dunestrider Legs are purchased as a set, replacing both
legs simultaneously. Dunestrider Legs increase the wearer’s
base movement speed by 3, and increases the value of his
Size Trait by 1 (usually to Size Hulking/5). Good quality
versions grant the Sprint Talent.
Electoos
Every one of the Omnissiah’s worshippers is fitted with a
personal electoo. Taking the form of subcutaneous circuitry,
some of these devices are little more than small identifier-
plates and information wafers that can only be accessed
when illuminated by senior Tech-Priests. Others are far more
advanced. The electoo networks the brotherhoods of the
Electro- Priests implant beneath their skin are so extensive
they cover the entire nervous system, their bio-electric
pulses potent enough to send out bursts of scorching power
that intercept incoming projectiles. Through devices such as
these, the mana of the Machine God can visit Fabricator
General and lowly Skitarii warrior alike. Even servitors and
robots are blessed with their own form of electoo, as much to
brand them as the property of their masters as for the
religious rapture they can bring.
Through these electoos, the disciples of the Adeptus
Mechanicus can channel the electric majesty of the
Omnissiah. The faithful are filled with a glorious ambrosia of
data, their floodstreams thrilling with the sweet nectar of pure
information. In times of battle, an entire procession can have
their electoos remotely set to respond to the same canticles
and invocations. In doing so, the leaders of the Cult
Mechanicus ensure that their cybernetic congregation is
filled with the divine ability to destroy its foes – be it with
blasts of living lightning, piston-driven fists, or the blinding
light of the Omnissiah’s truth.
The Mandragora Apocrypha
Enhanced Potentia Coil
Designed as a more heavy-duty replacement for standard
internal power units, the Enhanced Potentia Coil can be
taxed at a far greater level in order to enhance the many
abilities common to members of the Machine Cult.
Installation of an Enhanced Potentia Coil involves difficult
and invasive surgery, and thus the time taken to add the
Enhanced Potentia Coil is 1d5+1 weeks. Poor- Quality
Enhanced Potentia Coils leave the user with a noticeably
hunched form, permanently reducing their Agility by 1d10.
An Enhanced Potentia Coil can be used for all of the
following benefits:
 Luminen Blast/Luminen Flare: Gain +1d10 Damage, a
Penetration value equal to the user’s Willpower Bonus,
and the Shocking Quality.
 Luminen Shock/Luminen Surge: Gain a Penetration value
equal to the user’s Willpower Bonus as well as the
Shocking and Tearing Qualities.
 Luminen Shield/Luminen Barrier: Can be activated as a
Reaction.
 Luminen Charge: Tests are 2 steps easier (i.e. Hard (–20)
Test becomes a Challenging (+0) Test).
 Maglev Grace/Maglev Transcendence: Maintaining these
abilities becomes a Free Action. Maglev Grace can be
performed once every 6 hours. Maglev Transcendence
can be performed twice every 6 hours.
 Electrical Succor: Takes half a minute to conduct and
becomes an Easy (+30) Toughness Test.
 Ferric Lure/Ferric Summons: Become Free Actions.
 Integrated Weapon: The weapon gains the Reliable
Weapon Quality.
Exploration Mechadendrite
Built to meet the exacting standards of the Priesthood of
Mars, an exploration mechadendrite offers peerless
investigation and collection skills to the excavation-minded
Explorator. Specialized, extraordinarily delicate servo-arms
and collection pods all coordinate together to allow for
perfect observation, collection, measurement, and archiving
of up to ten separate samples. These samples are then fed
through a series of filters and processes all within specially
built chambers, allowing for full analysis of their properties
and market worth. In addition, as part of a backup system to
flush out and sterilize the sample chambers, each can be
forcefully ejected from a spout on the end of the arm if
needed. This mechadendrite also contains a built-in auspex,
chrono, glow-lamp, and compass, and specialized sensors
spread throughout the limb. In addition to the samples that it
can store, this mechadendrite grants its user a +5 bonus to
Awareness and Search Tests, and a +10 bonus to Chem-
Use and Trade (Chymist) Tests. Further, the user can, in a
pinch, eject any samples it contains for a Ranged Attack with
the following profile: (Pistol; 5m; S/–/–; 1d5+2 I; Pen 0 Clip 1;
Reload 2 Full). Depending on the sample, this attack might
also have the Toxic, Snare, or Unstable Qualities, at the
GM’s discretion.
53
 Exo-Armor Vambraces of Skitarii equal to his Intelligence Bonus. Good
Craftsmanship variants of this cybernetic are Extremely
The exo-armor plates are added to the characters arm.
Rare, but improve the bonus to +20 and allows a Techpriest
These armored platings allow a character to parry when
to perform his Logic Test in the stead of a number of Skitarii
unarmed.
equal to three times his Intelligence Bonus.
Best: As common, however extremely rare micro power field
generators are fitted to the character's forearm. The arm
may be used to parry when the character is unarmed, but Injector Rig
cannot be destroyed by parrying a power weapon. These relatively crude cybernetic systems are obviously
artificial and might include arrays of intramuscular
Gastral Bionics hypodermics or flesh-wielded drug tubes linked to bulky
chem-canisters sutured to the user’s back. These rigs may
This replaces the stomach and intestinal tract with a
contain ten doses of up to four separate substances at once
mechanized digestive system, allowing the user to digest
(most commonly Frenzon, Slaught, Stimm and De-
almost any organic material and even many non-organic
Tox).,Injecting one of these is a Half Action and the effects
materials, so long as there are nutrients to be found. It will
are instant. Depending on the nature of the rig, it may be
handle most dangerous poisons and harmful bio-motes as
triggered either by manual control or by remote control by
well. This implant allows the user to ignore the effects of any
some other individual (particularly if the user is a slave
ingested toxic foodstuffs or poisons. Best craftmanship
fighter). As well as the normal dangers of excessive drug
implants allow the user to survive by eating anything organic
use and the drugs themselves, if the user suffers a Critical
(although they may not enjoy doing so, as the bionics do not
Hit, there is a chance that the injector malfunctions and
protect against flavors, textures, spines, spikes, or splinters).
poisons him. The character must succeed on a Toughness
Test or the injector deals 2d10 points of Damage, ignoring
Gunsight Overlay Armor Points.
The character has a bionic eye that has been fitted with a
gunsight (chosen from the weapon modifications) which Interkeratic Implants
projects targeting information on his field of vision, thus
These implants consist of additional layers built into the
enhancing his combat capabilities. Unlike a gunsight fitted to
cornea of the recipient, whether gene-altered organic matter
a weapon, the character does not need to first make an aim
just beneath the surface, or advanced photo-augur
action to use the gunsight in their bionic eye.
technology implanted over the surface of the eye.
Regardless of the source, the implant enhances the vision of
Hermetic Infusion the recipient, allowing him to see in ways he would otherwise
As another departure from the frailties of the flesh, the be unable to. Small and simple to implant, interkeratic
infuser system replaces human blood and blood processing implants tend not to be as obvious in appearance as true
organs with a far more efficient biomechanical serum, the bionic eyes, and thus tend to be favored by those who would
most advanced forms of which contain legions of prefer not to have their appearance marred by obvious
microscopic homunculitic machines that can search out and augmetics. Characters with interkeratic implants gain the
repair damage on a cellular level with frightening speed. Dark Sight Trait and are immune to the effects of photon
Common: The tech-priest gains a +10 bonus on Tests made flash grenades.
to resist toxins, diseases and radioactive contamination. As
well, the tech-priest gains the Die Hard talent. Inbuilt Weapons
Good: As Common, but the bonus on Tests increases to
One obvious advantage of cybernetics, besides restoring
+20 and the tech-priest gains the Regeneration trait.
the functionality of lost limbs, is the fact that cybernetics can
Disadvantages: Aside from a graying of the flesh and
be used to conceal all sorts of useful tools—including
visible withering of the tissues, Hermetic Infusion has one
weapons. Inbuilt weapons can be added to cybernetic limbs
marked side effect: the tech-priest’s body can no longer use
such as bionic arms and mechadendrites, and count as part
human blood, and so cannot be treated for Blood Loss or
of the system to which they are bound. Installing an inbuilt
severe injuries by transfusion or regular medical treatments.
weapon requires proper tools, a Challenging (+0) Tech-Use
Instead, the tech-priest must look to his own care (if
Test, and several hours.
possible) or that of a Magos Biologis to replace his lost
serum.
Internal Blade
Imperative Actuators Mounted inside the forearm is a long blade, which can
spring from a skin vent along the back of the hand to act as
Oftentimes a Magos Dominus or Cybernetica Datasmith
a shortsword or dagger, an ideal surprise for a foe who
must assume more direct control over a Skitarii’s Doctrina
believes an individual unarmed. In some versions, the entire
Imperatives, their enhanced cognition allowing a smoother
hand is augmetic, folding to form a hilt for the revealed
transition between states. A character with this Implant
blade. The internal blade has the same characteristics as a
reduces the difficulty of all Logic Tests to alter their Doctrina
monoknife, and may gain any weapon upgrades appropriate
Imperatives by +10. Further, anyone with this implant may
for its type. Some rare internal blades are power weapons or
make the Logic Test on behalf of any other linked Skitarii
possess internal reservoirs of poison with which to coat the
without using an action, though he may only affect a number

54 The Mandragora Apocrypha

blade. The inbuilt blade is a part of the cybernetic limb, and
does not count as a separate cybernetic system. Observers
must pass a Hard (–20) Scrutiny Test to notice it when
searching for concealed weapons. If the cybernetic limb
becomes unpowered for any reason, the mechanism
controlling the blade also becomes unpowered.
Common: The inbuilt blade counts as a Low-Tech Weapon
and has the following profile: Melee; 1d10 R; Balanced.
Good: Good craftsmanship Internal Blades possess the
Toxic Quality
Best: Best craftsmanship Internal Blades gain +2 damage,
+2 Pen, and the Power Field Quality, then it is concealed
within the bionic limb when not active.
Inbuilt Pistol
A character with a cybernetic limb such as a bionic arm
that does not already have a weapon installed in it can have
an inbuilt weapon installed in the limb. An inbuilt weapon can
be any Pistol class weapon with the Compact Upgrade. If the
inbuilt pistol is of Best Craftsmanship, then it is concealed
within the bionic limb when not active. Observers must pass
a Hard (–20) Scrutiny Test to notice it when searching for
concealed weapons. The inbuilt pistol is a part of the
cybernetic limb, and does not count as a separate cybernetic
system. If the cybernetic limb becomes unpowered for any
reason, the mechanism controlling the pistol also becomes
unpowered. An inbuilt pistol has the same profile as the
weapon normally would, but its Clip Size is halved. An inbuilt
pistol cannot fire if separated from the cybernetic
appendage. The Availability of an inbuilt pistol is the same
as that of the normal version of the weapon.
Internal Power Cell
These implanted power cells use body heat and
movement to recharge, requiring a day to gain a charge
roughly equivalent to a lasgun power pack. Unlike a Potentia
Coil implant, this does not generate enough power to
operate complex machinery but is smaller, more easily
concealed, and still useful in an emergency. Wiring leads to
ports in the skin that accept most standard power conduits.
The Power Cell can act as an ammo charge pack for a
standard Lasgun or Hellgun and will take a full day to
recharge after use.
Machinator Array
A machinator array is a complex and intricate system of
manipulators, augmetic body replacements, inbuilt tools,
sensors and energy arc-projectors utilized by the most able
Magos of the Machine Cult. Each array is unique to the
Magos who bears it implanted into their flesh and cerebral
cortex, and they depend upon them more than their own
weak flesh. A Machinator Array cannot be used unless the
user has the Mechanicus Implants trait.
A Machinator Array increases the wearer's Strength and
Toughness by +10, and his Agility and Fellowship are
reduced by -5. His mass increases to to three times that of a
normal person, and he may no longer stay afloat or swim in
water or similar liquids. It incorporates two special
mechadendrites, which are equipped with a Flamer and an
Inferno Pistol. Bearers of a Machinator array gain a +20
The Mandragora Apocrypha
bonus to Tech Use tests to repair vehicles and battle
automata.
Mecharachnoid Motives
Mecharachnoid Motives are highly advanced bionic leg
replacements that can sustain and propel the tech-priests
faster and swifter than conventional bipedal movement.
These bionics replacements are beyond the visual
pleasantries of the vast swathes of humanity, and thus
remain shrouded beneath the robes of the tech priests of the
Mechanicus.
 Poor Quality Mecharachnoid Motives are treacherous and
poor implementations, halving the bearer's movement
rates.
 Good Quality Mecharachnoid Motives grant the
Quadruped and Sturdy traits.
 Best Quality Mecharachnoid Motives, in addition to the
bonuses of Good Quality, grant the Auto-Stabilized trait
and benefit from 2 'additional' legs per the Quadruped trait
benefits.
Mechadendrite Harness
The metal cables and spidery armatures that augment the
Tech-Priests of the Cult Mechanicus can fulfill a hundred
different tasks, from stealing the secrets of unhallowed
cogitators to punching into the eye sockets of nearby
assailants. Most commonly, they allow their wearers to wield
a profusion of advanced weaponry.
A character equipped with a Mechadendrite Harness may
fire any of his Ballistic Mechadendrites in a single round, so
long as he is braced and does not move more than his half
movement rate.
Memory Coils
The character's memory has been greatly upgraded
increasing the knowledge available to their conscious mind.
Common: The character gains the Total Recall talent.
Good: Good quality memory coils increase the character's
Intelligence by +5.
Best: Best quality memory coils increase the character's
intelligence by +10.
Drawback: Whenever the character receives a critical hit to
his head, there is a 15% chance the memory coils are
irrevocably damaged, resulting in the loss of the benefits of
these cybernetics as well as an additional -1d5 permanent
Intelligence loss.
Mining Helot Augmetics
A forge world is a hungry monster, devouring raw
materials without pause or satiation. This hunger is fed by
the blood and sweat of countless indentured labors (known
as helots) and servitors who toil to feed the macro forges
and titanic foundries. The Machine God is not without gifts
for those that labor to feed it. In the deep mines, the helots
are fitted with massive implant-drills and rams bonded into
their nervous system, and their bodies are augmented to
better perform their duties. Such improvements are often
crudely fitted, and endlessly recycled for use again after the
failure of their current fleshy housing.
55
 Common: Mining Helot Augmetics give the character an
extra limb fitted with a breacher. This implant increases the
character’s Strength and Toughness Characteristics each by
+10, thanks to surgically implanted muscle tissue and bionic
skeletal reinforcement.
Drawbacks: Unfortunately, the side effects of these
somewhat crude and bulky flesh-metal fusions reduce the
character’s Agility Characteristic by –10. These implants are
performed with little thought given to the level of pain or
discomfort they inflict, thus recipients gain 1d10 Insanity
Points.
Myrmidon Augmentic Mounting
The source of the somewhat hump-backed look of the
Myrmidon Cults, the Myrmidon Augmentic Mounting is a
sophisticated, but divergent, pattern of MIU which controls
the Myrmidon’s ranged weaponry. A Myrmidon Augmentic
Mounting cannot be used unless the user has the
Mechanicus Implants trait. A Myrmidon Augmentic Mounting
is capable of mounting two Basic weapons on the user’s
back, while leaving the bearer’s hands free. A Myrmidon
Augmentic Mounting may instead mount one Heavy weapon,
but the space required means one of the bearer’s arms is
removed. A Myrmidon Augmentic Mounting grants the Auto-
Stabilized Trait, and possesses a pair of Fine-Manipulation
Mechadendrites capable of manipulation equal to the
bearer’s original hands, though the Mechadendrites are not
strong or sturdy enough to do much else.
Ocular Sight
More specialized than regular cybernetic senses, an
ocular sight typically replaces one eye with a system
carefully calibrated for use with ballistic weapons. Cybernetic
sights are particularly valuable for sharpshooters who are
expected to operate multiple different weapons in the course
of their duties rather than a single rifle or other firearm with
which they intimately familiar. An ocular sight is an implant
that grants the same benefits as a cybernetic. Until it is
activated, this is the only mechanical benefit it provides. A
character with an ocular sight can activate (or deactivate) its
combat mode as a Half Action. When he does, he gains the
Unnatural Ballistic Skill (1) Trait (or the Unnatural Ballistic
Skill (2) Trait if the cybernetic sight is of Best Craftsmanship)
but suffers a –20 penalty to Awareness Tests while it is
active as his vision tunnels in to focus on his targets.
Further, while it is active, he cannot benefit from any sight
attached to his gun.
Pain Ward
The pain ward implant redirects incapacitating levels of
pain to other regions of the brain, causing the sufferer to
experience that pain as colours, hallucinations, or tastes.
The implanted character can ignore Stun effects and
involuntary actions or penalties resulting from the pain of
critical damage, being on fire, drowning, and so on.
Involuntary actions and restrictions caused by the mechanics
of a particular injury still occur as normal.
56 The Mandragora Apocrypha
Prehensile Dataspike
Usually mounted on a tail-like mechadendrite, the
dataspikes favored by the agents of the Adeptus
Mechanicus can stab into the cortex of enemy machines and
steal their secrets with terrifying speed. Prehensile
Dataspikes are mechadendrites that grant +30 to all Security
Tests related to machines they have interfaced with of a
recognizable design. Further, the user may make a
Challenging (+0) Security Test, including the bonuses
granted by this cybernetic, to force the Major Disruption
effect of the Haywire Trait Table on any machine interfaced
with. Both of these bonuses require Mechadendrite Training
(Dataspike) to be utilized. Once per round, the character can
also utilize the mechadendrite as a weapon by using either a
Half Action or Reaction. It deals 1d10+4 Energy Damage,
Penetration 8 with the Shocking and Flexible Qualities,
requiring both Mechadendrite Training (Dataspike) and
Mechadendrite Training (Weapon) to utilize this feature.
Plasma-Cutter Mechadendrite
Plasma-cutters are heavy industrial tools designed to cut
through the thickest metal and ceramite plates with focused,
searing starfire. Tech-Priests find these devices exceedingly
useful in the completion of their duties, and often attach
them to modified mechadendrites. In desperate situations,
plasmacutters can also be overloaded to serve as
improvised yet deadly weapons.
A plasma-cutter is a mechadendrite fuelled by photonic
hydrogen stowage-flasks. It can cut through a meter of
adamantine plating up to 20 centimeters thick every minute
(thinner material can be cut through faster). In addition, a
Tech-Priest with a plasma-cutter mechadendrite may boost
the power past its safety tolerances to use it as a weapon.
The Tech-Priest may use this mechadendrite as his
Reaction for the round, or as a Half Action Attack during his
turn (so long as the mechadendrite only makes one attack
per round).
The plasma-cutter may operate for 20 minutes of cutting,
or may fire 40 shots before it must be refueled. The
Mechadendrite Use (Gun) Talent applies to this
mechadendrite. A servo-arm has the following profile:
Plasma Cutter Class Melee
R OF —
RNG — DMG 1d10+6 (E)
PEN 6 Clip 40 RLD 3 Full Wt . — AVL —
SPECIAL: OVERHEATS
Rad Furnace
In the same vein as the Scyllax, some Magos contain
within them a burning Irad furnace that can weaken friend
and foe alike. Allies and enemies in the same melee as the
bearer of the Rad Furnace suffer -1 to their base Toughness
Bonus. Only other bearers of a Rad Furnace are immune to
this effect. In addition, the bearer of a Rad Furnace gains a
+30 bonus to Toughness tests caused by weapons with the
Toxic or Rad-Phage Qualities.
Recoil Dampers
The character's hands are made up of interlocking plates
connected with memory wire; these lock together around a
weapon and minimize the effects of recoil when the weapon
discharges. The character only suffers a -20 penalty when
firing a heavy weapon without taking the Brace Heavy
Weapon action.
Reinforced Exoskeleton
Perhaps seeking a sham immortality, the Tech-Priest has
installed several layers of subcutaneous fleximetal and
extensively reworked his armor so that it is bonded with the
bone beneath. Those who land a telling blow upon him find
their blade notched by his cable-hard tendons and
permasteel bones.
Poor: Poor quality Reinforced Exoskeleton reduces the
Maximum Agility bonus of any armor worn by the character
to 30.
Common: Reinforced Exoskeleton increases the Armor
Points of any armor he wears by 1 on all locations it would
normally cover.
Good: As common, but increases the Armor Points by 2 on
all locations.
Best: As good, and additionally increases the Maximum
Agility of any armor worn by the character by +5.
Sarcosan Wave Generator
This strange and blasphemous techno-arcana is installed
directly into a character's torso. It emits a strange aura (and
generates a strange and unnerving moaning sound) that
keeps a character's tissue in some ghastly parody of unlife.
The Sarcosan Wave Generator grants the character the
From Beyond, Fear (2), Regeneration (4), and Unnatural
Toughness (3) Traits. In addition, once per Round, the
character may spend one Fate point to reanimate a number
of destroyed servitors or other corpses equal to his
Willpower bonus within 20 meters of him. Those unlucky
enough to be reanimated by his necrotic power return to life
as shambling, twisted parodies of their former selves.
Anyone reanimated by the character comes (or remains)
under his complete control, regains all lost Wounds, and
retains any weapons or equipment he had when he died.
These remain reanimated for the duration of the combat.
Any single individual may only be reanimated in this way
once.
Sensor Cloaking
The Tech-Adept has modified his potentia coil to project a
phased-interference field that masks the output signature of
his bionic and organic systems. Activating or deactivating the
Cloaking Field is a Full Action; and while the field is active,
the character is undetectable by auspexes such as
bioscanners, psi-trackers, electrical-scanner and motion-
trackers. The interference field also resonates into the
aether, disrupting the character's warp signature and thus
conceals the character from being detected by the
Psyniscience skill.
The Mandragora Apocrypha
Sensorium
The Tech-Adept has been upgraded with an auspex
linked to his own senses. This is usually fitted to bionic eyes,
but it is not unknown for it to be linked to an adept's aural
receptors. This cybernetic acts exactly as an Auspex, but is
integrated into the character.
Servo-Arm
Adepts of the Mechanicus working with heavy machinery
or other particularly large devices—such as the Enginseers
of the Imperial Guard—are often required to move and
manipulate weights far in excess of anything their fleshy
frame could handle. Therefore, many of them install servo-
arms onto their cyber-mantles. Servo-arms are vastly
stronger versions of manipulator mechadendrites, and
although they are both shoulder mounted, a properly
constructed servo-arm also has stabilization and support
systems running throughout a Tech-Priest’s body.
A servo-arm can extend up to 1.5 meters from its shoulder
or back mounting and has a fixed Strength value of 75 with
the Unnatural Strength (7) Trait—the servo-arm always uses
this value, regardless of the character’s Strength
Characteristic or Talents. Though incapable of fine
manipulation, the servo-arm’s powerful claw can be used to
lift heavy objects or tether the user to a suitable anchor as a
Free Action. In combat, the character can use the servo-arm
to make a Standard Attack Action or strike with it as his
Reaction for the Round (so long as he only uses it once per
Round).
Best: Best Craftsmanship servo-arms have a Strength of 85
with the Unnatural Strength (7) Trait (increasing Damage to
2d10+15).
To use an installed servo-arm, a character must have the
Mechadendrite Use (Utility) Talent. To use it as a weapon, a
character must also have the Mechadendrite Use (Weapon)
Talent.
A servo-arm has the following profile:
Servo-Arm Class Melee
RNG — R OF — DMG 2d10+14 (I)
PEN 10 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL —
SPECIAL: UNWIELDY
Servo-Claw
A large number of Mechanicum technologies, such as
Manipulator Mechadendrites and Servo-Arms, are designed
for a specific practical purpose; whatever use they have as a
weapon is often secondary and incidental. The Servo-Claw
is the opposite, a form of Mechadendrite designed purely for
its combat applications that can also be used as a makeshift
tool. Consisting of tightly wound bundles of synthetic muscle
fibers contained within a small metal framework, the Servo-
Claw ends in a sharp, serrated claw that can cut through
armor and snap bones with remarkable ease, leaving the
user’s hands free for other matters. A Servo-Claw is usually
mounted at waist height, as not to interfere with the
movement of the arms or any other Mechadendrites. It can
be used to make any normal Attack Action as if it were a
57
 regular Melee weapon, or can be used to make a Standard
Attack as a Reaction (but never both in the same Round).
This attack is made with the user’s Weapon Skill. The servo-
claw never adds the Strength of the user to its Damage. It
can be used to grip and lift objects using its Strength of 50
and Unnatural Strength (3) Trait, and can be used as a
makeshift Manipulator Mechadendrite, with a –10 penalty to
all associated Tests. The Mechadendrite Use (Manipulator)
Talent applies to this Mechadendrite.
A Servo-Claw has the following profile:
Servo-Claw Class Melee
RNG — R OF — DMG 2d10+12 (R)
PEN 4 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL —
SPECIAL: TEARING
Servo-Harness
A Servo-Harness is a large, backpack-like cybernetic that
gives its user the ability to carry and use more tools
simultaneously as they float around damaged and unfinished
vessels. Additionally, small maneuvering thrusters sprout
from various points across the harness, allowing for greater
control in environments without gravity.
At a minimum, each Servo-Harness consists of one
Manipulator Mechadendrite, one Utility Mechadendrite, a
Combi-tool, a Fyceline Torch, and a Plasma Cutter. The
torch is identical to a Flamer. The plasma cutter can burn
through a meter of adamantine plating up to 20 centimeters
thick every minute (thinner material can be cut through
faster); it may also be used as a Plasma Pistol with a Range
of 10m. A Servo-Harness also has several maneuvering
thrusters, that grant the user the Flyer (6) Trait when used in
areas with very low or no gravity.
A character with Talents that allow him to make Multiple
Attacks may use any weapon (or equivalent) on his Servo-
Harness for any of the attacks he would normally be allowed,
subject to all normal limitations including weapon Class.
Additionally, the user may use his normal Reaction to make
a single shot or strike with any one weapon on the harness.
The attachments on the Servo-Harness can be swapped out
for other items, such as other forms of Mechadendrites,
Bulkhead Cutters, and even full-sized Servo- Arms. The
Talents Mechadendrite Use (Manipulator) and (Utility) are
required in order to use a Servo-Harness, and the user must
possess the Mechanicus Implants Trait.
Strength Augmentation
The arm is fitted with powerful pistons and servo-motors
which greatly enhance the character's strength. In the case
of an arm designed to replicate the size and shape of the
original, this strength bonus will only be modest (+10 to the
strength of the arm), however larger arms can be fitted with
more powerful systems which can enhance a character's
strength to inhuman proportions (up to a maximum of +40 to
the strength of the arm).
58 The Mandragora Apocrypha
Synthetic Synapses
Much of the Tech-Adept's brain has been replaced with
artificial synapses greatly increasing their processing speed
and decision making ability. As a Free Action, the character
may use any Common Lore, Forbidden Lore, or Scholastic
Lore skill tests during combat circumstances.
The Breath of Mars
The Skitarii filter air into their lungs via cognis rebreather
tubes that plunge deep into the chest. When necessary they
can draw upon a reservoir of polluted gases harvested from
their homeworld. These augmetics are treated as
Rebreathers. Additionally, once per encounter, the character
may gain the Toxic (1) Trait.
Vehicle Interface Circuitry
Interface circuitry is one of the greatest treasures
preserved from the golden past by the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Glimmering neuron-interface circuitry implanted into the
tissues of the hands allows an intuitive interface between a
pilot and his craft.
Common: Interface implants grant a +10 bonus on Operate
Tests when operating any vehicle with interface receptors. In
addition, a character equipped with this circuitry may also
make a Perception Test (Difficulty set by the GM) to
determine a vehicle’s status and condition as a Free Action.
Vitae Supplacement
This is simply an emergency life support system built into
the chest and wired into the spine, intended to sustain fragile
flesh when it fails. It can oxygenate blood via electrolytic
microfabric implanted in the lungs, keep blood circulating via
backup pumps, and send necessary electrical stimulus to the
rest of the body when it senses catastrophic injury. While it
won’t last for longer than a few hours, the actions of the
Vitae Supplacement are usually sufficient to prevent death
until the medicae arrive. At the GM’s discretion, this implant
may give a 50% chance of not dying due to blood loss or
other normally fatal consequences of severe wounds.
Common Craftsmanship versions can preserve someone for
up to four hours, Good and Best versions double and triple
this time, respectively.
Biological Implants
Not all marvels of the Omnessiah are made of artifice and
machine. The Genetors of the Mechanicus are masters at
biological wonders that can meet or exceed the functions of
their mechanical counterparts.
Chem Gland
These rare and expensive implants are wonders of the
biosculptor’s craft. Invisibly concealed within the body are
miniaturized chemical factories that consume the user’s own
natural resources to synthesise powerful chemical agents.
Pick up to three substances when the implant is performed
(such as Stimm, Panimune, and so on). The character can
“gland” any one of these at will as a Half Action by
succeeding on a Routine (+10) Toughness Test. A failed
Test however inflicts a level of Fatigue. A failure by four or
more degrees deals 1d10 points of Toughness Damage.
Emotional Repressive Surgery
Chemical and surgical procedures have been performed
on the character's brain to reduce the hold his emotions
have over his conscious and unconscious mind. The
character may reduce his Fellowship characteristic by
between 5-20 points, increasing his Willpower by the same
amount, depending on the procedures that have been
performed
Fabricated Flesh
Some Genetors and members of the Divisio Biologis bear
few of the usual marks of being a Tech-Priest; their cyber-
mantle are fully hidden by false flesh or even vat-grown skin,
and any augmetics or bionic limbs that they possesses may
appear to be a part of their bodies, or at least as common
augmetics that many within the Imperium possess.
Fabricated Flesh may be applied to any cybernetic,
determining the difficulty of acquisition per the Cybernetic it
is matched with. With fabricated flesh, the Tech-Priest
retains all of his standard abilities and Traits granted by his
Mechanicus Implants, but it requires a Hard (–20) Scrutiny or
Tech-Use Test to notice any significantly off-putting signs of
his mechanical parts that mark him as a Tech- Priest. If he
possesses mechadendrites or other large attachments that
would obviously set him aside as a member of the Adeptus
Mechanicus, he may attach or remove any number of them
at will, in a ritual that takes 1d5 hours to complete and
causes 1 level of Fatigue but has no other deleterious side-
effects.
Haemoncolyte
Haemoncolytes are vat-grown creatures formed from the
Techpriest’s own flesh and blood. They are typically created
to cleanse the Techpriests’ organic components of poisons
and tumors, any such imperfections being passed along an
umbilical and absorbed by the Haemoncolyte. They are ugly
and dwarfish to begin with and over time they age rapidly,
becoming covered in liver spots and lumpen growths. A
Haemoncolyte adds +30 to all of the Techpriest’s resistance
rolls against toxins.
The Mandragora Apocrypha
Table 2-9: Biological Implants
Name Availability
Chem Gland Extremely Rare
Emotional Repressive Surgery Rare
Fabricated Flesh Varies
Haemoncolyte Rare
Mnemonic Virus Very Rare
Neuro-Synaptic Enhan-Cells Extremely Rare
Paraaortic Nodi Extremely Rare
The Rite of Setesh Very Rare
Transgenic Grafting Extremely Rare
Vat-Grown Adrenal Gland Rare
Vat-Grown Cerebral Tissue Near Unique
Vat-Grown Clone Unique
Mnemonic Virus
The Mnemonic Virus is derived from the Meme Virus and
recombinantly constructed to have a rather limited and more
controllable effect compared to the Meme Virus. Many
Genetors infect themselves with it deliberately when
ascending to a certain rank within their sect. Due to its
recombinant nature, the virus must be reapplied every few
months. Anyone infected with a Mnemonic Virus gains the
Conditioned Intellect Talent for 1D5 months
Neuro-Synaptic Enhan-cells
The Neuro-Synaptic Enhan-cells application is in fact
specifically bred neuronal cell-tissue implanted into the
brain-stem to decrease time of neural reaction.
Electrochemical impulses zip down pathways with more
surface area to support neuron to neuron chemical
transmission and less interference from stray signals. This
implant adds 1D5 Insanity Points upon implantation. As a
result of this implant, when making an Initiative roll, the
character may roll twice and add the higher of the two dice
results to his Agility Bonus
Paraaortic Nodi
These elaborate implants cause rings of muscle spaced
along the arteries of the limbs to contract and cut off blood
flow to an injured area in case of rapid drop in blood
pressure. Any tissue at the wound or lower is cut-off from
circulation, but traumatic blood loss and further damage is
prevented. These complicated implants grant the user the
Die Hard Talent. Best Quality implants also grant +10 to
Toughness. If the user suffers from an injury causing Blood
Loss, he must take a Challenging (+0) Toughness-Test or
the limb tissue below the wound site must be surgically
removed and replaced with a bionic limb or vat grown
alternative.
The Rite of Setesh
Utilized by the rich and powerful whose fear of death is
sufficient to overcome their love of humanity, these augmetic
rigs (known in Mechanicus lore as the Rite of Setesh)
involve the living mummification of a dying body and its
emplacement in an all-encompassing exoskeleton designed
to keep an advanced aged or disease-ravaged body alive
long past natural limits, trapping the body in what amounts to
little more than a semi-mobile iron coffin devoid of human
contact. The use of these augmetics is largely frowned upon
59
 even by the Mechanicus as skirting the edge of
technoheresy in form and function.
Common: This rite grants a character the Machine (4) trait
(except this Trait does not affect his or her mind) and the
Regeneration trait. Wounds and mental characteristics are
unchanged.
Drawbacks: The character reduces Weapon Skill, Ballistic
Skill and Agility to half (round down). Life in one of these
devices is nightmarish and painful. The character gains 2d10
Insanity Points. Also, the rotted biology contained within
adds +5 to any Critical Effect inflicted against the character.
Transgenic Grafting
In the darkest corners of the Adeptus Mechanicus, certain
heretek Magos Biologis practice transgenic grafting: the
splicing of alien organs and biological matter into human
subjects. Such a procedure is not only extremely dangerous,
corrupting the mind as well as the spirit, but is also an act of
extreme tech-heresy. A Magos Biologis found guilty of such
tech-heresy is likely to be executed on the spot or whisked
away to a black interrogation chamber for further
questioning.
Even attempting such a procedure grants the surgeon and
the victim 1d10 Insanity Points. The procedure requires a
Very Hard (–30) Forbidden Lore (Xenos) Test followed by
a Very Hard (–30) Medicae Test. Success on both indicates
that the splicing is successful, permanently giving the victim
a Trait or Talent possessed by the alien.
Failure on the Medicae Test indicates that the graft has
not taken and deals 1d10 Damage to the victim (unmodified
for armor or Toughness) and an additional 1d10 Insanity
Points. Failure on the Forbidden Lore Test indicates that the
graft has taken, but the surgeon’s knowledge of alien biology
is flawed—instead of a trait or Talent, the victim instead
gains a mutation (either random or chosen by the GM) as
well as 1d10 Corruption Points. Failure on both indicates that
the operation itself is an outright failure, and no additional
penalties are incurred.
.Vat-grown Adrenal Gland
In the vat-labs of Heraion the Biologis cultivate globular
organs that are implanted behind the kidneys in the
abdominal cavity and stores Adrenalin and noradrenalin
produced by the adrenal glands. These glands grant the
user a +2 bonus to their initiative rolls. Good Quality glands
also grant the Preternatural Speed Talent.
Vat-grown Cerebral Tissue
Vat-grown cerebral tissue is directly implanted into the
existing cortex to increase the brain function. Users gain +10
Int for a normal implantation. Best-Craftsmanship grafts will
grant the Unnatural Intelligence (2) Trait but also impose a -
10 penalty to any Fellowship Tests.
60 The Mandragora Apocrypha
Vat-Grown Clone
Replicae are artificial beings created by genetic
engineering, the branch of the science known to archaic
humans as "cloning." The science was widespread during
the Dark Age of Technology, but is barely understood in later
eras where it is used predominantly in the process of servitor
production when (un)willing subjects are in short supply.
Though genome acceleration techniques passed down by
only the most senior of Magos Biologis, a vat-grown clone
can be grown to maturity in the matter of months.
Despite the capability, the Adeptus Mechanicus hold
strong reservations and proscriptions against the usage of
creating replicae. Beyond creating advanced servitors and
the like, the process is completely banned. The temptation to
violate the proteus protocol too great. Recorded incidents
demonstrate attempts to produce stable-minded individuals
have more-often-than-not failed, resulting in various forms of
catastrophes that have proven attempts to mass produce
replicae to be nearly close to being deemed techno-heretical
itself.
Poor: Poor quality vat-grown clones are abominations,
suitable only for the creation of a Haemoncolyte. Either
fleshless, disfigured, possessing physical mutation or other
worse maladies, the creature 'born' from this process is ugly
and dwarfish and possesses rudimentary intelligence at
best. The new replicae is 'born' with half of the physical
characteristics of its genetic template, but must roll 1d10+10
for Intelligence, Perception, Willpower and Fellowship. The
replicae is 'born' with 3d10 Insanity Points, and does not
possess the memories, skills or talents of its genetic
template.
Common: The creation of a vat-grown clone creates an
individual based off the gene-template of an existing
persona, either human or xenos in origination. The new
replicae is 'born' with the same physical characteristics, but
must roll 2d10+10 for Intelligence, Perception, Willpower and
Fellowship. The replicae is 'born' with 2d10 Insanity Points,
and does not possess the memories, skills or talents of its
genetic template.
Good: As with common, but the replicae possesses the
same skills and talents as it's genetic template, so long as it
possesses the same characteristic requirements for any
pertinent talents.
Best: As with good, but the replicae is 'born' with only 1d10
Insanity Points.
Ships of the Explorator Fleets their characteristics under normal operation. A notable few of
these are the unimaginably vast, almost mythical Ark
Mechanicus vessels, said to endlessly ply the stellar maine
in the Quest for Knowledge. Led by a Venerated Archmagos
he vast foundries of the Adeptus Mechanicus are Explorator, they will follow up any lead that may result in
solely responsible for providing to the Imperium of Man all discovering a working Standard Template Construct, the
technical devices and machinery from mundane farm revered holy grail of the Cult Mechanicus. These vessels are
equipment to vast interstellar warships. It is ordered in a rarely encountered by others as they perform their missions
strong hierarchy, but details on what form this takes are not in the service of those who give life to these behemoths of
made widely available to those who have not been so the stars.
indoctrinated. Generally, more highly positioned techpriests
ARC MECHANICUS BATTLESHIP
are expected to have more seniority and knowledge than
lower ones, and are consequently more important as greater ARMOR: 20 SPEED: 6 SHIP POINTS: 87
repositories of knowledge.
DETECTION: +15 MANOEUVRABILITY: +0
After many decades of service, techpriests may be
elevated to the rank of Magos, from where they may begin TURN RADIUS: 45° HULL INTEGRITY: 110
service in one of the many sub-sect Divisios within the Cult. SPACE: 110 TURRET RATING: 5
Held in highest regard are the Magos Explorator. Obsessed CREW: 245,000 SERVITORIZED CREW, APPROX.
with the quest for knowledge, they search high and low
across the known galaxy for lost Standard Template WEAPON CAPACITY: 1 DORSAL, 1 PROW NOVACANNON, 3 PORT, 3 STARBOARD
Constructs and ancient knowledge. A breed apart from
regular techpriests, any Explorator or member of his team
Armored Prow: The Arc Mechanicus has an in-built
will willingly walk into forgotten catacombs, even at risk of
armored prow.
death, for snippets of long-forgotten knowledge.
Explorator Augury: The vessels the Mechanicus supplies
Toward this end the Adeptus Mechanicus have at their
to its Explorators are invariably equipped with boosted
disposal a large fleet of starships. Because the Quest for
auspexes and augur arrays to better aid them in their
Knowledge can involve long, arduous forays into unexplored
mission. Add +10 to the ship’s Detection, and when working
space, it is important that they be heavily armed and
towards an Exploration objective, the players earn an
armored. This is not only for their own protection from these
additional 50 Achievement Points.
who covet their technology but to engage in combat when
Manifest Course: The Ark Mechanicus cannot use “Come
necessary to secure vital data or artifacts that may prove
To New Heading” action.
crucial to the Quest. Though the total number of ships the
Adeptus Mechanicus has at its disposal dispersed among its
many forge worlds is far outnumbered by that of the Imperial
Navy, it goes without saying that those responsible for all
starship construction reserve for themselves among the
most powerful and best equipped warships encountered
anywhere in the Imperium.

Battleship Hulls
Battleships are the masters of space combat. These
massive spacecraft are protected by nigh-impenetrable
defenses, carry enough firepower to obliterate a lesser ship,
and usually have launch-bays for attack craft as well. The
Cruiser Hulls
only weaknesses of a battleship are its expense and poor
maneuverability. However, when accompanied by cruisers These vast ships of the line form the iron backbone of the
and escorts to offset these disadvantages, a battleship Imperial battlefleets and are the principal combat vessels
becomes a nearly unstoppable addition to any fleet. designed to pound the enemy into flaming ruin.

Ark Mechanicus Research Cruiser

Dimensions: 12 km long, 1.75 km abeam approx.
Mass: 18.5 megatonnes approx.
Crew: 245,000 servitorized crew, approx.
Accel: 3.2 gravities max acceleration
Over many millennia, a large number of starships of
various sizes, fitting no specific classification, have been
seen bearing the insignia of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Many
of these ships are incredibly ancient vessels, possibly
recovered space hulks, re-commissioned so as to examine
Hull: Cruiser
Dimensions: 5.1 km long, 0.7 km abeam approx.
Mass: 6.4 megatonnes approx..
Accel: 4.6 gravities max sustainable acceleration
The fleets of the Adeptus Mechanicus are often far more
sophisticated than those of the Imperial Navy, utilizing
technologies that are deemed too sacred for the masses of
humanity to use. In many cases, archeotech systems are

The Mandragora Apocrypha 61

 placed aboard starships solely to test them, so that their
effectiveness can be properly determined and studied.

RESEARCH CRUISER CRUISER

ARMOR: 20 SPEED: 5 SHIP POINTS: 63
DETECTION: +20 MANOEUVRABILITY: +7
TURN RADIUS: 45° HULL INTEGRITY: 74
SPACE: 65 TURRET RATING: 2
CREW: 19,000 CREW, APPROX.

