Sisters of battle in dark heresy. What do i need and where do i find it?

[Guards 1]

 I'm looking to maybe have sisters of battle in my campaign, i'm looking for any lore or reference material i could use and give to my players (whom know very little about Warhammer 40,000). Also what Dark Heresy books they would be in, i heard some where that that was a playable career would love to give the girls that option.

Also any good places to get the figurines at a decent price they understand whats going on when i use pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters but are wanting me to upgrade.

Any help would be useful and any suggestions on their use as well.

[Crimsonsphinx 0]

Blood of Martyrs is the go to book for Sisters of Battle.  Generic sisters can be fielded using the Inquisition Handbook and are considerably less powerful IMO. 

[Adeptus-B 926]

Like CrimsonSphinx says, there are two different versions of Sisters of Battle in DH: the first version in Inquisitor's Handbook, and a very different take in Blood of Martyrs. There was recently a debate here on the Forums about which version people prefer- here's a link to that discussion, to help you decide which version to go with. 

As far as fluff references, there is a Black Library novel called Faith and Fire by James Swallow that stars two Sororitas- but I didn't really enjoy reading it, so I can't recommend it very strongly. I think there may have been a second book in that series as well. You may be better off having your player read the DH sourcebook Blood of Martyrs for background info- even if you decide to go with the IH version of Sororitas. The WH40K 2nd Ed Codex: Sisters of Battle has lots of good info, especially on the history of the Sororitas, but I'm pretty sure most of it is repeated in BoM.

For minis- I would just troll eBay. Individual figs have gotten way too expensive for my taste on the Games Workshop mailorder site. The early ones are awesome sculpts, though, by Jes Goodwyn, GW's best sculptor (the second batch put out to go with Codex: Witch Hunters were pretty weak- stiff and blocky). Right now they are only available in pewter, but they should be coming out with resin 'Finecast' versions before too long. I don't think the Sisters are popular enough with tabletop gamers to justify a multipart plastic set…

[Guards 1]

 Thank you it was very helpful, i'm thinking of picking up ascenion soon would that also let me "Acend" Sisters of Battle careers?

[Angel of Death 126]

that is covered by a free download off the webpage, I know someone will tell u which it is

 

[Nameless2all 210]

Angel of Death said:

that is covered by a free download off the webpage, I know someone will tell u which it is

www.fantasyflightgames.com/ffg_content/dark-heresy/pdf/support/heresy-begets-retribution-low-res.pdf

[Guards 1]

 thank  you so much i know what i shall buy next for my campaign however i am still poor haha

I would like some stories on how o people used sister of battle in their own campaigns also recoently f whenever i hit backspace it deletes the entire line/section i useually f just control z it but thats why so many tuypos sorry im going to keep typing this in word then copy past should help

[Lynata 2,228]

Generally, my advice would be to consider the image that both you as well as your group have of the Sisters of Battle and 40k as a whole. However, as you said that your players know very little about the setting, it becomes a simple matter of gauging preferences.

First off, you need to know that due to a lack of consistency between the various writers, there exist numerous different versions of Adepta Sororitas throughout the franchise (similar to how there are many different versions of Space Marines etc). This is why, for example, the Sisters in the Inquisitor's Handbook (still written by Black Industries) are different from the Sisters in Blood of Martyrs (written by FFG). They are also different to the Sisters from Games Workshop's own codices, and different to those in various Black Library novels - who are different from one another as well. Thus do not be surprised if information you find in one source clashes with what you find in another, be it regarding their power, their overall numbers, or other details.

Which of these many versions you prefer thus depends on one's individual opinion - be it because you'd specifically like one type of SoB over the other due to their features, or because you generally prefer sources depending on their origin (like, say, having a "GW trumps all" rule). There is no actual canon, so this is a decision that each of us has to make for themselves.

