Primarch

[Lestat]

Primarch
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In the 31st Millenium the first Primarchs were born, created from the fragmented DNA of an ancient Syrne weapon known as The Angel. These Primarchs fought and died leading armies of Dragonborn in the pivotal Tiamat Heresy. 21 Primarchs in all perished or disappeared. It was thought the capability to replicate these beings were lost entirely until a draconic data-slate dubbed the Grand Archives was recovered by Magos Belisarius Cawl. The purpose and use of the vital organ, the Progenoid Gland, was detailed allowing a living being to inherit the meta-gene of a deceased Primarch, sparking hopes of armies of Omnissiah worshiping supersoldiers conquering the Wheel.

A league of opposing cults managed to destroy the facility holding original Progenoid Glands, and the Grand Archives leaving only second generation Primarchs to fuel gene-seed creation. These Progenoid Glands are limited in production, and only become more so each time the gift is passed on. Now Primarchs are a mostly forgotten experiment, but each that remain use their strength for purposes all their own, unshackled by mortals.

Tell: A Primarch’s tell comes in the form of them expressing more and more of their progenitor Primarch’s characteristics. It may begin with subtle shifts in eye color, or tone, but it can eventually progress to hair color, facial features, or even temporarily experiencing a total personality shift alongside phantom memories. These effects are temporary but can lead to lingering tendencies.

Powers:

Gene Template: Each gene-seed contains a genetic template that overwrites the host’s lesser genetics in key areas. The Primarch chooses three of their characteristics to gain one dot and increases their maximum dots in those characteristics to 6.

Legatum Organica: In addition to a Primarch’s genetic code being overwritten and modified they also receive an array of engineered organs. They may roll twice against bleeding, disease, toxins, drugs, and tests made against weapon properties or special attacks.

Splicer: The Primarch can consume the flesh of the fallen to experience their most recent memories, and absorb some of their genetic power. Each session the SM chooses a single feat possessed by a consumed creature to become accessible at its normal XP cost.

Gene Flaw: As gene-seed is passed on from one Primarch to another it suffers serious degradation and mutation over the millennia. Three of the Primarch's characteristics lose one dot, and if a dot is reduced to 0 it can not be improved later. They also take an extra Hindrance which provides no XP.

Power Stat: Gene-Seed
Gene-seed is a catch-all term for the various organs, gene modifying nanomachines, and biological injections that turn a mortal into a Primarch. These modifications are done in increments, and some organs and powers require time for the Primarch to become used to. As a Primarch explores the Great Wheel they may return to a trusted tech-priest several times to receive new organs, and therapies to help unlock their potential.

Resource Stat: Dominance. Primarchs are designed to be superior to their non-engineered counterparts. Once per scene after any successful roll the Primarch may gain one Dominance for every two raises made on that roll. They have a maximum Dominance equal to twice their Gene-Seed.

Gene-Seed	Power Gained
★	Never Falter - When the Primarch would fail a test with only one check or fewer they may spend 1 Dominance to instead succeed with 0 raises.
★★	Syrnethic Humours - The liquidous parts of the Primarch’s body are re-engineered. Their sweat immunizes them to fire, their blood clots negate blood loss, their stomach can force nutrition from even bark and iron, and their acidic saliva can melt plasteel given time.
★★★	Catalepsean Node - The Primarch puts their dreams to action, not imagination. Their maximum fatigue is doubled, and they no longer sleep.
★★★★	Belisarian Furnace - Death is no certainty, chems coax flesh and ignite neurons to ensure it. The Primarch gains Regeneration (1) and an additional reaction while below half their maximum hit points.
★★★★★	Immortis Gland - The so-called God-maker implant represents the closest tie a Primarch can have to their ancestors. The Primarch chooses both a fourth characteristic for their Gene Template, and a single goal that cannot change until it has been accomplished. This goal should be large enough in scope to take longer than a single session to accomplish. Once per session the Primarch may choose as many dice as they are able to keep on a roll and count them as having exploded even if the roll normally could not explode. This power must help the Primarch along the path to their goal even if indirectly so.

Primarch Gene Assets

Adam Gene
Shaped in the image of perfection, the Adam gene removes all flaws from the subject. You choose no Gene Flaws, and can not take Hindrances at character creation.

Plasmid Gene
The Plasmid gene has the fantastic ability to force psychic potential in any subject. You learn a single spell of level 3 or lower casting it with Gene-Seed in place of its Magic School.

Primaris Gene
The Primaris gene accelerates growth and interfaces with advanced armor like a second skin. Your size increases by 1, and worn power armor gains +2 Max Dex.

Streum Gene
Forcibly mutated via a race of avians able to copy the DNA of carrion, the Streum gene furthers this feat. It is trivial for you to benefit from your Splicer power, only requiring a momentary touch, and the short-term effects are potent: you may take on either one of their traits, the knowledge of a single magic school, a natural weapon, or their dots in a single skill for that scene.

Syrneth Gene
While no hard data remains of the Syrne attempts have been made to reverse engineer their potential form. You ignore the negative properties of Syrneth weapons, and they have Reliable and Proven 3. This asset replaces your race’s power.

[Amanojyaku]

...very little to pick at for this one. Catalepsean Node seems to be missing the word "need" or "require." Adam Gene, as I quibbled elsewhere, feels like it's trading an immediate drawback for a slower-burning one; feels almost necessary because of Gene Flaw's characteristic drops but ultimately costs 300xp.

That's... pretty much it. I like the super prototype aasimar.

[ScrapyardDragon]

reading never falter
9 below tn is still only 'one check'
its not by one check
its with one check or fewer
9 is still with only one check

[Lestat]

Dec 3, 2021 14:37:37 GMT -6 ScrapyardDragon said:

reading never falter
9 below tn is still only 'one check'
its not by one check
its with one check or fewer
9 is still with only one check

Yes.

[ScrapyardDragon]

Cool. I think effectively lowering the TN of any test by 9 for the purpose of succeeding is kind of nuts, but I wanted to be sure if it was a safety net of being within 5 points or 9.

[Lestat]

1-9 averages at 5 while 1-5 averages at 3. Assuming the amount needed is a random value. Dominance is also cares about averages: at best Dominance is gained at a 1:10 ratio, but you can roll above 10, 20, 30, etc and "waste" some of your roll. This effect lessens as you have more raises, but the ratio is somewhere above 1:10, maybe 1:11 if you can reliably get to +50.

In DtD if you spec for something you will almost always succeed, roll and keep allows you to comfortably reach values like 96%+ success rate against common TNs. The most powerful place +9 can be useful is lower TN rolls such as one stat saving throws, and wealth tests. The other place low TNs come up are mid tier, potentially trivial skill tests, stuff to do things like sneak past a mortal, find information on a terminal, or other tests that will be easily 99.99% success rate for someone who is already built to do that, but in the 50%- bracket if your team has a hole in their capabilities. This is one of the weaker places for it to be useful, but still very important to "never fail" trivial tests that might gate significant progress.

The buff to your low rolls come from somewhere though, and unlike other Exalts, Primarchs can't add +5k0 to their big roll via Dominance reliably making those insane +100 rolls much more difficult. For about every 11 you can get on your best roll in a scene you can get about 5 in a later scene tactically spent, or a 2.2:1 ratio. If instead it was 1-5 then it would be an 11:3 or 3.67:1 ratio, or 40% less efficient. Additionally human error reduces your Dominance gained. You can either cash in a Dominance gain too early, or hold out too long, and end up missing your best roll for the scene.

So I see the power it has for low TN rolls, but high characteristics, rerolling, and built in immunities already double layer many of those things to begin with.