WEAPON CAPACITY: 1 DORSAL, 2 PORT, 2 STARBOARD

Reinforced Prow: The Research Cruiser has a reinforced
Prow, granting +2 Armor to the void ship's fore armor.
Light Cruisers
Though not as powerful as full cruisers, light cruisers are
often more maneuverable, or equipped for long range
reconnaissance.
Monitor-cruiser
Dimensions: 4.2 km long, .5 km abeam at fins
Mass: 20.9 megatons
Accel: 6 gravities max sustainable acceleration
The Adeptus Mechanicus, being an entity that exists more
alongside than as a part of the Imperium, maintains its own
armies and warships. These fight alongside the Imperial
Guard and Navy in times of war, but as many Magos are
quick to point out, they do so as allies, not vassals. The
primary role of the Mechanicus fleets are exploration, not
combat, however. Explorator fleets traverse the galaxy,
looking for lost archeotech and ancient relics of the Dark Age
of Technology. The Lathe class monitor-cruiser is a perfect
example of the ships the Explorators utilize in their fleets.
The design differs from many light cruisers, with an
emphasis on long-ranged detection and endurance rather
than speed and maneuverability. Outfitted correctly, a
monitor cruiser can operate without refit and resupply for
decades.

Secutor-class monitor-cruiser MONITOR CRUISER LIGHT CRUISER

Dimensions: 4.3 km long, .5 km abeam at fins
Mass: 24 megatonnes ARMOR: 20 SPEED: 5 SHIP POINTS: 55
Accel: 3.9 gravities max. sustainable acceleration DETECTION: +15 MANOEUVRABILITY: +12
The Secutor-Class monitor cruiser was adapted from the HULL INTEGRITY: 63
TURN RADIUS: 45°
existing design when the forge world learned that the
existing light cruiser was insufficiently armed for heavy SPACE: 60 TURRET RATING: 2
starship combat. Rather than spend the considerable CREW: 35,000 CREW, APPROX, 25,000 SERVITORS
resources to construct true cruisers, they developed the WEAPON CAPACITY: 1 PROW, 1 DORSAL, 2 PORT, 2 STARBOARD
Secutor. Secutors are significantly better armed than their
cousins, and have higher defensive capabilities as well. In
exchange they are less maneuverable, and with so much of
Forge Tender
their frame devoted to weapons and defenses, they are Dimensions: 4.9 km long, 0.9 km abeam at fins approx.
useful only for war. Of course, in that field they excel. Mass: 19 megatonnes approx.
Accel: 4.5 Gravities max sustainable acceleration.
SECUTOR-CLASS MONITOR CRUISER LIGHT CRUISER Forge tenders are light cruisers typically operated by the
Adeptus Mechanicus and have been contracted by guilds,
ARMOR: 20 SPEED: 5 SHIP POINTS: 58 military units and planetary forces to perform maintenance
DETECTION: +15 MANOEUVRABILITY: +12 repairs on remote outposts and merchant vessels throughout
the Imperium for endless centuries. Despite their size they
TURN RADIUS: 45° HULL INTEGRITY: 65
only have the capacity of a standard transport.
SPACE: 58 TURRET RATING: 2 Their large crew of servitors, extensive machine shops
CREW: 50,000 CREW, APPROX. and maintenance facilities enable these ships to quickly
WEAPON CAPACITY: 1 PROW, 1 DORSAL, 2 PORT, 2 STARBOARD repair damaged ships. Today Forge Tenders are relatively
rare, but their services are always in great demand, and
occasionally one will be seen in the company of a large
Outfitted for war: The Secutor is designed solely for Imperial armada.
combat, and in anticipation of this her masters have
equipped her with the heavy power couplings and projection
arrays required to maintain multiple void shields. The
Secutor can use ‘cruiser only’ Void Shield Components.

62 The Mandragora Apocrypha

 Working Vessel: Heavy transports have one thing, usually,
FORGE TENDER LIGHT CRUISER in common: a built-in manufactorum to keep the vessel
operational in even the direst of situations. The hull’s Space
ARMOR: 22 SPEED: 4 SHIP POINTS: 55
has already been reduced to account for this, but when this
DETECTION: +12 MANOEUVRABILITY: -5 ship is constructed it must provide one Power for this
TURN RADIUS: 45° HULL INTEGRITY: 50 component.
SPACE: 42 TURRET RATING: 2 Heavy Transport: The value of heavy transports grants their
owners some leeway in equipping them with usually
CREW: 35,000 CREW, APPROX, 20,000 SERVITORS
restricted equipment. A Heavy Transport has access to Light
WEAPON CAPACITY: 1 PROW, 1 DORSAL, 1 PORT, 1 STARBOARD Cruiser plasma drives and may use Cruiser void shields. It
must use Light Cruiser variant components for its Warp
Engine, Life Sustainer, and Crew Quarters. It has full access
to Transport-only Components and cannot mount any
weaponry that is not meant for Transports. All Heavy
Transports come with one Main Cargo Hold and the hulls’
Spaces have been reduced to account for this, but when a
Heavy Transport is constructed it must provide 2 Power to
this Component.
Transport Hulls
The Imperium swarms with transport vessels. Millions of
these civilian craft plough the space lanes, ferrying pilgrims,
ore, foodstuffs and luxuries to untold billions of eager
consumers across the galaxy. There are countless classes
of transport vessel, and even the most esoteric Explorator
fleet requires humble transport craft to carry the spoils of
their conquests back to the Imperium again. Goliath-Class Factory Ship
Dimensions: 4.9 km long, 0.9 km abeam at fins approx.
Heavy Transport Cruiser Mass: 16 megatonnes approx.
Dimensions: 4.8 km long, .7 km abeam at fins Accel: 1.5 Gravities max sustainable acceleration.
Mass: 25 megatons The Goliath-class factory ships are Mechanicus vessels,
Accel: 0.9 gravities max sustainable acceleration gigantic energy-processing vessels that harvest the very
Across the Imperium there are a vast array of different essence of stars. They devour solar plasma to power their
space faring vessels, any of which can be pressed into own arcane fuel production techniques, in order to sate the
service of the Imperial Navy at need. Typically, heavy endless hunger of the Imperium’s Hive worlds. Even larger
transports are used as bulk ore, fuel or grain carriers, and than the Jericho class, they are fragile and potentially
damaged vessels have been converted into supply bases, explosive craft treated with much respectful caution by other
hospital vessels and forward repair facilities for fleets spacefarers, given their propensity to detonate in
operating in isolated or primitive systems. Every Imperial catastrophic explosions that are capable of scouring the
fleet is supported by hundreds of chartered or atmosphere from entire worlds.
commandeered merchant vessels used to transport supplies
between embattled systems. While heavy transports not
GOLIATH CLASS FACTORY SHIP TRANSPORT
normally used in this role, each heavy transport is capable of ARMOR: 14 SPEED: 3 SHIP POINTS: 25
carrying tens of thousands of men and thousands of
vehicles. They are also used by Adeptus Mechanicus Titan DETECTION: +4 MANOEUVRABILITY: -10
Legions for moving their huge war machines or enough TURN RADIUS: 45° HULL INTEGRITY: 50
munitions to supply an entire army. Most fleet commanders SPACE: 40 TURRET RATING: 2
assign dedicated escort vessels to a squadron of heavy CREW: 41,000 CREW, APPROX
transports, as the loss of one of these vessels during a
planetary assault can have huge long–term effects on a WEAPON CAPACITY: 1 PROW, 1 DORSAL, 1 PORT, 1 STARBOARD
campaign.
Cargo Hauler: This vessel was designed for transporting
HEAVY TRANSPORT CRUISER TRANSPORT goods and fuel, and no amount of retrofitting can fully
change this. This Hull comes pre-equipped with two Main
ARMOR: 17 SPEED: 3 SHIP POINTS: 45
Cargo Hold Components. The hull’s Space has already been
DETECTION: +5 MANOEUVRABILITY: -10 reduced to account for these, however when the ship is
TURN RADIUS: 45° HULL INTEGRITY: 55 constructed it must be able to provide a total of 4 Power to
these Components.
SPACE: 55 TURRET RATING: 2
Plasma Refinery: This vessel comes pre-equipped with a
CREW: 83,000 CREW, APPROX
unique Component, a Plasma Refinery, used to create high-
WEAPON CAPACITY: 1 PROW, 1 DORSAL, 1 PORT, 1 STARBOARD grade fuel for plasma engines. This is a huge facility

The Mandragora Apocrypha 63

 mounted amidships. This grants the ship the ability to scoop
plasma from the stars, refine it, and sell it on. The profits
gained by this enterprise are closely matched to the costs of
running the vessel, however the Explorers can use it to
augment their own endeavors. The refining process simply
requires a large supply of low-grade ore, however the
plasma harvesting process is more involved. The ship must
enter a retrograde orbit around a blue-giant star, a maneuver
that takes three days and requires two Ordinary (+10) Pilot
(Space Craft) + Maneuverability Tests. Failure of either of
these Tests by five degrees or more results in the ship’s
destruction. Success means the ship gains enough
additional plasma to convert one full load of ore, granting the
Explorers +100 Achievement Points to an ongoing
Endeavour (the refined plasma can either be used in the
Endeavour, or sold to generate funds).
Powered by Stars: Provided the Goliath harvests plasma
roughly once a year, its Plasma Drive generates +10 power.
Repairing Mechanicus Vessels
Mechanicus vessels are far too rare and precious to be
carelessly expended in the fires of war. However, those
vessels so engaged will always receive priority when
requiring repair or rework at shipyards throughout the
Imperium. Adeptus Mechanicus ships never test for repairs
with negative modifiers.
Even the most junior tech-adepts are typically far more
familiar with the workings of their vessel and the capabilities
of its weapon and defensive systems than comparable
Imperial Navy officers and ratings, though this does not
necessarily correlate to how well their vessels are utilized in
combat. Because even senior Mechanicus techpriests tend
to approach challenges in terms of engineers rather than
tacticians, it is sometimes difficult for them to appreciate the
finer aspects of tactical discipline in the heat of battle.
However, the resources they are able to call upon when
repairing and refitting their vessels are the envy of even the
most senior Imperial Navy commanders.
Gifts Of The Omnissiah
Adeptus Mechanicus vessels represent the very apex of
Mankind’s technical prowess, and they have access to
resources and technology unavailable to the vast majority of
the Imperium. All Mechanicus vessels add +1 to a given
vessel’s original turret value. Mechanicus vessels must also
roll a D10 once against Table 3-1: Mechanicus Gifts,
64 The Mandragora Apocrypha
replacing the normal roll for Machine Spirit Oddities as
detailed in Volume II: Astra Navis Mandragora. These
improvements are already included in the hulls assigned in
the Adeptus Mechanicus fleet listed here.
As the ability to efficiently produce long-range lance
weaponry by Mars was perfected in late M37, the need to
reserve these complex and expensive weapons for only a
relatively small number of their own hulls no longer existed.
To avoid raising the concern of the Imperial Navy, Mars does
not utilize any battlecruisers in their own fleets, though they
still produce a small number of them for the Imperial Navy as
required. Instead, every Mechanicus cruiser (not light
cruiser) is also equipped with an additional, single dorsal
weapon.
Quest For Knowledge
The Cult Mechanicus follow Sixteen Universal Laws,
which define their existence. Possibly the most revealing is
the Eight Universal Law: The Omnissiah knows all,
comprehends all, the Omnissiah is the Supreme Being, the
entity able to comprehend all knowledge in the universe. To
fully understand the Machine God is the ultimate,
overarching goal of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and so they
strive to attain enlightenment through their studies and
biological/ mechanical symbiosis. They are constantly driven
by a communal and personal attempt to achieve this, known
as the Quest for Knowledge. They view this endeavor as
paramount and more important than any other concern, and
is considered by them to be among the most vital missions
of its space fleet. The Cult believes that all knowledge
already exists, and it is primarily a matter of time before it
can be gathered together to complete the Quest. Much of
this lost knowledge is widely believed to reside in the form of
the now-lost Standard Template Constructs, and no effort
will be spared to pursue any lead that may reveal the
existence of an even partially-functioning STC system.
Quick to incorporate recently-rediscovered technology
before it is approved for widespread use, Adeptus
Mechanicus vessels place great reliance on archeotech that
have much higher power requirements and correspondingly
smaller overload tolerances and redundancy than those
equipping comparable Imperial Navy vessels. Their ships
are crewed with a very high proportion of repair servitors and
tech adepts intimately familiar with the workings of their
vessel. Mechanicus vessels always roll 1d5-2 to determine
length of turns (to a minimum of 1) when attempting to make
emergency repairs . However, because these ships are
commonly relied upon to test untried and sometimes Xenos
technology for extended periods of time, Mechanicus
vessels will on occasion suffer adverse, unanticipated
consequences that in some cases may endanger the entire
ship and its crew. Mechanicus vessels must also roll a 1d10
once against the Table 3-2: Quest for Knowledge,
replacing the normal roll for Past Histories as detailed in
Volume II: Astra Navis Mandragora.
Table 3-1: Mechanicus Gifts
1d10 Atmosphere
1 Emergency Energy Reserves: When crippled, the ship only reduces its Maneuverability and Detection by -5. The vessel still counts as
crippled in every other respect.
2 Advanced Engines: The ship gains +3 vu speed, as well as +1D5 when on Adjust Speed extended actions.
3 Repulsor Shielding: Ignore all negative effects of Gravity Tides, Ice Rings, and Nebulae. This effect goes away if the ship suffers
“Shields Collapsed” critical damage.
4 Fleet Defense Turrets: Up to two turrets on the ship are exchanged for fleet defense turrets capable of protecting itself or any one other
vessel within 5 vu, adding +2 to the turret strength of the ship it is defending. These otherwise work exactly as normal turrets do in all
other respects.
5 Indomitable Machine Spirits: During a boarding action made against the ship the defenders gain a +10 bonus to fend off the attackers
as the ship seemingly comes alive as valves open spraying the attackers with reactor plasma or servo arms crush them as they
seemingly move on their own.
6 Harmonious Navis Spirits: The vessel's Machine Spirits work in unison to such a degree that when making a warp jump it takes half the
time the navigator calculates for the jump.
7 Segmented Power Reserves: When a ship component would be unpowered for any reason roll a d10; on a 5+ the component remains
powered for 1d5 rounds, despite sometimes seeming impossible given the situation.
8 Gyro-stabilized Targeting Matrix: The vessels weapons never suffers the penalty for firing it's weapons past it's normal range.
9 Augmented Weapon Relays: Macrobatteries aboard the vessel gain a +1 to their strength characteristic.
10 Warp Drive Ejection Mechanism: In the most extreme cases a ship may suffer a warp drive implosion. However should the captain
elect to do so, the enginseers may eject the warp core in time before it detonates with a Very Hard (-30) Tech-Use test. While the vessel
remains a Space Hulk, it is has the potential to escape the predations of a full warp excursion rather than being sucked into the
Immaterium.

Table 3-2: Quest for Knowledge

1d10 Atmosphere
1 Reliquary of Mars: This vessel has been outfitted with ancient archeotech systems from mankind’s forgotten past. When constructing
this vessel, players must select 1 Archeotech Component of their choice. However, any Tech-Use Tests to repair the ship suffer a –20,
due to the highly complex nature of the machinery.
2 Extended Duty: The Quest for Knowledge can be long and arduous, sometimes seeing the fleet deep in unexplored space far away
from logistical support for exceedingly long periods. Reduce Crew Rating and Morale permanently by 10.
3 Xenos Logic: Due to unforeseen phenomena, the complex workings within this vessel of the Adeptus Mechanicus has become
unreliable at best and catastrophic at worst. This vessel adds +2 to any Critical Hit Results and suffers a -10 penalty to emergency
repairs extended actions.
4 Charting the Stars: This vessel has been in the Explorator fleets from it's very conception and has known nothing else. When exploring
new uncharted systems, all rolls following the Exploring the Stellar Regions chapter can be modified by one step up or down on the chart.
5 Warstained: This vessel has carried the militant forces of the Mechanicus many times in its tumultuous history, imbuing it with a hunger
for combat. This vessel hungrily seeks escalation at all costs. This vessel gains +2 to its speed and a +2 bonus to its initiative. However,
when outside of a combat situation it lumbers forth, biding its time and evoking a -2 penalty to its speed and increases its warp travel time
by 25% outside of combat situations.
6 Sacred Vessel: This vessel has been salvaged from an ancient space hulk, restored and consecrated to appease the Omnissiah. It
contains many ancient archeotech sub-systems that make operation and repair difficult, but it's make is unlike any other vessel in
service. This vessel imposes a -20 penalty to all Tech-Use skill tests to operate its components and systems, but gains 5 Hull Points.
Additionally, due its status as a living reliquary, morale is permanently increased by +10.
7 Retro-Designed: This vessel has been recently constructed as a descendent of a sacred STC design. While it maintains many of the
similar structures and systems, it's relatively new construction sets it apart - often lacking the superior armaments and armor of its
ancestor. The ship loses -10 Hull Points, but gains +10 Ship Points.
8 Temperamental Warp Engine: The ship suffers a flutter in its Warp Engines, an inconsistency that no amount of maintenance or
supplication can eliminate. Whenever the ship travels through the immaterium, the GM should roll 1d10. On a 6 or lower, the journey
takes an additional 1d5 weeks, on a 7 or higher, the travel time is reduced 1d5 weeks instead (potentially causing the ship to arrive
before it left!). However, once in a great while, the ship will leave the warp to unexpectedly find itself someplace other than its intended
destination. (This is at the GM’s discretion, but should not happen on a regular basis.)
9 Xenophilious: Through dealings with some xenos race, this vessel has been outfitted with examples of their blasphemous technology.
When constructing this vessel, players must select 1 Xenotech Component of their choice. However, any Tech-Use Tests to repair the
ship suffer a –30, due to the strange and blasphemous nature of the machinery. Should the character attempting the repairs have
Forbidden Lore (Xenos), the penalty is only –10. Also, the forces of the Ordo Xenos have an interest in the vessel and who controls it.
10 Experimental Ship: Recovered ancient technology or alien artifacts are sometimes retrofitted to a ship to change its performance in one
way or another. Sometimes the results are significant, but very rarely can such devices be accommodated without significant cost or
sacrifice to the vessel. This vessel has been recently fitted with an experimental system that has not yet been tested operationally. Roll a
D10 on the following two tables to see how the ship has been altered (Re-roll any result that cannot be applied).

D10 Improvement D10 Side Effect

1-2 All weapons (except ordnance) increase maximum 1-2 Weapons battery firepower and lance strength reduced
range by +2 vu. by 50% (rounding up).
3-4 The ship gains +1 Void Shield. 3-4 The ship loses 5 Hull Points.
5 All turrets re-roll misses when defending against 5 The ship loses 2 turrets (this is after adding the +1 turret
torpedoes and fighter craft all Mechanicus vessels are equipped with).
6-7 The ship can turn an additional +45 degrees. 6-7 The ship must move an additional 2 vu before it can
turn.
8-9 All friendly vessels within 5 vu gain an additional +10 8-9 The ship loses 2 vu speed.
bonus to Command Tests.
10 Dorsal or prow lances ignore shields on a damage roll 10 Dorsal or prow lances suffer a -20 penalty to hit rolls.
of 10.

The Mandragora Apocrypha 65

 Exploring the Stellar Regions
"In ancient times, men built wonders, laid claim to the stars and
sought to better themselves for the good of all. But we are much
wiser now."
- "Speculations On Pre-Imperial History"
apping out the undiscovered stellar regions might
require the development of dozens of worlds. This section
includes guidelines for the quick generation of worlds useful
to an exploration style of play. Some GMs may prefer to
hand-craft every planet in a system or stellar region, but the
process given here helps to streamline the process and
spare a GM’s creative energies. Every world created by this
process is intended to be useful to a GM running a sandbox
game. By “useful”, it is meant that every planet should have
numerous easily-identified adventure hooks and present
visiting explorers with fairly obvious avenues for the exercise
of their adventurous impulses. In a sandbox game, a GM
can never be entirely sure of an explorer’s next move, and
every world needs to be capable of providing a few nights of
excitement and danger.
How To Use This Section
This section will show you how to produce a world with no
more than six or seven die rolls and a little judicious
blending. The Planet Record sheet included has blanks for
the necessary information, and room for you to make notes
on adventure elements and the specifics of the world’s
languages, cultures, and a short record of the explorer’s
activities on the planet. Some GMs find it more realistic to
leave their stellar regions with a healthy crop of “boring”
worlds. If a GM prefers to have a stellar region largely
composed of uninhabitable balls of molten rock or
radioactive gas giants, there’s nothing prohibiting that tact
here. Such an approach can be fitting for games being run in
a setting, one which has less room for numerous habitable
worlds.
The primary purpose of the Explorator fleets is to pursue
the Quest of Knowledge; seeking out remnants of precious
archeotech and the nigh-legendary STC scraps that remain
undiscovered across the galaxy. As a result, this section is
intended primarily with the identification of useful planetary
traits. More information on colonization and resource
gathering are covered in Volume XX.
66 The Mandragora Apocrypha
World
Discovery Summary
The following is a simple guideline to identifying and
revealing a planet's traits during the discovery
process.
Determine Atmosphere
Roll 2d10 and consult the table. If you intend to
have this world to be populated by more than a few
tens of thousands of colonists, you may simply wish to
assume it has a breathable atmosphere of some kind.
Determine Gravity
Roll 1d10 and consult the table. These will
determine the specific gravity rules for the planet.
Determine Temperature
Roll 2d10 and consult the table. Again, if you
specifically intend for this world to have a populous
human presence, you should restrict results away from
the Frozen or Burning options.
Determine Biosphere
Roll 2d10 and consult the table. The biosphere roll
helps indicate what kind of life exists on the planet.
Determine Population
Roll 2d10 and consult the table. If the world you’ve
generated thus far is a molten hell-ball with a corrosive
atmosphere, it’s unlikely to have a population of
millions. You’ll want to adjust the results obtained here
in light of the world’s general habitability; but don’t be
afraid to accept an unusual result if you’ve got an idea
about how to explain it.
Species
Roll 1d10 and consult the table to determine the
species of the population, if any. The species will
radically change the perceptions of the world as each
species builds and dominates their planets in vastly
different ways.
Determine Tech Level
Roll 2d10 and consult the table. Worlds with less
than tech level 6 are incapable of interstellar flight, so
such planets will be largely dependent on the mercy of
their discoverers- assuming they have any interstellar
contact at all.
Name the Planet
At this point, simply naming the planet and adding
imaginative details is all that is left to do.
Discovering New Worlds
The most essential task in discovering a new world relies
on the augar arrays of the Explorator's vessels. By using the
Active Augury extended action, the explorators are able to
determine preliminary details about a newly discovered
world. When an Explorator wishes to analyze the
composition of a celestial body, the characters may make an
Active Augury. For each Degree of Success on the test, the
Explorators will be able to learn the Atmosphere, Gravity,
Temperature, Biosphere, Population and Tech level of the
world. The GM may prepare these rolls in advance, or
alternatively allow the PC's to roll on the appropriate tables
during the discovery process.
Atmosphere
The first step in examining a potential new world is
determining the planet’s atmosphere. The presence of an
atmosphere is an essential precondition to many planetary
phenomena, from weather to life. While most Planets have
at least some form of atmosphere, those which include
breathable gases in sufficient concentration to support
prolonged activity are not common. Such worlds are rare,
but are of tremendous value to efforts to expand the
Imperium’s reach.
To determine what the Atmosphere of a Planet (or at the
GM’s discretion, other appropriately sized body, such as a
large Asteroid or abandoned vessels) is like, roll once on
Table 4–1: Atmosphere
Table 4-1: Atmosphere
2d10 Atmosphere
2-9 Airless or thin atmosphere
10 Corrosive
11 Inert Gas
12-17 Breathable mix
18 Thick atmosphere, breathable with a pressure mask
19 Invasive, toxic atmosphere
20 Corrosive and invasive atmosphere
Corrosive Atmospheres
These atmospheres are dangerously hostile to
conventional void suits and other protective gear. They
steadily strip away at a suit’s vent ports, wiring connections,
and other weak spots until they eventually break through and
flood the suit with a toxic cocktail that usually kills a victim in
seconds. Weak atmospheres might require as much as a
day to degrade a void suit, while strong ones might
accomplish the job in an hour.
Vehicles and shuttles are kept in pressurized garages
when not in use, and orbital landers never land for long.
Corrosive worlds have a number of intrinsic adventure
complications, the largest being the way that every activity
outside of a hab building comes with a built-in time limit.
Whatever the Explorators chooses to do outside of a
building, it has to accomplish before their suit seals fail or the
atmosphere corrodes a hole in their vehicle hull. A clever
GM can use this problem to add extra tension to an
otherwise simple task.
This atmosphere is both poisonous to breathe and deadly
The Mandragora Apocrypha
on any sort of contact. Anyone not protected by a full
environmental seal must make a Difficult (–10) Toughness
Test each Round, or suffer 1d5 Damage that ignores Armor
and Toughness Bonus. Continued exposure results in
Suffocation.
Inert Gas Atmospheres
Inert gas atmospheres aren’t hostile or poisonous, but
they’re unbreathable by humans. If the planet’s climate is
otherwise tolerable, colonization may be possible without
anything more than supplied air tanks and respirators. Some
degree of technical sophistication will be necessary for
colonists to survive, and large supplies of oxygen are going
to have to be extracted from some local source.
Airless Or Thin Atmospheres
These atmospheres are appropriate to asteroids, rocky
planetoids, or barren worlds that have had their atmospheres
burnt off by weapons or cosmic caprice. Whatever
atmosphere exists is too thin to support human life, if it exists
at all, and the world is largely naked to the chill of space and
the blaze of stellar heat. Exposure to the planet’s surface
without a void suit or pressurized building is as lethal as
exposure to hard vacuum. Activity on the Planet is treated as
being in vacuum.
Airless worlds are hostile to human life, but they excel at
preserving the relics of the past. Provided that the ruins or
remains are kept out of the baking heat of the local stellar
body and the impact of random meteorites, they can survive
for millions of years. Some exceptionally ancient alien ruins
might even date back from before the world lost its
atmosphere.
Breathable Mix Atmospheres
These celestial bodies can support human life without
additional equipment or engineered cybernetic modification.
While the air is breathable, almost every world has its own
subtle cocktail of inert gases, atmospheric contaminants,
and other odiferous ingredients. For Voidborn accustomed to
the filtered air supply of a voidship, the “new world stink” of a
fresh planetfall can be maddening, as few linger long enough
to get used to the smell of the local air. Attempting to explain
the source of this discomfort to any locals rarely results in
positive results. Atmospheres in this range produce no ill
effects due to lack or overabundance of air.
Thick Atmospheres
Thick atmospheres can usually be breathed with the aid of
a respirator or rebreather mask, though the mix of
contaminants renders it slowly or quickly toxic to humans
who attempt to breathe it straight. Separate air supplies are
not necessary to supplement the blend, but any society that
means to survive on such a world must have sufficient
technological expertise to manufacture and maintain large
numbers of filter masks.
Thick atmospheres are often at least semi-opaque, and
some worlds have thick atmospheres that are completely
impenetrable to ordinary light. Deep banks of permanent fog
might shroud the planet, or natives might have to go about
67
 with sophisticated ultraviolet or infrared viewing equipment if
they don’t wish to be blind. Some banks of gases might be
impenetrable to even these viewing tools, leaving a party
vulnerable to moments of complete blindness while out on
the surface of the world.
A thick blanket of air presses down on the Planet, coming
just short of smothering those beneath it. This oppressive
weight imposes a –5 penalty on Strength or Toughness
Tests, at the GM’s discretion. If the atmosphere is
breathable, the thickness of the air makes it difficult to take
in. A full hour of relying on such an atmosphere for air inflicts
a single level of Fatigue. This effect is not cumulative, no
matter how long a character relies on the air. However,
recovery from this level of Fatigue cannot occur while relying
on such an atmosphere.
Invasive Toxic Atmospheres
These atmospheres are composed of a substantial
proportion of molecules small enough to infiltrate past the
seals of most void suits. This infiltration doesn’t harm the
suit, but the molecules have to be steadily flushed by the
system’s purification sensors before they build up to a
debilitating level. This causes a much faster bleed of air as
breathable oxygen is jettisoned along with the infiltrating
molecules. Most invasive atmospheres cut oxygen supply
durations by half, at best.
Invasive atmospheres make oxygen an even more
important resource than it is on inert gas worlds. Outdoor
work is avoided whenever possible, as any failure of a suit’s
toxin sensors or flush system can lead to death before the
wearer even realizes something is wrong. Steady exposure
to low levels of the toxins can also result in unfortunate
effects even with a fully-functional suit. Hallucinations,
chronic sickness, or worse can follow.
Corrosive And Invasive Atmospheres
These atmospheres exist at the very order of what human
society can tolerate. Combining all the worst traits of an
eroding, corrosive atmosphere and the invasive intrusion of
toxic molecules, a planet cursed with an atmosphere like this
is far more hostile than any merely airless rock. Advanced
archeotech filtering and oxygen generation equipment might
be able to maintain tolerable pressurized habitats and
hydroponic systems uncontaminated by exterior
atmosphere.
Gravity
The strength of a planet’s gravitational field (commonly
called its gravity well) is heavily influenced by its mass. A
planet with a strong gravity well often captures material
passing through the system, and more easily retains any
remnants from its formation. Planets with weak gravity wells
rarely manage to hold anything in their orbit, and might even
have difficulty maintaining an atmosphere. gravity also
affects the ease of movement across a planet’s surface, and
can even influence the nature of any life it develops. To
determine the Gravity of a planet, roll on Table 4–2: Gravity.
68 The Mandragora Apocrypha
Table 4-2: Gravity
1d10 Gravity
1-3 Low Gravity: This world follows all the rules for Low
Gravity Worlds.
4-6 Normal Gravity: This Planet’s gravity is roughly Terran
Standard.
7+ High Gravity: This world follows all the rules for High
Gravity Worlds.
Temperature
A planet’s average temperature depends in large part
upon its atmosphere. Worlds with an airless or thin
atmosphere are directly exposed to the wild temperature
variations produced by stellar radiation and the cold void of
space, and might flip regularly between unendurable heat
and near-absolute zero depending on planetary rotation and
orbit. To determine the Temperature of the planet, roll on
Table 4-3: Temperature.
Table 4-3: Temperature
2d10 Temperature
2-6 Frozen
7-8 Variable cold-to-temperate
9 Temperate
10-12 Warm
13-15 Variable temperate-to-warm
16+ Burning
Frozen worlds
Frozen worlds are those with so weak a stellar primary or
so great a distance that the average temperature is close to
absolute zero. Any atmosphere that once existed has long
since frozen into drifts of solidified oxygen or lakes of liquid
helium. Exposure to these drifts is very dangerous. Void
suits maintain a tolerable temperature easily because the
stellar void is very empty, and there is little conduction of
heat between the suit and empty space. Dunking a suit into
a lake of thermally-conductive super chilled liquid can force
the heating elements into sudden and drastic overload,
draining a power cell in minutes even seconds. he entire
Because the planet is affected by extreme cold. Tests
made to resist the cold are Very Hard (–30).
Cold Worlds
Cold worlds are uncomfortable, but a human can survive
on them in nothing more than heavy clothing. The worst of
the cold worlds are barren wastes of ice and wind. The more
clement ones have brief warmer seasons or equatorial
bands that get enough solar radiation to support substantial
agriculture. Outside of these sheltered regions, the entire
planet is affected by extreme cold. Tests made to resist the
cold generally range from Challenging (+0) to Hard (–20).
In some cases, the sheltered regions are also afflicted by
extreme cold, but of a less severe degree than the rest of the
planet.
Temperate Worlds
Many temperate worlds have temperature ranges not
unlike that of ancient Terra, though most are canted a little
further toward cold or heat depending on their angle and
proximity to the local star. Temperate worlds are the most
likely to teem with native life as well, and to have alien ruins
or remains located somewhere on their surface. They might
contain regions of either extreme heat or extreme cold, and
in many cases, have some of both. The Tests made to resist
temperature extremes on these planets rarely exceed
Difficult (–10).
Warm Worlds
Warm worlds come in two main flavors, depending on the
prevalence of water. “Desert worlds” are hot enough or arid
enough to be deprived of most surface water. Any life on
such a planet has to be capable of extracting water from
living prey, air currents or moisture supplies deep
underground. Humans can survive on warm worlds without
more than appropriate clothing, but desert-world humans
must learn sophisticated techniques of water prospecting
and welldrilling in order to maintain their agricultural
systems. Warfare often revolves around these water
systems.
The other common variety of warm world is one blessed
with an abundance of surface water. These worlds tend to
be covered with plant and animal life, teeming with thick
jungles and vast mats of sargasso on seas that boil with
piscids and other alien life analogs. These worlds can be
quite prosperous for humans if the native life is edible, but
inhabitants are often forced to deal with large predators and
a vividly ingenious native ecology of disease.
Outside of sheltered regions, the entire planet is affected
by extreme heat. Tests made to resist the heat generally
range from Challenging (+0) to Hard (–20). In some cases,
the sheltered regions are also afflicted by extreme heat, but
of a less severe degree than the rest of the Planet.
Variable Temperature
These worlds tend to show a greater distribution of
climates than other worlds, either ranging from cold to
temperate levels or temperate to hot levels. This may be a
climate that changes world-wide when a long, slow orbit
brings the planet into proximity with a stellar primary, or it
might be a world that has substantially different climactic
zones spread across its surface. The north pole of one world
might be a sun-blasted desert that moderates to a cool, wet
equator, or an icy world might be warmed here and there by
complex channels of geothermally-heated subsurface rivers.
Variable temperature worlds tend to have savage
weather. The mixing of hot and cold air can send ferocious
cyclones and raging hurricanes across the surface of the
world, some large enough to consume most of a
hemisphere.
Burning Worlds
These worlds are too hot for a human to survive without
equipment similar to a void suit in effectiveness. Rivulets of
molten lead or copper might bleed from open veins on the
hillsides, and many of the same perils that face an explorer
on a frozen world have hotter equivalents on a burning one.
Ash drifts, pools of molten metal, and superheated liquid
vents can bring quick death to an unwary explorer.
The entire Planet is affected by extreme heat. Tests made
to resist the heat are Very Hard (–30).
The Mandragora Apocrypha
Biosphere
Some worlds are highly unlikely to have a biosphere. An
airless rock, a frozen wasteland, or a world of boiling tin all
are unlikely to host any sort of life more sophisticated than
microbes, though the universe has demonstrated the
existence of a few exotic creatures even on seemingly
unendurable planets. To determine a planet's biosphere, roll
on Table 4-4: Biosphere.
Table 4-4: Biosphere
2d10 Biosphere
2 Biosphere Remnants
3-6 Microbial Life
7-15 No native biosphere
16 Human-miscible biosphere
17-18 Hybrid biosphere
19+ Engineered biosphere
Biosphere Remnants
Biosphere remnants are the wreckage of a ruined
ecology. Petrified trees, drifts of preserved bones, forests of
dead plant life; something killed all the life on this planet in
the relatively recent past. It may have been the exercise of a
exterminatus class weapon, or a mutant microbe introduced
by human or xenos colonists, or some volcanic eruption or
asteroid impact that plunged the world into decades of
frozen night.
Any local civilization not sophisticated enough to escape
the planet likely died when it did. Their ruins and remains
might be found throughout the desolate wastes, along with
more clues as to the cause of the devastation.
Microbial Life
Microbial life is often the only thing that exists on the more
inhospitable planets, yet the wide variety of environments
that can accommodate life means that these little beasts
show up in some of the most unlikely places. Some varieties
of slime mold have even managed to evolve on corrosive-
atmosphere planets, forming a mucous-like outer shell
against the atmosphere and then feeding and growing off the
chemical byproducts of its erosion. Microbial life can also be
dangerous.
While most alien microbes are unable to infect or harm the
radically different biology of humans, some show enough
ingenuity to accomplish even that difficult feat.
Rumors of terrible “space plagues” that leave behind only
drifting ships and garbled warnings remain a steady staple at
ports throughout the Imperium.
No Native Biosphere
No native biosphere is occasionally found on even the
most temperate and otherwise habitable worlds. For one
reason or another, life simply never evolved on these worlds,
leaving them a blank slate for the agricultural and ecological
efforts of humans. If the world is otherwise amenable to
Terran life, such planets can be enormously fertile and
agriculturally rich.
They can also be disasters waiting to happen. Some
empty worlds are now in a state of constant biological flux as
the local ecology strives vainly to find some sort of
69
 equilibrium between the myriad imported species. More
subtly, these worlds can be suddenly and drastically
destabilized by the import of some off world plant or animal.
With no strong native ecology to fight off interlopers, the
wrong beast or bug can lay waste to whole continents.
Civilizations on these planets tend to be extremely paranoid
about importation of foreign life forms.
Human-Miscible Biospheres
These biospheres are those in which some substantial
portion of the native life is biologically compatible with
human nutritional needs. The local plants and animals may
not be tasty or terribly nourishing, but they can support life
without the serious importation of crop seeds and livestock.
Even the friendlier human-miscible biospheres often lack the
wide variety of edibles that evolved on ancient Terra, and the
natives often supplement their stocks of local foods with
limited agriculture. Exotic foods, spices, and liquors can be
worth interstellar importation to feed the hunger for novelty
on these worlds. Unfortunately, the fact that humans can eat
some native life means that it is very likely that some native
life can eat humans in turn.
Large predators and diseases capable of human infection
are by no means uncommon on these worlds, and small
colonies can be hard pressed to survive them.
Immiscible Biospheres
These worlds are not friendly to humans. None of the local
plants or animals are edible, and anything a potential colony
needs to eat will have to be grown from imported stock.
Worse, it is common for the pollen and other microbial life of
these worlds to be highly allergenic to humans, requiring the
regular use of tailored anti-allergenics to prevent eventual
respiratory failure.
Immiscible biospheres produce some of the most exotic
plants and animals in human space. Unfettered by the limits
of familiar evolutionary patterns, creatures of bizarre beauty
and strange configurations are found on many of these
worlds. Many lack the intelligence to realize that humans are
as poisonous to them as they are to humans.
Hybrid Biospheres
These worlds are a stable intermixing of imported flora
and fauna with local life forms. Most such worlds have been
colonized for millennia before the Imperium discovers them,
giving the local ecology time to shake out into a relatively
stable configuration of imported organisms and native life.
The native biology may or may not be miscible with human
life, but it unlikely to be particularly hostile in any case, or
else the interloping life forms would not have been able to
get a foothold on the planet.
Hybrid biospheres often show strange examples of
symbiosis and adaptation, with plants and animals forming
new alliances. Large predators from one world may find
themselves subsisting on herds of herbivorous alien life,
while human vegetation provides sustenance for large
populations of small, furred, insect-like grazers. Familiar
animals may show seemingly bizarre behavior patterns that
have formed in response to local conditions, perhaps
becoming larger or more aggressive.
70 The Mandragora Apocrypha
Engineered Biospheres
These are among the rarest, as they require enormous
time and effort on the part of a highly advanced civilization.
Whatever life exists on this planet has been extensively
altered by an alien race or by advanced pre-imperial
technological methods. Some such worlds are paradise
planets, carefully sculpted by some fabulously healthy
predecessor to suit their own tastes. Others are living forges,
where foodstuff s and refined minerals are produced as
byproducts from the basic organic processes of the world’s
biosphere. Such worlds tend to be fragile. Many engineered
worlds are dependent upon regular stabilizing work to
prevent genetic drift and adaptations that do not serve the
creator’s purpose. Without regular pruning and adjustment,
engineered biospheres can go badly awry.
Some end up leaving nothing but genetic wreckage in
their wake, while others go wrong in more subtle ways.
Where once the biosphere existed to serve the inhabitants, a
creaking engineered biosphere can leave the planet’s
population chained to constant repair and maintenance
efforts just to prevent a planetary collapse.
Population
Planetary populations hinge on a world’s habitability.
Worlds incapable of growing food on the planet’s surface are
unlikely to have more than a few hundred thousand
inhabitants at best, and truly inimical worlds might be lucky
to any. A world untouched by a sentient species' presence
can be interesting in many ways, but without elaboration
there’s little to distinguish it from the next airless ball of rock.
Only a small fraction of life-bearing worlds ever produce an
intelligent xenos race at any point in their history.
Furthermore, the hostile nature of the galaxy often snuffs out
these emergent civilizations before they have a chance to
develop significantly. Internal strife, natural disaster, and the
attentions of more developed species ruin dozens of
primitive cultures for each race that progresses into a
nascent empire. At this point, some greater power usually
notes the upstarts as a potential threat and annihilates them
utterly.
Some species do survive and overcome these conditions,
despite the vigilance of the Imperium, the foresight of the
Eldar, and the naked aggression of the Orks. Between these
tentative expansions, the rise of less-developed species, and
the outposts and relics of the greater powers within galaxy,
finding an indigenous population upon a newly discovered
world can be a surprisingly common phenomenon. In some
cases, it can present an inconvenient or even dangerous
obstacle to the exploitation of a planet when the inhabitants
object to a Explorator fleet establishing operations on the
world they call home. Despite the potential hurdles, a well-
handled population can prove a great asset to such efforts,
especially when the native civilization is a long-lost human
colony, or a xenos race with something unique to offer.
To determine if the planet has a population, if at all, roll on
Table 4-5: Population.
Table 4-5:Population
2d10 Population
1-12 None
13 Failed colony
14 Outpost
15 Tens of thousands of inhabitants
16 Hundreds of thousands of inhabitants
17 Millions of inhabitants
18+ Billions of inhabitants
None
Even if the world is a proverbial paradise, for one reason
or another there are no habitats or local indigenous species
present. If this result is
Failed colonies
These failed colonies are occasionally found dotting the
many worlds. Some date back to the Dark Age of
Technology colonization, while others are more recent
efforts that guttered out under the strains of a colony’s birth.
Pirate attacks might have wiped out a young colony, as
might a hostile biosphere, alien attack, internal dissension,
disease outbreaks, failure of vital colonial equipment, or any
one of a hundred other disasters.
The ruins of the colony might still have valuable
archeotech artifacts, however. A few survivors might even
have clung to life in the intervening millennia, maintaining
some sort of society in the wreckage of their ancestors’
work.
Outposts
Outposts are rarely composed of more than a few
hundred or few thousand colonists at the most. Outposts are
either very new colonies that have not have the requisite
time to grow or they are uncolonized worlds that just happen
to have a presence on the surface.
While large outposts are often forced to raise their own
food supplies, replacement personnel, spare parts, and
advanced tech must all be brought in from elsewhere. Such
temporary outposts are known to find themselves in sudden
distress when a vital supply ship fails to make its drop or
when some local threat proves more than the staff can
handle.
Colonial outposts tend to be better equipped but with less
outside backing. Such natives expect to live and die on the
world, and are more inclined to build permanent structures
and local improvements. Many are exiles, malcontents, or
others incapable of tolerating the world that sent them forth,
and it can make for a somewhat explosive mix in a young
colony. These pioneers tend to be very friendly towards
visiting starships, as they are often dependent upon free
traders and tramp merchants to bring them vital supplies or
news beyond their system. Some “outposts” are really just
the stubborn, persistent survivors of a long-failed
colonization attempt. These cultures can survive for
centuries, perpetually culled by the dangers of the world until
the survivors are little more than one more element of the
local ecology.
The Mandragora Apocrypha
Tens of thousands of inhabitants
These are often found on newly colonized worlds, or those
with limited arable land. With such a small population, most
settlements tend to be clustered close to one another for
mutual support and efficient exploitation of land. The
atmosphere can be something like that of a village-dotted
countryside, with too few people to support large, specialized
cities. The major settlement of the planet is usually built
around a spaceport or major city. Politics on planets with so
few people tend to be very personal in nature. Individual
leaders can address the entire population of a world at a
single meeting, and networks of family, friends, and
employees can dominate the local social life. This small
population combined with limited outside contact can result
in somewhat... unusual societies more strongly influenced by
a leader’s personal quirks than a more populous planet
might be. Some such worlds can grow decidedly unhealthy
in their customs and traditions.
Hundreds of thousands of inhabitants
These make up the population of most frontier worlds,
usually ones with adequate supplies of arable land and
surface conditions amenable to a human without a void suit
or respirator. At this level of population, city-states and hub
settlements start to form, and some political divisions might
exist beneath the overall planetary government. Regional
variations start to become present as towns and smaller
settlements start to assert their own cultural traits. Young
colonies rarely have much of a framework for resolving these
new tensions, and it’s not uncommon for outsiders to end up
as catspaws for varying factions.
Millions of inhabitants
These are found on some of the more populous worlds,
those planets with an excellent climate and soil for
agriculture. The sheer amount of labor and expertise they
can put into their projects dwarfs the capabilities of most
other worlds. Some worlds of this type fail to coalesce under
a unified planetary government, however, and turn most of
their attention to intraplanetary quarrels between different
nations or city-states. Full-scale planetary wars have been
known to break out on such worlds, with some being
reduced to burnt-out cinders by some archeotech or xenos
doomsday weapons.
Billions of inhabitants
This amount of population in a world is a freak occurrence
in most systems, a circumstance dependent on almost
perfect planetary conditions and an ancient colonization.
These worlds have been colonized for untold millennium,
and have likely gone through substantial cultural
development and change since their original founding.
Planets with this many inhabitants tend to come in two main
varieties. The more common is that of regional hegemon,
leveraging its enormous reserves of labor and scientific
personnel to build hundreds or thousands of stellar ships.
Some hegemons might even have the transport weight and
personnel available to colonize or conquer their less
powerful galactic neighbors outright, though most hegemons
71
 prefer the safer route of docile client states rather than
outright conquests. Not all such worlds have the necessary
resources to build void ships, even when the labor is cheap
and abundant. These worlds tend to take a different route,
becoming balkanized, conflict-torn planets not unlike ancient
Terra. Resource wars are common and local politics revolve
around Byzantine feuds and ancient slights. Technology on
such planets tends to be very uneven; it is limited or
nonexistent in fields that depend on unavailable resources,
but the natives often show remarkable sophistication in
making the most of what they have available.
Species
An Explorator's potential courses of action in dealing with
an inhabited world are informed, above all else, by the
nature of the populace. Dealing with worlds held by Orks,
Eldar, or other xenos each require radically different
approaches, even if they are somehow the same in all other
respects. In most cases, the native presence spurs further
divergence in the nature of the planet, due to differences in
consumption, production, and other factors of the native
society. To determine the species of the population, roll on
Table 4-6: Species, unless a result of 'None' is rolled on
Table 4-5: Population in the previous step.
Table 4-6: Species
1d10 Population
1 Eldar
2-4 Humans
5-8 Orks
9-10 Xenos (Other)
Eldar
While the ancient, star-spanning empire of the Eldar is
said to have held countless worlds at its height, that era has
long since passed. Since the fall of that ancient race, they
have maintained few of their former holdings. The majority of
the Eldar population exists on the tremendous vessels
known as craftworlds, and set foot on a planetary body only
rarely. Some xenographers devoted to the study of the Eldar
believe that a large population could also be found dwelling
in their legendary webway, perhaps even as a remnant of
the original, vast empire. The Imperium consider such
speculation as irrelevant as it is unlikely as these supposed
webway-dwellers show even less inclination towards the
upkeep of planetary outposts than the craftworlders.
In most cases, an Eldar-held planet is the home of an
Exodite population, or a hub of operations for a corsair fleet.
In rare instances, the Eldar presence is limited to unmanned
sentry stations, to detect the approach of potential intruders.
Experienced explorers treat all such claims as equal in their
potential danger, as Eldar holdings are inevitably laced with
hidden webway gates, from which reinforcements tend to
pour out whenever it is least expected. Attempts to infringe
on territory known to belong to the Eldar are usually limited
to Imperial forces with access to incredible firepower, a
cunning smash-and-grab plan, or a dangerously large ego.
The terraforming processes used by the ancient Eldar are
legendary, with even incomplete efforts being responsible for
72 The Mandragora Apocrypha
many of the most wondrous paradise worlds known to the
Imperium. These “Maiden Worlds” are highly prized by their
makers, and seizing one is likely to place the explorers
under hostile scrutiny.
When the Explorers launch an Endeavour involving a
Maiden World, roll 1d10; on a roll of 7 or higher, it
immediately triggers a Misfortune, as the Eldar take
retributive action. Given the prophetic abilities of the Eldar
Farseers, the Misfortune might occur well before the
explorers even reach the Maiden World itself.
With Other Species: The Eldar do not suffer intrusion
lightly. The mere presence of a non-Eldar vessel exploring
the areas they have claimed as their own triggers swift and
brutal retribution. In other cases, the response is be more
limited, or does not come at all. The Eldar are a dying race,
and their more temperate commanders measure every
encroachment’s threat against the potential loss of life that
could be incurred resisting it. When circumstances are
against them, the Eldar have been known to entirely
abandon claims to their worlds for a time, trusting that the
advantages granted to them by the webway and their
Farseers can allow them to reclaim what is theirs, at a more
opportune time.
Humans
The remnants of colonization efforts by the earliest human
voidfarers can be found throughout the whole of the galaxy.
Such lost civilizations are typically isolated and regressive,
with no awareness of their ancient heritage, or of the
glorious Imperium of Man to which they owe an inherent
fealty. Other worlds, in contrast, have held onto more of their
old glories, and have powerful technology and active
voidships with which they fiercely defend their own. In either
case, it is the sacred duty of the Imperium to bring these
worlds into the Imperium’s fold, and to purge any deviant
elements of their populations that have grown powerful in a
society unaware of the threats of the mutant and the psyker.
This duty can sometimes condemn a world to death, if the
Imperium find their beliefs irredeemably corrupt.
With Other Species: Without the blessed teachings of the
Ecclesiarchy to guide them, the worlds held by Mankind
often fall into the thrall of alien powers. While there is no
level of folly at which it might seem practical (or even
possible) to seek peace with such threats as an invading Ork
Waaagh!, many have made errors no less deadly to the
ultimate well-being of their populace. Entire worlds have
been found in the thrall of openly-paraded Genestealer
infestations, or paying tribute to Eldar raiders.
Such behavior is neither common nor typical, and is
representative of a larger issue endemic to these lost worlds.
A civilization raised beyond the God-Emperor’s light
frequently has difficulty understanding many of the strictures
so patently obvious to Imperial citizens. Worlds that have
had contact with seemingly benign xenos races often
underestimate the threat posed by their neighbors. Even the
blessed ignorance that comes with isolation can be harmful,
as the natives assume that xenos beings cannot be any
more foreign than the strangers from the stars, who come to
tell them of this “Imperium of Man.”
Orks
Explorators investigating worlds all over the galaxy have
had to deal with the encroachment of marauding Orks, to
say nothing of those worlds already in their brutal hands.
The mere presence of Orks in a nearby system would be
enough of a threat to make many Imperial factions
reconsider developing a newly found planet, if it were not for
the rarity of worlds outside the range of the Greenskin threat.
In most cases, it is safe to assume that any nearby Orks
probably do not have access to the ships necessary to
threaten an Imperial fleet and an explorator can take the
absence of unruly Greenskin mobs crawling across every
world in the system as evidence of this fact.
In cases where an expedition is unfortunate enough to
come into an Ork-held system without prior warning, most
are inclined to promptly order their Navigators to reverse the
course that took them there. On occasion, martially-minded
or extremely bold explorators have used their sudden arrival
to strike at the Ork presence. Such battles rarely carry more
reward than the satisfaction of vanquishing a thoroughly
unpleasant threat. Still, explorers who are both bold and
fortunate might find that seizing the initiative in this manner
allows them to claim a valuable world before the
depredations of the infesting xenos stripped it bare.
Habitable Planets held by Orks rarely remain so in more
than the most technical sense. Territories held by Orks have
a chance of being reduced to a wasteland, instead of their
normal type of base terrain. Former Mountain Ranges
continue to assist with Navigation (Surface) Tests. Such
worlds likely show evidence of their former nature, such as
the dried-out or befouled beds of marshes, or swathes of
close-cut tree stumps.
With Other Species: Orks invariably come into conflict with
any other species they meet, although since this also true of
any other Orks they meet, this does not generally result in a
significant change on their end of the equation. Peace with
Orks is quite literally impossible, as the species has no
ability to grasp the concept. The best that most who
encounter them can hope for is that the Orks are unable to
notice or attack them, due to a lack of ships or surface-to-
orbit ordnance. Such lucky cases often allow for the Orks’
numbers to be thinned quickly, but the tenacity and
resourcefulness of the Greenskins often means a final clean-
up must be done up close, where they cannot simply wait
out the attack in a bolthole. In situations where it is
impossible to surprise the Orks with a sudden orbital
bombardment, it might still be possible to redirect their
aggression.
Xenos (Other)
There are many worlds within the galaxy populated by a
variety of unique xenos, and many more are sure to be
lurking on undiscovered worlds. The nature and scope of
each race’s holdings varies tremendously. A given
civilization is likely to belong to a single technological level,
with a handful of worlds varying slightly from the norm in the
case of fledgling empires.
With Other Species: The behaviors and common reactions
of newly discovered xenos races are little easier to classify
and categories than any other aspect of their tremendous
The Mandragora Apocrypha
diversity. Aggression, fear, or some combination of the two
are all common responses to the arrival of an Imperial vessel
in orbit above a primitive culture, but they are far from
universal. Furthermore, as the power and knowledge of a
xenos civilization grows, it can become harder and harder to
predict. Even the most advanced and powerful cultures have
been known to react with fearful awe when they learn of the
scope and grandeur of the Imperium represented by a an
Imperial fleet, while a lack of understanding can lead to
fearlessness in facing down an army many times more
powerful than the natives’ defense forces.
Tech Level
The tech level of a world represents not only the level of
technological progress and scientific knowledge available on
it, but also the world’s ability to translate that knowledge into
effective production. A world might still guard texts
describing elaborate principles of petrochemical
manipulation, but without oil or fossil fuels on the planet they
have no way to use the information. It is this kind of resource
limitation that most often keeps a world caught at a low level
of tech. Without bottleneck resources such as
petrochemicals or Radioactives, they can’t develop the
technology that would allow them to do without them. Tech
level 4 is the baseline level of development for planets
capable of building fusion plants, spike-drive equipped
starships, limited longevity enhancements, and basic energy
weapons. A planet without this level of development is
effectively cut off from interstellar news and trade without the
good offices of free traders or Scavenger Fleet contact.
Tech levels are rough approximations, and every planet is
going to have slight variance within that range. A decayed
colony is unlikely to have forgotten the basics of human
anatomy and practical wound care, but they may not have
the local resources to fashion medical tools more
sophisticated than obsidian scalpels and herbal poultices. By
the same token, a primitive world might have local resources
that are exceptionally useful in one or two narrow ranges of
technology.
Table 4-7: Tech Level
2d10 Technological Tier
2-5 Tech Level 1: Stone Age
6-12 Tech Level 2: Pre-Industrial
13-15 Tech Level 3: Industrial Age
16 Tech Level 4: Atomic Age
17 Tech Level 5: Space Age
18 Tech Level 6: Space-Faring
19-20 Tech Level 7: Interstellar
- Tech Level 8: World Builders
- Tech Level 9: Transsentient
73
 Tech Level 1: Stone Age
Very few human worlds collapse this far without dying out
completely, and so a world this primitive is very rare for
human civilizations. The world is so profoundly devoid of
useful resources that the natives may simply not have
anything better to work with than rocks and native
vegetation. Natives of a world at this tech level might retain
elaborate cultural artifacts and a very sophisticated society.
Existing resources tend to be exploited to the hilt, with large
populations producing massive stone cities, human-powered
engines for irrigation, and vast displays of foodstuff s and
craft work for the ruling class. Despite this, the lack of metal,
domesticated beasts of burden, and petrochemicals puts a
hard stop on the technological development of most of these
worlds. Responses to interstellar travelers will vary with the
local culture. The lack of quick communications methods
tends to result in large populations breaking up into
numerous smaller regional cultures, and the friendly prince
of one domain might neighbor an implacably hostile sage-
king. Most “lostworlders” have a keen appreciation for the
benefits these strangers from the sky can bring them, and
will bargain accordingly.
Some worlds might retain crisply rational records of their
colonization and downfall. Others might preserve tales of a
starry origin in legends and story. A few might have forgotten
their origins entirely, and view sky-born humans as gods or
messengers of the divine. Such awe rarely lasts very long
once the merchants or pirates who landed make their
purposes clear.
Tech Level 2: Pre-Industrial
Tier 1 is one of the most common and stable states, with
limited weaponry and environmental threats. Societies tend
to be small and scattered, driven by subsistence farming,
foraging, or hunter-gathering needs. Technology is limited to
simple hand made tools, weapons, or agrarian implements
and methods, but a very broad understanding of planetary
and solar mechanics is not uncommon. These worlds have
managed to find and exploit metal deposits and likely have
imported or domesticated beasts of burden. Those worlds
with easy access to fossil fuels or a similarly energy-dense
substance can advance to greater things, but a culture
trapped at tech level 2 is unlikely to have access to such
helpful resources. A few worlds have enough plant matter or
other combustibles to make steam engines feasible, but
those with very much of such a resource usually make the
leap to the next tech level eventually. As a consequence,
tech level 1 worlds tend to be caught at much the same
general level of development as their tech level 0 cousins.
They may have elaborate social structures and cultural
development, but they are unable to mechanize without
some energy-dense resource to serve as fuel. The
scavenged hulks of their ancestors’ fusion plants may stand
as mute temples to the achievements of their forebears, but
without the tech necessary to repair and rebuild such
edifices the world is dependent on purely local fuel sources.
Tech level 2 worlds tend to respond to visitors in much the
same way as tech level 1 planets. The ruling class of these
74 The Mandragora Apocrypha
worlds is liable to be able to muster larger cities, bigger
armies, and all the other perquisites that come from being
able to work the available agricultural land with fewer hands.
Tech Level 3: Industrial Age
Tech Level 3 is the outset for massive urbanization.
Agrarian societies can remain stable in the pre-industrial
stage, but Tech Level 2 population strain and mechanized
food production invariably create political and economic
pressures very few can balance. Moving past this usually
promises advancement. Some societies improve
environmental and medical understanding concurrently with
mechanical and transport advancement. Those that do not
are frequently doomed. .
Tech Level 4: Atomic Age
Tech level 4 species usually begin focusing on clean
energy production. The occasional belligerent species will
use atomic energy for weapons, often resulting in mass
extinctions. In-atmosphere craft are a hallmark, often leading
to manned space flight, albeit on a short-scale.
The upper limits of this level are distinguished from those
of largely by matters of focus. A civilization has transcended
Basic Industry when its manufacturing and production
capabilities are theoretically able to provide for the essential
needs of the whole of its populace. Of course, few
civilizations actually meet the needs of all, instead allowing
power and resources to congregate around a few
individuals. Advanced manufacturing techniques often begin
to emerge at this level of development, including mass
production lines, and the synthesis of materials that cannot
be found in nature. Vox transmissions, advanced solid
projectile arms and basic las weaponry, and moderately
advanced flyers, have each been known to emerge at this
stage. Some or all of the weapons and armor produced by
such a group likely have the Primitive Quality
Tech Level 5: Space Age
Tech Level 5 is often the final resting place for species
intelligent enough to break free from their cradle's surface
only to fill the gulf surrounding it with war. Their comfort-
focused technology can include medical advances. The
defining limitation of a civilization with tech level 5 is a lack of
capacity for serious void travel. Elements of this capacity are
evident, including possession of advanced life-support or
power generation technologies. The upper limits of this level
include civilizations in possession of all the technologies
necessary to manufacture system ships, but that have never
attempted to combine them appropriately.
The technologies and devices known to these civilizations
can include las or bolt weaponry, an abundance of
submersible and flying vehicles, and even plasma reactors
and void shields. Their knowledge of the void is extremely
limited, and might not include knowledge of anything beyond
their own system. Awareness of the Warp is typically limited
as well, although a population plagued with a high incidence
of psykers could have more understanding of such matters,
as a necessary evil.
Tech Level 6: Space Faring
The species in this tier have early Warp navigation,
sufficient void ship drives, and Gellar Field equivalents. They
have had no outside influence. They may be able to manage
sophisticated gene engineering on simple life forms, and
some tech level 6 worlds have even attempted to improve
the genetic structures of their own species itself.
Most worlds with regular interstellar contact and the
necessary raw resources eventually gravitate towards this
level of technological expertise. This tech level is the highest
that can readily be achieved by most planets. Such
civilizations are frequently involved in efforts to expand
beyond their home world, and are rarely found without at
least a handful of system ships devoted to such efforts. If the
local government has found evidence of life beyond their
world, they might have even built defenses or voidships as a
precautionary measure
Tech Level 7: Interstellar
The species has the ability to perform exceedingly
accurate warp navigation, near-instantaneous
communication and man-portable application of energy
manipulation. The Imperium of Man stands at this level.
Tech level 7 is the highest tech level that might merit random
placement. A world with this level of technological expertise
has somehow managed to hold on to the majority of their
archeotech technology base, and can produce a wide range
of goods that are unknown on less sophisticated worlds.
Miniaturized fusion plants, plasma drives, exotic grav
weaponry, and even the development of psker-based
devices is possible on such a world.
A world with this level of technology is almost certainly a
regional hegemon, one of the most powerful and influential
The Mandragora Apocrypha
worlds in the stellar region. Even those worlds that have no
imperial ambitions have enormous influence simply through
the vast superiority of their void ships and military
technology.
Tech Level 8: World Builders
The species has the ability to manipulate gravitational
forces, create AI with full sentience, fabricate super-dense
materials, perform super-accurate Warp navigation, the
ability to create life, and the ability to create worlds. The
Eldar of antiquity along with their ancient enemies the
Necrons, as well as humans during the Dark Age of
Technology are the only known civilizations to reach this
level.
Tech Level 9: Transsentient
As the Eldar have no examples of civilizations with
technological accomplishments greater than themselves -
with the exception of the Old Ones - this is a theoretical
ceiling. It is suspected that they can travel across galaxies
and accelerate the evolution of intelligent life.
Name the Planet
Finally, the explorers may name or appropriately
designate the world. While the potential inhabitants of the
world may have a name of their own, it is an Imperial right
for newly discovered worlds to be named by their
discoverer's. These names are typically just the name of the
celestial star followed by the number of the planet's orbital
sequence by Explorators, but others are often named by
Rogue Traders by chance and whimsy.
75
 Corpus Auxilla Mechanicus Magos (Master)
18
H 5
"Thus do we smite the heresies against the Machine God, WS BS S