Personally, I prefer the Battle Sisters from the Inquisitor's Handbook, as they are somewhat closer to the image I've "grown up" with by reading GW's books. That they are supposedly less powerful, as Crimsonsphinx said, would be a result of them not having some of the fancy magic spells they use in Blood of Martyrs and starting with a Novice rank as opposed to fully-fledged and power-armoured Sororitas. Although I have to add that (a) I actually think the IH Sisters, though starting weaker due to the Novice ranks, eventually end up more powerful due to better progression XP cost and (b) I absolutely dislike the "divine magic" approach that BoM has introduced as it overrides the ambiguity that used to exist for the Sororitas' acts of faith.

Best check the link Adeptus-B has posted for a more extensive discussion, though.

Also, here are some links from official GW stories about the Battle Sisters. The actual websites (once put online for the Armageddon 3 world campaign and GW's own Inquisitor RPG) are now defunct, but fortunately the internet archive kept backup copies. Perhaps you may find them interesting:

• http://web.archive.org/web/20070404114834/http://www.armageddon3.com/English/Campaign/Troops/lady.html
• http://web.archive.org/web/20070405030844/http://www.armageddon3.com/English/Campaign/Troops/shroud.html
• http://web.archive.org/web/20070404120142/http://www.armageddon3.com/English/Campaign/Troops/ftearers.html
• http://web.archive.org/web/20071026021921/http://es.games-workshop.com/especialista/inquisitor/bestiario/sororitas.html
• http://web.archive.org/web/20071218114030/es.games-workshop.com/especialista/inquisitor/bestiario/repentia.html

For your convenience, I have also uploaded a zip file that collects much of the older fluff in a single document:

• http://www65.zippyshare.com/v/24285715/file.html

Furthermore, here is a scan of one of a page from one of the recent White Dwarf issues detailing the small yet characteristic differences between the six Major Orders as per GW's fluff:

• http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/3324/ordersmilitant.jpg

And lastly, an old WD short story about a Sister and her Rhino APC:

• http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/7213/wd269thebonesofsaintemi.jpg

Hope that helps somewhat, or at least provides some inspiration, should you choose to make use of this material.

 

Guards said:

also recoently f whenever i hit backspace it deletes the entire line/section i useually f just control z it but thats why so many tuypos sorry im going to keep typing this in word then copy past should help

I just noticed this as well. Irritating!

 

[Guards 1]

 I just type things in word then copy paste over hence what I’m doing now hahaha.

Your information is extremely helpful there is one thing I’m still not sure about, how do the SoB’s get wings? I’ve seen pictures of them with wings, I believe these were living saints but I’d like to know more about how that works and what it takes to earn them.

I’m going to go over most of the info, I’m probably gonna get the inquisitors handbook instead of blood of martyrs. You have all been extremely helpful thank you. 

[Lynata 2,228]

Guards said:

there is one thing I’m still not sure about, how do the SoB’s get wings? I’ve seen pictures of them with wings, I believe these were living saints but I’d like to know more about how that works and what it takes to earn them.

Are you referring to actual wings, or Seraphim jetpacks? Extremely important difference there!

"Real" wings would be the Living Saint, and such an occurrence would be (again going by what I know from GW's fluff) extremely rare (said to happen every few centuries) and not actually guarantee any wings, as I theorise they would be more like a characteristic trait of individual saints rather than something they'd all have in common. Technically, "Living Saint" is just a blanket label the Ecclesiarchy may bestow upon anyone they think fits the bill, rather than an accurate and objective term.

From how it was described in the 3E Witch Hunters Codex, a Living Saint is a faithful servant of the Emperor displaying miraculous abilities, thus making people believe the Emperor Himself would have vested a portion of His power in them. For a Living Saint to be recognised and sanctioned, a conclave of the Inquisition and the Ecclesiarchy will convene to scrutinise the individual's claim and make sure he is pure of mind and body, as to not risk infiltration by the Ruinous Powers - after all, what seems holy on the first glance may very well be the most despicable warp sorcery! Plot potential for a DH campaign right there…

Anyways, unsurprisingly such conclaves are often also a place where the various factions within the Inquisition exert their influence in the great game of politics, with Thorian Inquisitors often being the most likely to support a potential Living Saint, whereas others may (ab)use such events to settle personal grudges.

