The Adeptus Administratum is the massive bureaucracy that sustains the Imperium through tithes and tallies, responsible for record-keeping, historical lore, and the secrets of a million worlds to ensure humanity's prosperity. Administratum agents are defined by their deep, comprehensive knowledge of Imperial procedures and records.
They excel at navigating bureaucratic mazes, possessing a natural ability for research and retrieving information from complex archives and data-vaults. Their expertise in the labyrinthine rules and traditions of the Imperium is invaluable for non-combat investigations. They often use their access to records to understand plots and locate hidden truths. While not typically frontline warriors, they are exceptionally disciplined and well-versed in the logistical demands of conflict. This efficiency can translate into securing necessary weaponry or support for a combat engagement.
The Adepta Sororitas (Sisters of Battle) are the devoted, martially trained female servants of the Ecclesiarchy, embodying zealous faith and the wrath of the Emperor against heresy. They are known for their unwavering devotion and willingness to fight and burn the enemies of Mankind.
The Sisters are characterized by their Incorruptible Devotion; when they are faced with attempts to inflict spiritual corruption upon them, they immediately reduce the severity of the taint, reflecting their profound faith. They use their strong conviction to intimidate foes or inspire allies, and their knowledge of the Imperial Creed and High Gothic makes them valuable liaisons with the Ministorum. Battle Sisters are highly proficient warriors trained with powerful weapons. Their commitment to faith makes them terrifying opponents on the battlefield, especially against heretics.
The Adeptus Arbites are the internal law enforcement agency of the Imperium, tasked with maintaining brutal order and prosecuting the Lex Imperialis. Arbites are dispassionate, highly disciplined officers who view all citizens as potential suspects, bringing the heavy hammer of Imperial Justice to bear.
Arbitrators are specialists in investigation and coercion, skilled in detecting subtle deceit and utilizing intimidation or interrogation to extract the truth from suspects. Their training includes extensive knowledge of their own organization's procedures and the criminal underworld. The Arbites Acolyte often relies on their training to identify leads and pursue justice relentlessly. Arbites are formidable combatants, equipped with specialized weaponry like shotguns or shock mauls and heavy Enforcer light carapace armour. Their discipline allows them to fight effectively even when outnumbered or in overwhelming chaos.
The Adeptus Astra Telepathica is the organization responsible for managing the psychic population of the Imperium, gathering psykers on the dreaded Black Ships and training select individuals, such as Astropaths, to utilize their terrifying gifts for interstellar communication.
Psykers are essential for the Inquisition, allowing them to access powerful psychic abilities and understanding the terrible Forbidden Lore of the Warp. Their minds are attuned to sensing otherworldly energies, making them vital for investigations dealing with unseen enemies. In combat, psykers can channel the raw, chaotic energy of the Warp to blast enemies with eldritch force or protect themselves with mental barriers. Their abilities give them destructive power that bypasses conventional defenses.
The Adeptus Mechanicus, or Cult of the Machine God, consists of tech-savvy individuals devoted to the Omnissiah and the holy quest for technology and knowledge. They are identifiable by their extensive cybernetic enhancements and adherence to ritualistic practices concerning machines.
They are masters of ancient and complex technology, able to manipulate devices and systems that others cannot touch, and often possess unique Implants. They are driven by an obsessive curiosity and are repositories of technical and organizational lore, making them key to deciphering or repairing esoteric devices. While focused on maintenance, they often possess abilities to channel electrical energies through their bodies (Luminen) or enhance their specialized weapons. They are resilient due to their cybernetic enhancements and can often utilize exotic or forbidden weapons in combat.
The Adeptus Ministorum, or Ecclesiarchy, spreads the Imperial Creed throughout the galaxy. Acolytes from this background are zealous devotees of the Emperor's worship, capable of inspiring the faithful and scourging the wicked with fire and unwavering conviction.