Thus do we sunder what once was whole." 01-10 19 44 49 64

5 5
Ar Al T Ag Int
- Chant of the Secutors 11-20 19 21-30 19 58 21 64
5
B Per Wp Fel
31-70 19 41 48 11
y the grace of the Cult Mechanicus, the war engine of
5 5 Inf
the greater Imperium is able to fight on a million different Lr Ll
19 19 82
planets at once. The number of the Omnissiah’s faithful is 71-85 86-00

beyond measure, and their mastery over machines is felt

throughout every aspect of Mankind’s armies – from the
lowliest regiment to the mightiest legion of god-machines.
Adepts of the Mechanicus
The term ‘Tech-Priest’ covers a thousand different roles.
Genetors probe the mysteries of the biological, creating ever
stranger cyborgs and slaughtering xenos by the thousand in
order to excise yet more secrets. Artisans create and restore
truly wondrous weapons of war, from ornate gamma pistols
to the mind-boggling immensity of the Ark Mechanicus. Magi
of all stripes pursue esoteric agendas as likely to end in
triumph as they are disaster. Across the galaxy
Transmechanics, Lexmechanics, Enginseers, Secutors,
Trifactors, Myrmidons and Technoshamans labor alongside
the wider Imperium to bolster Humanity’s war machine.
Within the Adeptus Mechanicus the ranks become even
more esoteric. Each Fabricator Locum can call upon Magi
Technicus, Metallurgicus, Alchemys, Cogitatrices,
Pedanticum, Tech-assassins, hive monitors and Holy
Requisitioners, who in turn can command a body of
fabricators minoris, Fulgurites, Corpuscarii, overseers,
underseers, stasis clerks, and techno-dervishes. To even
begin to comprehend the towering edifice of the Cult
Mechanicus takes far more processing power than the
human brain can provide.
Magos
A Magos is a high ranking member of the Adeptus
Mechanicus and are devoted disciples of the principles
associated with the Machine God. These individuals have
perfected as well as refined their field of expertise making
them masters of a certain discipline.
Their dedication has led to them sacrificing great portions
of their body in order to emulate the sacred form of the
machine. After decades of service, a Magos has replaced
many of his organs and limbs with superior cybernetic
implants. As is fitting with the Cult Mechanicus, these
replacement limbs and organs never tire or grow weak with
age, thus highlighting the greatness of the Machine. These
senior Tech-Priests attend the Machine Altars of the Forge
Worlds which contain the sum of knowledge of the Adeptus
Mechanicus which in turn represents the will of the
Omnissiah.
HALF 2 FULL 4 CHARGE6 RUN 12 THREAT 20
Infernal Pistol Class Pistol
RNG 10m ROF S/-/- DMG 2d10+10 (E)
PEN12 Clip 25 RLD 1 Full Wt . 3kg AVL NU
SPECIAL: RELIABLE
Omnissian Axe Class Melee
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+7(E)
PEN 2 Clip — RLD — Wt . 8kg AVL ER
SPECIAL: POWERFIELD, UNBALANCED
Skills: Command (Fel) +10, Common Lore (Adeptus
Mechanicus) (Int) +20, Common Lore (Imperium) (Int),
Common Lore (Tech) (Int) +20, Forbidden Lore (Adeptus
Mechanicus) (Int) +10, Forbidden Lore (Archeotech) (Int)
+10, Forbidden Lore (Heresy) (Int), Intimidate (S) +10,
Linguistics (Low Gothic, High Gothic) (Int) +10, Linguistics
(Techna-Lingua) (Int) +20, Logic (Int) +20, Scholastic Lore
(Any Three) (Int), Tech-Use (Int) +20
Talents: Binary Chatter, Die Hard, Disturbing Voice,
Electrical Succor, Energy Cache, Luminen Blast, Luminen
Shock, Maglev Grace, Maglev Transcendence,
Mechadendrite Use (Weapon, Utility), Prosanguine,
Resistance (Cold, Fear, Poison, Vacuum), Rite of Awe, Rite
of Fear, Rite of Pure Thought, Conditioned Intellect.
Traits: Machine (5), Mechanicus Implants
Equipment: Holy Vestments, 2 doses of sacred unguents,
Abeyant, Cyber-Familiar, Enhanced Data-Tether or
Omnispex
Cybernetics: Two bionic arms, two bionic legs, bionic
respiratory system, good craftsmanship cybernetic senses
(all), good craftsmanship cortex implant, ballistic
mechadendrite with Inferno pistol, manipulator
mechadendrite, optical mechadendrite, utility mechadendrite
and 1d5 other implants or Cybernetics
Soul of Iron: True servants of the Omnissiah inevitably give
up humanity in order to embrace the glory of the machine
god. This is especially true of most Magos who only vaguely
remember a time when the concerns of mortals plagued their
mind. All Interaction Skill Tests used against a Magos suffer
a –30 penalty. The Magos should choose one appropriate
Common Lore, Scholastic Lore, Forbidden Lore, or Trade
Skill as his main focus and area of expertise. The Magos
gains one bonus degree of success with any of his
successful Skill Tests involving Tech-Use or his chosen Skill,
and in addition gains +10 to any Opposed Test involving

76 The Mandragora Apocrypha

Tech-Use or his chosen Skill.
Tech-Tinker: Not all Magos focus on war. Some favor the
workings of other more miscellaneous kinds of machinery. A
Magos can increase the effectiveness of a piece of
technology, increasing its function or output. Once per day
as a Full Action, the Magos can increase the power of a
piece of technology which is neither a weapon nor protective
device. This, in effect, increases its function by 50%, be it
the range of the signal it can broadcast or the amount of
items it can fabricate. This boost only lasts for the duration of
a single scene or encounter (this amount of time may be
extended at the GM’s discretion). The GM always has final
say in the exact effects of a boosted piece of tech
Secutor
Secutors are members of military sects and formations
within the Adeptus Mechanicus that devote themselves to
the art of warfare with a fervor other tech-priests normally
reserve for tinkering with ancient technology. To them, the
protection of the technological mysteries of the machine cult,
from those who would misuse them, is a far greater concern
than anything else, including human lives and the other
concerns of the Mechanicus.
Some tech-priests become secutors because of a hatred
of tech-heretics and love of war and conflict, while others are
fascinated by the intellectual challenges of warfare, strategy
or perhaps a love of weaponsmithing. Others, of course,
merely use the path of the Secutor as a mean to further their
political power, not minding extensive grafts of siege
weaponry to their body if it means coming ahead in the
Adeptus. At the behest at their Archmagos masters of the
Forgeworld they hail from, secutors are sent along with
Explorator fleets, Imperial Guard regiments, and Rogue
Traders to retrieve ancient technology, often where such
retrieval is made extremely dangerous by the presence from
xenos or chaos forces, and the martial skill of a secutor is
needed to ensure the protection of tech-treasures.
Secutor (Master)
H 6
WS
01-10 23 60
6 6
Ar Al T Ag
11-20 22 21-30 22 65
6
B Per
31-70 22 44
6 6
Lr Ll
71-85 22 86-00 22
Skills: Awareness (Per), Common Lore (Tech, Adeptus
Mechanicus, War) (Int), Forbidden Lore (Adeptus
Mechanicus) (Int), Tech-Use (Int) +20, Logic (Int), Linguistics
(Techna-Lingua, Low-Gothic) (Int), Scholastic Lore
(Construction, Siege Craft) (Int)
Talents: Ambidextrous, Binary Chatter, Electrical Succor,
Energy Cache, Gun Blessing, Double Team, Fearless,
Furious Assault, Hip-Shooting, Independent Targeting,
Rapid Reload, Two-Weapon Master (Ballistic, Melee),
Inescapable Attack (Ranged, Melee), Maglev
Transcendence, Luminen Blast
Traits: Heart of Steel, Fear (2), Size (5), (Hulking), Machine
(6), Mechanicus Implants, Unnatural Strength (1)
Equipment: Amulet of Warding, Combi-Tool, Dragon Scale
Armor, 2 Meltabombs, Machinator Array, Power Axe or
Omnisian Axe or Breacher or Vivisector, MIU-Linked Shock
Blaster or Maxim Bolter or Volkite Culverin or Conversion
Beamer or Irradiation engine
Cybernetics: Myrmidon Augmentic Mounting, Logis Implant,
Mechanicus Implants, Mind-Impulse Unit, Best-Quality
Cybernetic Arms, Best-Quality Cybernetic Legs, Bionic
Respiratory System, Ferrous Implants, Luminen Capacitor,
Maglev Coils, Respiratory Filter Implant, Subskin Armor,
Bionic Heart, MIU Weapon Interface, Cranial Armor,
Synthetic Muscle Grafts, Vox Implant, 1d5 Mechadendrites
(Any type), Machinator Array
Fusillade Attack: The Secutor may apply the benefits of the
Ambidextrous, Two-Weapon Wielder (Ballistic) and
Gunslinger talent to the two Basic weapons mounted on his
Myrmidon Augmentic Mounting. Both weapons must fire at
the same target, and may never benefit from the
Independent Targeting talent.
Destruction Protocols: The Secutor may reroll missed
attacks of up to 1 Degree of Failure, and may reroll damage
results of 1. The second result of either stands.
Masters of Ordnance: Myrmidons have mastered the use
of the most powerful weapons in the arsenal of the
Omnissiah. They receive a +20 bonus to both their Ballistic
Skill and their Intelligence when taking any Test dealing with
the operation or maintenance of any weapon of Heavy Class
22 or higher.
BS S Shield Breakers: The Myrmidons are experts in the
60 68 reduction of established defenses. Any Myrmidon receives a
+20 bonus to any Skill Test involving the analysis or
Int
destruction of enemy defenses.
40 43
Wp Fel
48 19
Inf
65

HALF 3 FULL 6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 21

Maxim Bolter Class Basic
RNG 30m ROF -/-/5 DMG 1d10+5 (X)
PEN4 Clip 25 RLD 2 Full Wt . 6kg AVL ER
SPECIAL: TEARING

Breacher Class Melee

RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+5 (R)
PEN 4 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL —
SPECIAL: TEARING, UNWIELDY,, SPECIAL

The Mandragora Apocrypha 77

 Tech Adept Tech Priest
The ancient priesthood of Mars, the Adeptus Mechanicus Although often compared to vast factories, as much as
are the only sanctioned repositories of scientific thought and half of a forge world owned by the Adeptus Mechanicus is
technological lore in the Imperium. Steeped in arcane ritual primarily given over to huge repositories of technical
and labyrinthine dogma, to them their arts are a divine knowledge. These immense libraries and databanks of
mystery of their incarnation of the Emperor—the Omnissiah, information are highly eclectic and disorganized, so that one
and to them all things technological are sacred. These are may find a crystal storage device containing information on
fully initiated acolytes of the Cult Mechanicus and form the biogenetic engineering next to a scroll covered with designs
bulk of its ordained priesthood. for steam locomotives. The Tech priests jealously guard their
independence and it is a rash or brave Inquisitor who dares
to interfere with or investigate the Mechanicus on one of
Tech Adept (Troop) their own forge worlds. Techpriests are a holy order, who
12
worship the Machine God and the intimate knowledge of
H 3
WS BS S technology that he holds. The lowest ranks of Techpriest
01-10 6 25 25 30 have mainly maintenance and construction duties, but as a
3 3 Tech-adept progresses and acquires greater knowledge, he
Ar Al T Ag Int
11-20 6 21-30 6 30 30 40 is relieved from day to day tasks to study ancient texts and
3 learn the greatest mysteries and techniques. Thus, the
B Per Wp Fel
31-70 6 35 35 20 Adeptus Mechanicus endeavors to maintain this position of
absolute knowledge and authority, and a Techpriest who
3 3 Inf
Lr Ll feels that this is threatened will go to any lengths to protect
—
71-85 6 86-00 6 his power, including murder, extortion, kidnapping, sabotage
and terrorism.
HALF 3 FULL 6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 5
Laspistol Class Pistol
ROF S/-/- DMG 1d10+2 (E) Tech Priest (Elite)
RNG 30m 14
PEN0 Clip 30 RLD Full Wt . 1.5kg AVLCM 3
H WS BS S
SPECIAL: RELIABLE 01-10 9 44 35 39
Chain Axe Class Melee Ar 3
Al 3 T Ag Int

RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+7 (R) 11-20 9 21-30 9 52 31 57

3
PEN 2 Clip — RLD — Wt . 13kg AVL SC B Per Wp Fel
31-70 9 33 36 25
SPECIAL: TEARING
3 3 Inf
Lr Ll
—
Skills: Awareness (Per), Common Lore (Adeptus
71-85 9 86-00 9
Mechanicus) (Int), Operate (Any One) (Ag), Logic (Int) +10, HALF 3 FULL 6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 10
Scholastic Lore (Any one) (Int), Linguistics (High Gothic, Low
Inferno Pistol Class Pistol
Gothic) (Int), Linguistics (Techna-Lingua) (Int) +10, Tech-
Use (Int) +10, Trade (Technomat) (Int) +20 RNG 10m ROF S/-/- DMG 2d10+10 (E)
Talents: Binary Chatter, Electrical Succor, Energy Cache, PEN12 Clip 12 RLD Full Wt . 3kg AVLNU
Gun Blessing or Maglev Transcendence, Luminen Shock, SPECIAL: RELIABLE
Meditation
Traits: Mechanicus Implants Omnissian Axe Class Melee
Gear: Flak cloak, robes, tools, respirator, dataslate, personal RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+7 (R)
cogitator, 2 laspistol clips. PEN 2 Clip — RLD — Wt . 8kg AVL ER
Cybernetics: Luminen Capacitors, Ferrous or Maglev SPECIAL: POWERFIELD, UNBALANCED
Implants, 1 utility or optical mechadendrite, Techno-mat
Electoos: Metallicized strips bonded sub-dermally enable
the Techpriest to channel limited amounts of energy like the Skills: Awareness (Per), Common Lore (Adeptus
renowned Electro-priests. Any melee attack by the character Mechanicus) (Int), Operate (Any Two) (Ag), Logic (Int) +10,
also counts as a shock weapon. Scholastic Lore (Any Two) (Int), Linguistics (High Gothic,
Techno-mat: Techno-mats are tethered Servitors which Low Gothic) (Int), Linguistics (Techna-Lingua) (Int) +10,
attend to the functions of a Techpriest’s organic Tech-Use (Int) +20
components, freeing them from the fallacies of the flesh in Talents: Luminen Shock, Mechadendrite Use (Utility),
the pursuit of knowledge. Carefully monitored nutrients and Prosanguine, Weapon-Tech
stimulants are fed to the Techpriest continuously from the Traits: Machine (3), Mechanicus Implants
attendant servo-mat. A techno-mat allows the Techpriest to Gear: Heavy robes, combi-tool, 2 doses of sacred unguents,
re-roll his Toughness tests. portable vox
Cybernetics: Luminen capacitors implant, one or more

52

78 The Mandragora Apocrypha

bionic senses and limbs, utility mechadendrite, Basic MIU Skills: Command (Fel) +10, Common Lore (Adeptus
interface and 1d5 other implants or Cybernetics Mechanicus) (Int) +20, Common Lore (Imperium) (Int),
Binaric Screech: The character releases a deafening Common Lore (Tech) (Int) +20, Forbidden Lore (Adeptus
screech in the mysterious language of the Mechanicum that Mechanicus) (Int) +10, Forbidden Lore (Archeotech) (Int)
causes technology to shut down or malfunction. The Tech- +10, Forbidden Lore (Cybernetica) (Int) +30, Intimidate (S)
priest chooses a point in line of sight within 30 meters, and +10, Linguistics (Low Gothic, High Gothic) (Int) +10,
as a Half Action makes an Ordinary (+10) Tech-Use test. If Linguistics (Techna-Lingua) (Int) +20, Logic (Int) +20,
he succeeds on this test, a Haywire Field is created, Scholastic Lore (Any Three) (Int), Tech-Use (Int) +20
centered at that point with a radius equal to the character’s Talents: Binary Chatter, Defensive Augmentation, Defensive
Intelligence bonus in meters, as if the location had been Alchemistry, Conditioned Intellect, Masterwork Bionics, Die
struck by a weapon with the Haywire quality. Hard, Disturbing Voice, Electrical Succor, Energy Cache,
Luminen Blast, Luminen Shock, Maglev Grace, Maglev
Tech Priest Dominus Transcendence, Mechadendrite Use (Weapon, Utility),
Shapers of destruction, masters of the Cult Mechanicus, Prosanguine, Resistance (Cold, Fear, Poison, Vacuum), Rite
the Tech-Priests Dominus can reduce entire worlds to ruin. of Awe, Rite of Fear, Rite of Pure Thought, Touched by the
They can command a city to be broken down until not a Fates (3)
single rockcrete brick rests upon another, or order an entire Traits: Machine (5), Mechanicus Implants
race eradicated and expunged from the history books. These Equipment: Holy Vestments, Artificer Armor, 2 doses of
sacred unguents, Abeyant, Cyber-Familiar, Enhanced Data-
feats they accomplish not through diplomacy, but via the
relentless, merciless application of firepower. The vaunted Tether or Omnispex, Volkite Blaster, Macrostubber, Power
rank of Dominus is bestowed only on those of the Cult Axe, Mechadendrite Harness, Refractor Field, Scryerskull
Mechanicus with a true talent for war; those who believe the Cybernetics: Two bionic arms, two bionic legs, bionic
supremacy of the Machine God is to be proven at every respiratory system, good craftsmanship cybernetic senses
opportunity. Though they are as likely to hail from the (all), good craftsmanship cortex implant, ballistic
laboratories of the Biologis as they are from the war halls of mechadendrite with Inferno pistol, manipulator
the Magi Militarum, each is an expert in weapons arcana. To mechadendrite, optical mechadendrite, utility mechadendrite,
them the secrets of the battlefield are laid bare. Every Cortex Controller and 1d5 other implants or Cybernetics
bullet’s ballistic trajectory, every las-pack’s current capacity Enhanced Cyber-Control: The range of a Cortex Controller
and every battle engine’s optimal fire solution flickers in their wielded by the Dominus is increased to 60 meters, and all
mind’s eye. They feast on raw data and cerebro-stimulants, Cybernetica with the Programmed Behavior trait owned by
the Dominus increase their Agility Score by 10.
allowing them to visit destruction personally upon the foe
Patris Cybernetica: If the Magos Dominus is within 2
even as they coordinate front-line tactics and exload war-
psalms from their vox arrays. None are safe, for they are as meters of a Battle Automata, attacks that would normally hit
lethal to machines as they are to organic life. A Tech-Priest the Magos Dominus hit the Battle Automata instead. If the to
Dominus can tear the machine spirit from a super-heavy hit roll was a double however, the Magos Dominus is struck
tank even as he blasts its infantry escort to coiling wisps of as normal.
steam. Master of Machines: The Tech-Priest Dominus’ knowledge
of engines and their machine spirits surpasses all but the
most venerable servants of the Machine-God. The character
Tech Priest Dominus (Master) can feel the plasma pulsing through a reactor’s conduits as if
25 it was in his own veins. The Dominus gains a +10 bonus on
H 4
WS BS S Tech-Use Skill Tests. The Dominus may spend a Fate Point
01-10 19 44 52 45 to automatically succeed on a Tech-Use Skill Test for
4 4 enhancement, repair, or upgrade of a machine’s system,
Ar Al T Ag Int
taking the minimum amount of time possible on the task. In
11-20 19 21-30 19 46 32 60
4 addition, the tech priest Dominus may repair objects without
B Per Wp Fel
all the parts to hand, jury-rigging a working device as good
31-70 19 38 52 25 as the original.
4 4 Inf Cybertheurgy: The Magos Dominus can augment his
Lr Ll
71-85 19 86-00 19 92 Cybernetica in powerful but dangerous ways. To cast a
Cybertheurgy power, the Magos Dominus targets a single
HALF 3 FULL 6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 19 Battle Automata under the effect of his Cortex Controller,
Volkite Blaster Class Pistol and makes a Challenging (+0) Forbidden Lore
(Cybernetica) test as a Half Action at the power’s listed
RNG 10m ROF S/-/- DMG 2d10+10 (E)
bonus or penalty. This Half Action counts as an attack, but
PEN12 Clip 12 RLD Full Wt . 3kg AVLNU
the Magos may still perform Move or other actions. Success
SPECIAL: RELIABLE means the power has been successful, and lasts until the
Power Axe Class Melee beginning of the Magos Dominus’ next turn. If the test is
failed, the power fails to take effect. A result of doubles on
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+7 (R) the test (once sufficiently checked) means there was a
PEN 2 Clip — RLD — Wt . 8kg AVL ER mishap during the casting, though the power may still pass
SPECIAL: POWERFIELD, UNBALANCED

