A tech priest ranks is a high-level mage who specializes in building temporary radiation shelters and searching for lost STC databases. Hexagrammically Warded, Tech Priests are tethered servitors. As a Priest, you can use your Tech-priest talents to enhance your character’s abilities and set him apart from other priests. There are three talents that you can take: Hexagrammically Warded, Machine God, and Flesh Is Weak.
Tech-Priests are Tethered Servitors
A tech priest ranks is a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus, a group of arcane scientists willing to go to extremes to further the study of arcane sciences. The human brain is a weak vessel for knowledge, so Tech-Priests replace organic tissue with bionic versions. These priests also scorn sleep and emotion, and favor pure metal. They also seek to further the cult’s scientific mission.
The ranks of Tech-priests are based on the number of mechadendrites they have installed on their bodies. These are usually mounted on the back and shoulders, but some are attached to the waist and chest. These mechanical attachments are capable of performing a variety of specialized functions. As such, their number is an excellent indicator of their rank. However, not all tech priests use these mechadendrites.
Those who use an Abeyant are tethered to their Servitors. These tethered servants are surprisingly effective, as their servo-mats feed them. They also have traits that make them discreet and efficient servants. Techpriests have traits like Dark Sight, Flier 6, Programmed Instinct, and Machine (3). Their weapons are Unarmed (1d10-3 I).
A tech priest has an enclave of lesser tech-priests available to him. They work in binary harmony and give him a great deal of power. Using an enclave of lesser tech-priests will also increase his ability to lead Omnissiah troops from a void habitat. Additionally, he has a bonus on Weapon Skill checks for planetary Boarding actions. He is also immune to enemy encagement in ground combat.
They Search for Lost STC Databases
The 1st Mars Expeditionary Force is a regiment of the Imperial Guard that has been performing unsanctioned modifications to their ships. They are not allowed to use the forbidden stuff from the Dark Age of Technology, but they believe they can finish the Quest for Knowledge and get the knowledge they need to survive in the future. Tech priests are part of the Mechanicum Empire, which used to rule Mars. They were trained in ancient technology and aspired to a status within the Skitarii.
A complete STC database would cause schisms in the Mechanicus and tear the Imperium apart. STCs can be represented as a single blueprint of high-tech equipment, or as a database of dozens or hundreds of such blueprints. One of the most popular images of an STC is a massive 3-D printer. The database is a key resource for the Tech priest ranks, who use it to develop new technology and create new technologies.
In the game, Arkhan Land led an expedition to Librarius Omnis, a system where he sought out an ancient STC database. During the expedition, he recovered blueprints for a Raider-Pattern Main Battle Tank, the Crawler, and the Mars Universal Land Engine. He also managed to obtain information on rare anti-gravitic plates. While he was a technological genius, Arkhan was also a highly arrogant and disrespectful member of the Mechanicum.
The Logis are heavily trained in the art of war and are capable of monitoring the battlefield with machine-like precision. However, their limited opportunities to rise to political power in the Priesthood of Mars are restricted. Another class of Tech priest is the Logis, who is proficient in math and data analysis. Their purpose is to make predictions and forecasts on a large scale. They are considered prophetic by the Cult Mechanicus.
They Build Temporary Radiation Shelters
The Tech Priest is an elite group of Imperial Bionics who specialize in the creation and maintenance of high-tech equipment. These cultists usually wear rust-red robes and often have a very high enhancement level, a number that correlates directly with their rank within the Cult Mechanicus. Their genetic make-up is so advanced that very senior members may have very little of their biological organs remaining. Their robes can change in color from blue to rust-red, which is how they differentiate themselves from other ranks in the cult. Mars was once the Forge World of ancient mankind. It was colonized early in human history and underwent terraforming, a process that allowed it to thrive under a synthetic atmosphere.
They are Hexagrammically Warded
The Hexagrammically Warded ranks of the Tech priests grant access to rare abilities. They can create and repair weapons, as well as control over their own physical state. They can also create new technology and construct equipment. They are capable of detecting dangers and avoiding them. Those with the Hexagrammically Warded ranks can also manipulate the environment. The Hexagrammically Warded ranks of the Tech priests can be particularly dangerous, as they have a very limited amount of freedom.
The Hexagrammically Warded ranks of the Tech Priests grant access to an additional ability: Luminen Surge. This ability is available to Tech priest ranks at rank 4, and costs 200 xp. While flesh is often considered a weakness, it is actually a source of untapped potential. The tissues of the body are filled with genes that hold secrets of greater power. Despite this, it is important to remember that flesh does not degrade the purity of steel or the existing implants.
The Hexagrammically Warded Tech priests possess specialized skills. Their abilities vary from one tech to the next. While Rune-priests focus on combat, Lexmechanics focus on communications technology. These techs are often assigned to other Imperium organizations. They also have the ability to create new and improved technology. However, they are also Hexagrammically Warded, and the effects of this are reflected in their ranks.
The Tech-Adept is the equivalent of a scientist or technician in the Imperium. They are Human. The Adeptus Mechanicus Tech-priests have become enslaved to the past. They have lost the ability to innovate, and have become a slave to their creations. The Cult Mechanicus has become a tyranny of the past.
They are Tethered to Their Omnissiah
The Tech priest ranks are tethered closely to their Omnissiah, a sacred object that they are unable to live without. While the Omnissiah gives them the power to transform themselves, they are not completely free of their tethers. Some Tech priests are immune to emotional disturbances, and the GM can remove these or grant them new ones. Some Tech-Priests are perceived as cold by other Explorers, but are generally viewed with joy by other followers of the Omnissiah. The Tech priest ranks wear cylinders that contain bionic implants and elixirs, and these cylinders often pulse with light when their owners chant. These strobing patterns are designed to inspire nearby war machines.
Tech priests with Hermetic Infusion gain a +10 bonus on Tests and a Regeneration trait. However, they are unable to use human blood for blood transfusion, and need to replace their serum with hermetic serum to restore their health. To use Hermetic Infusion, Tech-Priests must be at least Rank 4.
As a Tech priest, you have access to a variety of advanced mechanical attachments, such as servo-arms, which can self-repair a damaged weapon system. They are also able to reroute fuel and draw on the polluted gasses of the environment they visit. While the mechadendrites may look ugly, they serve an important purpose: to aid the Techpriest in combat. They have increased their Toughness resistance to a large degree, and they are extremely effective at self-repair.
The Tech priest ranks are tethered to their own Omnissiah. The Omnissiah is a very powerful piece of equipment. Its power exceeds that of any other piece of equipment. It is able to read enemy movements in binary, which allows experienced Techmarines to spot their targets. It is tethered to the Tech priest, and follows the same rules as the other tethered classes.
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