These Acolytes are powerful leaders and communicators, skilled in using charm, command, and knowledge of the Imperial Cult to sway groups or individuals. They can use their spiritual authority to gather information or manage large groups of people. They inspire allies to acts of bravery and sacrifice through their presence.
Characters who have been Exorcised have undergone a profound and dangerous ritual to cast out a daemonic entity that once possessed them. Though free, they bear the scars of this experience, resulting in a persistent physical affliction.
Having faced the Daemon's influence firsthand, Exorcised Acolytes are unnaturally prepared for the conflict with the Archenemy, possessing deep Forbidden Lore concerning Daemonology. This terrible knowledge makes them adept at tracking and uncovering plots involving the creatures of the Warp. They are fierce combatants with an intense, personal Hatred of Daemons, gaining advantages when fighting the entities that once held their soul. They are typically armed for brutal conflict with solid projectile and chain weapons and are also capable investigators.
Hereteks are former servants of the Machine God who have turned to forbidden or alien technology, operating outside Imperial law in pursuit of knowledge. They possess a dangerous mix of technical skill and access to illegal lore.
Hereteks excel at analyzing, comprehending, and manipulating unfamiliar devices and illicit technology. Their technical skills, when combined with their Forbidden Lore, grant them superior bonuses when dealing with devices that traditional Tech-Priests would not understand or refuse to touch. They are often proficient in security, decryption, and trade. Their technical knowledge allows them to repair or utilize strange devices quickly.
Acolytes from the Imperial Guard are seasoned veterans, often drawn from battle-hardened regiments. They are defined by their discipline, martial prowess, and experience surviving the most brutal conflicts the Imperium faces.
Guardsmen possess extensive knowledge about military structure, logistics, and tactics, making them experts at managing resources and understanding strategic situations during investigations. They are also adept at survival, having served on numerous inhospitable worlds, and are masters of camouflage and fieldcraft. They are highly proficient with ranged weaponry. Their long exposure to war grants them the Discipline to hold their ground under fire.
Imperial Navy Acolytes spent their lives serving aboard voidships, navigating the stars, or engaging in ship-to-ship combat. They are pragmatic, disciplined veterans of the void, accustomed to the dangers of space travel and the isolation of long voyages.
Their non-combat strength lies in their expert navigation and operation of void vessels and surface vehicles, including a vast knowledge of shipping lanes and vessel operations. They are skilled at reading people through the specific social structure of a vessel's hierarchy. They are adept at ranged weaponry used in ship defense. They are effective combatants in the confined spaces of a ship or against boarding actions.
Mutants are individuals afflicted by genetic deviations, often physical, which brand them as outcasts or targets for extermination within the Imperium.
They are adept at survival and awareness, having lived on the fringes of society. They are skilled at moving stealthily, deception, and intimidation, essential for navigating a hostile world. Their physical afflictions are sometimes obvious and may make blending in impossible, but they are knowledgeable about the secrets and lore of other mutant communities. They often possess innate physical traits that aid them in combat, such as increased strength, agility, or natural weapons like claws or fangs.
Outcasts are those who have lived their lives outside the rigid structure of Imperial organizations, often as criminals, smugglers, or scavengers in lawless zones like the underhive. They prioritize self-preservation and are adept at illegal trades.
Outcasts are survivors, relying on street smarts, deceit, and agility. They excel at criminal skills such as acrobatics, sleight of hand, and stealth, making them excellent infiltrators and spies. They are resilient to hardship and accustomed to managing with minimal resources. They are versatile fighters, trained in both close combat and ranged weapons.
Acolytes from a Rogue Trader Fleet have lived aboard the massive voidships of a private dynasty, accustomed to the privileges of wealth, influence, and travel beyond Imperial borders in search of profit and power.
They possess peerless social skills, accustomed to high-stakes negotiations and dealing with non-Imperial entities. They are skilled at trade, charm, and handling complex logistics. They are well-equipped with exotic weapons and protection. Their background instills Unshakeable Confidence, making them highly resistant to fear and intimidation.