The Mandragora Apocrypha 79


Cybertheurgy
Powers
The Magos Dominus of the Legio Cybernetica are
privy to many ancient secrets from the Dark Age of
Technology, a time when the un-living phalanxes of
Mankind's artificial creations shattered forgotten alien
empires to carve humanity's first empire from the
stars, the most secret of these lores is Cybertheurgy.
Such is the nature of the dark arcana of Cybertheurgy,
however, that is not without its risks, as what is
awakened may slip the leash of its master's control
with disastrous consequences.
Rite of Celerity
Bonus: +0
The Battle Automata adds +20 to its Agility score.
Rite Of Eternity
Bonus: +0
The Battle Automata regains a number of lost
wounds equal to the Magos Dominus’ Intelligence
Bonus, plus one for every degree of success on the
test.
Rite Of Fury
Penalty: -10
The Battle Automata may make an extra standard
melee attack as a Free Action, subject to all normal
bonuses and penalties. This attack may be made in
conjunction with other actions such as Swift and
Lightning Attack.
Rite Of Destruction
Penalty: -10
The Battle Automata may fire one of its weapons
twice in the same combat action. The following round,
the Battle Automata may not fire any ranged weapon
as its targeters cool down.
Rite Of Dread Castigation
Penalty: -20
The Magos Dominus targets an enemy Battle
Automata, making an opposed Forbidden Lore
(Cybernetica) against the Battle Automata’s Willpower.
The target takes damage equal to 1d10 x the DoS of
the Magos Dominus, ignoring armor and toughness.
This attack can be blocked by protective fields.
Rite Of Immolation
Penalty: -30
By overcoming the safety protocols and self-
preservation systems of the automata's reactor core,
the Cybertheurgist forces the automata to
catastrophically self-destruct. The attack is treated as
a Blast (5) centered on the former Automata, with
damage equal to 3d10 + the Battle Automata’s
Toughness Bonus, and Penetration equal to the
Battle Automata’s Armor.
80 The Mandragora Apocrypha
or fail depending on the result. In case of a mishap, roll 1d10
and consult the Cybernetic Mishap table. Mishaps also last
until the start of the Magos Dominus’ next round, except for
Malifica.
Note: If doubles are rolled, the resultant mishap is
automatically Malifica!
Table 5-1: Cybertheurgy Mishaps
1d10 Roll Result
1-5 Signal Corruption: The Battle Automata is
reduced to Weapon Skill 10 and Ballistic Skill 10,
and may not benefit from any bonuses to
Weapon Skill and Ballistic Skill tests.
6-9 Corrosive Paradox: The Battle Automata takes
a number of wounds equal to the Magos
Dominus’ Intelligence Bonus, ignoring Armor and
Toughness. Once again, this can potentially be
blocked by protective fields.
10 Malifica: The machine-spirit rebels and the war
engines gains spiteful self-awareness. The
Magos Dominus no longer controls the Battle
Automata – the Battle Automata will go on a full-
on rampage on its own initiative, moving
towards, and shooting or charging at the nearest
target available, friend or foe. There is no fixing
this - the Battle Automata must be destroyed
.
The Prognostication Dominus
While the Mandragora Sector has traditionally
waged wars across and within its borders, the affairs of the
sector were largely provincial in nature in comparison to the
great wars waged elsewhere in the Segmentum. Internecine
warfare between noble elites and trade dynasties were
common, with the presence of space-faring orks a constant
threat, but nothing beyond the control of the Imperial Navy or
the military might of the sectors Astra Militarum. Yet, the
Logis Prophesiers of the early fifth century of the 37th
Millennium on Shaehol predicted the coming of the last great
Dominus of the sector between the 38th and 39th
millennium.
By analyzing the growing trends and prolific aggressions
growing, the mystic Logis prophesiers of Shaehol came to
the conclusion of a great schism growing in its potential.
With only a handful of occurrences in the sector's history of
requiring a Magos to ascend to the rank of Dominus, the
conclusion came as an oddity to the Archmagi of Shaehol -
who both understood the knowledge of the prediction yet
could not fathom a 'last' great Dominus, as the implications
were appalling. The oracles were given acknowledgement
nonetheless, at least in the caution of its gravity, and the
three hundred and forty two omens of the last Dominus of
Mandragora were recorded in the Altar Omnessiah of
Shaehol.
Tech Priest Enginseer Gothic) (Int), Linguistics (Techna-Lingua) (Int) +10, Tech-
Use (Int) +10, Trade (Technomat) (Int) +30
Enginseers are highly trained members of the Cult
Talents: Binary Chatter, Electrical Succor, Energy Cache,
Mechanicus and are dedicated to the maintenance of
Luminen Shock
Imperial technology. Through many years of study they have
Traits: Machine (1), Mechanicus Implants
gained the knowledge of the rituals and litanies that form the
Gear: tools, respirator, dataslate, personal cogitator,
body of machine lore, as well as a deep understanding of the
Laspistol with 2 spare clips, Omnissian Axe, Dragon Scale
more practical disciplines of mechanics and electronics. In
Armor, Repair Servitor
this role they serve across the galaxy, often in harm's way,
Cybernetics: Servo-Arm, Utility Mechadendrite, Basic MIU
as they will be called on to make repairs on the battlefield as
interface and 1d5 other implants or Cybernetics
well as in the workshop. They are a common sight on
Repair Servitor: The Enginseer is accompanied by a
battlefields with large numbers of armored vehicles, and are
Servitor that works with him on the battlefield. If anything
often accompanied by a retinue of servitors for assistance or
ever happens to the Servitor that requires information from a
protection. Although most Guardsmen revere their vehicles
profile, refer to the Servitor drone profile. The Servitor
enough not to risk annoying an Enginseer by 'tinkering,' the
assists in all repairs the Enginseer performs, acting as a
modification of vehicles to fulfill a certain need is inevitable,
natural extension of his will as he communes with vehicle
much to the chagrin of any Enginseers present. Enginseer
machine spirits. When assisted by his Servitor, the
contingents are also included in the mighty Titan Legions
Enginseer gains a +10 bonus to all Tech-Use Tests to make
and the crews of the massive warships of the Imperial Navy,
repairs, and halves the time any repair takes.
allowing them to perform emergency repairs in the heat of
Field Repairs: On the battlefield, the Enginseer links to his
battle.
Servitor, relaying complex data and instructions, and the
Despite the respect they usually command among the
Servitor enacts those commands with precision. As long as
units they are seconded to, Enginseers are not held in high
his Servitor is within range of communication, the Enginseer
regard among the Cult Mechanicus itself as their skills
may perform Tech-Use Tests on anything next to the
seldom contribute to The Quest for Knowledge. As a result
Servitor at a –10 penalty.
of their overwhelmingly practical knowledge, they are often
viewed as lowly but necessary cogs in the workings of the
Cult. Enginseers make use of robotic arm augmentations Electro-Priest
known as Mechadendrites that are connected to their central Electro-priests, also known as Luminen or the sparks of
nervous system via the spine. They are used to help the life are a rank of Tech Priest within the Adeptus Mechanicus.
Enginseer in repair operations, heavy lifting and for self They are fanatically devoted to the Motive Force, a third of
defense. the Omnissiah's trinity, believing that all life and motion owes
its continued existence to that ineffable divinity.
Electro-priests are fanatic cult warriors, responsible for
Tech Priest Enginseer (Elite) supporting other Tech-priest warriors in battle. Their skins
12
are engraved with a metallic electoo circuit which spirals
H 3
WS BS S around their bodies and interfaces with their minds, allowing
01-10 12 25 25 30 them to build up a tremendous current of electrical energy.
3 3 Electro-Priests are capable of channeling energy through
Ar Al T Ag Int
11-20 12 21-30 23 30 30 40 anything they touch. Cybernetic grafts in their nervous
3 system allow them to channel electrical energy through their
B Per Wp Fel
31-70 12 35 35 20 copper-etched palms, the charge building quickly as the
Electro-Priest works himself into an ecstatic frenzy. At the
3 3 Inf
Lr Ll heights of their religious mania, the truly devout can destroy
—
71-85 12 86-00 12 enemies of the Machine God with bolts of living lightning.
Long ago, the Electro-Priests were divided into two
HALF 3 FULL 6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 19
factions known as Corpuscarii and Fulgurite. The forefathers
Volkite Blaster Class Pistol of the Corpuscarii focused their worship upon the Machine
RNG 30m ROF S/2/- DMG 1d10+2 (E) God – they believed his light should be brought to the galaxy
PEN0 Clip 30 RLD Full Wt . 1.5kg AVLCM and expended great resources in subsequent Crusades.
Meanwhile, those who would become the Fulgurites were
SPECIAL: RELIABLE
aghast at the cost and were jealously protective of the
Omnissian Axe Class Melee Motive Force. The two factions have battled many times in
R OF — what has become known as the Conduit Wars.
RNG — DMG 1d10+7 (E)
As Electro-priests enter battle they chant Cult litanies,
PEN 6 Clip — RLD — Wt . 8kg AVL ER
building up their electric energy and driving themselves into
SPECIAL: POWERFIELD, UNBALANCED a frenzy of destruction. They are protected by powerful
Voltagheist Fields.
Skills: Awareness (Per), Common Lore (Adeptus
Mechanicus) (Int), Operate (Any Two) (Ag), Logic (Int) +10,
Scholastic Lore (Any one) (Int), Linguistics (High Gothic, Low

The Mandragora Apocrypha

81
 Corpuscarii Electro-Priests Fulgurite Electro-Priests
Literally filled with the Motive Force, the Corpuscarii These Electro-Priests belong to the Brotherhood of
spread the blessing of illumination in the name of the Petrified Light and exist to tear the life energy from the
Machine God. Blazing with lightning, electrosurgically galaxy, particularly the bio-electricity that animates the living.
prepared for the unimaginable power coursing through what Surrounded by a protective veil of lightning, clutching
was once their veins, a Corpuscarii Electro-Priest discharges Electroleech Staves, the Fulgurite Electro-Priests believe
incredible, sparking bursts of thrumming energy, shaking that there is no greater blasphemy than the waste of energy.
apart enemies in an ecstatic religious fervor. The Corpuscarii Striding into battle at the height of religious mania, they are
Electro-Priest comes armed with a pair of Electrostatic capable of draining the very bioelectricity from their foes,
Gauntlets. storing it in powerful capacitors as the enemy drops to the
ground, cold and inert as stone. This stolen energy will later
be used to power their holy march across the galaxy,
Corpuscarii Electro-Priest (Elite) 15 everything behind them falling into permanent darkness.
They are even able to drain warmachines of its power.
H 4
WS BS S
01-10 4 45 45 35
4 4 Fulgurite Electro-Priest (Elite)
Ar Al T Ag Int
15
11-20 4 21-30 4 45 30 42 4
B 4 H WS BS S
Per Wp Fel
31-70 4 01-10 4 45 45 35
35 45 15 4 4
Inf
Ar Al T Ag Int
4 4
Lr Ll
—
11-20 4 21-30 4 45 30 42
71-85 4 86-00 4 B 4
Per Wp Fel

HALF 3 FULL 6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 11

31-70 4 33 45 15
Electrostatic Gauntlets Class Melee Lr 4
Ll 4 5 Inf
—
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+9 (E)
71-85 4 86-00 4
PEN0 Clip — RLD — Wt . 4kg AVLRA HALF 3 FULL 6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 11
SPECIAL: POWERFIELD
Electroleech Stave Class Melee
Electrostatic Gauntlet Outburst Class Pistol RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+11 (E)
RNG 30m ROF S/3/- DMG 1d10+7 (E) PEN6 Clip — RLD — Wt . 5kg AVLRA
PEN 0 Clip 30 RLD Full Wt . 4kg AVL RA SPECIAL: POWERFIELD, CONCUSSIVE (0), MURDEROUS STRIKE
SPECIAL: TWIN,-LINKED

Skills: Awareness (Per), Common Lore (Adeptus

Skills: Awareness (Per), Common Lore (Adeptus
Mechanicus) (Int), Logic (Int) +10, Scholastic Lore (Any one)
(Int), Linguistics (High Gothic, Low Gothic) (Int), Linguistics
(Techna-Lingua) (Int) +20, Tech-Use (Int) +20
Talents: Binary Chatter, Cold Hearted, Electrical Succor,
Electro Illumination, Energy Cache, Frenzy, Luminen Blast,
Luminen Shock, Luminen Blast, Luminen Shield, Luminen
Flare, Numinous Reclamation
Traits: Mechanicus Implants
Gear: Tools, respirator, dataslate, personal cogitator,
Electrostatic gauntlets, Voltagheist field
Cybernetics: Luminen Capacitors, Ferrous Implants, Basic
MIU interface and 1d5 other implants or Cybernetics
Electoos: Metallicized strips bonded sub-dermally enable
the Techpriest to channel limited amounts of energy. Any
melee attack by the character also counts as a shock
weapon.
Electrical Discharge: When a Corpuscarii Electro-Priest
scores at least 4 Degrees of Success on a Weapon skill or
Ballistic Skill test against an enemy, an additional two hits
are generated. These hits may be dodged or parried as
normal.
Mechanicus) (Int), Logic (Int) +10, Scholastic Lore (Any one)
(Int), Linguistics (High Gothic, Low Gothic) (Int), Linguistics
(Techna-Lingua) (Int) +20, Tech-Use (Int) +20
Talents: Binary Chatter, Cold Hearted, Electrical Succor,
Electro Illumination, Energy Cache, Frenzy, Luminen Blast,
Luminen Shock, Luminen Blast, Luminen Shield, Luminen
Flare, Numinous Reclamation
Traits: Mechanicus Implants
Gear: Tools, respirator, dataslate, personal cogitator,
Electroleech Stave, Voltagheist field
Cybernetics: Luminen Capacitors, Ferrous Implants, Basic
MIU interface and 1d5 other implants or Cybernetics
Electoos: Metallicized strips bonded sub-dermally enable
the Techpriest to channel limited amounts of energy. Any
melee attack by the character also counts as a shock
weapon.
Siphoned Vigour: When a Fulgurite Electro-Priest kills an
enemy in melee combat, his Voltagheist protective field
improves to PR60 until the end of the encounter.

82 The Mandragora Apocrypha

Skitarii Cybernetics: Logis Implant, Mechanicus Implants, Mind-
Impulse Unit, Best-Quality Cybernetic Arms, Best-Quality
Cybernetic Legs, Bionic Respiratory System, Luminen
The Skitarii are forge guards, human soldiers with basic
Capacitor, Maglev Coils, Respiratory Filter Implant, Subskin
bionic augmentations for communication, weapon links and
Armor, Bionic Heart, MIU Weapon Interface, Cranial Armor,
sensory feeds. Some are more favored than others, and
Synthetic Muscle Grafts, Vox Implant, Best-Craftsmanship
those in the retinue of a Magos may well have been blessed
Shotcannon with Amputator shells or MIU-linked Flamer or
by mechanical and alchemical manipulation by their master.
MIU-linked Meltagun or MIU-linked Compact Storm Bolter,
Chainsword
Classiarii Chem-Injectors: As a Free Action once per Combat, each
The Skitarii forces of the Adeptus Mechanicus take a Classiarii may activate its integral constant-drip chem-
variety of forms. On warships and Explorator vessels injectors and benefit from one of the two following drugs:
operating within the Mandragora Sector, specially-created • Frenzon: The Classiarii gains the Fearless and Frenzy
armsmen-Skitarii are a necessity, serving as boarding Talents for the remainder of the Combat.
parties, security personnel and bodyguards where other • Hyper-Stimm: The Classiarii ignores Fatigue, cannot be
forms of Skitarii would be impractical. Within the Mechanicus Stunned, and ignores negative affects to Characteristics
territories of the Mandragora Sector, these warriors are from Damage and Critical Damage.
known as Classiarii, a term of obscure meaning within the
ancient traditions of the Mandragoran Mechanicus, believed Secutarii Peltasts
to mean “mariners.” Nigh-impervious to vacuum, fitted with
Developed in the lost and ancient days long before the
thick, implanted armor, and equipped with an array of
Imperium, the Secutarii Titan Guard were created as the
implanted weaponry, a Classiarius trooper is literally built for
honor guard and protectors of the Titan Legions. For while a
ship-to-ship combat.
Battle Titan might shatter a mighty fortress or blast a tank
company to ruin, it is the role of the Secutarii to eradicate
such threats its survivors might still pose as the Titans press
Classiarius Trooper (Elite) 15 on to more important targets, and to hunt down and slay
H 5
WS S
those who seek to flee from the Machine God’s wrath.
BS
01-10 12 Secutarii Peltasts seek targets of flesh and bone that
42 46 51 would attempt harm on the great God-Machines of the Legio
5 5
Ar Al T Ag Int
Titanicus. Armed with a Galvanic-caster, the Secutarii
11-20 13 21-30 13 56 35 35 Peltasts are equipped for all manner of targets. This electro-
5
B Per Wp Fel galvanically driven, multi-function projectile launcher has
31-70 14 38 40 12 multiple firing modes that may fire rapid bursts of low
5 5 Inf velocity, razor-edged metallic flechette; attack concealed
Lr Ll
— targets with retina-burning ignis charges; fire an armor-
71-85 13 86-00 13
piercing inert slug-shot at supersonic velocities; or even fire
HALF 3 FULL 6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 15 a barrage of blind canister shot to confuse and disorientate
Chainsword the enemy.
Class Melee
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+8 (E)
PEN2 Clip — RLD — Wt . 6kg AVLSC Secutarii Peltast (Elite) 15
SPECIAL: BALANCED, TEARING
H 4
WS BS S
MIU-Linked Meltagun Class Basic 01-10 10 42 46 38
RNG 20m ROF S/-/- DMG 2d10+10 (E) Ar 4
Al 4
T Ag Int
PEN 12 Clip 5 RLD Full Wt . 15kg AVL VR 11-20 10 21-30 10 41 35 38
4
SPECIAL: MELTA B Per Wp Fel
31-70 10 39 45 12
4 4 Inf
Skills: Awareness (Per), Common Lore (Adeptus Lr Ll
—
Mechanicus) (Int), Tech-Use (Int) +10, Dodge (Ag) +10, 71-85 10 86-00 10
Logic (Int), Medicae (Int), Linguistics (Techna-Lingua, Low
HALF 3 FULL 6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 15
Gothic) (Int)
Talents: Ambidextrous, Binary Chatter, Double Team, Hip- Galvanic Caster Class Basic
Shooting, Independent Targeting, Rapid Reload, Sprint, RNG 150m ROF S/2/- DMG 1d10+5 (I)
Two-Weapon Master (Ballistic, Melee), Inescapable Attack PEN0 Clip 20 RLD Full Wt . 8kg AVLVR
Traits: Auto-stabilized, Doctrina Imperatives, Dark Sight,
SPECIAL: RELIABLE, SPECIAL
Flyer (3) (null-gravity only), Machine (3), Heart of Steel
Gear: Implanted Armor Plating, Backpack Ammo Supply (for
Shotcannon or Storm Bolter), Combi-tool, 2 meltabombs,
augur array, Voidskin

The Mandragora Apocrypha 83

 Skills: Athletics (Str) +10, Awareness (Per) +10, Common Secutarii Hoplites
Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus, Adeptus Titanica, Tech, War)
Secutarii Hoplites go into battle armed with Arc Lances
(Int) +10, Dodge (Ag) +10, Linguistics (Techna-Lingua) (Int),
and Mag-inverter shields, weapons that enable them to hunt
Logic (Int), Navigate (Surface) (Int) +20, Operate (Surface)
war machines and vehicles that would threaten their
(Ag), Scholastic Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus, Adeptus
charges. Akin to the arc mauls of the Skitarii Clade officers,
Titanicus, War) (Int), Scrutiny (Per), Security (Int), Survival
and the far larger of the mighty Cerastus Knight-Lancers, the
(Per) +10, Tech-Use (Int)
arc lance inflicts damage through short range blasts of
Talents: Constant Vigilance (Perception), Hip Shooting,
coruscating energy that can burn through xeno technology
Jaded, Nowhere to Hide, Precision Killer (Ranged),
and render mute the machine spirit of even the most heavily
Resistance (Fear), Sprint, Technical Knock
armored vehicle. Mag-inverter shields provide the copious
Traits: Mechanicus Implants, Doctrina Imperatives, Dark
power needed by arc lances, and resists blows which would
Sight, Machine (1), Heart of Steel
otherwise slay its bearer instantly through utilizing a powerful
Gear: Good Craftsmanship Skitarii Warplate, Good
and sophisticated inversion generator at the shield’s core.
Craftsmanship Integrated Micro-Bead, Good Craftsmanship
Galvanic Caster with 2 Clips, 3 Blind Barrage canister shots,
Kryopatris Field Generator, Skitarii Warplate
Secutarii Hoplites (Elite) 15
Galvanic-caster: The galvanic-caster is an electro-
galvanically driven, multi-function projectile launcher akin in H 4
WS BS S
some ways to a combi-weapon. With its main weapon 01-10 10 42 46 38
mechanism, it is able to fire rapid bursts of low velocity, 4 4
Ar Al T Ag Int
razor-edged metallic flechette, or with its secondary
discharger, attack concealed targets with retina-burning ignis
11-20 10 21-30 10 41 35 38
4
B Per Wp Fel
charges. Some of these weapons are further upgraded with
31-70 10 39 45 12
a high-intensity capacitor, and by compressing the galvanic
charge, fire an armor-piercing inert slug-shot at supersonic Lr 4
Ll 4 Inf
—
velocities. This complex but flexible weapons system allows 71-85 10 86-00 10
the Secutarii Peltasts to engage a wide variety of targets
with lethal effect. HALF 3 FULL 6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 15
The galvanic-caster has several weapon profiles Arc Lance Class Melee
depending on which ammunition is selected for use;
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+9 (E)
 Flechette Burster: This is the standard firing profile for
the Galvanic Caster, as listed in the unit entry. PEN 8 Clip — RLD — Wt . 8kg AVLER
 Ignis Blaze: The range of the weapon profile is reduced SPECIAL: CONCUSSIVE (3), HAYWIRE (1)
to 80 meters, gains Pen 3, and gains the Parabolic Shot Arc Lance Class Basic
weapon quality.
 Kinetic Hammershot: The range of the weapon profile is RNG 20m ROF S/-/- DMG 1d10+6 (E)
increased to 200 meters, gains Pen 6, and the Tearing PEN 12 Clip 5 RLD Full Wt . 8kg AVL ER
weapon quality. SPECIAL: HAYWIRE (1)
Parabolic Shot: Weapons with this special rule can be fired at
targets out of the unit’s line of sight, so long as they or their
target are not in an enclosed space (such as inside a Skills: Athletics (Str) +10, Awareness (Per) +10, Common
building). Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus, Adeptus Titanica, Tech, War)
Kryopatris Field Generator: These linked protective fields (Int) +10, Dodge (Ag) +10, Linguistics (Techna-Lingua) (Int),
grant a 10 PR. If there are five or more Peltasts within a six Logic (Int), Navigate (Surface) (Int) +20, Operate (Surface)
meter range of each other, failed rolls may be rerolled. (Ag), Scholastic Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus, Adeptus
Blind Barrage: In addition to their standard panoply of Titanicus, War) (Int), Scrutiny (Per), Security (Int), Survival
shells and munitions, Secutarii Peltasts carry a limited (Per) +10, Tech-Use (Int)
supply of blind canister shot. These explode into dense Talents: Constant Vigilance (Perception), Jaded, Nowhere
storms of thick particulate multi-spectrum electromagnetic to Hide, Precision Killer (Ranged), Resistance (Fear), Sprint,
radiation that occlude both sight and augury scanners. Technical Knock
These storms of flickering fog can confuse the most able Traits: Mechanicus Implants, Doctrina Imperatives, Dark
targeting system and utterly blind the enemy to their Sight, Machine (1), Heart of Steel
intended target. These create a field of Smoke () in a radius Gear: Good Craftsmanship Skitarii Warplate, Good
from the targeted impact of 6 meters. Additionally, the effects Craftsmanship Integrated Micro-Bead, Good Craftsmanship
prevent augury and scanning devices from functioning within Arc Lance, Mag-Inverter Shield, Skitarii Warplate, Kryopatris
the area - including Omnispex, Auspex, and similar devices. Field Generator
Arc Lance: This is a powerful spear-like weapon akin both
to the arc mauls of the Skitarii Clade officers and the far
larger weapons wielded by the mighty Cerastus Knight-
Lancers. The arc lance inflicts damage through short range
blasts of coruscating energy, its power supply augmented by

84 The Mandragora Apocrypha

the inversion generatoria mounted in the paired mag-inverter Skills: Acrobatics (Ag) +20, Athletics (Str) +10, Awareness
shield. (Per) +10, Common Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus, Tech, War)
Mag-inverter Shield: The Mag-inverter shield carried by the (Int) +10, Dodge (Ag) +10, Intimidate (Str) +20, Linguistics
Secutarii is a highly sophisticated relic technology (Techna-Lingua) (Int), Logic (Int), Navigate (Surface) (Int)
incorporating a powerful inversion generator at its core. This +10, Parry (WS) +10, Scholastic Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus,
generator is sufficient both to enhance the resilience of the War) (Int), Scrutiny (Per), Security (Int), Stealth (Ag) +10,
shield far beyond the limits of its material strength, so it may Tech-Use (Int), Trade (Technomat) (Int)
resist blows which would otherwise slay its bearer instantly, Talents: Ambidextrous, Assassin Strike, Catfall, Constant
and further provide the copious power needed by the arc Vigilance (Perception), Hard Target, Hip Shooting, Jaded,
lance carried by the Hoplite as their principal weapon. The Leap Up, Nowhere to Hide, Precision Killer (Melee),
Mag-inverter shield provides its bearer with a 25 PR Resistance (Fear), Slaughtersprint, Sprint, Swift Attack, Two-
protective field that does not overload. Weapon Wielder (Melee), Two-Weapon Master, Technical
Knock, Unarmed Specialist
Sicarian Ruststalkers Traits: Mechanicus Implants, Doctrina Imperatives, Dark
The Ruststalkers of the Skitarii Legions fall upon their foes Sight, Machine (2), Size (5) (Hulking), Heart of Steel
in a slashing, stabbing frenzy. Their transonic blades blur as Gear: Good Craftsmanship Sicarian Battle Armor, Good
they dart and cut like the weapons of gladiatorial knife- Craftsmanship Integrated Micro-Bead, Good Craftsmanship
fighters, the deadly resonances they transmit bypassing Transonic Razor and Good Craftsmanship Chordclaw or two
Good Craftsmanship Transonic Blades, 3 Mindscrambler
armour as if it offered no more resistance than a hologram.
The Ruststalkers were originally devised as cybernetic Grenades
assassins, sent into the Red Planet’s wastes to hunt down Cybernetics: Dunestrider Legs
feral cybernetica and other undesirables excommunicated Transonic Pattern Storage: If a Sicarian Ruststalker has
from the Cult Mechanicus. They proved so effective at their successfully hit and wounded at least one enemy, attacks
task they were repurposed and militarized into groups known against different enemies wearing the same type of armor
as killclades. Since that day they have fought on the front are immediately resolved as Pen 12 until the end of the
line of the Cult Mechanicus’s many wars. encounter. The Armor must share the same name –if the
The weapons of the Ruststalkers are sinister examples of first enemy is in a Flak Vest, for instance, the second enemy
the Mechanicus’s mastery over the laws of physics; they must also be in a Flak Vest, and not Flak Armor, and so on.
emanate a strong, sick hum that plays on the soul. When If the Sicarian Ruststalker attacks a new enemy in different
these horrible devices are put into use, their sonic field armor, his attacks are resolved as normal.
Transonic Shiv: The first melee attack of a round that the
swoops across a variety of wavelengths until it finds the
Sicarian Ruststalker makes inflicts a penalty of 5x the
correct frequency to simply glide through any armor the
opponent may be wearing. The gory results, though they can Ruststalker’s Weapon Skill bonus on the enemy’s Dodge or
Parry test.
take a second or two to manifest, are considered by Tech-
Priests of the Dominus Brotherhood to be well worth the
wait. So lethal is this offshoot of sonic technology that the Sicarian Infiltrators
Magi have refined it into many different forms, from swift Sicarian Infiltrators are perhaps the most sinister of the
razors to the much feared Chordclaw. Skitarii’s warrior clades, for their neurostatic bombardment
robs their victims of their senses. When hunting, they emit a
white noise that fills the visual, auditory and even olfactory
Sicarian Ruststalker (Elite) 12 spectra with static, leaving the foe panicked before the killing
even begins.
H 4
WS BS S An Infiltrator can bypass the majority of enemy defenses
01-10 10 48 40 41 with ease, though this ability owes little to stealth or skill.
4 4 Instead it hinges upon the potency and variety of the
Ar Al T Ag Int
11-20 10 21-30 10 42 45 32 disruptive wavelengths they broadcast. Ears ring with cruel
4 tinnitus, eyes water and turn red, and the taste of burnt metal
B Per Wp Fel
31-70 10 45 40 07 fills the mouth. The minds of the victims are so addled that
those weak of will must concentrate to continue their very
4 4 Inf
Lr Ll breathing. Such distracted and crippled enemies are often
—
71-85 10 86-00 10 easy prey for the Infiltrators. It is for this reason they are
often found wielding mighty Taser Goads, so disabled are
HALF 7 FULL14 CHARGE21 RUN 42 THREAT 18
their foes that the Tech-Priests consider it the perfect
Transonic Razor Class Melee opportunity to obtain samples of enemy cybernetica or
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d5+3 (R) biological specimens.
PEN3 Clip — RLD — Wt . 3kg AVLER
SPECIAL: TRANSONIC

Chordclaw Class Melee

RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+10 (E)
PEN 12 Clip — RLD — Wt . 2,5kg AVL ER
SPECIAL: TRANSONIC, TEARING, PROVEN (4)

The Mandragora Apocrypha 85

 Skitarii Rangers
Sicarian Infiltrators (Elite)
12 To fight the foot soldiers of the Cult Mechanicus is to kill or
4 be killed, for the Skitarii Rangers never give up when hunting
H WS BS S
down their foes, and their stamina is legendary.
01-10 10 46 42 41 In the lean and hungry days of Man’s hominid ancestry, a
4 4
Ar Al T Ag Int
hunter would kill far larger prey by tracking it to the point of
11-20 10 21-30 10 42 45 32 of exhaustion. It is by this principle which the Skitarii
4
B Per Wp Fel Rangers hunt the reaches of the galaxy, once the Rangers
31-70 10 45 40 05 have been dispatched they will home in on their quarry at a
4 4 Inf relentless pace. At first their victims, ranging from pirate
Lr Ll
— warbands to Xenos warhosts, slip the net of Skitarii gunfire
71-85 10 86-00 10 easily enough. If they flee far enough, months may pass,
HALF 7 FULL14 CHARGE21 RUN 42 THREAT 18 even years, long enough that the terror of the initial
engagement is all but forgotten. All the while the Skitarii
Power Sword Class Melee
Rangers march in silent, unstoppable lockstep through
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+9 (E) trenches and ruins, their noose closing a little tighter with
PEN5 Clip — RLD — Wt . 3kg AVLVR every passing night. Just when the quarry assumes itself
SPECIAL: BALANCED, POWERFIELD safe, a constellation of blue will-o-the-wisps appears on the
horizon. Almost imperceptibly it grows closer and closer,
Stubcarbine Class Basic
then the darkness lights up with blazing gunfire. The Skitarii,
RNG 80m ROF S/2/4 DMG 1d10+4 (I) for whom the engagement never ended, close in again and
PEN 2 Clip 40 RLD Full Wt . 3kg AVL RA again until the deed is done.
SPECIAL: RELIABLE

Skitarii Rangers (Elite)

12
Skills: Acrobatics (Ag) +20, Athletics (Str) +10, Awareness
H 4
(Per) +10, Common Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus, Tech, War) WS BS S

(Int) +10, Dodge (Ag) +10, Intimidate (Str) +20, Linguistics 01-10 9 38 44 40
(Techna-Lingua) (Int), Logic (Int), Navigate (Surface) (Int) 4 4
Ar Al T Ag Int
+10, Parry (WS) +10, Scholastic Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus, 11-20 9 21-30 9 42 42 32
War) (Int), Scrutiny (Per), Security (Int), Stealth (Ag) +10, 4
B Per Wp Fel
Tech-Use (Int), Trade (Technomat) (Int) 31-70 9 44 40 20
Talents: Ambidextrous, Assassin Strike, Catfall, Constant
4 4 Inf
Vigilance (Perception), Hard Target, Hip Shooting, Jaded, Lr Ll
—
Leap Up, Nowhere to Hide, Precision Killer (Melee), 71-85 9 86-00 9
Resistance (Fear), Slaughtersprint, Sprint, Swift Attack,
HALF 4 FULL 8 CHARGE12 RUN 24 THREAT 12
Takedown, Technical Knock, Unarmed Specialist
Traits: Mechanicus Implants, Doctrina Imperatives, Dark Galvanic Rifle Class Basic
Sight, Machine (2), Size (5) (Hulking), Heart of Steel RNG 150m ROF S/2/- DMG 1d10+6 (I)
Gear: Good Craftsmanship Sicarian Battle Armor, Good PEN6 Clip 32 RLD Full Wt . 3kg AVL VR
Craftsmanship Integrated Micro-Bead, Good Craftsmanship
SPECIAL: RELIABLE
Stubcarbine with 3 clips and Power Sword or Good
Craftsmanship Flechette Blaster with 3 Clips and Good
Craftsmanship Taser Goad
Skills: Acrobatics (Ag) +10, Athletics (Str) +10, Awareness
Cybernetics: Augur Dome, Dunestrider Leg
(Per) +10, Common Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus, Tech, War)
Neurostatic Aura: Enemies within 15 meters of the Sicarian
(Int) +10, Dodge (Ag) +10, Linguistics (Techna-Lingua) (Int),
Infiltrator suffer a penalty of -10 to their Weapon Skill,
Logic (Int), Navigate (Surface) (Int) +10, Operate (Surface)
Ballistic Skill, Agility, and Willpower. Allies do not suffer this
(Ag), Scholastic Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus, War) (Int),
penalty, as they are given the appropriate null codes.
Scrutiny (Per), Security (Int), Survival (Per) +10, Tech-Use
Infiltration Interference: Enemies suffer a penalty equal to
(Int), Trade (Technomat) (Int)
5x the Sicarian Infiltrator’s Intelligence Bonus when making
Talents: Ambidextrous, Constant Vigilance (Perception), Hip
an opposed Awareness test against the Sicarian Infiltrator’s
Shooting, Jaded, Keen Intuition, Nowhere to Hide, Precision
Stealth test.
Killer (Ranged), Resistance (Fear), Sprint, Technical Knock
Traits: Mechanicus Implants, Doctrina Imperatives, Dark
Sight, Machine (1), Heart of Steel
Equipment: Good Craftsmanship Skitarii Warplate, Good
Craftsmanship Integrated Micro-Bead, Good Craftsmanship
Galvanic Rifle with 4 Magazines
Master Of Ruin: When the Skitarius Ranger successfully
hits an enemy with a ranged attack, he may count the value

86 The Mandragora Apocrypha

of the cover the enemy is cowering in as 4 lower, provided Talents: Ambidextrous, Constant Vigilance (Perception), Die
the Skitarius Ranger used at least one Aim action for the Hard, Double Team, Hip Shooting, Iron Jaw, Jaded,
attack. Resistance (Radiation (3), Fear), Target Selection, Technical
Knock
Skitarii Vanguard Traits: Mechanicus Implants, Doctrina Imperatives, Dark
Sight, Machine (1), Heart of Steel
The Skitarii Vanguard, known informally as the rad-
Gear: Good Craftsmanship Skitarii Warplate, Good
troopers, bring the baleful touch of the Tech-Priests to the far
corners of the galaxy. They fight in the most inhospitable Craftsmanship Integrated Micro-Bead, Good Craftsmanship
conditions possible, for over the many civil wars waged by Radium Carbine with 4 Magazines, Good Craftsmanship
the Cult Mechanicus, the vanguard have learned not only to Shock Maul
endure baleful energies, but to weaponize them. Such a high Cybernetics: Rad Furnace
volume of radiation leads outwards from the Skitarii Rad Scourge: Upon successfully killing a target with a
Vanguard’s wargear that even to stand nearby is to slowly weapon from the Rad group, allies and enemies within1
become weakened and fatigued; for non-Skitarii to be meter of the target’s body must make a Challenging (+0)
stationed in the same barracks is a long-term death Toughness test every round, or suffer the effects of the Rad-
sentence. The Vanguard themselves are theoretically safe Phage Quality. Only bearers of the Rad Saturation talent, or
within their cybernetic frames and warplate, but it is not a Rad Furnace cybernetic implant, are immune to this effect.
unheard of for these warriors to bear the scars of radiation Rad Saturation: Enemies in the same melee as the
Skitarius Vanguard suffer -1 to their base Toughness Bonus.
poisoning on the rare occasions they doff their helmets.
This ability stacks with the effects of a Rad Furnace.
Though Vanguard trooper’s signature rad-carbines slowly
kill their wielders, their effect upon those struck by their
shards is a hundred times worse. Should enough hyper- Creation of
irradiated ammunition penetrate its target, the secondary
effects of the rad-volley become amplified to the point where a Skitarii
not even a Tyranid could possibly survive. Due to the nature The Skitarii seek to grow ever closer to the Machine God by
of their equipment, the Skitarii Vanguard are often fielded augmenting their bodies with inviolate metal. Each new wound
is a chance for bionic revelation. Such is their fanaticism that
across the most hostile environments the galaxy can offer.
even healthy organs and body parts are cut away and
replaced. To face a Skitarii Legion is to fight against warriors
that are less than human, and yet far more deadly. As with so
Skitarii Vanguard (Elite)
14 much of the Cult Mechanicus' business, the truths of the
Skitarii's creation are kept a close secret. Most Skitarii are
H 4
WS BS S born into the service of the Mechanicus either as natural-born
01-10 10 40 42 43 human Menials of the Cult Mechanicus who are
4 4 cybernetically-enhanced specifically to serve as Skitarii or they
Ar Al T Ag Int
are genetically-engineered clones or vat-born humans who
11-20 10 21-30 10 47 38 32 are cybernetically enhanced from the moment of their
4
B Per Wp Fel accelerated "birth," much like certain types of Servitors.
31-70 10 40 40 16 Others are repurposed from mind-wiped convicts or warriors
handed over as punishment for failure or desertion. Unlike
4 4 Inf
Lr Ll those cybernetic Menials, most vat-born Skitarii are allowed to
—
71-85 10 86-00 10 retain at least a modicum of their higher brain functions so that
they can follow the more complex orders often given on the
HALF 3 FULL6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 14 battlefield. Regardless of origin, all find a fanatical faith in the
Omnissiah soon after their inception. It is then that their true
Radium Carbine Class Basic
transformation begins.
RNG 60m ROF S/3/- DMG 1d10+2 (E) Without exception the Skitarii have pallid bodies of
PEN2 Clip 36 RLD Full Wt . 4kg AVL VR puckered flesh and sutured cybernetics. Ceramic valves and
adamantium sockets stud hard knots of pallid, translucent
SPECIAL: RELIABLE, RAD-CLEANSE
muscle. Even the brains of these warriors are grotesque
hybrids of grey matter and twisting neurocircuitry. The most
Shock Maul Class Melee
blessed pass a point called the Crux Mechanicus, their body
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+3 (I) more machine than flesh. Those that reach this stage of
PEN 0 Clip — RLD — Wt . 2.5kg AVL SC mechamorphosis are known as Skitarii Alphas. Some go on to
attain the rank of Alpha Primus -- overseers who can operate
SPECIAL: SHOCING
independently for standard years if necessary, as solid and
reliable as the titanium that replaces their flesh. One who
looked for consistency in Skitarii augmentations would be
Skills: Athletics (Str) +10, Awareness (Per) +10, Common sorely disappointed. A soldier of the Mechanicus may have a
Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus, Tech, War) (Int) +10, Dodge punchcard skullslot and leather bellows for lungs, whilst at the
(Ag) +10, Linguistics (Techna-Lingua) (Int), Logic (Int), same time housing quantum bioware in his brain. It is often
Navigate (Surface) (Int) +10, Operate (Surface) (Ag), Parry said that were one of these enhanced warriors to be rendered
(WS) +10, Scholastic Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus, War) (Int), down, traces of nearly every element known to man could be
found somewhere in the remains. The Tech-priests know
Scrutiny (Per), Security (Int), Tech-Use (Int), Trade
this to be no exaggeration, for dissection is but one
(Technomat) (Int)
of the dark fates a Skitarius might undergo in
order to satisfy his masters'
predatory curiosity.

The Mandragora Apocrypha 87

 Servitoria
Cyber Altered Task Unit (Minion)
12
Servitors are automatons or robots whose basic control H 2
WS BS S
components are organic and most often human in origin. 01-10 5 05 — 10
The process of creating a servitor purges the higher brain 2 2
Ar Al T Ag Int
functions and psychic pattern of the subject thus destroying
the personality and will, rendering it a blank slate to be
11-20 5 21-30 5 25 40 40
2
B Per Wp Fel
programmed. Servitors can vary very widely in form and 31-70 5 40 10 05
function, from crude but powerful industrial models, to the
faceless mass of basic labor drones, to gilded and unique 2 2 Inf
Lr Ll
—
creations built to serve the needs of the wealthy and 71-85 5 86-00 5
powerful.
HALF 3 FULL6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 1
Cargo Servitor Manipulator Claw Class Melee
One of the most common sights across the Imperium's RNG — R OF — DMG 1d5-2 (I)
myriad orbital stations and void ships, the ubiquitous cargo PEN 0 Clip — RLD — Wt . 2kg AVL —
servitor shuffles across metal decks under the supervision of
SPECIAL: NONE
their tenders.

Cargo Servitor (Troop) Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Dodge (Ag), Security (Ag) +10,
15 Stealth (Ag) +10, Tech-Use (Int) +10
H 4
WS BS S Talents: Binary Chatter, Data Thief†, Conditioned Intellect
01-10 8 20 10 50 Traits: Dark Sight, Machine (3), Size (3) (Scrawny),
4 4 Unnatural Intelligence (4), Unnatural Perception (4)
Ar Al T Ag Int
Gear: Auspex, Long-Ranged Vox-Thief, Electro Grafts,
11-20 8 21-30 8 40 20 10 Integral micro-bead, MIU Interface Port
4
B Per Wp Fel
Data Thief: The C.A.T.'s primary purpose is to gather and
31-70 8 20 30 05 store information, and it is remarkably adept at breaking into
Lr 4
Ll 4 Inf computer systems, even ones not of human design, and
—
71-85 8 86-00 8 raiding them for information. By making a Security Test as a
Full Action, a C.A.T. can log into any computer system, and
HALF 2 FULL4 CHARGE6 RUN 12 THREAT 8 then spend several minutes downloading everything
Loader Arms Class Melee available within. The GM should determine how difficult it
would be to break into the system (the more alien the
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d5 (I)
computer system, the harder the Test would be); once the
PEN 0 Clip — RLD — Wt . 12kg AVL PL system has been cracked, the C.A.T. needs to spend one
SPECIAL: TEARING full minute per level of Difficulty downloading (for example, a
Hard (–30) Security Test means would take 3 minutes to
fully download the data).
Skills: None
Talents: None Combat Servitor
Traits: Machine (4), Unnatural Strength (2)
Utterly loyal and tireless, servitors make excellent
Gear: Internal Micro-bead
warriors. Combat servitors are bestowed with remorseless
kill-patterns and combat-routines, and implanted with deadly
C.A.T. (Cyber Altered Task) Unit weaponry. They often accompany senior Tech-Priests and
A wondrous invention that stretches back into the earliest guard Mechanicum domains in the hive. Blasphemous
days of Mankind’s exploration of space, the Cyber Altered hereteks who have abandoned the Omnissiah’s true path
purpose built to infiltrate derelict space ships, enemy also utilize them, fitting them with unsanctioned technologies
installations, and space hulks. C.A.T.s generate complete and programming.
layouts they have been sent into, ascertain the presence of
hostiles and other life forms, and then, most ingenious of all,
tap into any local computer or cogitator system in order to
download every single shred of data before recovery. Small
and unassuming, they are often ignored by enemy forces,
able to skulk about gathering data without alerting anyone to
its presence. Many areas of the Imperium utilize these
rugged machines, from Chartist Captains and Explorator
Fleets, to Adeptus Astartes.

88 The Mandragora Apocrypha

 Combat Servitor (Troop) Excruciator Servitor (Troop)
10 10
H 6 H 6
WS BS S WS BS S
01-10 10 35 30 40 01-10 10 25 — 40
6 6 6 6
Ar Al T Ag Int Ar Al T Ag Int
11-20 10 21-30 10 40 25 15 11-20 10 21-30 10 50 20 20
6 6
B Per Wp Fel B Per Wp Fel
31-70 10 20 20 05 31-70 10 20 30 —
6 6 Inf 6 6 Inf
Lr Ll Lr Ll
— —
71-85 10 86-00 10 71-85 10 86-00 10
HALF 2 FULL4 CHARGE6 RUN 12 THREAT 8 HALF 2 FULL4 CHARGE6 RUN 12 THREAT 8
Implanted Heavy Stubber Class Heavy Excruciatus Array Class Melee
RNG 100m ROF -/-/8 DMG 1d10+4 (I) RNG — R OF — DMG 1d5+8 (R)
PEN 3 Clip 400 RLD2 Full Wt . 30kg AVL RA PEN 2 Clip — RLD— Wt . — AVL ER
SPECIAL: RELIABLE SPECIAL: TEARING, TOXIC

Implanted Chainaxe Class Melee Implanted Chainaxe Class Melee

RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+10 (R) RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+10 (R)
PEN 2 Clip — RLD — Wt . 13kg AVL SC PEN 2 Clip — RLD — Wt . 13kg AVL SC
SPECIAL: TEARING SPECIAL: TEARING

Skills: Parry (WS) +10
Talents: Crushing Blow
Traits: Auto-stabilized, Dark-sight, Machine (4), Mind Lock,
Unnatural Strength (2), Unnatural Toughness (2)
Gear: Backpack ammo supply (already included in weapon
profile), cybernetic physiology, integral micro-bead
Excruciator Servitor
These specialized constructs serve as aides to the
dreaded Magos Interrogus. Each Excruciator Servitor is able
to monitor prisoner vital signs, as well as assist in any
necessary triage. These automatons also wield fiendish
modifications called Excruciator Arrays, ghastly devices
capable of inflicting all manner of pain and torture on their
victims. Tirelessly, they serve the Magos Interrogus in their
grisly work, heedless to cries of pain and pleas for mercy.
Janus Simulacra
These human-form Servitors are advanced
indeed, often containing only the barest minimum of
living tissue. They skirt the edge of the direst techno-
heresy with their Cogitator-assisted cortex functions and
seeming parody of human responses. Playthings of the
most fantastically wealthy, Simulacra are often fashioned
in the shape of gilded works of art—human-sized dolls
come to life or seemingly animate statuary. But beneath
their resplendent finery lives a clockwork heart and
hydraulic-fed piston limbs slaved to a harvested, living
cortex and spliced-in nerve ganglia. Despite the wonder
and sophistication of these creations, only the most
depraved or foolhardy would attempt the sin of passing
one as human or aping sentience too closely, for to do so
would provoke the unbridled wrath of the Cult
Mechanicus, and entire worlds have burned
for this transgression in the past.
Skills: Interrogation (S) +20, Medicae (Int) +20
Talents: Superior Chirurgeon
Traits: Improved Natural Weapons, Machine (4)
Gear: Integral Micro-Bead
Excruciatus Array: This specialized implant includes a host
of horrific interrogation tools, all grafted directly onto the
servitor’s arms. Normally applied with surgical precision to a
victim’s unwilling flesh, these tools can also be used as
debilitating weapons should the need arise. When using an
Excruciatus Array in combat, any Wound that deals at least
one point of Damage, after taking into account Armor and
Toughness Bonuses, causes the target to suffer Blood Loss.
Kataphron Breacher
Kataphron Breachers are battle servitors many times the
size and power of those used by the rest of the Imperium.
Utterly deadly at close quarters, they are not born so much
as constructed, their every enhancement geared for
maximum lethality. They are easily recognized by their
growling motive units, vicious hydraulic pincers and deadly
shoulder-mounted cannons. Yet the most vital component of
all is within – the soul of a violent man.
In battle Kataphron Breachers rumble forward at the
command of their Tech-Priest masters, fulfilling the role of
living shield and battering ram alike. Originally devised to
break apart enemy battle lines and fortifications, they are of
great use to those adepts who wish to seize a valuable
artifact from the clutches of would-be usurpers.
As they near the front line the volleys leveled by the foe
thunder around the Breachers to little effect; the thick
overlapping plates that cover the flesh-parts of the battle
servitors make them all but invulnerable to small arms fire.
Once their proximity bells chime, Breachers return fire with
helical blasts of energy from heavy arc rifles or the twisting,
ripping fields of torsion cannons. Whilst the foe scatters in

The Mandragora Apocrypha 89

 disarray the Breachers accelerate, crashing into enemy lines Kataphron Destroyer
to crush and kill with piston-driven talons and coruscating arc
The cyborgized horrors known as Kataphron Destroyers
claws.
exist only to kill. There is perhaps no purer calling in all the
galaxy than that of the living weapon, especially one
unsullied by the responsibility of morality, or even thought.
Kataphron Breacher (Elite)
20 All servitors are ultimately tools wielded by the hand of
10 another, and the Kataphrons are no exception. When such a
H WS BS S
01-10 18 battle servitor is controlled by an adept of the Machine God,
30 30 50 they become destruction incarnate.
Ar 10 Al 10 T Ag Int
Where the standard Kataphron Breacher has at least one
11-20 18 21-30 18 50 30 10 claw-like arm, the Destroyer has both its upper limbs
10
B Per Wp Fel replaced by high-yield weaponry. On one side it mounts a
31-70 18 20 30 05 cannon of advanced design, ranging from the heavy
10 10 Inf phosphor blaster – a weapon that fires white-hot spheres
Lr Ll
— that cling, burning, to the target – to the plasma culverin, a
71-85 18 86-00 18
cannon so volatile the servitor’s own flesh crisps and burns
HALF 5 FULL10 CHARGE15 RUN - THREAT 15 even as his targets are reduced to molten sludge. Perhaps
Heavy Arc Rifle most feared of all the Destroyer’s tools is the heavy grav-
Class Heavy
cannon, a weapon that can flatten even the wraithbone
RNG 250m ROF S/2/- DMG 2d10+12 (E) ghost-constructs of the Eldar in a single crushing second.
PEN 4 Clip 30 RLD3 Full Wt . 48kg AVL VR Their potential for dealing death does not end there, for on
SPECIAL: RELIABLE the other side of their torso Destroyers bear secondary
weapon systems that can hurl nearby enemies back with
Arc Claw Class Melee
roaring gouts of flame and streams of phosphor shot. Those
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+16 (E) that somehow survive this blistering array of firepower would
PEN 4 Clip — RLD — Wt . 13kg AVL RA do well to flee quickly, lest they be ground into the dirt under
SPECIAL: POWERFIELD, HAYWIRE the Destroyers’ heavy tracks.

Hydraulic Claw Class Melee

R OF — Kataphron Destroyer (Elite) 20
RNG — DMG 1d10+20 (I)
PEN 0 Clip — RLD — Wt . 37kg AVL SC H 10 WS BS S
SPECIAL: UNWIELDY 01-10 16 30 30 50
Ar 10 Al 10 T Ag Int
11-20 16 21-30 16 50 30 10
Skills: Awareness 10
B Per Wp Fel
Talents: None 31-70 16
†
Traits: Auto-Stabilized, Heavy Battle Servitor , Machine (8),
20 30 05
10 10 Inf
Size (6) (Enormous), Sturdy, Unnatural Strength (5), Lr Ll
—
Unnatural Toughness (5) 71-85 16 86-00 16
Gear: Heavy Arc Rifle or Torsion Cannon, Arc Claw or
Hydraulic Claw, Integral Micro-Bead HALF 5 FULL10 CHARGE15 RUN - THREAT 15
†
Heavy Battle Servitor: The Servitor may not perform the Plasma Culverin Class Heavy
Run action, but heavy tracks increase its base movement ROF S/2/- DMG 2d10+12 (E)
RNG 100m
speed by 2. If the Servitor has two ranged weapons, it may
PEN 10 Clip 16 RLD5 Full Wt . 28kg AVL ER
fire them with the Two Weapon Wielder Talent.
Hydraulic Claw: The hydraulic claws of Kataphron SPECIAL: OVERHEATS, MAXIMAL, BLAST (1)
Breachers are driven not only by powerful pistons, but also Heavy Grav Cannon Class Heavy
sanctified oils that are collected, drip by drip, from God-
RNG 150m ROF S/3/6 DMG 1d10+12 (I)
Machines at rest. The Tech-Priests’ belief is that in
maintaining this process, they confer some of the Titan’s PEN 10 Clip 30 RLD 6 Full Wt . 43kg AVL UN
strength to their servitors. One who has witnessed the ruin SPECIAL: CONCUSSIVE (4), GRAVITON
wrought by a hydraulic claw will be hard pressed to refute it.
When a Kataphron Breacher makes an All Out Attack with a Heavy Phosphor Blaster Class Heavy
Hydraulic Claw, the servitor doubles it's Strength Bonus, and RNG 120m ROF S/3/- DMG 1d10+8 (E)
resolves the attack at Pen 12. PEN 5 Clip 5 RLD 2 Full Wt . 12kg AVL ER
SPECIAL: RELIABLE, LUMINAGEN

90 The Mandragora Apocrypha

Skills: Awareness.
Talents: Ambidextrous, Two Weapon Wielder. Medicae Servitor (Troop)
† 10
Traits: Auto-Stabilized, Heavy Battle Servitor , Machine (6),
H 4
Size (6) (Enormous), Sturdy, Unnatural Strength (5), WS BS S

Unnatural Toughness (5) 01-10 5 20 10 45

Gear: Plasma Culverin or Heavy Grav Cannon, Heavy Ar 4 Al 4 T Ag Int
Phosphor Blaster or Cognis Flamer, Internal Micro-Bead
†
11-20 5 21-30 5 40 45 45
Heavy Battle Servitor: The Servitor may not perform the 4
B Per Wp Fel
Run action, but heavy tracks increase its base movement 31-70 5 35 15 05
speed by 2. If the Servitor has two ranged weapons, it may
14 4 Inf
fire them with the Two Weapon Wielder Talent. Lr Ll
—
71-85 5 86-00 5
Gun Servitor HALF 4 FULL8 CHARGE12 RUN 24 THREAT 2
Gun servitors are military-grade units equipped with
Medicae Tools Class Melee
enhanced sensors, programmed with targeting cants and
fitted with heavy weaponry. RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+4 (R)
PEN 2 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL—
SPECIAL: TOXIC
Gun Servitor (Troop) 10
H 6
WS BS S
Skills: Awareness (Per), Medicae (Int) +30
01-10 12 15 30 50 Talents: Superior Chirurgeon, Mechadendrite Use
6 6
Ar Al T Ag Int (Medicae)
11-20 12 21-30 12 40 15 10 Traits: Dark Sight, Machine (1), Natural Weapons (Medicae
6
B Per Wp Fel Tools), Toxic
31-70 12 20 30 05 Gear: Integral micro-bead, medicae tools, 3 doses of De-
Inf
Tox, 3 doses of Stimm
6 6
Lr Ll Cybernetics: Medicae Mechadendrite
—
71-85 12 86-00 12
HALF 1 FULL2 CHARGE3 RUN 6 THREAT 8 Murder Servitor
Twin-linked Autoguns Class Heavy Commonly used aboard starships to supplement boarding
parties and raiding forces, murder servitors are ghoulish,
RNG 90m ROF -/4/20 DMG 1d10+4 (I)
skull-masked killing machines. The murder servitor is a
PEN 0 Clip 300 RLD Full Wt . 5kg AVLCM hunched, predatory monster, driven by sadistic and
SPECIAL: TEARING, TWIN-LINKED aggressive machine spirits. Mono-talons and viscerator-
limbs allow them to tear apart most living foes, while melta-
Fist Class Melee
cutters allow them to burn through bulkheads and destroy
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+7 (R) equipment. Designed to intimidate as much as to kill, murder
PEN 0 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL — servitors are consummate hunters, stalking their prey and
SPECIAL: PRIMITIVE (8) moving with inhuman speed. If not ordered otherwise, they
spend hours hunting any living creature not programmed into
their spoor-targeters, undeterred by any obstruction and
Skills: Awareness (Per) unhindered by fear or humanity. Their nature is intended to
Talents: inspire dread, from their chrome skull-masks, to long, razor-
Traits: Auto-stabilized, Dark-sight, Machine (6), Mind Lock, sharp talons and steel weapon-limbs, to the electronic howls
Unnatural Senses (10m), Unnatural Strength (2), Unnatural and moans of their vox-boosted throats.
Toughness (2)
Gear: Backpack ammo supply (already included in weapon
profile), cybernetic physiology, integral micro-bead

Medicae Servitor
Used throughout the Mandragora Sector, the Medicae
servitor is known for its reliability and steady hands (such as
they are). Often used when true medical staff are absent, the
medicae servitor can perform numerous common
procedures, including basic cybernetic implantation.

The Mandragora Apocrypha 91

 Murder Servitor (Elite) Praetorian Servitor (Elite)
14 20
H 10 H 10
WS BS S WS BS S
01-10 19 55 22 42 01-10 17 40 40 50
Ar 10 Al 10 T Ag Int Ar 10 Al 10 T Ag Int
11-20 19 21-30 19 50 44 20 11-20 17 21-30 17 50 30 20
10 10
B Per Wp Fel B Per Wp Fel
31-70 19 40 40 02 31-70 17 30 40 05
10 10 Inf 10 10 Inf
Lr Ll Lr Ll
— —
71-85 19 86-00 19 71-85 17 86-00 17
HALF 8 FULL16 CHARGE24 RUN 48 THREAT 21 HALF 4 FULL8 CHARGE12 RUN 24 THREAT 17
Melta-Cutter Array Class Basic Plasma Gun Class Basic
RNG 5m ROF S/-/- DMG 3d10+8 (E) RNG 90m ROF S/2/- DMG 1d10+7 (E)
PEN 13 Clip 10 RLD3 Full Wt . 8kg AVLVR PEN 6 Clip 40 RLD 5 Full Wt . 18kg AVLVR
SPECIAL: INACCURATE, SCATTER, TWIN-LINKED SPECIAL: MAXIMAL, OVERHEATS

Mono-Talons Class Melee Fist Class Melee

RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+10 (R) RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+7 (R)
PEN 2 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL — PEN 0 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL —
SPECIAL: NONE SPECIAL: PRIMITIVE (8)

Viscerator Limb Class Melee

RNG — R OF —
PEN 2 Clip — RLD —
SPECIAL: TEARING, UNBALANCED
Skills: Athletics (S) +20, Acrobatics (Ag) +10, Awareness
(Per) +10, Dodge (Ag) +10, Scrutiny (Per) +10, Stealth (Ag)
+20, Survival (Int) +20
Talents: Ambidextrous, Berserk Charge, Crippling Strike,
Crushing Blow, Fearless, Frenzy, Lightning Reflexes, Step
Aside, Swift Attack, Two-Weapon Wielder (Melee).
Traits: Brutal Charge, Dark Sight, Flyer (6) (null-gravity
only), Improved Natural Weapons, Machine (9), Multiple
Arms, Natural Weapons, Unnatural Speed, Unnatural
Strength (3), Unnatural Toughness (5).
Gear: Mono-Talons, Viscerator Limb, Melta-Cutter Array,
integral micro-bead, photo-visor.
Praetorian Servitor
While the more commonly encountered basic models of
gun- and combat-servitors serve as powerful guardians and
foot soldiers, the Praetorian class represents another order
of power entirely. Massive in stature they are heavily armed
and armored, mounted on a tracked or otherwise augmented
chassis for stability and possessed of wrathful and
destructive machine-spirits.
Skills: Awareness (Per +10)
DMG 1d10+14 (R)
Talents: Two-Weapon Wielder (Ballistic)
Wt . — AVL —
Traits: Auto-Stabilized, Darksight, Fear (1), Machine (7),
Natural Weapon (servo-fist), Size (5) (Hulking),
Sturdy, Unnatural Strength (5), Unnatural Toughness (5),
Mind-Lock
Gear: Integral micro-bead, any two of the following -
Breacher, Chain Axe, Electro-Flail, Flamer, Heavy Bolter,
Heavy Stubber, Melta Gun, Missile Launcher (Frag and
Krak), Plasma Gun or Webber, as well as ammo hopper or
power cells equivalent to three clips for each weapon,
targeting system (as red dot laser sight).
Repair Servitor
These servitors perform routine maintenance and simple
repairs throughout the hive. Some serve directly under a
Tech-Priest or technomat, while others operate
autonomously under preloaded instructions. They are a
common sight, unnoticed but vital to the hive’s innumerable
mechanisms.

92 The Mandragora Apocrypha

 Repair Servitor (Troop) Security Servitor (Elite)
10 12
H 5 H 6
WS BS S WS BS S
01-10 8 25 20 40 01-10 10 40 — 40
Ar 5 Al 5 T Ag Int Ar 6
Al 6 T Ag Int
11-20 8 21-30 8 36 25 20 11-20 10 21-30 10 30 30 10
5 6
B Per Wp Fel B Per Wp Fel
31-70 8 25 20 05 31-70 10 20 40 05
5 5 Inf 6 6 Inf
Lr Ll Lr Ll
— —
71-85 8 86-00 8 71-85 10 86-00 10
HALF 2 FULL4 CHARGE6 RUN 12 THREAT 3 HALF 6 FULL12 CHARGE18 RUN 36 THREAT 13
Implanted Lascutter Class Heavy Coil-Whip Class Melee
RNG 2m ROF S/-/- DMG 2d10+16 (E) RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+13 (E)
PEN 10 Clip 5 RLD 2 Full Wt . 15kg AVLRA PEN 4 Clip — RLD — Wt . 3kg AVLVR
SPECIAL: CAN ONLY BE USED ON STATIONARY S TARGETS SPECIAL: FLEXIBLE, SHOCKING

Implanted Servo-Fist Class Melee

RNG — R OF —
PEN 0 Clip — RLD —
SPECIAL: TEARING
Skills: Tech-Use (Int)
Traits: Dark Sight, Machine (3), Mind Lock, Unnatural
Strength (2), Unnatural Toughness (2)
Gear: Cybernetic physiology, integral micro-bead, multi-tool
Security Servitor
Found mostly on research stations, as well as Explorator
vessels leaving for regions unknown, the security servitor is
an exceptionally fast and overly aggressive type of combat
servitor, programmed to track down and eliminate would-be
intruders. Tightly bundled coils of vat-grown muscle give the
servitor its incredible speed and dexterity, and its arms each
mount an integrated coil-whip, which the security servitor
tends to use in a frenzied spinning motion, pulverizing
whatever happens to be in its way. Kept dormant when not
in use, they are rightly feared by friend and foe alike.
DMG 1d10+9 (R) Skills: Athletics (S) +10, Awareness (Per) +10, Dodge (Ag)
Wt . 10kg AVL RA +10, Survival (Int) +10
Talents: Ambidextrous, Berserk Charge, Double-Team,
Fearless, Frenzy, Leap Up, Sprint, Swift Attack, Two-
Weapon Wielder (Melee)
Traits: Dark Sight, Machine (4), Programmed Instinct†,
Unnatural Agility (3), Unnatural Strength (4), Unnatural
Toughness (3)
Gear: Integral micro-bead, a pair of Coil-Whips
Programmed Instinct: Security Servitors are programmed
to defend specific areas, and often have the complete layout
of their home facility or voidship imprinted upon their internal
cogitators. Additionally, numerous patrol routes are pre-
programmed, to ensure the most efficient sweep patterns
whenever an intruder is detected. However, when used
outside of their pre-programmed element, Security Servitors
tend to get quite confused, and can sometimes attack
anyone they detect, whether they are trespassing or not. If a
Security Servitor is ever encountered outside of its natural
patrol area, it loses the Sprint Talent and always attacks the
closest target, even if that target is an ally.

Servitor Drone
Servitors are fusions of flesh and machine made from
Servitude Imperpituis culture grown organics or mind-wiped human bodies.
While many Servitors are genetically-engineered, Millions of these cyborg creations are found throughout the
vat-grown sub-human clones or replicae created by Imperium and are used to perform monotonous single
the Adeptus Mechanicus from human genomes who have functions without deviation or question. They are mind wiped
their bionic implants installed after "birth," others were once and mentally reprogrammed to be able to perform simple
truly human, usually criminals who fell afoul of Imperial Law, tasks and obey specific instructions. Often a criminal, and
particularly a person who has offended or damaged the particularly those who have offended the Cult Mechanicus,
Adeptus Mechanicus. These unfortunate criminals will be will be sentenced to Servitude Imperpituis and will be
sentenced to Servitude Imperpituis by the Arbitrators or Judges handed over to the Techpriests for modification.
of the Adeptus Arbites and will be handed over to the
Mechanicus' Tech-priests to be mind-wiped, reprogrammed,
and cybernetically-enhanced to serve some specific,
rudimentary function. Servitors are generally mindless, semi-
organic robots, possessing only the most basic of instincts,
though some are fully capable of speech if such functions and
knowledge are programmed into them. Their brains are
programmed to perform only the task they were designed for,
whether that be maintenance, construction, or even warfare.
The altered and fragmented brain of a Servitor functions poorly
unless constantly supervised. Most will eventually go into a
state of mindlock, babbling incoherent nonsense as the
The Mandragora Apocrypha 93
Servitor tries to assert some form of control over its functions.
 Skills: Awareness (Per), Dodge (Ag), Tech Use (Int)
Servitor Drone (Troop) Talents: None
10 †
Traits: Auto-Stabilized, Hover (6), Servo-Automata Support ,
H 5
WS BS S Machine (4), Unnatural Strength (4), Unnatural Toughness
01-10 8 25 20 35 (5)
Ar 5 Al 5 T Ag Int Gear: Integral micro-bead, servo-arm, Maxim Bolter or
11-20 8 21-30 8 35 25 15 Flamer
†
5 Servo-Automata Support: If the Servo-Automata is within
B Per Wp Fel
31-70 8 20 20 05 1 meter of its owner, it grants a +10 to Tech Use tests when
repairing Vehicles and Battle Automata.
5 5 Inf
Lr Ll
—
71-85 8 86-00 8 Vigilies Servitor
HALF 4 FULL8 CHARGE12 RUN 24 THREAT 17 The Vigilies Servitor is uniquely equipped to destroy foes
who would twist the sacred complexity of the machine
Plasma Gun Class Basic
towards their own corrupt purpose. Each is a fast and deadly
RNG 90m ROF S/2/- DMG 1d10+7 (E) adversary, with vat grown muscular enhancements, servo-
PEN 6 Clip 40 RLD 5 Full Wt . 18kg AVLVR muscular fibres, mechanical augmentations, and advanced
SPECIAL: MAXIMAL, OVERHEATS combat protocols for a variety of threats. Highly proficient in
both ranged and melee combat, these elite guardians are
Fist Class Melee the physical embodiment of the Machine Cult’s wrath.
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+7 (R)
PEN 0 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL —
SPECIAL: PRIMITIVE (8) Vigilies Servitor (Minion) 16
H 10
WS BS S

Skills: Athletics (S) +10

01-10 14 45 42 45
Talents: Iron Jaw Ar 10 Al 10 T Ag Int
Traits: Dark Sight, Machine (3), Mind Lock, Unnatural 11-20 14 21-30 14 45 40 20
Strength (2), Unnatural Toughness (2) 10
B Per Wp Fel
Gear: Cybernetic physiology, integral micro-bead 31-70 14 35 44 05
Lr 10
Ll 10 0 Inf
Servo-Automata —
71-85 14 86-00 14
Servo-Automata are a type of logistical robot used by the
Imperium. Unlike Servitors, these servants are mechanical HALF 5 FULL10 CHARGE15 RUN 30 THREAT 12
rather than biological in origin. They are equipped with
Power Lance Class Melee
Servo-arms and frequently accompany Enginseers.
RNG 10m R OF — DMG 1d10+14 (E)
PEN 6 Clip — RLD — Wt . 8g AVLER
Servo-Automata (Minion)
10 SPECIAL: POWERFIELD

H 10
WS BS S
Servo-Fist Class Melee
01-10 14 30 30 40 RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+10 (I)
Ar 10 Al 10 T Ag Int PEN 0 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL —
11-20 14 21-30 14 50 30 10 SPECIAL: NONE
10
B Per Wp Fel
31-70 14 20 30 05 Adamantine Sunder Shield Class Melee
10 Inf RNG — R OF — DMG 1d5+14 (I)
Lr Ll 10
— Clip — RLD — Wt . —
71-85 14 86-00 14 PEN 2 AVL VR
SPECIAL: DEFENSIVE, POWERFIELD
HALF 6 FULL12 CHARGE18 RUN 36 THREAT 9
Maxim Bolter Class Basic Integrated Catalytic Mass Driver Class Basic
RNG 30m ROF -/-/5 DMG 1d10+5 (X) RNG 120m ROF S/-/5 DMG 1d10 (R)
PEN 4 Clip 25 RLD 2 Full Wt . 6kg AVLER PEN 12 Clip — RLD — Wt . 7kg AVL VR
SPECIAL: TEARING SPECIAL: INTEGRATED

Flamer Class Basic

Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Dodge (Ag), Scrutiny (Per)
RNG 20m ROF S/-/- DMG 1d10+4 (E) +10, Survival (Int) +20
PEN 2 Clip 6 RLD 2 Full Wt . 6kg AVL SC Talents: Counter-Attack, Crushing Blow, Fearless,
SPECIAL: FLAME, SPRAY Independent Targeting, Swift Attack, Resistance (Fear,

94 The Mandragora Apocrypha

 Psychic Powers), Two Weapon Wielder (Ballistic), True Grit
Traits: Automated Threat Protocols, Dark Sight, Fear (1),
Improved Natural Weapons, Machine (8), Mechanicus
Implants, Multiple Arms (4), Size (5) (Hulking), Sturdy,
Unnatural Strength (4), Unnatural Toughness (4)
Gear: Power Lance or 2 Servo-Fists, Sunder Shield,
Integrated Catalytic Mass Driver, Integrated Grenade
Launcher with Fire Selector for Haywire Grenades, 2 Drums
of Haywire and Krak Grenades
Cybernetics: Auger Arrays, Cerebral Plugs, Micro-Bead,
Photo-Visor.
Automated Threat Protocols: All Vigilies Servitors utilize
detailed combat and tactical analysis, and response
protocols for a variety of situations. The downside is that,
while highly efficient and very effective, the programming is
specific to a fault, often placing the warrior at a disadvantage
when dealing simultaneously with varied opponents. As a
reaction, the Vigilies Servitor can nominate a single target in
combat. The Vigilies Servitor then gains +10 to all WS and
BS Tests against that target until the end of his next turn.
Warden Murder Servitor
The Adeptus Mechanicus maintain many facilities where
those who have committed offences against the Omnissiah
find absolution as one of the skull-masked killing machines
known as Murder Servitors. The Warden-Pattern, adapted
for use within the confines of a remote prison complex, is
unique in that it utilizes a powerful solvent weapon, capable
of stripping away organic matter without harming a station’s
many vital systems. Though some of these twisted fiends
prowl other Mechanicus holdings, most remain on prison
facilities to form a deadly line of defence against potential
prison breaks and trespassers within the facility. Brandishing
gleaming monotalons and deadly Viscerator-limbs, they
ceaselessly stalk their designated domains, relentlessly
searching for any signs of life. After locating prey, they attack
in a savage orgy of rending and slashing, sadistically
reducing their quarry to bloody tatters.
Warden Murder Servitor (Elite)
14
H 10
WS BS S

However, the Vigilies Servitor also takes a –10 penalty to all 01-10 13 55 36 42
WS and BS Tests against any other opponents until the end Ar 10 Al 10 T Ag Int
of his next turn. 11-20 13 21-30 13 50 44 20
10
B Per Wp Fel
31-70 13 40 40 —

Lr 10
Ll 10 0 Inf
—
71-85 13 86-00 13
HALF 8 FULL16 CHARGE24 RUN 48 THREAT 18
Mono Talons Class Melee
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+10 (R)
PEN 2 Clip — RLD — Wt . 1kg AVL—
SPECIAL: RAZOR SHARP

Viscerator-Limb Class Melee

The Folly of Menk RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+14 (R)

PEN 2 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL —
Menk of forge Synth-Tertius was a renegade tech-
priest from Forgeworld Hepheron. Growing increasingly irate SPECIAL: TEARING, UNBALANCED
at the slow, ponderous churning of the Mechanicus to adapt
his theorems and apply them in practical applications, Menk Bio-Solvent Jet Class Basic
absconded with an Imperial Baneblade and attempted to force RNG 15m ROF S/-/- DMG 1d10+4 (E)
his peers into compliance by threat of annihilation. Menk's PEN 2 Clip 8 RLD 2 Full Wt . — AVL —
actions did not result in much, but the corruption he inflicted on SPECIAL: SPRAY, TOXIC
the Machine Spirit of the Baneblade outlived his short term
infamy. Once recovered, the Machine Spirit turned rampant,
rebelling against the Mechanicus and infecting the forges of Skills: Athletics (S) +20, Acrobatics (Ag) +10, Awareness
Hepheron with schismatical virus', turning the forge world (Per) +10, Dodge (Ag) +10, Scrutiny (Per) +10, Stealth (Ag)
against itself. Servitors, Cyber-Occularis, and their own +20, Survival (Int) +20
implants and cybernetics turned against them, the Archmagi of Talents: Ambidextrous, Berserk Charge, Crippling Strike,
Hepheron were only able to prevent a total disaster due to Crushing Blow, Frenzy, Sprint, Step Aside, Swift Attack, Two
their own unorthodox hierarchy - the lesser tech priests and Weapon Wielder (Melee).
lower orders left in charge of operations of the forges and the Traits: Brutal Charge, Dark Sight, Improved Natural
most senior - and augmented - archmagi secluded in isolation Weapons, Machine (3), Multiple Arms, Unnatural Speed,
across the planet. Due to this irregularity, the schismatical Unnatural Strength (4), Unnatural Toughness (4)
outbreak was eventually contained and rectified. Were such a Gear: Integral Micro-bead, photo-visor, mono-talons,
disaster to occur on Heraion, Shaehol or Trilia, the outcome viscerator-limb, Bio-solvent jet
would have been definitely worse - and possibly cataclysmic to
the sector as a whole. Many on Hepheron saw this moment as
an approval of the Omnissiah's guiding wisdom, and the a
reinforcement in the sub-culture developed on the most
irregular forge world.

The Mandragora Apocrypha 95

 Familiars
Familiars are artificial creatures and constructs that
slavishly follow and attend to their master. These are
restricted to creatures smaller than an adult human (anything
else would class as a servitor), and by their nature cleave to
a single master unless instructed otherwise. Mostly, familiars
do not possess any significant degree of intelligence and are
trained or programmed to perform certain tasks on
command. Familiars are either living creatures controlled by
the mind of their master via arcane psyber neuro-implants or
are cybernetic creatures controlled by voice or coded vox-
signal command. Such slaved creatures are the strange fruit
of ancient sciences and arcane superstitions, and the
ownership and command of familiars utilize many
technologies that the Machine Cult considers sacred. A
trailing throng of bonded familiars is a sign of status both
within the Mechanicus and the Imperium at large.
Controlling Familiars
In many respects, familiars function as other creatures.
They have Characteristics, Skills, Talents, Traits and more.
However, because of their servitude to their controller, they
require special rules. Familiars are controlled by their
masters through the use of simple commands. These are
generally single words, short sentences or the equivalent,
and so giving a command is generally a Free Action. At the
GMs discretion, the familiar may have to succeed on an
Intelligence Test to interpret a contradictory or complex
order.
Should a master come under attack, the familiar
automatically moves to its master’s defense, attacking the
assailant unless it receives specific instruction (or possesses
an instinct) to the contrary. Upon completing a task, the
familiar returns to its master’s side unless it’s received prior
instructions or some other instinct applies.
Creating a Familiar
Familiars can be based on a wide number of living
creatures, bio-constructs or pure automata. The easiest way
to handle this is to create one by taking a creature and
applying one or both of the following modifications that
follow. Servo-skulls and cherubim are very particular kinds of
familiar common to the Adepta of the Imperium, and are
dealt with separately.
Cyber-Creatures
Cyber-familiars are semi-intelligent machine versions or
cybernetic adaptations of living creatures controlled by a
master, loyalty to whom is hardwired in the creature’s brain.
Some cyber familiars are created as assistants to serve
prominent adepts and the Mechanicus, or merely as
amusements for the wealthy, while others are fitted for war
with implanted weapon systems and all manner of crude but
effective augmetics.
Modifications: Any bestial creature of Scrawny Size or less
may be upgraded into a cyber-familiar and is subject to the
following changes:
 The creature gains the Machine (2) trait and +2 Wounds.
96 The Mandragora Apocrypha
 The creature’s natural attacks no longer count as
Primitive.
 Increase the creature’s Strength and Toughness
Characteristics each by +5 and decrease Agility by –5.
 Very heavily augmented cyber-creatures intended for
combat (or with little or no living tissue left), increase their
Machine trait to (3 to 5) and gain the Fearless talent. In
addition, if their creator wishes, they also lose the Bestial
trait.
The cyber-creature may also have numerous items of
equipment or weaponry implanted within their bodies just as
a human can, such as a respirator, auspex or gun. Specific
programming or systems that duplicate the effects of
pertinent Talents, Skills or Traits to use such devices can be
included by means of cortical implantation.
If a cyber-familiar ever suffers from a failure of four or
more degrees on a Willpower Test or suffers a Critical Hit to
the head, there is a 50% chance for its programming to
break down catastrophically and a debased form of its
organic mind will take over. It then goes mad, savagely and
randomly attacking everybody and everything in its path until
it is destroyed.
Berserker-Chip
Also known as “lobos” and “butcher-jobs”, these devices
are surgically imbedded in the creature’s brain. When
triggered, the chip sends it into a near uncontrollable
bloodlust and frenzy, backed by heavy doses of combat
drugs pumping into its remaining organic tissues. These
chips are activated either by a command word or signal sent
directly to the beast.
Creatures under the influence of a berserker-chip gain the
Frenzy talent (triggered instantaneously by codeword or
signal from its master). While the implant is active they also
gain temporary immunity to Characteristic Damage and
Stunning (although they will suffer the effects as normal
once the chip is shut off ). The chip is deactivated again by a
command word or signal, after which the creature takes 1d5
levels of Fatigue. Unfortunately there is a 10% chance each
time the chip is used that it fails to deactivate, leaving the
creature in an uncontrollable, frenzied state (although after a
few hours the creature dies in any case from overexertion
and shock).
Psy-Bonded Familiar
A psy-bonded (or psyber) familiar is a living creature
bonded to its master by arcane technology. Interface
circuitry in both familiar and master (called a psyber-lure)
allows the creature to be directly and precisely controlled,
with the master having access to the sensory experiences of
the creature and able to give it instantaneous commands at
great distance.
Owing to the idiosyncrasies of the little understood
technology, usually only small non-sapient creatures can
become psy-bonded. The creature must begin with both the
Bestial trait and a size of Scrawny or less.
The range at which a character can influence a psy-
bonded creature is equal to their Willpower Bonus in
kilometers, although local conditions might limit this
drastically. A creature may be given both the Cyber and Psy-
Bonded upgrades. The cost of this implant is included in the Servo-Skulls as Familiars
cost of the familiar but note that the character will need to
In most respects, a servo-skull behaves exactly like a
follow the rules for attaching implants.
voice controlled cyber-familiar. The greatest difference is
Modifications: Increase the psy-bonded creature’s
that a servo-skull has different instincts (programmed
Intelligence and Willpower Characteristics each by +5. Also,
responses) and may be given additional commands. All
the familiar gains +1 Wound.
servo-skulls hover above the ground and may remain
Special: A character with a Psy Rating of 2 or more treats
stationary for any length of time.
their Psyber-familiar as a Psy-Focus and can extend the
effects of their relevant psychic abilities to affect their
psyber-familiars by increasing the target difficulty of the
Guardian Skull
power by one degree. Designed with a somewhat reinforced structure and fitted
with a single efficient weapon system and targeting selection
Psyber-Eagle programs, guardian-skulls (also known as gun-skulls and
combat-skulls depending on their armament) are uncommon
Psyber-eagles are created as gifts from the Adeptus
but prestigious and effective bodyguard devices. Their small
Mechanicus to the grandees of the Imperium.
size, tireless vigilance, and ability to hover in the shadows
silently make them surprisingly discreet and effective
servants.
Psyber Eagle (Minion)
6
H 2
WS BS S
Guardian Skull (Minion)
01-10 2 35 — 18 5
2 2
Ar Al T Ag Int H 2
WS BS S
11-20 2 21-30 2 26 45 15 01-10 5 35 35 10
2
B Per Wp Fel
Ar 2 Al 2 T Ag Int
31-70 2 40 25 — 11-20 5 5
21-30 20 40 15
2
Lr 2 Ll 2
Inf B Per Wp Fel

71-85 2 86-00 2 — 31-70 5 35 20 —

2 2 Inf
HALF 2 FULL4 CHARGE6 RUN 12 THREAT 1 Lr Ll
—
71-85 5 86-00 5
Talons Class Melee
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10-2 (I) HALF 4 FULL8 CHARGE12 RUN 24 THREAT 1
PEN 0 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL— Unarmed Class Melee
SPECIAL: PRIMITIVE (7) RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10-2 (I)
PEN 0 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL—
SPECIAL: PRIMITIVE (7)
Skills: Awareness (Per) +20, Stealth (Ag) +10
Talents: Swift Attack
Traits: Bestial, Flier (8), Size (2) (Puny)
Skills: Awareness (Per) +20, Stealth (Ag) +10, Dodge (Ag)
+10
Servo-Skulls Talents: Fearless
Traits: Dark Sight, Flier (6), Machine (3), Programmed
Servo-skulls are human skulls (often that of a favored Instinct, Size (2) (Puny)
servant or low ranking tech-priest) that have been fitted with Combat- or Dissector-Skull: Articulated limbs tipped with
rudimentary machine-spirits, support systems as well as an mono-edged blades dangle from the combat-skull. At their
anti-grav motor to provide lift. These constructs are devoted master’s word, the combat algorithms embedded in the
to a particular task and have the basic equipment to carry skull’s circuits can be activated and it becomes a murderous
out the purpose that they have been programmed to device of whirling and slicing razor edges and mono-blades.
perform. Their advantages are their small size and The skull’s usual natural attack is replaced with one that
maneuverability, which allows them to enter otherwise inflicts 1d5+2 Damage, Pen 2. The skull may not Parry with
inaccessible spaces or hazardous areas that would its mono-blades. Occasionally, combat-skulls are fashioned
endanger their operators, as well as the ability to act as with other more potent weapons such as electro-flails and
additional “eyes and ears” for their masters. The servo-skull chain knives, but these are rarer and more costly.
is synonymous with the Adeptus Mechanicus, who regard Gun-Skull: A gun-skull is fitted with a single ranged weapon,
these creations as excellent servants and their machine- such as an auto-carbine or las carbine, although conceivably
spirits as exceptionally faithful and pure. Servo-skulls can any Pistol or compact Basic weapon could be fitted—this
also be found serving faithfully with the other Adepta and the might obviously increase the purchase cost and availability.
high-ranking elites of many hive worlds. The skull’s gun is also fitted with a red-dot laser sight.
Commands: A guardian-skull can be commanded as per a

The Mandragora Apocrypha 97

 cyber-familiar. In addition, the skull may be given the extensive programmed maps of the local area and the
following orders: like. The skull may simply carry a physical message such
 Guard: Follow and protect its master or an assigned as a scroll or dataslate, or replay a recording from an
individual. internal holo-system.
 Search and Destroy: Methodically search a given area  Illuminator: The skull is fitted with a powerful lamp pack
and terminate everything not on a predetermined list of or glow-globe, or indeed a burning brazier of coals (a
exceptions. particular favorite with the Ecclesiarchy).
 Sentry: Guard a specific location, object or patrol a given  Loud Hailer: The skull is fitted with a powerful public
area. address system, and may replay recorded messages or
Programmed Instinct: Unless the guardian-skull has been sounds, or its master may speak through it.
expressly ordered otherwise, it attacks and destroys  Medicae-Skull: The skull has a built in medi-kit and
anything that directly attacks or threatens its charge (with a medical scanner. It adds Medicae (Int) +20 to its Skills,
“tolerance level” set by its master). In addition, it defends which it will use to administer first aid at its master’s
itself with deadly force if attacked. If its master is seriously direction.
injured, it interposes itself preventing further harm at the cost  Utility: The skull is fitted with a multi-tool, and while it can
of its own destruction if needs be. perform simple programmed maintenance tasks, its real
use is via its master operating the skull remotely as an
Monotask-Skull extra pair of hands and to reach areas he could not
otherwise access.
The most common form of servo-skull encountered,
monotask-skulls are designed and equipped to offer Commands: A monotask-skull can be commanded as per a
assistance with a particular task, and most are fitted with a cyber-familiar. In addition it is programmed to perform simple
basic set of extendable manipulator pincers and whatever repetitive tasks based around its function (such as illuminate
else by way of gear their duty requires. a certain room, conduct a message to a designated location,
and so on).
Programmed Instinct: The skull will not attack or even
Monotask Skull (Minion) defend itself unless expressly ordered to do so by its master,
4 and even then it removes itself from harm’s way if damaged.
H 2
WS BS S Likewise if stymied, interfered with or damaged, a skull
01-10 3 returns to its master’s side or base of operations
35 35 10
Ar 2 Al 2 T Ag Int
11-20 3 21-30 3 20 40 15 Table 5-1: Servitors and Familiars
2
B Per Wp Fel Name Availability
31-70 3 35 20 — Cargo Servitor Common
Combat Servitor Very Rare
Inf
Lr 2 Ll 2 Kataphron Breacher Near Unique
— Kataphron Destroyer Near Unique
71-85 3 86-00 3 Gun Servitor Very Rare
Murder Servitor Extremely Rare
HALF 4 FULL8 CHARGE12 RUN 24 THREAT 1 Praetorian Servitor Near Unique
Repair Servitor Rare
Unarmed Class Melee
Servitor Drone Common
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10-2 (I) Servo-Automata Very Rare
Tech Thrall Scarce
PEN 0 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL— Psyber Eagle Very Rare
SPECIAL: PRIMITIVE (7) Guardian Servo-Skull Rare
Monotask Servo-Skull
Augur Rare
Courier Rare
Skills: Awareness (Per) +20, Stealth (Ag) +10, Dodge (Ag) Illuminator Scarce
Loud Hailer Scarce
+10 Medicae Rare
Talents: Fearless. Utility Scarce
Traits: Commands, Dark Sight, Flier 6, Machine (1), Medicae Servitor Scarce
Excruciator Servitor Extremely Rare
Programmed Instinct, Size (2) (Puny) Cyber Tasked Unit Common
Gear: The skull is fitted with a pict-relay allowing it to record Vigilies Servitor Extremely Rare
or transmit what it sees and senses to its master or a linked Warden Murder Servitor Extremely Rare
Security Servitor Rare
cogitator, as well as onboard systems allowing it to navigate
Upgrades Availability
its surroundings, identify creatures and objects, and Cyber-Creature Upgrade Scarce
faultlessly retrace their paths. A monotask-skull is also Additional Implants As per Human
specially fitted to conduct a particular simple task; some of Per Machine (+1) Rare
Fearless Rare
the most common are listed here: Cortex (Skill Implant)
†
Very Rare
†
 Auger: The skull is fitted with an auspex and vox-data Cortex (Talent Implant) Scarce
system to relay its findings. Psyber-Creature Upgrade Rare
Psyber-Lure (Implant) Rare
 Courier: This skull is used as a messenger and comes †
Only appropriate Skills and Talents can be installed in cyber creatures (any
fitted with a specialized identity scanner as well as prerequisites must also be met)

98 The Mandragora Apocrypha

Cherubim indolent creatures, often perching in high places and simply
watching until called for or set a task. Some might even
The bio-constructs known as Cherubim are of uncertain
regard them as sly, and stories flourish in noble households
origin, but they are one of the few permitted examples of
and churches of them filching small shiny objects and hiding
such bio-sculpted homunculi allowed within the Imperium.
them in the rafters.
Taking the form most commonly resembling that of
somewhat corpulent and unwholesome looking genderless
children, they are also often implanted with augmetic Nephilim
feathery wings (and a grav generator) allowing limited flight. Cherubim are without-doubt the most complex Familiar
Cherubim are not truly alive at all and their synthesized, constructs routinely created in the Imperium, but not all
bloodless and waxen flesh needs neither to eat nor sleep Cherubim are created equal. Some are more complex and
and is fed from their internal power-cell. They are controlled versatile than others. Some are Nephilim. Nephilim is a term
by an augmented cortex and nervous system usually used to describe any advanced-form of Cherubim; this could
harvested from some lesser creature such as a simian, bird, be caused by a quirk of the tissue-growth tanks, the work of
swine or felid, and implanted with a set of programmed a Master-Magos, a specially commissioned design or even
commands that allows them to perform some simple task the God-Emperor smiling upon His newly-created servant.
such as copying text, fetching and carrying small items or Whatever the reason, Nephilim function at a higher capacity
tirelessly singing the Emperor’s praises with augmetic vocal than other Cherubim.
cords. There is no consistent way to get a vat-grown Nephilim, it
Outside the rarefied noble houses and Imperial hierarchy is as much a matter of luck and skill as any work of art and
(most notably the Ecclesiarchy) where they are used, most often it may not be apparent whether a Cherub is 'advanced'
citizens view Cherubim with a degree of distaste and until it has been in service to its Master for some-time.
superstitious fear. This is not entirely without cause as it is a Nephilim is a term used almost exclusively by Adeptus-
matter of record that in rare instances Cherubim have been Biologicus Adepts and Cherubim-connoisseurs and is an
known to “devolve” allowing some corrupted and mangled abstract-label for an ideal not a class of Cherubim; even
version of their organic cortex to take over their behavior most Masters of Nephilim are unaware of the distinction or
with unpleasant consequences. terminology.
Nephilim is a high-gothic word and literally-translates as
'Half- Breed' (though it has connotations of holiness). The
Cherubim (Minion) reason for some Cherubim to be called this name is unclear
3
even to most Biologicus-Adepts. Those who do know the
H 2
WS BS S origins of the term generally keep-quiet because the truth is
01-10 3 10 10 16 less-than palatable.
Ar 2 Al 2 T Ag Int
11-20 3 21-30 3 20 28 16 True Nephilim
2
B Per Wp Fel Originally the term Nephilim applied only to a very-small
31-70 3 27 22 10 number of Cherubim who were created not from vat-tissue
Inf but from children enslaved into Servitors, hence the practice
Lr 2 Ll 2
— of referring to them as an angelic 'half-breed'. Because
71-85 3 86-00 3 Nephilim created in this way have already formed a natural
HALF 2 FULL4 CHARGE6 RUN 12 THREAT 1 neural-system that is infinitely more complex than any
created by the Adeptus-Biologicus, they tend to produce the
Balled Fist Class Melee
most advanced and capable Cherubim and eventually the
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d5-3 (I) label was corrupted to indicate any high-functioning Cherub.
PEN 0 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL— To create a True-Nephilim, the child must be below age-6,
SPECIAL: due to problems with bone-density after this age. The child is
then, for lack of better-terminology, lobotomized and
embalmed. They are fed growth-retardant chemicals and
Skills: Awareness (Per), Stealth (Ag) +10, Trade what brain is left, is thoroughly mind-scrubbed. A set of
(Performancer or Linguist) (Int) +20 wings is retrofitted to the spine, which must be severed in
Talents: None several-places before being respliced. Finally, they are
Traits: Flier (5), Machine (1), Programmed Instinct, Size (3) implanted with inhibitors, fitted with cranial-pacifiers and
(Scrawny). other bionic-equipment as required.
Commands: Cherubim can be commanded as per a The procedure is not without its problems though; there
cyberfamiliar. In addition it may be given orders to carry out have been recorded-incidents where the embalming-process
any pre-programmed tasks it understands (i.e. “lay out my has resulted in death, as the skin suffocates under the
vestments”, “copy that tract”, “hold aloft the prayer scroll”, chemical treatment. Other problems have led to persistent-
etc.) vegetative states of the brain-stem so that not even an entire
Programmed Instinct: Cherubim will not attack or engage bionic-brain replacement will work, effectively leaving the
in violence unless specifically ordered to so. They flee if child as an artificially-sustained carcass.
injured or startled, and left to their own devices they are

The Mandragora Apocrypha 99

 Legio Cybernetica
‘The soul of the Machine God surrounds thee. The power of
the Machine God invests thee. The hate of the Machine God
drives thee. The Machine God endows thee with life. Live!’
- The Litany of Ignition
The Legio Cybernetica and its automaton warriors are
ancient and blessed in the Omnissiah’s sight. When the use
of these machines is sanctioned, they will usually be
deployed en masse, organized into cohorts each consisting
of four full strength maniples.
Most Battle Automata have the following traits.
Arlatax-Class Battle Automata
A variant of the ancient Conqueror Class developed on
Xana, its design influenced the later Domitar Class. Despite
its excellent performance as a rapid-moving shock unit, it
never gained widespread acceptance in the greater
Mechanicum as it was said that it had certain components
not approved by Mars. This made repair and refit difficult for
those without a direct line to Xana. In addition, rumors
swelled that its Machine Spirit were prone to corruption.
However as the Heresy ground on, both Xana and the
loyalist Forge World Atar-Meridian used these robots.
In battle, Arlatax Class Robots were most commonly
equipped with two Arlatax Power Claws with inbuilt cannons,
a Plasma Blaster, an Arc Scourge, and Frag Grenades.

Cybernetic Resilience
Arlatax-Class Battle Automata (Elite) 45
The Battle Automata may reroll failed Toughness tests
from the Toxic quality, and is immune to the Fleshbane H 13
WS BS S
quality. However, when hit by an attack with the Haywire 01-10 21
quality, the Battle Automata must make a Challenging (+0)
45 35 65
Toughness test, or take 1d10 wounds ignoring armor and Ar 13 Al 13 T Ag Int

toughness, in addition to the normal Haywire effects.

11-20 21 21-30 21 55 45 20
13
B Per Wp Fel

Programmed Behavior
31-70 21 30 40 —
13 13 Inf
Unless within 30 meters of a Cortex Controller, the Battle Lr Ll
—
Automata must follow a programmed set of restrictions, 71-85 21 86-00 21
outlined as below.
 Methodical: The Battle Automata may not perform the HALF 6 FULL12 CHARGE18 RUN 36 THREAT 32
Run action, and must move towards the closest enemy Plasma Blaster Class Basic
unit it is able to harm. RNG 60m ROF S/2/- DMG 2d10+8 (E)
 Target Priority: The Battle Automata must fire all of its
PEN 10 Clip 6 RLD 2 Full Wt . 24kg AVLVR
weapons against the closest enemy within 30 meters with
SPECIAL: VOLATILE MAXIMAL
any of its weapons that are able to harm. If this is not the
case, it is free to select targets as normal. Arlatax Power Claws Class Melee
 Onslaught: The Battle Automata must charge the closest
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+21 (E)
enemy within 30 meters if able. The Charge attack
PEN 12 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL —
mandated by Onslaught takes precedence over ranged
attacks mandated by Fire Protocols. SPECIAL: TEARING
 Fire Protocols: The Battle Automata must fire up to three
of its weapons at the same target designated by Target
Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Dodge (Ag), Operate
Priority. These weapons may be of the Pistol, Basic,
(Personal) (Ag), Tech Use (Int)
Heavy class, or any combination of the three, and must
Talents: Fearless, Resistance (Psychic Powers), Berserk
fire at the highest rate of fire. The Automata receives no
Charge, Two Weapon Master
bonus to the Ballistic Skill from rate of fire, however. This
Traits: Auto-Stabilized, Brutal Charge, Machine (8),
combined singular “Fire Protocols Attack” is a Half Action.
Unnatural Strength (8), Unnatural Toughness (10), Size (7)
When in range of a cortex controller, the Fire Protocols
(Massive), Cybernetic Resilience, Programmed Behavior,
Attack is instead a Full Action, may benefit from bonuses to
Reactor Blast, Feel No Pain†
the Ballistic Skill from rate of fire, and the target(s) may be
Feel No Pain: The Arlatax can shrug off minor damage.
freely selected by the bearer of the Cortex Controller.
When taking damage from a weapon with Pen 8 or less, the
Arlatax may make an Arduous (-40) Toughness test. If
Reactor Blast successful, it may apply its unmodified toughness bonus
Upon reducing the Battle Automata to zero wounds, the again to the damage taken, possibly negating it entirely
Automata may make a Challenging (+0) Tech Use test. If Atomantic Shielding: The Arlatax has a protective field with
successful, the Battle Automata’s Atomantic reactor PR 35 against ranged attacks, and PR 20 when in Melee.
explodes, dealing 1d10+9 Energy damage with Pen 0 to This field does not Overload under normal circumstances.
everything (ally or enemy) within 5 meters. Gear: Jump Pack , 2 Arlatax Power Claws, Plasma Blaster,
3 frag grenades

100 The Mandragora Apocrypha

Castellax-Class Battle Automata Cybernetica Datasmith
Designed for anti-vehicle and siege work, the Castellan is Cybernetica Datasmiths are a type of specialist Tech-
an assault Robot useful for a wide range of battlefield roles. Priest that work within the Legio Cybernetica. Since the
Its twin power fists and heavy bolter give it a dangerous Horus Heresy, they directly operate Imperial Robots on the
punch, protected by a power field/synchronizer unit. It can battlefield. They constantly reprogram and direct their robotic
substitute its heavy bolter for a lascannon, melta gun or third warriors to make sure they perform as required during battle.
power fist, while the standard fists can be replaced with a
Siege Hammer, autocannons and flamer.
The most numerous pattern of Castellan Class Robot are Cybernetica Datasmith (Elite) 15
the Castellax Battle-Automata, which are designed primarily
H 4
for siege and shock assault operations and are known for a WS BS S

particularly aggressive Machine Spirit. 01-10 17 38 34 42

4 4
Ar Al T Ag Int
11-20 17 21-30 17 45 38 51
Castellax-Class Battle Automata (Elite) 4
40 B Per Wp Fel

13
31-70 17 42 49 15
H WS BS S
01-10 21 45 35 65 Lr 4
Ll 4 Inf
—
Ar 13 Al 13 T Ag Int
71-85 17 86-00 17
11-20 21 21-30 21 55 45 20 HALF 3 FULL 6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 19
13
B Per Wp Fel
31-70 21 Gamma Pistol Class Pistol
30 40 —
Inf
RNG 30m ROF S/-/- DMG 2d10+10 (E)
13 13
Lr Ll
— PEN 12 Clip 4 RLD 3 Full Wt . 1.5kg AVLNU
71-85 21 86-00 21
SPECIAL: LANCE
HALF 5 FULL10 CHARGE15 RUN 30 THREAT 32
Power Fist Class Melee
Mauler Bolt Cannon Class Heavy
RNG — R OF — DMG 2d10+8 (E)
RNG 90m ROF -/-/6 DMG 2d10+8 (X) PEN 9 Clip — RLD — Wt . 13kg AVL VR
PEN 8 Clip 60 RLD Full Wt . 32kg AVLER SPECIAL: POWERFIELD, UNWIELDY
SPECIAL: TEARING

Boltgun Class Basic

Skills: Common Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus) (Int) +10,
RNG 90m ROF S/3/- DMG 1d10+5 (X) Forbidden Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus, Archeotech) (Int) +30,
PEN 4 Clip 24 RLD Full Wt . 7kg AVL VR Intimidate (S) +10, Linguistics (Techna-Lingua) (Int) +30,
SPECIAL: TEARING Logic (Int) +30, Operate (Any One) (Ag), Scholastic Lore
(Any One) (Int), Tech-Use (Int) +30
Shock Chargers Class Melee Talents: Binary Chatter, Die Hard, Disturbing Voice,
Luminen Blast, Luminen Shock, Maglev Grace,
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+23 (E)
Mechadendrite Use (Weapon, Utility), Prosanguine
PEN 10 Clip — RLD — Wt . 12kg AVL VR
Traits: Machine (3), Mechanicus Implants
SPECIAL: CONCUSSIVE (2), UNWIELDY Gear: Artificer armor, 2 doses of sacred unguents, Gamma
pistol, Dataspike, Power fist, Refractor field, Kastelan
Protocol Datawafer Set
Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Dodge (Ag), Tech Use (Int) Cybernetics: Two bionic arms, two bionic legs, bionic
Talents: Berserk Charge, Fearless, Resistance (Psychic respiratory system, good craftsmanship cybernetic senses,
Powers), Two Weapon Master Cortex Controller, Scyllax Guardian Automata, optical
Traits: Auto-Stabilized, Machine (8), Unnatural Strength (5), mechadendrite, utility mechadendrite and 1d5 Implants or
Unnatural Toughness (10), Size(6) (Enormous), Cybernetic cybernetics
Resilience, Programmed Behavior, Reactor Blast Master Of Mechanism: The Cybernetica Datasmith is a true
Gear: Mauler Bolt Cannon, 2 Bolters, 2 Shock Chargers artificer, and war engines and automata in his command can
Atomantic Shielding: The Arlatax has a protective field with easily shrug off damage. The Datasmith may select one
PR 35 against ranged attacks, and PR 20 when in Melee. battle automata or vehicle within his maniple. Battle
This field does not Overload under normal circumstances. Automata gain the Regeneration trait equal to the
Datasmith's Intelligence bonus. If a Vehicle is selected, at
the end of the Datasmith’s turn, roll 1d10. The Vehicle
recovers a number of Hull Integrity equal to the character’s
unmodified Intelligence bonus on a result of 7+. For this
ability to take effect, the character must be within 30 meters
of the selected battle automata or vehicle.

The Mandragora Apocrypha 101

 Domitar-Class Battle Automata Melee. This field does not Overload under normal
circumstances.
The Domitar Class Robot was a type of war robot used by
Crusader: The Dormitar Battle Automata may charge
the Adeptus Mechanicus during the Great Crusade and
according to its Run distance, rather than its Charge
Horus Heresy. The last type of war robot to enter
distance.
Mechanicum production before the Horus Heresy, the
Gear: Domitar Missile Launcher, 2 Graviton Hammers
Domitar was a variant of the sophisticated ancient
Graviton Hammer A compact version of the Graviton Ram,
Conqueror Class Robot.
the Graviton Hammer amplify the Domitar’s melee attacks
Larger than the Castellax class it would serve beside, the
with gravitic force. Enemies attacking the bearer of the
Domitar was also swifter, designed to cross the battlefield at
weapon in Melee suffer a -10 penalty to their attacks if using
a high speed and built to crash into enemy positions. To this
the Swift Attack talent, and a -20 penalty if using the
end it was given a shock-protected heavily armored frame
Lightning Attack talent.
and equipped with Graviton Hammers. For long-ran ge
attacks, it was equipped with carapace mounted Missile
Launchers. This armament allowed it to pulverize battle Kastelan Robot
tanks and, as it would later prove, even Legiones Astartes Kastelan Robots are ancient monstrosities that stamp to
Dreadnoughts in combat. As a line-breaker, the Domitar was war, each an unliving giant assigned a deadly purpose by its
unparalleled in the Mechanicum’s arsenal, and its tactical master. Soulless, these metallic golems are given thought
flexibility was further augmented with a missile launcher only by the doctrina wafers in their recessed chestslots and
armed with a variety of munitions Spirit. the Cybernetica Datasmiths that program their every move.
These machines are walking relics from aeons past, and all
the deadlier for it – the air nearby thrums with power, bullets
Domitar-Class Battle Automata (Elite) ricocheting from repulsor fields that glow like golden cages
45
around them. Volleys of phosphor blasts and promethium
H 18
WS BS S incinerate their foes wherever they may hide, and crushing
01-10 26 45 35 65 fists bring ruin wherever they strike. The violence meted out
Ar 18 Al 18 T Ag Int by each maniple is as inspiring to the Omnissiah’s faithful as
11-20 26 21-30 26 60 35 20 it is terrifying to his foes.
18
B Per Wp Fel
31-70 26 30 40 —
Kastelan Robot (Elite)
Inf 30
Lr 18 Ll 18
—
71-85 26 86-00 26 H 11
WS BS S
01-10 19 35 35 60
HALF 6 FULL12 CHARGE18 RUN 36 THREAT 42
Ar 11 Al 11 T Ag Int
Domitar Missile Launcher (Krak) Class Heavy 11-20 19 21-30 19 50 20 —
11
RNG 300m ROF S/-/- DMG 3d10+10 (X) B Per Wp Fel

PEN 10 Clip 20 RLD Half Wt . 18kg AVLVR 31-70 19 30 25 —

SPECIAL: NONE Inf
Lr 11 Ll 11
—
Domitar Missile Launcher (Ignis Frag) Class Heavy 71-85 19 86-00 19
RNG 300m ROF S/-/- DMG 2d10+3 (X) HALF 5 FULL10 CHARGE15 RUN 30 THREAT 29
PEN 2 Clip 20 RLD Half Wt . 18kg AVL VR Incendine Combustor Class Heavy
SPECIAL: BLAST (3), FLAME, IGNORES COVER
RNG 20m ROF S/-/- DMG 1d10+4 (E)
Graviton Hammer PEN 3 Clip 3 RLD 2 Full Wt . 12kg AVLRA
Class Melee
SPECIAL: SPRAY, FLAME, TORRENT
RNG — R OF — DMG 2d10+14 (I)
PEN 15 Clip — RLD — Wt . 15kg AVL ER Power Fist Class Melee
SPECIAL: CONCUSSIVE (2), UNWIELDY, STRUCTURAL COLLAPSE RNG — R OF — DMG 2d10+24 (E)
PEN 9 Clip — RLD — Wt . 13kg AVL VR
SPECIAL: POWERFIELD, UNWIELDY
Skills: Awareness (Per), Dodge (Ag), Tech Use (Int)
Talents: Fearless, Resistance (Psychic Powers), Berserk
Charge, Two Weapon Master Skills: Awareness (Per), Dodge (Ag)
Traits: Auto-Stabilized, Brutal Charge, Machine (8), Talents: Fearless, Two Weapon Master
Unnatural Strength (8), Unnatural Toughness (12), Size (7) Traits: Auto-Stabilized, Machine (8), Unnatural Strength (6),
(Massive), Cybernetic Resilience, Programmed Behavior, Unnatural Toughness (10), Size (6) (Enormous)
Reactor Blast, Crusader Gear: Carapace Incendine Combustor or Heavy Phosphor
Atomantic Shielding: The Dormitar has a protective field Blaster, two arm-mounted power fists or one arm-mounted
with PR 35 against ranged attacks, and PR 20 when in twin-linked heavy phosphor blaster, Kastelan Battlehide

102 The Mandragora Apocrypha

Repulsor Grid: The Kastelan Robot has a protective field Guardian Automata is within 100 meters of an ally with a
with a PR 35. If a hit is successfully shielded, the Kastelan Cortex Controller or Mechanicus Implants, it possesses the
may immediately reflect the attack back at the enemy firer Fearless talent and may act as an independent ally on the
with a -10 Ballistic Skill test. owner’s initiative. Outside of this range, the Scyllax must
make a Challenging (+0) Intelligence test or remain
Scyllax-Class Guardian Automata stationary. They may fire at and select targets as normal.
Rad Furnace: The Scyllax contain within them a burning
The Scyllax Guardian Automata is a type of robot used by
the Adeptus Mechanicus used during the Great Crusade and Irad furnace that can weaken friend and foe alike. Allies and
Horus Heresy. These robots were neither true Battle enemies in the same melee as the Scyllax Guardian
Automata due to their absence of a cybernetica-cortex nor Automata suffer -1 to their base Toughness Bonus. Only
could they be classified as a Servitor due to having nearly no other bearers of a Rad Furnace are immune to this effect.
organic components. In addition, the Scyllax Guardian-Automata gains a +30
Deployed onto the battlefield as elite shock troops or as bonus to Toughness tests caused by weapons with the Toxic
bodyguards to Magos, these automata have been adapted or Rad-Phage Qualities.
with a wide variety o mechadendrites and servo-arms for Mechadendrite Combat Array: An ever-spinning, ever
dissecting living matter at high speed. Equipped with an cutting combination of mechadendrites, chainblades, and
armored carapace as durable as those of the Space energy weapons, the Mechadendrite Combat Array allows
Marines, armed with a Bolter and claws, and powered by a the Scyllax Guardian Automata to spin its weaponry around
in a horrific maelstrom that catches every enemy in range. It
rad furnace which can vent harmful radiation, the Scyllax
Guardian are a force to be feared. foes. has two specific settings:
 Maelstrom: If 3 or more Degrees of Success are
achieved on the Weapon Skill test, an additional attack is
Scyllax-Class Guardian Automata (Minion) generated. A Weapon Skill test is performed as normal.
20 This secondary attack does not generate further attacks.
H 9
WS BS S  Dismemberment: The Mechadendrite Combat Array may
01-10 15 35 40 40 be used as a Full Action with the Dismemberment profile
instead of its normal profile.
Ar 9 Al 9 T Ag Int
11-20 15 21-30 15 35 30 35
9
B Per Wp Fel
31-70 15 30 35 —
9 9 Inf
Lr Ll
—
71-85 15 86-00 15
HALF 4 FULL8 CHARGE12 RUN 24 THREAT 11 The Pax Cybernetica
Scyllax Bolter Class Basic Due to ancient covenants born from the
dark ages of the Imperium's founding, the Legio
RNG 150m ROF S/3/- DMG 1d10+9 (X)
Cybernetica is beholden to ancient accords that prohibit their
PEN 6 Clip 24 RLD Full Wt . 7kg AVLER
deployment en masse in the Mandragora Sector. Requiring no
SPECIAL: TEARING less than two Fabricator-General's approval to assemble, the
Mechadendrite Combat Array Class Melee Legio has seldom seen itself deployed in the millennium since
the first schism. The last recorded instance of their order being
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+5 (R)
assembled for war was in 285.M38, during the technoclasm of
PEN 4 Clip — RLD — Wt . 11kg AVL VR Galosh, that saw no less than the full assemblage of the
SPECIAL: TEARING, MAELSTROM warrior macroclades of Trilia descend on the heretical world in
pursuit of the arch-heretek Eram Arcturan.
Dismemberment Class Melee The Arch-heretek had more than dabbled in the dark arts of
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+10 (R) Silica Animus and had violated the proscriptions of the proteus
PEN 12 Clip — RLD — Wt . 11kg AVL VR protocol in his research, infusing legions of battle automata
absconded from the lost worlds lost reliquaries of old with
SPECIAL: TEARING, UNWIELDY
twisted parodies of half-life. Overwhelming the conventional
forces of Skitarii, Trilia assembled the Legio Cybernetica and
Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Dodge (Ag), Navigate the baleful and god-like presence of the Collegia Titanica -
(Surface) (Int), Security (Int), Tech Use (Int) together both of which waged a short but disastrous war on
Talents: Resistance (Psychic Powers), Two Weapon Master Galosh. At its peak, Galosh was said to have burned so bright
Traits: Auto-Stabilized, Dark Sight, Guardian Servitor as to have been noticeable from worlds light years away to
Protocols, Machine (6), Unnatural Strength (4), Unnatural shine with malicious and ominous illuminations. When the last
Toughness (6), Size (5) (Hulking) craters were left smoking, hundreds of priceless automata were
Gear: Scyllax Bolter, Mechadendrite Combat Array, Rad lost to the machinations of the heretic Arcturan, and legions of
Furnace Skitarii lay devestated - proving once more the need for the
Guardian Servitor Protocols: As long as the Scyllax-class many bans and safeguards against the wanton and brazen use
of automata. Under the careful jurisdiction and control of the
Legio Cybernetica, the truly holy automata prevailed, proving to
the Archmagi that the righteous war machines were the avatars
of the iron god's will made manifest.

The Mandragora Apocrypha 103

 Thanatar-Class Siege Automata Stable Firing Platform: If the Thanatar Siege Automata has
taken any form of Move action (voluntary or not), the Hellex
This automata is designed as a mobile artillery platform
Plasma Mortar’s range is reduced to 30 meters – 100
armed with a Hellex Plasma Mortar or Sollex-pattern heavy
meters. Note that the 30 meter range is the minimum range
Lascannon as well as a Graviton Ram and twin-lined Mauler
– the weapon cannot be fired within this range. Range
Bolt Cannon. The Thanatar's frame, built to accommodate
brackets are calculated as normal from the second value.
the huge weapon and its power system, is considerably
Plasma Wave: Any Armor granted from cover is calculated
larger than even the bulking Castellax. Its frame is also
from the center of the blast radius, not the position of the
heavily reinforced, both to withstand the recoil of firing its
firer. In addition, protection provided by cover in the blast
weapons and protect it from incoming attacks. Its armor
radius is permanently reduced by the full amount of the
makes it essentially impervious to small arms attacks no
weapon’s Penetration value (12), instead of by 1. This effect
matter how advanced. Due to the enormous power required
may stack, as cover is pummeled and destroyed.
to power its colossal weapons, the Thanatar was
considerably larger than other Battle-Automata.
Thanatar-Calix Siege Automata
The Thanatar-Calix Class was a variant of the standard
Thanatar-Class Siege Automata (Elite) Thanatar design developed during the later part of the Great
50
Crusade. Rumored to have been developed by the Sollex
H 18
WS BS S Myrmidon and Omega-Shevar covenants of the Ordo
01-10 30 35 45 65 Reductor alongside the Legio Cybernetica, this design
Ar 18 Al 18 T Ag Int combines deadly tech-arcana from all three factions into a
11-20 30 21-30 30 60 20 30 single deadly weapon. Calix Class Thanatar's are geared
18 towards the vanguard of siege assault warfare, able to
B Per Wp Fel
31-70 30 30 40 — sunder the strongest fortifications and conduct targeted
strikes to neutralize defensive hardpoints. Its primary
Inf
Lr 18 Ll 18 weapon was its Sollex Heavy Lascannon, and so precious
—
71-85 30 86-00 30 were these engines that in the rare cases they were
deployed many other lesser battle-automata were fielded to
HALF 5 FULL19 CHARGE15 RUN 30 THREAT 48
protect them.
Twin-Linked Mauler Bolt Cannons Class Heavy
RNG 90m ROF -/-/6 DMG 2d10+8 (X)
Thanatar-Calix Siege Automata (Elite)
PEN 8 Clip 60 RLD Full Wt . 32kg AVLVR 50
SPECIAL: TEARING, TWIN-LINKED H 18
WS BS S

Hellex Plasma Mortar Class Heavy 01-10 30 35 45 65

RNG 300m ROF S/-/- DMG 3d10+10 (X) Ar 18 Al 18 T Ag Int

PEN 12 Clip 20 RLD 6 Full Wt . 62kg AVL NU

11-20 30 21-30 30 60 20 30
18
B Per Wp Fel
SPECIAL: BLAST (8), PLASMA WAVE, STABLE FIRING PLATFORM
31-70 30 30 40 —
18 18 Inf
Lr Ll
Skills: Awareness (Per), Dodge (Ag), Tech Use (Int) —
71-85 30 86-00 30
Talents: Fearless, Resistance (Psychic Powers), Two
Weapon Master HALF 5 FULL19 CHARGE15 RUN 30 THREAT 48
Traits: Auto-Stabilized, Machine (12), Unnatural Strength
Sollex-Pattern Heavy Lascannon Class Heavy
(12), Unnatural Toughness (12), Size (7) (Massive),
Cybernetic Resilience, Programmed Behavior, Reactor RNG 350m ROF S/-/- DMG 3d10+30 (E)
Blast, Lumbering Advance PEN 12 Clip 12 RLD 5 Full Wt . 36kg AVLNU
Gear: Twin-Linked Mauler Bolt Cannon, Hellex Plasma SPECIAL: PROVEN (4)
Mortar, Infravisor
Atomantic Shielding: The Thanatar has a protective field
Graviton Ram Class Melee
with PR 35 against ranged attacks, and PR 20 when in RNG — R OF — DMG 3d10+12 (I)
Melee. This field does not Overload under normal PEN 15 Clip — RLD — Wt . 20kg AVL ER
circumstances SPECIAL: CONCUSSIVE (2), UNWIELDY, STRUCTURAL COLLAPSE
Lumbering Advance: The Siege Automata may not take
the Run Action. Graviton Ram Class Heavy
Hellex Plasma Mortar: The monstrous Hellex Plasma ROF S/-/- DMG —
RNG 30m
Mortar is a siege cannon, an upscaled plasma weapon that
PEN 6 Clip 10 RLD 2 Full Wt . 20kg AVL ER
can crumble fortifications without struggle. Detonating above
SPECIAL: CONCUSSIVE (2), GRAVITON WAVE, SPRAY, HAYWIRE (1)
the targets, the waves of plasma energy wash over enemies,
denying them their cover and exposing them for all to see
and shoot.

104 The Mandragora Apocrypha

Skills: Awareness (Per), Dodge (Ag), Tech Use (Int)
Talents: Fearless, Resistance (Psychic Powers), Two Thanatar-Class Siege Automata (Elite)
50
Weapon Master
H 18
Traits: Auto-Stabilized, Machine (12), Unnatural Strength WS BS S

(12), Unnatural Toughness (12), Size (7) (Massive), 01-10 30 35 45 65

Cybernetic Resilience, Programmed Behavior, Reactor Ar 18 Al 18 T Ag Int
Blast, Lumbering Advance 11-20 30 21-30 30 60 20 30
Gear: Twin-Linked Mauler Bolt Cannon, Sollex Pattern 18
B Per Wp Fel
Heavy Lascannon, Graviton Ram, Infravisor 31-70 30 30 40 —
Atomantic Shielding: The Thanatar has a protective field
Inf
with PR 35 against ranged attacks, and PR 20 when in Lr 18 Ll 18
—
Melee. This field does not Overload under normal 71-85 30 86-00 30
circumstances
HALF 5 FULL19 CHARGE15 RUN 30 THREAT 48
Lumbering Advance: The Siege Automata may not take
the Run Action. Twin-Linked Mauler Bolt Cannons Class Heavy
Graviton Ram: A simple device for mining and excavation RNG 90m ROF -/-/6 DMG 2d10+8 (X)
during the Dark Age of Technology, the Mechanicus has PEN 8 Clip 60 RLD Full Wt . 32kg AVLVR
altered the weapon to pulverize anything it touches. It has
SPECIAL: TEARING, TWIN-LINKED
two special weapon qualities:
 Graviton Wall: Enemies attacking the bearer of the Cynis-Pattern Plasma Ejectors Class Heavy
weapon in Melee suffer a -10 penalty to their attacks if RNG 60m ROF -/2/- DMG 2d10+12 (E)
using the Swift Attack talent, and a -20 penalty if using the
PEN 10 Clip 16 RLD 6 Full Wt . 56kg AVL NU
Lightning Attack talent.
SPECIAL: BLAST (3), PLASMA WAVE, MAXIMIAL, OVERHEATS
 Graviton Wave: Everything caught in the gun’s blast area
is violently pressed to the floor and must take a Very
Fists Class Melee
Hard (–30) Strength Test or be knocked down. Being
thrown to a solid surface from a standing position and RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+18 (I)
forced to the ground in this way is enough to inflict 1d5 I PEN 12 Clip — RLD — Wt . 22kg AVL —
Damage. Damage resolved from this are treated against SPECIAL: NONE
the Body location - although what the character or object
is thrown against and how far they fall may well make this
effect far worse. Additionally, anyone attempting to move Skills: Awareness (Per), Dodge (Ag), Tech Use (Int)
or perform physical actions within the blast radius for the Talents: Fearless, Resistance (Psychic Powers), Two
following 2d5 rounds afterwards must first pass an Weapon Master
Opposed Strength Test against Strength 60 (Unnatural Traits: Auto-Stabilized, Machine (12), Unnatural Strength
(2)) each Round. At the GMs discretion, the flux may (12), Unnatural Toughness (12), Size (7) (Massive),
shatter brittle objects, collapse loose flooring, rupture Cybernetic Resilience, Programmed Behavior, Reactor
containment vessels, damage vehicles and machinery. Blast, Lumbering Advance
Structural Collapse: The wielder of this weapon adds their Gear: Twin-Linked Mauler Bolt Cannon, Hellex Plasma
Strength Bonus to the weapon’s Penetration against Mortar, Infravisor
stationary structures and fortifications. If the target Atomantic Shielding: The Thanatar has a protective field
fortification is destroyed, the area is considered clear terrain. with PR 35 against ranged attacks, and PR 20 when in
Melee. This field does not Overload under normal
Thanatar-Cynis Siege Automata circumstances
The Thanatar-Cynis Class was a variant of the standard Lumbering Advance: The Siege Automata may not take
Thanatar-Calix class designed by the Forge World of the Run Action.
Estaban III with an attempt to increase their power and Cynis-Pattern Plasma Ejector: The last sad legacy of the
standing within the greater Mechanicum. However due to traitor forge world of Estaban III, the Cynis-Pattern Plasma
their competition with Ryza, Estaban III was unable to Ejector trades the reliability, range, and blast of the Hellex
acquire their plasma technology, resulting in the Cynis Plasma Mortar for rate of fire and volatility. One can reduce
pattern of Thanatar being more prone to self-destruction a battlefield to ash with this weapon, though there is a high
despite its fierce power chance of the Thanatar bearing it being reduced to slag as
well.

The Mandragora Apocrypha

105
 Vultarax-Class Stratos-Automata with the Setheno Pattern Havoc Launcher, the damage may
re-rolled.
The Vultarax was the most common Stratos-automata in
widespread use by the Mechanicum Taghmata at the
outbreak of the wars of the Horus Heresy. A robust, multi- Vorax-Class Battle Automata
role war engine, heavily armed and fitted with sophisticated These hunter-killer designs were created from the ancient
sensory gear and able to operate in diverse and hostile and revered Crusader template which dates back to the Dark
environments, it proved itself a keystone of Mechanicum Age of Technology.
Explorator Expedition forces both as an armed, high mobility Created on pre-Imperial Mars to search and destroy
scout and as a hunter-killer and rapid response unit in open Mutants and rogue machines, their cybernetica cortex
battle.. engrams are known to be particularly predatory and vicious
examples of their kind. Such are the vicious instincts
inherent in their programming that they are wired with
Vultarax Stratos-Automata (Elite) numerous override cantos to prevent these tireless hunting
35
machines from devolving into renegades. The automata
H 13
WS BS S were equipped with a Lightning Gun, Power Blades, and two
01-10 19 35 45 48 Rotor Cannons, making them capable of quickly decimating
Ar 13 Al 13 T Ag Int infantry and civilians.
11-20 19 21-30 19 60 48 35 At times they are also dispatched by their masters to
13 conduct a cull of surplus population during famine or plague,
B Per Wp Fel
31-70 19 35 36 — their hunts only ending when their masters orders. As such
they are held in superstitious dread by the human indentured
13 13 Inf
Lr Ll laborers of the Mechanicum's worlds.
—
71-85 19 86-00 19
HALF 9 FULL18 CHARGE27 RUN 54 THREAT 31
Vorax-Class Battle Automata (Elite)
Vultarax Arc Blaster Class Heavy
30
H 12
WS BS S
RNG 90m ROF S/-/- DMG 2d10+14 (E)
PEN 8 Clip 24 RLD 2 Full Wt . 17kg AVLER
01-10 30 35 45 45
SPECIAL: RELIABLE, SHOCKING, HAYWIRE (5) Ar 12 Al 12 T Ag Int
11-20 30 21-30 30 40 40 35
Setheno Pattern Havoc Launcher Class Heavy B 12
Per Wp Fel

RNG 300m ROF S/2/- DMG 2d10+10 (X) 31-70 30 30 35 —

PEN 8 Clip 12 RLD 2 Full Wt . 22kg AVL NU Inf
Lr 12 Ll 12
SPECIAL: BLAST (5), TWIN-LINKED , SETHENO-DJINN —
71-85 30 86-00 30
\
Battle-Automata Power Blades Class Heavy HALF 6 FULL12 CHARGE18 RUN 36 THREAT 40
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+7 (E) Rotor Cannons Class Heavy
PEN 6 Clip — RLD — Wt . 8kg AVL VR RNG 150m ROF -/6/10 DMG 1d10+6 (I)
SPECIAL: TEARING PEN 3 Clip 200 RLD 3 Full Wt . 40kg AVLRA
SPECIAL: TEARING, TWIN-LINKED

Skills: Awareness (Per), Dodge (Ag), Tech Use (Int) Lightning Gun Class Basic
Talents: Fearless, Resistance (Psychic Powers), Two RNG 50m ROF S/-/- DMG 3d10+8 (E)
Weapon Master PEN 4 Clip — RLD — Wt . 7kg AVL ER
Traits: Auto-Stabilized, Flier (8), Machine (6), Unnatural SPECIAL: INTEGRATED, TEARING, RAZOR SHARP
Toughness (7), Size (6) (Enormous), Cybernetic Resilience,
Programmed Behavior, Reactor Blast, Cybernetica Cortex Battle-Automata Power Blades Class Heavy
(Stratos-Automata)
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+7 (E)
Gear: Vultarax Arc Blaster, two setheno pattern havoc
launchers, enhanced targeting array, flare shield, PEN 6 Clip — RLD — Wt . 8kg AVL VR
searchlight, infravisor, Battle-automata power blades SPECIAL: TEARING
Cybernetica Cortex (Stratos-Automata): For the purposes
of this special rule, a Stratos-automata counts as a Battle-
automata except that the ‘Methodical’ provision does not Skills: Athletics (S) +10, Awareness (Per) +20, Dodge (Ag)
apply, and in the case of the ‘Target Priority’ provision of the +10, Navigate (Surface) (Int), Stealth (Ag) +20, Security (Int),
special rule, the Automata may always attempt to target the Tech Use (Int), Survival (Perception) +20
nearest enemy Flyer rather than just the closest enemy Talents: Fearless, Resistance (Psychic Powers), Two
model when this special rule comes into effect. Weapon Master, Whirlwind of Death
Setheno-Djinn: If cover negates damage from an attack Traits: Auto-Stabilized, Machine (6), Unnatural Strength (4),

106 The Mandragora Apocrypha

7
Unnatural Toughness (8), Size (6) (Enormous), Cybernetic
Resilience, Programmed Behavior Table 5-2: Automata
Gear: Lightning Gun, 2 Rotor Cannons, 2 Battle Automata Name Availability
Arlatax-Class Battle-Automata Near Unique
Power Blades, infravisor Castellax-Class Battle-Automata Near Unique
Domitar-Class Battle-Automata Near Unique
Kastelan Robot Extremely Rare
Battle Automata Equipment Scyllax-Class Guardian Automata Very Rare
Thanatar-Class Siege Automata Near Unique
Battle Automata may be augmented with additional Thanatar-Calix Pattern Near Unique
Thanatar-Cynis Pattern Near Unique
wargear to fit their mission. The following equipment may Vultarax-Class Stratos-Automata Near Unique
only be applied to Battle Automata. Vorax-Class Extremely Rare
Upgrades Availability
Blessed Autosimulacra Near Unique
Blessed Autosimulacra Enhanced Targeting Array Near Unique
Many Mechanicus war machines are fitted with extensive Infravisor Rare
Searchlight Plentiful
automatic repair systems. These range from self-healing Siege Wrecker Extremely Rare
alloys sourced from irreplaceable relic-stockpiles, to on- Per Machine (+1) Rare
†
board servitor-simulacrum which go to work tirelessly should Cortex (Skill Implant) Very Rare
†
Cortex (Talent Implant) Scarce
their charge by damaged to shore up hull breaches and re- †
Only appropriate Skills and Talents can be installed in Automata (any
rout severed fuel and circuit lines while chanting rites of prerequisites must also be met)
revivification.
Automata with Blessed Autosimulacra gain the
Regeneration (X) trait, where X is equal to the Automata's .
unmodified Intelligence Bonus.

Enhanced Targeting Array Cybernetic

Certain Battle-Automata are fitted with additional slaved
cogitators and sub-incunabula machine-spirits devoted to
relentlessly tracking and targeting any and all potential
threats in range. An Enhanced Targeting Array reduces the
difficulty of Ballistic Skill tests by one step, adds two degrees
of success to each successful Ballistic Skill test, and counts
the value of cover enemies are in as 4 lower.
Infravisor
This simple visor allows its user to access a wide range of
spectrums. So equipped, the battle automata can see better
in low-light conditions than a normal human could see in
optimal daylight. The Infravisor grants the Dark Sight trait
and +30 to vision-based Perception tests in darkness, but
the test to avoid blindness from Photon Flash Grenades is
Arduous (-40) instead of Challenging (+0).
Searchlight
The bearer of a searchlight may make a Challenging (+0)
Perception Test to focus the searchlight on a target. As
long as the target is illuminated, attacks made against the
target suffer no penalties to darkness
Cortex
Comprising a synthetic 'brain' of sorts of the most
advanced Battle-Automata, a Cybernetic Cortex
consists of an armored casing containing a complex
bio-plastic mass which extrudes nerve-like grey
tendrils into the body of the robotic frame into which it
is housed, invigorating it with strange false-life. Far
beyond a simple cogitator in capacity, it is neither truly
alive nor sapient like the dread and inhuman 'Silica
Animus' feared of old. Instead, it is akin to a primal
web of bellicose instinct, guided not by self-awareness
and reason, but by a programmed framework of
encoded behavior, comprising simple and exacting
instructions and commands. The result is a superior,
self guided weapon; a machine-predator that will
actively and instinctively pursue its foes as well as act
with a degree of tactical sense and self-preservation
beyond anything a servitor is capable of, but without
the dangers of revolt and the development of
blasphemous intelligence - or so the Legio
Cybernetica claim.

Siege Wrecker
Taking the form of drills or energy borers, the Siege
Wrecker is designed to destroy enemy bunkers and
fortifications. When fielded with a Siege Wrecker, a Battle
Automata has one singular job – open the gates. This
weapon has the following profile: Melee; 2d10+7 I; Pen 10;
Proven (3), Unwiedly, Structural Collapse
Structural Collapse: The wielder adds their Strength Bonus
to the weapon’s Penetration against stationary structures
and fortifications. If the target fortification is destroyed, the
area is considered clear terrain.
Upgrades: Castellax-Class Battle-Automata

The Mandragora Apocrypha 107

 Ordo Reductor
Thallax (Elite)
30
The Ordo Reductor is a specialized military division of the H 8
WS BS S
Adeptus Mechanicus that makes use of the forbidden 01-10 19 32 45 44
weapons of a bygone age, engaging primarily in siege
Ar 8 Al 8 T Ag Int
warfare. Known to their fellow adherents in the Machine Cult
as the "Bringers of Blessed Ruin", the Ordo Reductor's
11-20 19 21-30 19 45 33 41
8
sacred role is that of the un-maker, slaughterer and breaker;
B Per Wp Fel

they embody the animus of the Omnissiah, its duality not as

31-70 19 55 39 —
a creator or embodiment of knowledge, but as dstroyer and Lr 8 Ll 8
Inf

—
bringer of oblivion. The Ordo Reductor was particularly 71-85 19 86-00 19
active during the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy, and
deployed the potent cybernetic shock-troops of the HALF 3 FULL6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 25
Mechanicum known as the Thallax. Thallax Heavy Chainblade Class Melee
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+20 (R)
Thallax Shock Trooper RLD —
PEN 7 Clip — Wt . 16g AVLRA
The hulking, heavily augmented cyborg shock-troops
SPECIAL: TEARING, RAZOR SHARP , UNBALANCED
originating within the Ordo Reductor faction of the
Mechanicum, the Thallax differ from the Martian Skitarii Lightning Gun Class Basic
regiments both in their purpose and the unique degree of ROF S/-/- DMG 3d10+8 (E)
RNG 50m
their augmentics. The Lorica Thallax which encases their
PEN 4 Clip — RLD — Wt . 7kg AVL ER
major organs, nervous system and cerebrum also replaces
the skeleton and limbs entirely with armored mechanical SPECIAL: INTEGRATED, TEARING, RAZOR SHARP
systems powered by an internal reactor core.
The agony of this process, along with the replacement of
Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Common Lore (War) (Int),
the usual human sensory apparatus, proves so traumatic as
Dodge (Ag) +10, Intimidate (S) +30, Linguistics (High Gothic)
to require the surgical excision of the pain centers and
(Int), Navigate (Surface) (Int), Operate Surface) (Ag), Parry
emotions. The Thallax however retains a degree of
(WS) +10
independent human thought; this individuality and self-
Talents: Heightened Senses (Hearing, Sight), Resistance
determination is greater by far than that enjoyed by tech-
(Cold, Heat, Poisons), True Grit, Unarmed Specialist, Two-
thralls, whose cranial-surgery implants are often crude at
Weapon Wielder (Melee, Ranged)
best, damaging as much as they control.
Traits: Machine (5), Flyer (4), Size (5) (Hulking), Unnatural
Many variants of the flexible and powerful Thallax have
Strength (4), Unnatural Toughness (4), Unnatural Perception
been brought into being by the artificers of the mendicant
(3), Dark Sight, Auto-Stabilized, Brutal Charge (4)
Ordo Reductor, a number of which found their way to the
Gear: Lorica Thallax, Integrated Lightning Gun and Heavy
outer Forge Worlds of the Imperium where they were seized
Chainblade. May replace the Lightning Gun with an
upon as potent war machines which, while lacking the power
Integrated: Multi-Laser, Phase Plasma-Fusil, Rad-Cleanser,
of true Battle-automata, were more practical to produce in
Multi-Melta, or Photon Thruster
larger numbers. the Mechanicum's worlds.
Cybernetics: Autosanguine, Augur Array, Interface Port,
Locator Matrix, Luminen Capacitor, Respiratory Filter
Implant, Volitor Implant.
Djinn-Sight (X): The sinister blank-faced helms of the
Thallaxii conceal an array of inhuman sensory apparatus
through which they experience the battlefield as a raging
storm of electromagnetic turmoil, blood-heat and seismic
percussion. However, for the organic brain to handle this
hurricane of data, it must be surgically mutilated, removing
the mere human senses such as sight and hearing.
The Djinn-Sight means that a Thallax reduces the benefits
of any cover its opponent by the value of X (normally 4) (a
location of cover with AP 8 would be reduced to 4, and a
location with an AP 4 would be ignored entirely, and so on).
Thallax Augmentic Variants: Certain Thallaxii are further
implanted with augmetic systems to better suit them to a
particular mode of warfare by their masters in the Ordo
Reductor of the Mechanicum. Their primary differences lie
not in their base Characteristics, but the weapons and other
Components that they mount. There, instead of providing
four different profiles, Gamemasters who wish these different

108 The Mandragora Apocrypha

types of Thallaxii should modify the profile from the previous
page with the following changes. Thallax (Elite)
30
 Icarian Thallax: The Icarian Thallaxii were originally
H 8
conceived as being augmented to provide anti-air support WS BS S

to assist the ground forces of the Ordo Reductor. To 01-10 19 32 45 44

utilize Icarian Thallaxii, increase the value of the Thallax' Ar 8 Al 8 T Ag Int
Ballistic Skill by 10. Additionally, due to their 11-20 19 21-30 19 45 33 41
augmentations they reduce the Range modifier by one 8
B Per Wp Fel
degree, thus a target that would normally be treated as 31-70 19 55 39 —
'Extreme Range' would instead be Treated as 'Long
Inf
Range' instead and would suffer a -10 modifier, instead of Lr 8 Ll 8
—
a -30. 71-85 19 86-00 19
 Destructor Thallax: The Destructor Thallaxii were
HALF 3 FULL6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 25
developed to provide anti-armor to the Thallax Cohorts.
Their augments allow them a greater use of their Djinn- Lightning Claws Class Melee
Sight. To utilize a Destructor Thallax, increase the value of RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+12 (E)
the Thallax' Djinn-Sight to 8. Additionally, due their unique PEN 8 Clip — RLD — Wt . 16g AVLER
augmentations their primary weapon gains the Vengeful
SPECIAL: POWERFIELD, PROVEN (4)
(6) special weapon quality when used against vehicles.
 Empyrite Thallax: The Empyrite Thallaxii are outfitted Volkite Incinerator Class Basic
with implanted teleportation units. Their augments allow RNG 25m ROF S/2/- DMG 2d10+4 (E)
them to disappear completely, re-appearing in a different
PEN 4 Clip 20 RLD 3 Full Wt . 12kg AVL ER
location. An Empyrite Thallax may move up to double its
SPECIAL: DEFLAGRATE
normal Run movement value, ignoring terrain or other
obstacles. They also gain the Phase trait.
Volkite Incinerator (Blast) Class Melee

Ursarax Assault Trooper RNG — R OF — DMG 2d10+4 (E)

A development of the later Great Crusade, the Ursarax
tech-thralls were first designed by Explorator Magos Enabrin
Falkan as a heavy, rapid-moving close combat unit for use
by the notoriously independent Magos' forces. Using a fusion
of existing technologies sacred to the Mechanicus, materials
and patterns taken from the Thallax of the Ordo Reductor
(much to their displeasure) and the fruits of Falkan's own
discoveries are formidable, even monstrous, killing engines.
Like the Thallax, they are thralls rather than servitors,
selected from suitable human candidates for conversion, so
their living components retain a consciousness and dim
recollection of their former humanity providing them with
superior tactical abilities and the instincts to kill. Neural
anesthesia is automatically administered for the successful
fulfillment of their orders, providing them with relief, albeit
temporarily, from their tortured existences.
After Falkan's mysterious disappearance his warring
acolytes dispersed to many different masters, taking the
secret of the Ursarax's creation with them.
PEN 12 Clip — RLD — Wt . 12kg AVL ER
SPECIAL: PRISONED
Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Common Lore (War) (Int),
Dodge (Ag) +10, Intimidate (S) +30, Linguistics (High Gothic)
(Int), Navigate (Surface) (Int), Operate Surface) (Ag), Parry
(WS) +10
Talents: Heightened Senses (Hearing, Sight), Resistance
(Cold, Heat, Poisons), True Grit, Unarmed Specialist, Two-
Weapon Wielder (Melee, Ranged)
Traits: Machine (5), Flyer (4), Size (5) (Hulking), Unnatural
Strength (4), Unnatural Toughness (4), Unnatural Perception
(3), Dark Sight, Auto-Stabilized, Brutal Charge (4)
Gear: Two lightning claws or power fists, , Lorica Thallax,
Volkite Incinerator, 2 frag grenades
Cybernetics: Autosanguine, Augur Array, Interface Port,
Locator Matrix, Luminen Capacitor, Respiratory Filter
Implant, Volitor Implant.
Volkite Incinerator: A powerful purpose-designed Volkite
ray weapon is mounted in the chest-unit of each Ursarax,
allowing it to both attack its victims at range with a lethal
Volkite beam and also more unorthodoxly by grabbing its foe
within its claws and drawing them in to suffer the full brunt of
this discharge at point blank range. This confined ray blast is
particularly devastating in its power and is able to render
even heavily armored warriors to cinders in mere moments.
Prisoned: This weapon may not benefit from the Swift
Attack or Lightning Attack talents – only a single attack is
ever made. Enemies damaged by the attack must make a
Challenging (+0) Toughness test or suffer an automatic
1d5+5 on the critical wounds chart.

The Mandragora Apocrypha 109

 Collegia Titanicus Skills: Awareness (Per), Command (Fel) +10, Common
Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus, War) (Int) +10, Common Lore
(Imperium) (Int), Dodge (Ag), Operate (Walker) (Ag) +20,
The Collegia Titanica is the section of the Adeptus
Forbidden Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus) (Int), Linguistics (High
Mechanicus that includes the Imperial Titans, the colossal
Gothic, Techna-Lingua) (Int), Navigation (Int) +10,
god-machines. The Collegia is also known as the "Adeptus
Scholastic Lore (Legend) (Int), Scholastic Lore (Tactica
Titanicus" (a contraction of "Adeptus Mechanicus Collegia
Imperialis) +20, Tech-Use (Int)
Titanica")
Talents: Ambidextrous, Blademaster, Crushing Blow,
Combat Master, Deadeye Shot, Fearless, Iron Jaw,
Princeps Marksman, Peer (3) (Adeptus Mechanicus), Two Weapon
A Princeps embodies the Collegia Titanica’s penchant for Wielder (Ballistic), Whirlwind of Death
ensuring that every trace of the enemy has been annihilated Gear: 2 Charge Packs for Laspistol, Formal Dress Uniform,
by fire and death, regardless of the cost. Veterans of many MIU Cybernetic, Flask of Amasec, Dataslate, Micro-Bead,
conflicts, these individuals elect to remove the parts of their Legio Encryption Crystal, Best Quality Flak Vest with
brain that house their slowly crumbling mental state, and Ceremonial Flak Gauntlets, Best Quality Power Sword, Best
replace them with implants that maintain and enhance their Quality Mark IV Laspistol, Ceremonial Sword
cognitive processes. This procedure obliterates the Princeps’ Inner Strength: A Titan Legion Princeps is possessed of a
own fracturing personality, instead allowing him to direct his mental strength rarely seen in human form. The Collegia
Engine’s spirit with cold and calculating logic. Titanica's history is full of accounts of these noble warriors
However, with time, the continued melding with their fighting on through brute determination and stubbornness,
Engine’s predatory temperament gradually alters this when a lesser man would have already perished from his
emotional void, creating individuals who believe that injuries. During his turn, a Princeps may make a
methodical and overwhelming application of force is the only Challenging (+0) Willpower Test to ignore the non-fatal
logical way to fight an enemy. Occasionally, the machine- effects of any critical injuries until the end of his next turn.
spirit’s nature also intrudes upon the Princeps’s mental This trait can be used multiple times, with each subsequent
consciousness, and influence the Princeps to continue application increasing the difficulty of the Willpower Test by
fighting even when logic would dictate withdrawing from a one step.
conflict. They are supremely confident opponents,
undaunted in the face of danger after decades of wielding Redactus Moderatus
the power of a walking god.
Moderatus is the term for the various crew members
within the command bridge, who maintain and monitor a
Titan’s vital and secondary systems during deployment.
Princeps (Master) 14 Their labors supplement and facilitate the Princeps’ control
3 of the Titan, and allow him to focus on the battle itself. Within
H WS BS S
the Collegia Titanica, the task of interacting with the
01-10 7 46 40 36 Princeps falls primarily to the Redactus Moderatus, who sits
3 3
Ar Al T Ag Int
below the command throne within every Titan command
11-20 5 21-30 5 38 33 40 bridge. These experienced individuals filter all the data and
3
B Per 5
Wp Fel reports of the other Moderatii, and relay any vital information
31-70 7 32 50 40 into the command throne’s cogitators via synaptic link. They
3 3 Inf are essential members of every crew and often serve as
Lr Ll
— advisor and second-in-command to the Princeps. Redactus
71-85 7 86-00 7
Moderatii also ensure the survival of their commanding
HALF 3 FULL6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 15 officer, and each is willing to sacrifice himself for his Legion
and his Princeps.
Mark IV Laspistol Class Pistol
RNG 70m ROF S/2/- DMG 1d10+3 (E)
PEN 0 Clip 15 RLD Full Wt . 1.9kg AVLSC
SPECIAL: ACCURATE, RELIABLE Glorious Remnants
Power Sword Class Melee One of the more obscure types of war machines the
Mechanicus employs on the battlefield are the ancient
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+9 (E)
Knight Engines. Individual Princeps pilot these small, one-
PEN 6 Clip — RLD — Wt . 3kg AVL RA
man Titans, each hailing from the nobility of the distant
SPECIAL: BALANCED, POWERFIELD Knight Worlds. The history of the Knight Engines is
extensive, and stretches back into the depths of the
Ceremonial Sword Class Melee
Imperium’s murky past, during the turbulent era known as
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+4 (I) the Age of Strife. Though now generally serving as support
PEN 1 Clip — RLD — Wt . 2.5kg AVL CM and reserve forces to the Collegia Titanica, the Knight
SPECIAL: BALANCED, MONO Engines continue to fight with distinction, utilizing their
increased mobility to the best possible advantage. No less
than twenty one Knights from Tracus IV serve across the
Mandragora Sector. These honorable warriors are all
dedicated servants of the Omnissiah, and each expects
nothing less than a glorious death in the service of their
110 Martian lords.
The Mandragora Apocrypha
 Princeps and a successful attack. The Moderatus
Redactus Moderatus (Master) automatically takes any Damage that would have applied to
13
the Princeps as a consequence of this action, and the
H 3
WS BS S Princeps reduces his own incoming Damage to zero.
01-10 6 36 40 34
Ar 3
Al 3 T Ag Int Shield Warden
11-20 6 21-30 6 36 32 40 Shield Wardens are the elite guardians of Collegia
3
B Per 5
Wp Fel Titanica, whose sole responsibility is the defense of their
31-70 6 38 40 36 assigned Titan Engine from those who would do it harm from
3 3 Inf within. During combat, each warden neurally links himself to
Lr Ll
— the Titan’s hull sensoria and integrity actuators. Here he
71-85 6 86-00 6 remains, actively monitoring the hull’s integrity and ready to
HALF 3 FULL6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 15 quickly converge upon any enemy incursion like the auto-
immune cells of some great beast. All wield deadly
Civitas Laspistol Class Pistol
equipment specifically suited to the confined spaces of a
RNG 25m ROF S/2/- DMG 1d10+1 (E) Titan’s interior, and are physically augmented using vat
PEN 0 Clip 25 RLD Full Wt . 1.5kg AVLSC grown and synthetic muscle fibers. Their great shield’s rigid
SPECIAL: RELIABLE design makes use of the same material as a Titan’s outer
hull, and each is equipped with magnetic punch-seals and
Legio Pattern Compact Lasgun Class Basic pistons to create makeshift barricades and temporary hull
RNG 70m ROF S/4/- DMG 1d10+2 (E) repairs. However, their most notable feature is the Internal
PEN 0 Clip 30 RLD Full Wt . 4kg AVL ER Injector Mass, a specialized implant within the Shield
SPECIAL: ACCURATE, COMPACT, RELIABLE Warden that uses stimulants and other chemicals to turn this
skilled soldier into an enraged bomb when close to death,
Ceremonial Sword Class Melee yet leave the Titan’s precious interior undamaged.

RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+4 (I)

PEN 1 Clip — RLD — Wt . 2.5kg AVL CM
Shield Warden (Elite) 18
SPECIAL: BALANCED, MONO
H 5
WS BS S
01-10 10 42 45 40
Skills: Awareness (Per) +10, Command (Fel) +10, Common Ar 5
Al 5 T Ag Int
Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus, War) (Int) +10, Common Lore 11-20 10 21-30 10 55 32 36
(Imperium) (Int), Dodge (Ag), Operate (Walker) (Ag) +10, B 5
Per 5
Wp Fel
Forbidden Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus) (Int), Linguistics (High 31-70 10 32 40 22
Gothic, Techna-Lingua) (Int), Navigation (Int) +10, Scholastic
5 5 Inf
Lore (Legend) (Int), Scholastic Lore (Tactica Imperialis) +10, Lr Ll
—
Scrutiny (Per) +10, Tech-Use (Int) +10 71-85 10 86-00 10
Talents: Die Hard, Foresight, Nerves of Steel, Technical
Knock, Adamantium Faith HALF 3 FULL6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 15
Traits: Darksight Expulsus Flamer Class Basic
Gear: 2 Charge Packs for each weapon, Formal Dress RNG 30m ROF S/-/- DMG 1d10+5 (E)
Uniform, MIU Cybernetic, Photo-Visor, Re-Breather, Injector, PEN 3 RLD Full Wt . 3kg AVLVR
Clip 20
Stimm (Two Doses), Auspex, Combi-Tool, Data-Slate,
SPECIAL: FLAME, SPRAY
Micro-Bead, Best Quality Light Flak Coat, Legio Pattern
Compact Lasgun, Civitas Laspistol Rend-Pattern Shotgun Class Basic
As One: A Princeps and his Moderatii train extensively, until
RNG 40m ROF -/2/4 DMG 1d10+5 (I)
each can anticipate the other’s moves and intentions in
PEN 0 Clip 30 RLD Full Wt . 5kg AVL VR
almost any situation. This means that a Titan crew can
achieve a level of coordination rarely seen in unmodified SPECIAL: SCATTER, TEARING, MONO-BLADE ATTACHMENT
humans. A Moderatus may assist a member of his crew by
either automatically allowing him to lower the Difficulty of a
Flechette Charges Class Grenade
Skill Test by one step, or, rolling as normal to lower the RNG SBx3 ROF S/-/- DMG 1d10+6 (X)
Difficulty by two steps. The normal limits on assisting PEN 0 Clip 1 RLD — Wt . .5kg AVL RA
another individual still apply. This ability may be used a SPECIAL: BLAST (3),TEARING
number of times equal to the character’s Intelligence Bonus.
Loyalty Above All: The Redactus Moderatii of Collegia
Titanica have a sworn duty to protect and serve their Skills: Awareness (Per), Athletics (S) +10, Common Lore
Princeps, up to and including sacrificing their own life for his (Adeptus Mechanicus, Tech) (Int) +10, Forbidden Lore
safety. As reaction, a Moderatus may move a distance equal (Adeptus Mechanicus) (Int), Linguistics (War Cant, Techna-
to his Half Move Action in order to place himself between the

The Mandragora Apocrypha 110

 Lingua) (Int), Scrutiny (Per), Tech-Use (Int) Furnace Workers
Talents: Bulging Biceps, Crushing Blow, Die Hard, Double
Across the forge worlds, in smelteries and forge factories,
Team, Fearless, Frenzy, Hardy, Jaded, Mighty Shot, True
huge crucibles pour rivers of white-hot metal into moulds and
Grit
the air is filled with sparks. Amidst the glow, figures lumber
Traits: Darksight, Sturdy, Unnatural Strength (4)
under the weight of vulcanized rubber suits, their eyes
Gear: 2 Fuel Tanks (Worn on Back) or 3 Drum Magazines,
hidden behind smoked-glass goggles
Cerebral Plugs, Custom Fitting Legio Uniform, Photo-Visor,
Recoil Gloves, Respirator Unit (Implant), Internal Injector
Mass and Charge, Micro-Bead, Expulsus Flamer or Rend-
Furnace Worker (Troop) 10
Pattern Shotgun with mono-blade attachment, 3 Flechette
Charges, Shield, Custom Legio Flak armor H 3
WS BS S
A Good Death: True to the legion’s ideals, every Shield 01-10 7 20 20 40
Warden has a fail-safe device that activates via pre-set 3 3
Ar Al T Ag Int
subconscious triggers. The device lies near the
cardiopulmonary organ-cluster, and is capable of injecting a
11-20 7 21-30 7 30 20 20
3
B Per 5
Wp Fel
cocktail of combat drugs and hormones that turn the Shield
31-70 7 30 30 30
Warden into a suicidal battering ram prior to detonation.
When the Warden is reduced to half his Toughness Bonus in Lr 3
Ll 3 Inf
—
Wounds, the Internal Injector Mass activates. The Shield 71-85 7 86-00 7
Warden then becomes Frenzied and must pass a Difficult
(–10) Toughness Check each round or suffer cardiac HALF 3 FULL6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 3
arrest. If this happens, the IIM Implant detonates, killing the Welder Torch Class Pistol
Shield Warden and dealing damage according to the
RNG 3m ROF S/-/- DMG 1d10+3 (E)
following weapon profile:
PEN 1 Clip 8 RLD 2 Full Wt . 3kg AVLCM
Self Destruction Class Special SPECIAL: —
RNG 2m R OF — DMG 2d10 (X) Improvised Weapon Class Melee
PEN 0 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL —
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10-2 (I)
SPECIAL: TEARING, BLAST (2)
PEN 0 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL—
SPECIAL: PRIMITIVE (7), UNBALANCED

Servants of the Forges

Skills: Awareness (Per), Common Lore (Imperium) (Int),
Linguistics (Low Gothic) (Int), Trade (Manufactor)
“Every servant has his place, no matter how lowly or modest.
Talents: Resistance (Heat)
To know it is his greatest comfort, to excel within his greatest
Gear: Protective gear, Improvised Weapon (Variable tools,
solace, and his master’s contentment is his greatest reward.”
such as a wielder or pipe)
Strength of the Forges: Blistering heat, dense smog, toxic
Life on a forge world is harsh even by Imperial standards.
fumes, open flames, and exposed electrical conduits are all
The Adeptus Mechanicus grade, quantify and measure
common sights on the forge worlds of the Mandragora
every child born in their domain to best find their use and
Sector. To most people this sort of environment would be a
how they might serve within the Omnissiah’s great pattern.
death sentence, but to the Furnace Workers it is home. After
The most promising are inducted into the ministries of the
long years in such settings, these hardy workers never shy
Machine God, destined, in time, to find their place among the
away from such conditions, and most even thrive in such
ranks of the priesthood. Of the rest, a percentage of the
dreadful environments. Any time a Furnace Worker would
most physically able are subjected to the trials of the Skitarii
gain a level of Fatigue, except those caused by psychic
and other more secretive castes. For the majority, however,
powers, he may make a Challenging (+0) Toughness Test
there is a place, willing or not, within the forge world’s vast
and if successful, he does not gain the level of Fatigue.
webs of production. Such life-long service forms the mass of
Additionally, Furnace Workers take half as long to recover
skilled workers that maintain the forge world’s industries.
from Fatigue as normal.

111 The Mandragora Apocrypha

Menials Mining Helots
Menials (or labor units as they are known) are free to A forge world is a hungry monster, devouring raw materials
make what lives they can for themselves in conditions without pause or satiation. This hunger is fed by the blood
largely no different from those found on most hive worlds, and sweat of countless indentured labors (known as helots)
that is so long as work quotas are met, order maintained and and servitors who toil to feed the macro forges and titanic
their masters’ arcane pursuits are not disturbed. For those foundries. The Machine God is not without gifts for those that
that fail in their service, fall badly injured or are proven guilty labor to feed it. In the deep mines, the helots are fitted with
of some crime, punishment is harsh as new labor-helots and massive implant-drills and rams bonded into their nervous
organic servitor components are always in demand. system, and their bodies are augmented to better perform
their duties. Such improvements are often crudely fitted, and
endlessly recycled for use again after the failure of their
Menial (Troop) current fleshy housing.
10
H 3
WS BS S
01-10 3 28 29 32 Mining Helot (Troop)
3 3
10
Ar Al T Ag Int
3
11-20 3 3 H WS BS S
21-30 32 30 29
B 3 01-10 3 28 29 42
Per 5
Wp Fel
31-70 3 31 33 34 Ar 3
Al 3 T Ag Int

3 3 Inf
11-20 3 21-30 3 42 20 29
Lr Ll B 3
— Per 5
Wp Fel
71-85 3 86-00 3 31-70 3 31 33 24
HALF 3 FULL6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 2 3 3 Inf
Lr Ll
—
Welder Torch Class Pistol 71-85 3 86-00 3
RNG 3m ROF S/-/- DMG 1d10+3 (E)
HALF 2 FULL4 CHARGE6 RUN 12 THREAT 3
PEN 1 Clip 8 RLD 2 Full Wt . 3kg AVLCM
Breacher Class Melee
SPECIAL: —
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+5 (R)
Heavy Wrench Class Melee PEN 4 Clip — RLD — Wt . 18kg AVLSC
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+3 (I) SPECIAL: TEARING, UNWIELDY, SPECIAL (SEE WEAPON ENTRY)
PEN 0 Clip — RLD — Wt . 10kg AVLCM
SPECIAL: PRIMITIVE (7)
Skills: Athletics (S) +10, Tech-Use (Int), Trade (Menial,
Technomat) (Int)
Skills: Athletics (S) +10, Tech-Use (Int), Trade (Menial, Gear: Mining Helot Augmetics, goggles, respirator
Technomat) (Int)
Gear: Manufactorum coverall, goggles, respirator
Rite Of Ignition: The Adeptus Mechanicus has many rites
and rituals associated with coaxing machine spirits to life, so
many, in fact, that knowing all of them would be quite
impossible. Menials tend to be more practical than their
Tech-Priest masters, and often there are tense conditions
when it is not always practical to chant a three hundred line
Canticle of Initiation. Most have their own, self-taught “rite of
ignition,” a form of prayer to the machine-spirit that involves
striking the object in question several times, usually with
sufficient force for activation. They tend not to enact this rite
in the presence of Tech-Priests, as many would consider it
heresy, but few can argue with its effectiveness. The menial
may substitute their Strength Characteristic for their
Intelligence Characteristic when making a Tech-Use Test to
start or activate machinery. More sophisticated or delicate
machinery may not respond well to the Rite of Ignition.

The Mandragora Apocrypha 112

 Tech-Thralls
Tech-Thralls are created by the Mechanicus through basic
augmetics and cranial surgery as the need for them arises.
They are not servitors, which use often formerly human
biological matter as a component system, but rather can be
considered cyborgs as consciousness and memory is not
extinguished before they are reprocessed into their new
forms, merely mutilated and overridden. The conversion
process commonly awaits the laity of a Forge world's
population should it prove failing or commit some
transgression against their masters, for few other criminal
punishments exist in the Omnissiah's domains.
Tech-Thralls serve many purposes, but principally that of
a flexible pool of expendable labor in the Forge Worlds, but
in time of war, this same fate befalls many to create a quickly
produced and ultimately expendable military resource known
as the Adsecularis. In these cases, the organic human
bodies of the tech-thralls, already altered to lift heavy loads,
function in hostile environments and obey the orders of their
masters until death, are fitted with basic weapons systems
and bodily protection. On the battlefield they serve as
expendable troops, unskilled by relentless and indefatigable;
an army of the alive-yet-dead, puppeted by the Magos who
command them.

Tech-Thrall (Troop) 8
H 3
WS BS S
01-10 12 25 25 40
3 3
Ar Al T Ag Int
11-20 12 21-30 12 30 30 10
3
B Per Wp Fel
31-70 12 20 25 05
3 3 Inf
Lr Ll
—
71-85 12 86-00 12
HALF 3 FULL6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 8
Twin-linked Autoguns Class Heavy
RNG 90m ROF -/4/20 DMG 1d10+4 (I)
PEN 0 Clip 300 RLD Full Wt . 5kg AVLCM
SPECIAL: TEARING, TWIN-LINKED

Fist Class Melee

RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+7 (R)
PEN 0 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL —
SPECIAL: PRIMITIVE (8)

Skills: None
Talents: Defensive Augmentation
Traits: Machine (4), Unnatural Strength (2)
Weapons: Las-Lock or Mitralocks
Gear: Integral micro-bead, Las-Lock or Mitralock

113 The Mandragora Apocrypha

Engines of War Weapons One Hull Mounted Weapon (Choose one of the
following):

"The beast of metal endures longer than the flesh of men. Those that Lightning Cannon Class Heavy
tend the beast of metal must labor long to learn its ways, for a single ROF S/-/- DMG 3d10+8 (E)
RNG 300m
beast must suffer the mastership of many men until ready to shed its
last vorpal coils."
PEN 8 Clip 8 RLD 3 Full Wt . 82kg AVL ER
SPECIAL: BLAST (10), TEARING, RAZOR SHARP , DEVESTATING (5)
-Introit to Runic Mechanics
Pulsar Fusil Class Heavy
RNG 100m ROF S/4/- DMG 5d10+10 (E)
asters of technology and the guardians of knowledge,
PEN 10 Clip 12 RLD Full Wt . 93kg AVL ER
the Tech-Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus are responsible
SPECIAL: PROVEN (3)
for the weapons, wargear, ships, vehicles, and even the
most basic tools that every citizen of the Mandragora Sector
uses. Each year, fragmented data from ancient designs are Two Sponson-Mounted Volkite Sentinels :
recovered from across the stars, and the forges of Heraion,
Trilia and Sheol are put to work building them. Across the
sector, starships are repaired and components constructed
Volkite Sentinels Class Heavy
at the immense Heraion shipyards, and strange technologies RNG 55m ROF S/2/- DMG 2d10+3 (E)
are studied and replicated within the Sheol research PEN 4 Clip 24 RLD Full Wt . 27kg AVL ER
stations. There is no end to the patterns and peculiarities of SPECIAL: DEFLAGRATE, SENTINEL PROTOCOLS
Mandragoran technology, and the Adeptus Mechanicus toils
constantly and without rest to uncover the next great
technological marvel, or to rediscover a lost piece of Sentinel Protocols: Volkite Sentinels may be fired in Semi-
archeotech that could turn the tide for the Imperium. Auto mode at any targets in range (chosen by the Driver, at
This section covers a range of vehicles utilized by the BS 40) as a Free Action each. They do not count towards
Adeptus Mechanicus of Mandragora. the Driver’s number of attacks.
Galvanic Traction Drive: The vehicle treats all terrain as
Krios Battle Tank open terrain.
The Krios Battle Tank is a vehicle of arcane and ancient Flare Shield: Another of the Mechanicus' specialized
design that fulfils a tactical role within Mechanicum armies systems that only their high adepts truly understand, a flare
similar to that of the Predator tank more widely used by other shield is a directional electromagnetic flux field generator
forces of the Imperium. Its durability is provided by rumored by some to be a product of the Dark Age of
interlocking defensive energy fields, rather than physical Technology from a source best left forgotten. Flare shields
armor, lending it a deceptively skeletal appearance. lack anything like the defensive power of a Titan's void
The most common armament mounted upon the Krios is shields, but are able to deflect and disperse glancing or
the lightning cannon. This configuration takes advantage of diffuse impacts and shrapnel, and can reduce the power of
the tank’s powerful on-board reactor’s vast energy capacity more focused strikes with great reliability.
to create a laser-path guided electromagnetic beam, able to Enemy ranged attacks against the shield’s facing roll one
vaporize flesh and rupture heavy armor with ease. less damage die for damage. Enemy ranged attacks with the
Blast or Spray rule are reduced by a further damage die.
This has no effect on attacks made in melee, point blank
KRIOS BATTLE TANK TRACKED explosives such as melta bombs, Haywire attacks, or
FRONT: 36 SIDE: 30 REAR: 25 extremely powerful destroyer weapons such as the Volcano
Cannon.
CRUISING SPEED: 35 Kph TACTICAL SPEED: 12 Meters Blessed Autosimulacra: Automated repair systems keep a
MANOEUVRABILITY: -10 SIZE: Massive AVL: ER vehicle functioning, repairing the damage of the battle slowly
CARRYING CAPACITY: None INTEGRITY: 50 THREAT: 35 but surely. At the end of the driver’s turn, roll a 1d10. On a
Kph 9+, the vehicle recovers a number of lost structural integrity
CREW: DRIVER
equal to the character’s unmodified Intelligence bonus.
VEHICLE TRAITS: TRACKED

The Mandragora Apocrypha 114

 Ironstrider Ballistarii (Int), Scrutiny (Per), Security (Int), Tech-Use (Int), Trade
(Technomat) (Int)
The Ironstrider Ballistarius (plural - Ballistarii) is a walker
Talents: Ambidextrous, Constant Vigilance (Perception), Hip
used by Adeptus Mechanicus Skitarii. Used as mobile
Shooting, Jaded, Marksman, Resistance (Fear), Mounted
artillery platforms, they are Gyroscopically balanced. These
Warrior (Ranged) (2), Skilled Rider, Target Selection,
walkers are also equipped downlinks providing them with the
Technical Knock
sum knowledge of their enemies, making the deadly
Traits: Mechanicus Implants, Dark Sight, Machine (1)
accuracy of the Ironstrider Ballistarius legendary. These
Gear: Good craftsmanship skitarii warplate, good
walker teams tirelessly search the galaxy for high-value
craftsmanship integrated micro-bead, good craftsmanship
targets alongside their Skitarii Ranger escorts. Their
twin-linked autocannon or twin-linked lascannon with cognis
mechanized mounts are able to walk on the most hostile
awakening , backpack ammo supply
terrain for years on end without stop. Such a high quality is
Incense Cloud: The Ironstrider grants itself and allies the
its mount that the monotask Servitor charged with the duty of
Fog, Mist, Shadow, or Smoke Combat Circumstance in a 5
steering the vehicle is often the first component to fail. This
meter Radius.
is in large part thanks to their Ironstrider Engines.
Servitor Pilot: The vehicle is capable of reducing any action
When Ironstriders near a war zone, they are downloaded
with the Movement Subtype by a Half Action, provided that
with the sum total of the Mechanicum's knowledge of that
the movement for the vehicle is no more complex than
specific battlefield. Standing out in particular in these
traversing an obvious route.
datalinks are the locations and appearances of enemy
commanders, allowing for quick and easy identification and
elimination with either twin Autocannons or Lascannons. Macrocarid Explorator
The Macrocarid Explorator was a class of heavy vehicle
IRONSTRIDER BALLISTARII WALKER used by the Mechanicum during the Great Crusade and
Horus Heresy. The term itself was a classification of heavy
FRONT: 18 SIDE: 18 REAR: 14 armored and fully environmentally sealed vehicles used for
combat, command, and exploration purposes by Magos.
CRUISING SPEED: 60 Kph TACTICAL SPEED: 15 Meters
No two Macrocarids were exactly alike, having been
MANOEUVRABILITY: +10 SIZE: Massive AVL: ER repeatedly redesigned and modified by their masters. In the
CARRYING CAPACITY: 1 INTEGRITY: 24 THREAT: 25 earliest years of the Crusade however the Land Raider
CREW: SERVITOR, PILOT Proteus was the most common type of these vehicles, but as
the Imperium expanded wholly unique hulls were added to
VEHICLE TRAITS: ENHANCED MOTIVE SYSTEMS, OPEN TOPPED, WALKER,
SERVITOR PILOT the Mechanicum armory.
Ballistarii Rider (Troop) 12
H 4
WS BS S
MACROCARID EXPLORATOR TRACKED
01-10 10 40 44 40 FRONT: 40 SIDE: 40 REAR: 40
Ar 4 Al 4 T Ag Int
CRUISING SPEED: 70 Kph TACTICAL SPEED: 15 Meters
11-20 10 21-30 10 40 40 32
B 4
Wp
MANOEUVRABILITY: +0 SIZE: Massive AVL: NU
Per Fel
31-70 19 42 40 20 CARRYING CAPACITY: 10 INTEGRITY: 60 THREAT: 32
4 Inf CREW: DRIVER, HULL GUNNER, 2 SPONSON GUNNERS, SERVO-RKph
IG OPERATOR
Lr Ll 4
—
71-85 10 86-00 10 VEHICLE TRAITS: REINFORCED HULL, ENVIRONMENTALLY SEALED

HALF 3 FULL6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 25 Weapons: One Hull Mounted Weapon (Choose one of the
Twin-Linked Autocannon Class Heavy following):
RNG 300m ROF S/3/- DMG 3d10+8 (I)
PEN 6 Clip 24 RLD 2 Full Wt . 40g AVLVR Mauler Bolt Cannon Class Heavy
SPECIAL: RELIABLE, COGNIS AWAKENING, TWIN-LINKED RNG 90m ROF -/-/6 DMG 2d10+8 (X)
PEN 8 Clip 60 RLD Full Wt . 40kg AVL ER
Twin-Linked Lascannon Class Heavy
SPECIAL: TEARING
RNG 300m ROF S/-/- DMG 5d10+10 (E)
PEN 10 Clip 5 RLD 2 Full Wt . 55kg AVL VR Volkite Culverin Class Heavy
SPECIAL: PROVEN (3), COGNIS AWAKENING, TWIN-LINKED RNG 280m ROF S/2/4 DMG 2d10+9 (E)
PEN 4 Clip 40 RLD 5 Full Wt . 39kg AVL ER
Skills: Athletics (Str) +10, Awareness (Per) +10, Common SPECIAL: DEFLAGRATE
Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus, Tech, War) (Int) +10, Dodge
(Ag) +10, Linguistics (Techna-Lingua) (Int), Logic (Int),
Multi-Melta Class Heavy
Navigate (Surface) (Int) +10, Operate (Surface) (Ag) +20, RNG 60m ROF S/-/- DMG 2d16+16 (E)
Parry (WS) +10, Scholastic Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus, War) PEN 12 Clip 5 RLD 2 Full Wt . 30kg AVL VR
SPECIAL: MELTA, BLAST (1)

115 The Mandragora Apocrypha

 Servo-Rig operator’s Intelligence Bonus plus the number of
Twin-Linked Plasma Fusil Class Heavy
Degrees of Success on the test. This may be used on the
RNG 100m ROF S/2/4 DMG 2d10 (E) Macrocarid Explorator itself. The Servo-Rig may be used as
PEN 6 Clip 20 RLD Full Wt . 12kg AVL VR a weapon with the following profile.
SPECIAL: TWIN-LINKED
Servo-Rig Class Basic
Macrocarid Rad Cleanser Class Heavy
RNG 8m ROF S/-/- DMG 3d10+10 (E)
RNG 30m ROF S/-/- DMG 2d10+3 (E) PEN 12 Clip — RLD — Wt . 35kg AVL RA
PEN 4 Clip 20 RLD Full Wt . 22kg AVL VR SPECIAL: NONE
SPECIAL: SPRAY, FLESHBANE, RAD-PHAGE, TEARING
Blessed Autosimulacra: Automated repair systems keep a
Lascannon Class Heavy
vehicle functioning, repairing the damage of the battle slowly
RNG 300m ROF S/-/- DMG 5d10+10 (E) but surely. At the end of the driver’s turn, roll a 1d10. On a
PEN 10 Clip 5 RLD 2 Full Wt . 55kg AVL VR 9+, the vehicle recovers a number of lost structural integrity
SPECIAL: PROVEN (3) equal to the character’s unmodified Intelligence bonus.

Graviton Imploder Class Heavy Magos Sky Platform

RNG 90m ROF S/3/5 DMG 2d10 (I) An unusual vehicle to say the least, the sky platform is a
PEN 10 Clip 50 RLD 3 Full Wt . 33kg AVL NU round disk, perhaps six meters in diameter, held aloft by
SPECIAL: GRAVITON, CONCUSSIVE (2) suspensor fields and gravity flux generators, capable of
flying at considerable speeds or hovering silently at their
master’s whim. Principally, these creations are the province
Two Sponson Weapons (Choose one of the following): of a forge world’s ruling class who use them for personal
transports and to survey their domains, but more rarely they
Twin-Linked Mauler Bolt Cannons Class Heavy are also encountered in the hands of the Explorators and the
Magos Militant who use them to awe others into
RNG 90m ROF -/-/6 DMG 2d10+8 (X)
subservience and to fulfill a tactical roll as highly mobile
PEN 8 Clip 60 RLD Full Wt . 40kg AVL ER weapons platforms.
SPECIAL: TEARING, TWIN-LINKED
MAGOS SKY PLATFORM SKIMMER
Twin-Linked Lascannons Class Heavy
RNG 300m ROF S/-/- DMG 5d10+10 (E) FRONT: 12 SIDE: 12 REAR: 12
PEN 10 Clip 5 RLD 2 Full Wt . 55kg AVL VR CRUISING SPEED: 55 Kph TACTICAL SPEED: 20 Meters
SPECIAL: PROVEN (3), TWIN-LINKED MANOEUVRABILITY: +20 SIZE: Hulking AVL: SC

Irad Engines Class Heavy CARRYING CAPACITY: 3 INTEGRITY: 18 THREAT: 3

Kph
CREW: PILOT
RNG 50m ROF S/-/- DMG 1d10+12 (E)
PEN 7 Clip 20 RLD 4 Full Wt . 24kg AVL VR VEHICLE TRAITS: OPEN-TOPPED
SPECIAL: SPRAY, FLESHBANE, RAD-PHAGE, TORRENT

Minotaur Artillery Tank

Augury Scanner: The driver of a Macrocarid Explorator
The Minotaur Artillery Tank is a self-propelled artillery
may make a Challenging (+0) Awareness test as a Free
vehicle. Heavily armored and armed with two Earthshaker
Action to identify the exact location of any nearby enemies
Cannons, this highly-durable vehicle is intended to operate
and allies within 100 meters. This Awareness test does not
in the heart of combat, providing fire support while under
identify what the enemy is, nor remove any cover bonuses
threat from the enemy's guns and redeploying under its own
they have.
power.
Power of the Machine Spirit: When firing the vehicle's
weapons, the vehicle driver may fire one additional weapon MINOTAUR TRACKED
system. That weapon's firing is directed by the pilot
character, but uses the Machine Spirit's Ballistic Skill of 50.
FRONT: 35 SIDE: 30 REAR: 35
This attack does not benefit from any Talents or other CRUISING SPEED: 25 Kph TACTICAL SPEED: 8 Meters
attributes the driver possesses (in effect, it is being fired by
MANOEUVRABILITY: -15 SIZE: Massive AVL: NU
the Machine Spirit).
Servo-Rig: A set of manipulators, actuators, repair tools, CARRYING CAPACITY: None INTEGRITY: 50 THREAT: 52
and weapons mounted to the Macrocarid Explorator, the CREW: DRIVER, GUNNER
Servo-Rig operator may attempt a Challenging (+0) Tech VEHICLE TRAITS: REINFORCED ARMOR,
Use test on allied vehicles within 8 meters as a Half Action,
allowing the vehicle to recover hull integrity equal to the Weapons: One rear-facing Dual Earthshaker Cannon

The Mandragora Apocrypha 116

 Weapons: One Gunner-Operated Hull Mounted Weapon
Dual Earthshaker Cannon Class Heavy (Choose one of the following):
RNG 3500m ROF S/-/- DMG 4d10+10 (X)
PEN 8 Clip 2 RLD Full Wt . — AVL NU
Twin-Linked Heavy Phosphor Blaster Class Heavy

SPECIAL: BLAST (15), CONCUSSIVE (5), INDIRECT (5), TWIN-LINKED RNG 250m ROF S/2/3 DMG 2d10+8 (E)
PEN 8 Clip 32 RLD 3 Full Wt . 30kg AVL ER
SPECIAL: RELIABLE, LUMINAGEN, TWIN-LINKED
Blessed Autosimulacra: Automated repair systems keep a
vehicle functioning, repairing the damage of the battle slowly Neutron Laser Class Heavy
but surely. At the end of the driver’s turn, roll a 1d10. On a
RNG 300m ROF S/-/- DMG 3d10+30 (E)
9+, the vehicle recovers a number of lost structural integrity
equal to the character’s unmodified Intelligence bonus. PEN 15 Clip 15 RLD 3 Full Wt . 90kg AVL NU
Flare Shield (Rear Facing): Another of the Mechanicus' SPECIAL: BLAST (3), CONCUSSIVE (3)
specialized systems that only their high adepts truly
understand, a flare shield is a directional electromagnetic Eradication Ray Class Heavy
flux field generator rumored by some to be a product of the RNG 30m ROF S/-/- DMG 3d10+10 (E)
Dark Age of Technology from a source best left forgotten. PEN 15 Clip 5 RLD 3 Full Wt . 50kg AVL NU
Flare shields lack anything like the defensive power of a SPECIAL: ERADICATION DISPERSION
Titan's void shields, but are able to deflect and disperse
glancing or diffuse impacts and shrapnel, and can reduce Icarus Array Class Heavy
the power of more focused strikes with great reliability.
RNG 300m R OF — DMG —
Enemy ranged attacks against the shield’s facing roll one
PEN — Clip — RLD 6 Full Wt .96kg AVL NU
less damage die for damage. Enemy ranged attacks with the
Blast or Spray rule are reduced by a further damage die. SPECIAL: SPECIAL; SEE BELOW
This has no effect on attacks made in melee, point blank
explosives such as melta bombs, Haywire attacks, or
extremely powerful destroyer weapons such as the Volcano
Eradication Dispersion: The profile above represents a hit
Cannon.
at Point Blank Range. At short range, reduce its damage to
4d10+20 and Penetration to 15, at normal range, reduce it
Onager Dunecrawler further to 3d10+20 but grant it the Blast [4] quality. At long
The Onager Dunecrawler is a walker used by Adeptus range reduce the damage further to 2d10+20 and
Mechanicus Skitarii. Based on technology from the Dark Age Penetration to 10, but grant it the Blast [8] Quality. At
of Technology, the Onager Dunecrawler is based on the extreme range, reduce the damage to 1d10+10, the
Mars Universal Land Engine; itself inspired by the bad- Penetration to 4 but grant it the Blast [12] Quality
tempered beasts of burden that transported their masters Icarus Array: An Icarus Array is an anti-aircraft weapon
across Holy Terra in ancient times. The M.U.L.E. was utilized exclusively by Onager Dunecrawlers of the Skitarii
fashioned by famed techno-archaeologist Arkhan Land as a Legions of the Adeptus Mechanicus. When fired, an Icarus
transport but was soon modified into a weapon of war. It was Array fills the sky with inescapable death. Comprising of a
renamed, equipped with force shielding and replicated by the twin Icarus Autocannons with Skyscryer Lenses, a Gatling
millions. The Dunecrawler of modern day is largely similar Rocket Launcher that fires whole salvos of flak, and an
and is able to even outclass the rugged vehicles of the armour piercing Missile Launcher, its combined firepower
Space Marines. can shred entire squadrons of enemy flyers. The Icarus
The Dunecrawler maintains a crew of two meshed with array has the following three profiles, which are fired
their Onager host in a symbiotic relationship. Its gunner is a simultaneously. All weapons are reloaded at once:
former Skitarii Ranger that utilizes his accuracy while the
driver is a Skitarii Vanguard, his resilience to harmful Icarus Autocannon Class Heavy
energies allowing him to immerse himself in an electro-
RNG 300m ROF S/3/- DMG 3d10+8 (I)
amniotic fluid that allows direct communication with the
PEN 6 Clip 48 RLD 3 Full Wt . — AVL NU
walker's Machine Spirit. Treated like expendable batteries,
the crews inevitably die over time and are promptly replaced. SPECIAL: RELIABLE, SKYFIRE TARGETING, TWIN-LINKED

Icarus Gatling Krak Launcher Class Heavy

ONAGER DUNECRAWLER WALKER
RNG 300m ROF S/3/- DMG 3d10+8 (X)
FRONT: 28 SIDE: 28 REAR: 20 PEN 8 Clip 12 RLD 3 Full Wt . — AVL NU
CRUISING SPEED: 30 Kph TACTICAL SPEED: 12 Meters SPECIAL: RELIABLE, SKYFIRE TARGETING

MANOEUVRABILITY: +5 SIZE: Massive AVL: VR Icarus Daedalus Missile Launcher Class Heavy
CARRYING CAPACITY: None INTEGRITY: 30 THREAT: 15
RNG 300m ROF S/-/- DMG 4d10+12 (X)
CREW: DRIVER, GUNNER PEN 8 RLD 3 Full Wt . — AVL NU
Clip 1
VEHICLE TRAITS: ENHANCED MOTIVE SYSTEMS,ENVIRONMENTALLY SEALED SPECIAL: RELIABLE, SKYFIRE TARGETING

117 The Mandragora Apocrypha

Skyfire Targeting: Weapons with this special rule do not
suffer a penalty to attacking an Aircraft vehicle, but will
receive a -10 penalty to hit and the Inaccurate Quality
against any target that at ground altitude or lower.
Broad Spectrum Data Tether: A vehicle-mounted version
of that carried by veteran Skitarii, the broad spectrum
datatether projects a Tech-Priest’s binharic blurts with such
clarity it seems he is amongst the ranks of the Skitarii
himself. Imperatives delivered via such information relays
are more potent and reliable than any other. When a
character within 15 meters of a vehicle with this upgrade
spends a Fate Point to use a Doctrina Imperative of any
type, they gain a +10 bonus to Willpower until the start of
their next turn. This bonus does not stack with the bonus
granted from the enhanced data tether available to infantry.
Emanatus Force Field: The overlapping force fields
generated by Dunecrawlers are marvels of military science.
Much like the refractor fields common to the lesser orders of
the Martian Priesthood, they disperse hostile energies into
the atmosphere, each incoming bullet transformed into little
more than a flash of actinic blue light and a sudden tang of
ozone. The Dunecrawler has a PR20 protective field which
does not overload under normal conditions. For every other
Onager Dunecrawler within 10 meter, the field strength
increases by +15, to a maximum of PR50.
Ordinatus Sagittar
The Ordinatus Sagittar carries a trio of Volkite Culverins
as its secondary armaments, whilst its primary weapon is a
Belicosa pattern Volcano Cannon, more often carried by
Warlord class Battle Titans. An ancient pattern of weapon
whose destructive power is comparable to many shipboard
cannon and planetary defense lasers, few mobile weapons
platforms are capable of mounting the Belicosa simply due
to its savage power requirements. When engulfed in the
cannon’s cohesive light, the strongest fortress walls may be
reduced to glowing embers and the most resilient armor to
molten slag and vapor.
ORDINATUS Sagittar TRACKED
FRONT: 40 SIDE: 35 REAR: 35
CRUISING SPEED: 25 Kph TACTICAL SPEED: 8 Meters
MANOEUVRABILITY: -30 SIZE: Monumental AVL: UN
CARRYING CAPACITY: None INTEGRITY: 140 THREAT: 76
CREW: DRIVER, 3 GUNNERS
VEHICLE TRAITS: REINFORCED ARMOR, REINFORCED STRUCTURE,
SUPER-HEAVY
Weapons Sagittar Belicosa-Pattern Volcano Cannon
Volcano Cannon Class Heavy
RNG 3000m ROF S/-/- DMG 10d10+20 (E)
PEN 20 Clip 1 RLD 3 Full Wt . 220kg AVL UN
SPECIAL: BLAST (8), FELLING (6), DESTROYER, MACHINE DESTROYER
The Mandragora Apocrypha
Three Turret-Mounted Volkite Culverins
Volkite Culverin Class Heavy
RNG 280m ROF S/2/4 DMG 2d10+9 (E)
PEN 4 Clip 40 RLD 5 Full Wt . 39kg AVL ER
SPECIAL: DEFLAGRATE
Destroyer: Any target of Size (5) or lower is instantly
incinerated.
Machine Destroyer: Against Vehicles, Structures, and
enemies with the Daemon Engine trait, damage rolls of 1 or
2 may be rerolled. The second result stands.
Reinforced Structure: The vehicle possesses a PR20 field
that does not overload, representing hits bouncing off
armored surfaces.
Ordinatus Reactor Meltdown: When this vehicle is
destroyed, it automatically suffers an Apocalyptic Explosion
at double the maximum range result. Damage is rolled as
normal.
Ordinatus Dispersion Shield: The Ordinatus uses a
supercharged Flare Shield that burns out over time as
capacitors fail. During the first round of combat, enemy
ranged attacks against the shield’s facing roll three less
damage die for damage, and Critical results are reduced by
three. During the second round of combat, enemy ranged
attacks against the shield’s facing roll two less damage die
for damage, and Critical results are reduced by two. For the
third and subsequent rounds, enemy ranged attacks against
the shield’s facing roll one less damage die for damage, and
Critical results are reduced by one.
Armored Ceramite: Additional ceramite plates allow a
vehicle to survive blasts of intense heat and radiation.
Vehicles with Armored Ceramite ignore the Melta Quality
from Melta weapons.
Blessed Autosimulacra: Automated repair systems keep a
vehicle functioning, repairing the damage of the battle slowly
but surely. At the end of the driver’s turn, roll a 1d10. On a
9+, the vehicle recovers a number of lost structural integrity
equal to the character’s unmodified Intelligence bonus.
Apocalyptic
Explosions
The containment of the vehicle’s plasma reactor
breaches, resulting in a horrific explosion. Roll 2d10
and multiply the result by 10. This is the blast zone.
Everything within the blast zone takes 5d10+10
Energy damage with a Pen of 10 (roll once for all
targets that are caught within the blast radius). Reduce
the rolled damage result by 2 for every full 10 meters
the target is away from the exploding vehicle. Where
the vehicle once stood are only a few charred
pieces and a giant crater plated in
molten glass.
118
 Ordinatus Ulator vehicle to survive blasts of intense heat and radiation.
Vehicles with Armored Ceramite ignore the Melta Quality
The Ordinatus Ulator carries a trio of Volkite Culverins as
from Melta weapons.
its secondary armaments, but its primary weapon is the
Blessed Autosimulacra: Automated repair systems keep a
Ulator class Sonic Destructor. A terrifying weapon whose
vehicle functioning, repairing the damage of the battle slowly
origins lie in the shadows of the Age of Strife, the Sonic
but surely. At the end of the driver’s turn, roll a 1d10. On a
Destructor generates a wave of annihilation that wreaks
9+, the vehicle recovers a number of lost structural integrity
havoc across the battlefield.
equal to the character’s unmodified Intelligence bonus.
ORDINATUS Ulator TRACKED
Sydonian Dragoon
FRONT: 40 SIDE: 35 REAR: 35
Sydonian Dragoons are a type of light walker used by
CRUISING SPEED: 25 Kph TACTICAL SPEED: 8 Meters Adeptus Mechanicus Skitarii. Acting as the Skitarii's
MANOEUVRABILITY: -30 SIZE: Monumental AVL: UN "cavalry", these vehicles are equipped with a near-perpetual
motion engine Ironstrider Engine, making them a
CARRYING CAPACITY: None INTEGRITY: 140 THREAT: 76
technological marvel that nearly violates the laws of
CREW: DRIVER, 3 GUNNERS thermodynamics. In battle, Sydonian Dragoons are equipped
VEHICLE TRAITS: REINFORCED ARMOR, REINFORCED STRUCTURE, with a Taser Lance or Radium Jezzail.
SUPER-HEAVY The first Sydonians were warrior-explorers that settled on
Mars in areas with acidic mist millennia ago. In the many
Weapons: Ulator-Class Sonic Destructor wars that has haunted Mars' past, those with stilt-augmetics
could stalk these mists and yet live, their elevation allowing
Sonic Destructor Class Heavy them to escape the worst effects of the acidic fog while
RNG 500m ROF S/-/- DMG Special (X) remaining hidden from the enemy. The Sydonian Dragoons
PEN 12 Clip 1 RLD 3 Full Wt 220kg AVL UN echo these tactics, using incense exhausts to emit a mist
SPECIAL: ARMOR BANE, BLAST (10), SONIC WAVE, PINNING that confounds foes before they mount their deadly charge.
The walker itself is piloted by a Monotask Servitor, allowing
for the Dragoon to give his full focus to the fighting at hand.
Three Turret-Mounted Volkite Culverins
and elimination with either twin Autocannons or Lascannons.
Volkite Culverin Class Heavy
SYDONIAN DRAGOON WALKER
RNG 280m ROF S/2/4 DMG 2d10+9 (E)
PEN 4 Clip 40 RLD 5 Full Wt . 39kg AVL ER FRONT: 18 SIDE: 18 REAR: 14
SPECIAL: DEFLAGRATE
CRUISING SPEED: 60 Kph TACTICAL SPEED: 15 Meters
MANOEUVRABILITY: +10 SIZE: Massive AVL: ER
Sonic Wave: This weapon ignores the armor granted by
CARRYING CAPACITY: 1 INTEGRITY: 24 THREAT: 25
cover, and non-vehicle enemies wounded must make a
CREW: SERVITOR, PILOT
Challenging (+0) Toughness test or instantly perish. Once
fired, this weapon draws a line from its origin to its maximum VEHICLE TRAITS: ENHANCED MOTIVE SYSTEMS, OPEN TOPPED,
range. Everything under this line, including the space taken Sydonian Rider (Troop)
by the blast quality, is hit. Those that are hit take 1d10+1 13
damage per point of its Size quality. H 4
WS BS S
Reinforced Structure: The vehicle possesses a PR20 field 01-10 10 44 44 42
that does not overload, representing hits bouncing off
Ar 4 Al 4 T Ag Int
armored surfaces.
Ordinatus Reactor Meltdown: When this vehicle is
11-20 10 21-30 10 44 40 32
4
B Per Wp Fel
destroyed, it automatically suffers an Apocalyptic Explosion 31-70 19 42 40 20
at double the maximum range result. Damage is rolled as
normal. Inf
Lr 4 Ll 4
—
Ordinatus Dispersion Shield: The Ordinatus uses a 71-85 10 86-00 10
supercharged Flare Shield that burns out over time as
capacitors fail. During the first round of combat, enemy HALF 3 FULL6 CHARGE9 RUN 18 THREAT 25
ranged attacks against the shield’s facing roll three less Taser Lance Class Melee
damage die for damage, and Critical results are reduced by
RNG — R OF — DMG 1d10+8 (E)
three. During the second round of combat, enemy ranged
PEN 0 Clip — RLD — Wt . 11g AVLVR
attacks against the shield’s facing roll two less damage die
for damage, and Critical results are reduced by two. For the SPECIAL: POWERFIELD,TASER
third and subsequent rounds, enemy ranged attacks against Radium Jezzail Class Heavy
the shield’s facing roll one less damage die for damage, and
Critical results are reduced by one. RNG 120m ROF S/2/- DMG 1d10+2 (E)
Armored Ceramite: Additional ceramite plates allow a PEN 2 Clip 40 RLD 2 Full Wt . 12kg AVL ER
SPECIAL: RELIABLE, RAD-CLEANSE, ACCURATE

119 The Mandragora Apocrypha

Skills: Athletics (Str) +10, Awareness (Per) +10, Common its intended location on the surface it is treated as Immobile
Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus, Tech, War) (Int) +10, Dodge until it resumes burrowing again.
(Ag) +10, Linguistics (Techna-Lingua) (Int), Logic (Int),
Navigate (Surface) (Int) +10, Operate (Surface) (Ag) +20, Triaros Armored Conveyor
Parry (WS) +10, Scholastic Lore (Adeptus Mechanicus, War) The Triaros Armoured Conveyer is an armored vehicle of
(Int), Scrutiny (Per), Security (Int), Tech-Use (Int), Trade
the Adeptus Mechanicus. The primary transport of
(Technomat) (Int)
Mechanicum troops during the Great Crusade and Horus
Talents: Ambidextrous, Constant Vigilance (Perception), Hip Heresy eras, it relies on a number of unique technologies
Shooting, Jaded, Marksman, Resistance (Fear, Radiation and never divulged to the greater Imperium, even by the
(3)), Mounted Warrior (Melee, Ranged) (2), Skilled Rider, Adeptus Astartes.
Target Selection, Technical Knock Designed for use in hostile environments, it incorporates
Traits: Mechanicus Implants, Dark Sight, Machine (1) multiple galvanic traction drives and its defenses are
Gear: Good craftsmanship skitarii warplate, good comprised not only of heavy armor but also layered techno-
craftsmanship integrated micro-bead, good craftsmanship cant wardings and interlocking energy shields. Armament
taser lance, good craftsmanship radium jezzail consists of independently animated Weapons Servitors.
Incense Cloud: The Ironstrider grants itself and allies the equipped with Volkite Sentinels and a Mauler Bolt Cannon.
Fog, Mist, Shadow, or Smoke Combat Circumstance in a 5 Its storage bay can be hermetically sealed if needed,
meter Radius allowing the Triaros to be used in the hard vacuum of space
Jousting: When performing the Charge or Hit & Run
and on the surfaces of lifeless worlds. Its internal bay is
Actions, the rider’s Strength Bonus becomes 12 for the outfitted with numerous specialized couplings for recharging,
purposes of damage. cold-sleep storage, and servicing Tech-thralls and light
Servitor Pilot: The vehicle is capable of reducing any action Automata if needed. Its most remarkable feature however is
with the Movement Subtype by a Half Action, provided that a powerful reactor-fed Shock Ram mounted to its fore, which
the movement for the vehicle is no more complex than can be used to shatter and incinerate anything it contacts.
traversing an obvious route.
TRIAROS ARMORED CONVEYOR TRACKED
Termite
Termites are enclosed vehicles designed to burn and
FRONT: 40 SIDE: 30 REAR: 30
burrow effortlessly through rock and soil. Equipped with full CRUISING SPEED: 30 Kph TACTICAL SPEED: 10 Meters
life support systems and considerable range, termites vary in
MANOEUVRABILITY: -15 SIZE: Massive AVL: NU
form and function from heavy-duty mining units to
exploration craft to military siege breakers, but thanks to the CARRYING CAPACITY: 20 INTEGRITY: 60 THREAT: 32
techno-arcana required to construct them, most remain in CREW: DRIVER,
the hands of the Mechanicus and their servants. The VEHICLE TRAITS: ENVIRONMENTALLY SEALED, REINFORCED HULL
standard Termite is an utilitarian multi-purpose model,
relatively small in size capable of conveying a dozen souls
for long distances into the far deeps in relative comfort and Weapons: One hull mounted Maulter Bolt Cannon
safety.
Mauler Bolt Cannon Class Heavy
TERMITE BURROWER RNG 90m ROF -/-/6 DMG 2d10+8 (X)
FRONT: 35 SIDE: 35 REAR: 35 PEN 8 Clip 60 RLD Full Wt . 40kg AVL ER
SPECIAL: TEARING
CRUISING SPEED: 30 Kph TACTICAL SPEED: 10 Meters
MANOEUVRABILITY: -10 SIZE: Massive AVL: ER Two Sponson-Mounted Volkite Sentinels
CARRYING CAPACITY: 40 INTEGRITY: 25 THREAT: 25
CREW: DRIVER,, 4 GUNNERS Volkite Sentinels Class Heavy
VEHICLE TRAITS: ENCLOSED, ENVIRONMENTALLY SEALED, RUGGED RNG 55m ROF S/2/- DMG 2d10+3 (E)
PEN 4 Clip 24 RLD Full Wt . 27kg AVL ER
SPECIAL: DEFLAGRATE, SENTINEL PROTOCOLS
Weapons: Quad-Fixed, Forward-firing Boring Array

Boring Array Class Heavy

Shock Ram: This massive frontal ram incorporated powerful
RNG 20m ROF S/3/- DMG 2d10+10 (E) anbaric projectors and disruption field technology akin to
PEN 12 Clip 5 RLD Full Wt 45kg AVL RA those used in Power Weapons. It was used to destroy and
SPECIAL: MELTA incinerate anything it came into contact with. When
executing the Ram Full Action, the Triaros counts its armor
Burrower: The Termite counts as a Tracked Vehicle, value as 50, and the Ram attack has the Haywire quality.
however, the vehicle cannot traverse across terrain normally. When executing the Ram Full action against non-vehicle
Rather, it bores through the terrain itself. Once it emerges to targets, the Shock Ram inflicts 1d5 hits (allocated to the

The Mandragora Apocrypha 120

 closest enemy first, one hit per enemy) with the following KNIGHT TITAN WALKER
profile: FRONT: 35 SIDE: 30 REAR: 30
Shock Ram Class Melee CRUISING SPEED: 70 Kph TACTICAL SPEED: 12 Meters
RNG — R OF — DMG 2d10+8 (E) MANOEUVRABILITY: +0 SIZE: Immense AVL: NU
PEN 4 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL — CARRYING CAPACITY: None INTEGRITY: 90 THREAT: 45
SPECIAL: SHOCING CREW: QUESTORIS FAMILIA PILOT
VEHICLE TRAITS: ENCLOSED, ENVIRONMENTALLY SEALED, REINFORCED
Sentinel Protocols: Volkite Sentinels may be fired in Semi- ARMOR, ENHANCED MOTIVE SYSTEMS, DAMAGE CONTROL, SUPER-HEAVY
Auto mode at any targets in range (chosen by the Driver, at
BS 40) as a Free Action each. They do not count towards
the Driver’s number of attacks. Weapons: Right arm (one weapon chosen from the
Galvanic Traction Drive: The vehicle treats all terrain as following):
open terrain.
Rapid-fire Battle Cannon Class Heavy
Flare Shield: Another of the Mechanicus' specialized
systems that only their high adepts truly understand, a flare RNG 750m ROF S/2/- DMG 3d10+10 (X)
shield is a directional electromagnetic flux field generator PEN 8 Clip 18 RLD 3 Full Wt . — AVL —
rumored by some to be a product of the Dark Age of SPECIAL: CONCUSSIVE (3), RELIABLE, CO-AXIAL MOUNTED HEAVY STUBBER
Technology from a source best left forgotten. Flare shields
lack anything like the defensive power of a Titan's void Thermal Cannon Class Heavy
shields, but are able to deflect and disperse glancing or RNG 200m ROF S/-/- DMG 3d10+15 (E)
diffuse impacts and shrapnel, and can reduce the power of PEN 16 Clip 12 RLD 2 Full Wt . — AVL —
more focused strikes with great reliability.
SPECIAL: MELTA, BLAST (10)
Enemy ranged attacks against the shield’s facing roll one
less damage die for damage. Enemy ranged attacks with the
Blast or Spray rule are reduced by a further damage die.
Reaper Chainsword on left arm
This has no effect on attacks made in melee, point blank
explosives such as melta bombs, Haywire attacks, or
Reaper Chainsword Class Melee
extremely powerful destroyer weapons such as the Volcano
Cannon. RNG — R OF — DMG 4d10+30 (R)
Blessed Autosimulacra: Automated repair systems keep a PEN 12 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL —
vehicle functioning, repairing the damage of the battle slowly SPECIAL: TEARING, PROVEN (3), RAZOR SHARP, FELLING (10), UNBALANCED
but surely. At the end of the driver’s turn, roll a 1d10. On a
9+, the vehicle recovers a number of lost structural integrity Hull-mounted Heavy Stubber
equal to the character’s unmodified Intelligence bonus
Heavy Stubber Class Heavy
Mechanicus Questoris Knight RNG 100m ROF -/-/8 DMG 1d10+4 (I)
Most knightly houses, though by no means all, are PEN 3 Clip 80 RLD 2 Full Wt . — AVL —
associated with a forge world, and in return for fighting
SPECIAL: MELTA, BLAST (10)
alongside that forge world’s Titan Legions, they gain access
to advanced technology and knowledge that only the
Adeptus Mechanicus possess. Ion Shield: The pilot declares a facing at any time during
The association between the knightly houses and the combat. All ranged attacks directed at that facing are
Adeptus Mechanicus dates back to the time of the Great resolved as if the walker had a Force Field with a Protection
Crusade. When the Knight worlds were first discovered, the Rating of 50 which cannot be Overloaded. The Ion Shield
different organizations that made up the Great Crusade protects that facing until the start of the vehicle's next turn
competed ferociously with each other to gain control of the (the protected facing cannot be changed until then). If the
valuable resource the Knights represented. This Ion Shields' Facing is declared after a successful to hit roll
Machiavellian political contest went on for decades, until the the pilot must make a Hard (-20) Operate Test. If he
Mechanicum of Mars was finally able to establish their succeeds the Shield works against that attack, if not than it
dominance in the right to exploit the Knight worlds. The starts working immediately after that shot is resolved (but
Mechanicum were driven in this by a desire to gain control of does not work in that shot).
the archeotech that could be found in abundance on the Questoris Pilot: The hull mounted heavy stubber can be
ancient Knight worlds, but were also aware that the vast fired as a Free Action once each turn, as it is directly linked
natural resources and military might of the knightly houses to the pilots' mind via MIU. This attack does not count to the
could make them a valuable asset. To this end, once they maximum number of attacks that the pilot can make on that
had established their right to exploit the Knight worlds, they turn.
set about making them dependent upon the Mechanicum for
their continued survival.

121 The Mandragora Apocrypha

Table 6-1: Weapon Emplacements
Name Class Range Rof Dam Pen Clip Rld Special Wt. Availability
Emplacements
Mole Heavy 50- S/-/- † † 1 Full †, Indirect 60kg Very Rare
Mortar 200m
Rapier Heavy 200m S/-/- 6d10+12 E 14 15 2 Full Reliable, Proven (4) 100kg Very Rare
††
Tarantula Heavy † † † † † † Twin-Linked 50kg Very Rare
Thudd Heavy 50- -/-/4 1d10+8 X 4 20 2 Full Blast (3), Indirect 130kg Very Rare
Gunn 500m
† The Mole Mortar torpedo type being used determines Range, Damage, Penetration, and additional Special Rules
†† Plus the weight of both weapons

Weapon Emplacements Twin-Linked Lasguns Class Heavy

RNG 100m ROF S/3/- DMG 1d10+3 (E)
While most Mechanicum weaponry is man (or Servitor)
PEN 0 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL —
portable, some armaments are designed more for stationary
SPECIAL:RELIABLE
operation. Once firmly set into the ground, such weapon
emplacements can rain devastating fire upon the foes of the
Machine God. Automated Defense: Defense Turret's posses simplistic
Due to their complex control methods, characters using Machine Spirit that allows them to operate without direct
Weapon Emplacements must also have either Common control. The Defense Turret's possesses 30 to any pertinent
Lore (Tech) or Tech-Use Skill before they can use these characteristic rolls it may need (such as Ballistic Skill).
weapon types.
Mole Mortar
Weapon Emplacement Rules The Mole Mortar is a support weapon used my some
Weapon Emplacements are stationary platforms that act Imperial forces. It is basically an inverted mortar that fires a
as small-scale artillery pieces. All Weapon Emplacements burrowing sub-surface missile, or tunnel-torpedo, into the
are supplied with control equipment, usually in the form of a ground. The missile burrows its way toward its target,
large, detachable, handheld control device, or sometimes a bypassing all surface hazards and defenses, emerging from
backpack control vox. These controls have a range of 500 the ground beneath the target. The missile is self-guided and
meters. The character that controls a weapon emplacement able to track its target through solid rock.
can divide their Actions up between themselves and the
Weapon Emplacement (e.g. a character might use a Half
Action to make a Half Move Action, and then a Half-Action to Mole Morter TRACKED
make the Standard Attack Action needed to fire their
FRONT: 14 SIDE: 14 REAR: 14
Weapon Emplacement). As always, Actions cannot be
repeated, so a character controlling a Weapon Emplacement CRUISING SPEED: 25 Kph TACTICAL SPEED: 4 Meters
cannot fire a ranged weapon and a Weapon Emplacement’s MANOEUVRABILITY: -10 SIZE: Hulking AVL: VR
weapon in the same turn.
CARRYING CAPACITY: None INTEGRITY: 30 THREAT: 25
CREW: OPERATOR
Defense Turret
The ubiquitous defense turret serves as a staple for VEHICLE TRAITS: IMMOBILE
stationary defensive points.

Mole Mortar Torpedoes: Each Round, the Mole Mortar

Defense Turret IMMOBILE operator can change the type of torpedo. Due to the scarcity
of both the launcher and its ammunition, each round is
FRONT: 8 SIDE: 8 REAR: 8 obtained individually. As they hit without warning from
CRUISING SPEED: 0 Kph TACTICAL SPEED: 0 Meters underground, Dodge Tests against torpedo hits are made
with a –30 Penalty on top of any other modifiers. See page
MANOEUVRABILITY: +0 SIZE: Average AVL: SC
26 for more details on individual torpedoes.
CARRYING CAPACITY: None INTEGRITY: 10 THREAT: 4
CREW: NONE
VEHICLE TRAITS: IMMOBILE, RUGGED

Weapons: Each Defense Turret has Twin-Linked Lasguns

The Mandragora Apocrypha 122

 Rapier Laser Destroyer Twin-Linked Heavy Bolters Class Heavy
The Rapier Armored Carrier is an ancient device, one of RNG 120m ROF -/-/10 DMG 2d10+10 (X)
many such technological relics of the dawning days of
PEN 5 Clip 200 RLD 2 Full Wt . 40kg AVL VR
Mankind’s stellar empire. A bulky, armored track unit, which
SPECIAL: TEARING, TWIN-LINKED
mounts a powerful atomantic reactor, the Rapier is often
armed with a powerful quad lascannon known as a laser
Twin-Linked Lascannons Class Heavy
destroyer. This has become synonymous with the Rapier
Armored Carrier itself. RNG 300m ROF S/-/- DMG 5d10+10 (E)
PEN 10 Clip 30 RLD 2 Full Wt . 60kg AVL VR
SPECIAL: TWIN-LINKED, PROVEN (3)
Rapier Armored Carrier TRACKED
FRONT: 14 SIDE: 14 REAR: 14 Twin-Linked Multi-Lasers Class Heavy
RNG 150m ROF -/-/5 DMG 2d10+10 (E)
CRUISING SPEED: 25 Kph TACTICAL SPEED: 4 Meters
PEN 2 Clip 100 RLD 2 Full Wt . 35kg AVL VR
MANOEUVRABILITY: -10 SIZE: Hulking AVL: VR
SPECIAL: TWIN-LINKED
CARRYING CAPACITY: None INTEGRITY: 30 THREAT: 25
CREW: OPERATOR Twin-Linked Plasma Cannons Class Heavy
VEHICLE TRAITS: IMMOBILE RNG 120m ROF S/-/- DMG 2d10+10 (E)
PEN 8 Clip 32 RLD 5 Full Wt . 40kg AVL VR
SPECIAL: TWIN-LINKED, MAXIMAL, OVERHEATS, BLAST (1)
Tarantula Sentry Gun
The Tarantula automated defense turret is a common Twin-Linked Multi-Meltas Class Heavy
sight across the Imperium. Many different patterns and RNG 60m ROF S/-/- DMG 2d10+16 (E)
configurations exist, and their ability to mount multiple PEN 12 Clip 24 RLD Full Wt . 40kg AVL ER
weapon systems, from Lascannons to Multi-Meltas, make SPECIAL: TWIN-LINKED, BLAST (1), MELTA
them efficient and flexible heavy weapon platforms. This
pattern differs from most standard Tarantulas in that it lacks
the automated point defense machine-spirits that make them
such excellent sentries. Nevertheless, the Hadd-pattern is Thudd Gun
capable of moving swiftly via its external controls, shifting its The Thudd Gun, officially known as a Quad Launcher, is a
role from a defensive weapon or sentry gun to that of a more quadruple-barreled, short-range artillery weapon, generally
mobile heavy weapons carrier. used by the Imperial Guard. This mortar receives its unusual
name from the distinctive sound it makes when firing. The
Thudd Gun is effectively four large Mortars mounted on a
Tarrantula Sentry Gun TRACKED
single gun carriage. Once the "quads" were common
FRONT: 14 SIDE: 14 REAR: 14 weapons amongst the regiments of the Imperial Guard, but
most of these artillery pieces have now been relegated to
CRUISING SPEED: 25 Kph TACTICAL SPEED: 4 Meters second-line Imperial units, used by Planetary Defense
MANOEUVRABILITY: -10 SIZE: Hulking AVL: VR Forces and militia units. As this Thudd Gun consists of four
CARRYING CAPACITY: None INTEGRITY: 30 THREAT: 25 linked mortars that fire as a salvo, the weapon is always fired
CREW: OPERATOR using the Indirect Fire Action. Each individual clip for a
Thudd Gun holds 5 shells.
VEHICLE TRAITS: IMMOBILE

Thudd Gun TRACKED

Weapons: Each Tarantula has a pair of heavy
weapons(choose one of the following): FRONT: 14 SIDE: 14 REAR: 14
CRUISING SPEED: 25 Kph TACTICAL SPEED: 4 Meters
MANOEUVRABILITY: -10 SIZE: Hulking AVL: VR
CARRYING CAPACITY: None INTEGRITY: 30 THREAT: 25
CREW: OPERATOR
VEHICLE TRAITS: IMMOBILE

123 The Mandragora Apocrypha

Vehicle Upgrades Of The Mechanicus Broad Spectrum Data Tether
Type: Standard Used
The following are the myriad vehicular upgrades For: Any
commonly found on the vehicles of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Install/Repair Difficulty: -10
A vehicle-mounted version of that carried by veteran
Anbaric Claw Skitarii, the broad spectrum datatether projects a Tech-
Priest’s binharic blurts with such clarity it seems he is
Type: Standard
amongst the ranks of the Skitarii himself. Imperatives
Used For: Any
delivered via such information relays are more potent and
Install/Repair Difficulty: -20
reliable than any other. When a character within 15 meters
The Anbaric Claw works by generating a massive-pulse
of a vehicle with this upgrade spends a Fate Point to use a
shock of electromagnetic force through the vehicle's hull by
Doctrina Imperative of any type, they gain a +10 bonus to
way of a battery of electro-chem capacitors. The
Willpower until the start of their next turn. This bonus does
electromagnetic force generated was able to incinerate
not stack with the bonus granted from the enhanced data
nearby organic creatures as well as disrupting, burning out,
tether.
or completely destroying an enemy war machine's electronic
components.
As a Reaction, the Driver may trigger the Anbaric Claw
Cognis Manipulator
when subject to the Charge action or attacked in Melee. The Type: Standard
claw discharges a storm of energy, inflicting a single hit on Used For: Any Ground
all enemies within 2 meters with the following profile: Install/Repair Difficulty: -30
Cognis Manipulators is a type of support system used by
Anbaric Claw Class Basic Adeptus Mechanicus vehicles. Similar to Servo-arms, these
ROF S/-/- DMG 2d10+3 (E) appendages repair damaged hulls and weapons systems in
RNG 2m
the heat of battle.
PEN 6 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL —
At the end of the driver’s turn, roll a 1d10. On a 7+, the
SPECIAL: HAYWIRE (0)
vehicle recovers a number of lost structural integrity equal to
the character’s unmodified Intelligence bonus. The Cognis
Manipulator can also double as a melee weapon with the
Armored Ceramite following profile:
Type: Standard Cognis Manipulator Class Melee
Used For: Any
RNG — R OF — DMG 2d10+310(E)
Install/Repair Difficulty: -10
PEN 15 Clip — RLD — Wt . — AVL —
Additional ceramite plates allow a vehicle to survive blasts
of intense heat and radiation. Vehicles with Armored SPECIAL: POWERFIELD, UNWIELDY
Ceramite ignore the Melta Quality from Melta weapons.

Auxiliary Drive Explorator Augury Web

Type: Standard
Used For: Any
Install/Repair Difficulty: +0
Some vehicles contain extra drive motors in the event of
malfunction or difficult terrain. Tech Use tests to repair this
vehicle gain a +20 bonus. In addition, when attempting to
specifically restore a Drive Damaged result, the Tech Use
test is considered two steps easier
Blessed Autosimulacra
Type: Standard
Used For: Any
Install/Repair Difficulty: -30
Automated repair systems keep a vehicle functioning,
repairing the damage of the battle slowly but surely. At the
end of the driver’s turn, roll a 1d10. On a 9+, the vehicle
recovers a number of lost structural integrity equal to the
character’s unmodified Intelligence bonus.
Type: Standard
Used For: Macrocarid Explorator
Any Install/Repair Difficulty: -40
A set of augurs built into a number of Mechanicum
vehicles, most predate the Imperium itself, which makes
their use rare and preservation important. Attendant
Techpriests can uses them to scan enemy positions and
coordinate allies.
The Explorator Augury Web allows the vehicle to move up
to double its Tactical Speed as a free action before initiative
is rolled in an encounter. The vehicle moves normally
afterwards. It may function in two modes, switched by the
driver as a Half Action.
In Relay Mode, any character using this equipment also
gains a +20 to Command Skill tests and may reroll any failed
Command Skill tests. The character may use his Command
skill to affect a number of squads, units, or other teams
equal to his Fellowship bonus. This effect combines with
Fellowship-based Talents such as Iron Discipline, Master
Orator, and the like.
In Disruption mode, any enemy within 5 kilometers suffers
a -20 to Command tests, and must reroll successful

The Mandragora Apocrypha 124

 Command tests.
Note: This upgrade may only be mounted on the Macrocarid Table 6-2: Vehicle Upgrades
Explorator, and reduces its transport capacity to 8. Name Availability
Anbaric Claw Extremely Rare
Armored Ceramite Rare
Flare Shield Auxiliary Drive Rare
Blessed Autosimulacra Near Unique
Type: Standard Broad Spectrum Data Tether Rare
Used For: Any Ground except the Ordinatus Minoris Cognis Manipulator Unique
Install/Repair Difficulty: -40 Explorator Augury Web Near Unique
Flare Shield Near Unique
Another of the Mechanicus' specialized systems that only Ramjet Diffraction Grid Extremely Rare
their high adepts truly understand, a flare shield is a Searchlight Plentiful
directional electromagnetic flux field generator rumored by Smoke Launchers Plentiful
some to be a product of the Dark Age of Technology from a
source best left forgotten. Flare shields lack anything like the
defensive power of a Titan's void shields, but are able to Searchlight
deflect and disperse glancing or diffuse impacts and Type: Standard
shrapnel, and can reduce the power of more focused strikes Used For: Any
with great reliability. Install/Repair Difficulty: +40
Enemy ranged attacks against the shield’s facing roll one Searchlights are often fitted to vehicles so that the foe
less damage die for damage. Enemy ranged attacks with the cannot use darkness as an ally. As a Half Action by making
Blast or Spray rule are reduced by a further damage die. a Challenging (+0) Perception Test to find his targets. If he
This has no effect on attacks made in melee, point blank succeeds, he illuminates them. For as long as he keeps the
explosives such as melta bombs, Haywire attacks, or Searchlight active, attacks made against these targets (and
extremely powerful destroyer weapons such as the Volcano against the vehicle) suffer no penalties for darkness.
Cannon.
Smoke Launcher
Mindscanner Probe Type: Standard
Type: Standard Used For: Any
Used For: Any Install/Repair Difficulty: +60
Install/Repair Difficulty: -20 Some vehicles have small launchers mounted onto them
The goliath-grade circuitry in this wondrous machine that carry smoke canisters. These are used to temporarily
means it can only be borne by robustly built vehicles. When obscure the vehicle behind billowing clouds of smoke,
activated, it can detect any significant spikes of cerebral allowing it to cross open areas in greater safety – although it
activity from nearby enemies. This triggers a series of bells, does so at the cost of being able to fire its own weapons.
giving Skitarii a valuable second of notice before an enemy As a Half Action or Reaction, the vehicle’s commander or
attack hits home. driver may trigger its smoke launchers. This creates a cloud
When a character within 15 meters of a vehicle with this of obscuring smoke with a radius of 15 meters, centered on
upgrade is the subject of a Charge Action, the charging the vehicle (see Fog, Mist, Shadow, or Smoke). Smoke
enemy does not get the normal bonus to Weapon Skill that launchers are single use items, and must be replaced when
the Charge Action grants. If the character is already in melee expended.
combat, however, there is no effect – the character is
already too preoccupied!

Ramjet Diffraction Grid

Type: Standard
Used For: Flyers only
Install/Repair Difficulty: -40
The Ramjet Diffraction Grid uses the same principles of a
Flare Shield to weaken enemy attacks before they reach the
vehicle’s armor. Enemy ranged attacks against the vehicle’s
Side and Rear facings roll one less damage die for damage.
Enemy ranged attacks with the Blast or Spray rule are
reduced by a further damage die. For example, a Lascannon
shot against a Flare Shield would be reduced from 5d10+10
Pen 10 to 4d10+10 Pen 10. This has no effect on attacks
made in melee, point blank explosives such as melta bombs,
Haywire attacks, or extremely powerful destroyer weapons
such as the Volcano Cannon. This may only be applied to
Flyers and Spacecraft.

125 The Mandragora Apocrypha