The "current" Living Saint is a former Sister Repentia by the name of Celestine, who died whilst charging a heretic stronghold, thus earning the Emperor's mercy through her sacrifice. However, as her Sister Sororitas attempted to lay her to rest she miraculously opened her eyes again and was reborn with renewed purpose, with news of this miracle soon spreading through the Imperial ranks and causing the masses of the faithful to take the stronghold on the very next morning. After being confirmed in her status, Celestine set out to lead a crusade, but stopped by a remote world where she found the tomb of Saint Katherine, the legendary founder of the Order of the Fiery Heart and one of Dominica's original companions. Her current appearance is how she looks like after having left that tomb again, now wearing Katherine's golden armour.

This of course allows for much speculation and interpretation, one of the things I like about the ambiguity of the Codex fluff. For example, there are three ways you could perceive this event:

• 1) Living Saints are real and the Emperor is actually capable of traditional fantasy divine intervention, so far the only "true god" in the entire setting. Considering SoB abilities in Blood of Martyrs, this obviously seems to be the path FFG has chosen, though personally I very much prefer the old ambiguity that lets you as a reader not exactly know if it's true miracles or just a combination of perseverance / "mind over matter" and luck. Indeed, sentences such as "appear miraculous to the unschooled" would suggest that SoB Acts of Faith are far more wordly in nature, at least in GW Codex fluff. Also, as much as I enjoy divine intervention in other settings, I just think it is more grimdark if it wouldn't exist in 40k, with the Emperor "just" being a very powerful psyker rather than a true god. After all, the alternative would mean the Ecclesiarchy is actually right!
• 2) Living Saints are a sham and the wings are part of the armour, which Celestine only found because someone in the Imperium tipped her off based on old records. Her status as a miracle-worker was officially recognised in a giant PR stunt, and due to her own zeal Celestine may even believe it herself. Basically: the Jeanne d'Arc approach, with influential people making use of a charismatic individual's effect on the general populace.
• 3) Living Saints are actually benign warp spirits born out of a collective emotional outburst of zealous Imperial subjects during times of strife (similar to how Slaanesh was born out of Eldar emotions, but on a much smaller scale and notably less powerful). They "possess" the body of one of the most faithful individuals in the focal point of this emotional struggle and absorb part of their memories and identity, becoming an avenging angel and the embodyment of Imperial faith, until their mortal shell is "burned out". Deliciously ironic.

 Living Saints do not all have to be Sisters of Battle, too. They're just much more likely to come from this organisation due to the lifestyle of its members - be that because it makes them more likely to acquire these abilities, or because the powers-that-be have less of a problem with a Sororitas bearing this influential title rather than a random Imperial citizen who did not grow up in an environment instilling a sense of faith and obedience (essentially making them easier to control). Depending on how you interpret application of this term.

[Guards 1]

Wow epic info dump, awesome.

 

1) I might still give them wings seeing as to i am going partway with the "God Emperor" theory. "Divine" meaning whatever it is to said person however

he is DEFINATELY capable of "Divine Intervention". Some of them might be actual wings with feathers, while others fly with wings made of the emperors

psychic majesty.

 

2) I am planning on buying the inquisitors handbook next. I may purchase blood of martyrs later so that people who played SoB can re roll with either

i don't have many female players at the moment so it's not a big deal. 

 

3) I have been posting my second campaign in a different thread and am going to get the day 1 up soon. Day 2 is tommorrow but ideas are always welcome 

it is Ordo Malleus (both campaigns) so should i even use SoB?

[DJSunhammer 18]

Sisters work great for the Ordo Malleus. The Pure Faith talent makes them immune to the effects of the daemonic trait and they come heavily armed by default.

[Nameless2all 210]

I saw the wings as a physiological effect most of the time, and not actually physical wings.  For example, the Emperor has granted that Saint with great divinity, and when people see that Saint, their psychic mind perceives this Holy Aura around them with the "Feathery Wings" bestowed upon them.  They could be floating due to the Emperor's Will, or via other means, including their own and/or technological powers, or not floating at all but just perceived as such by the people around the Saint.  This is just my opinion, because most of those pictures are just works of art, so why wouldn't they show the Saint having great divinity.  Of course the choice is yours, and no rules, fluff or otherwise, can truly tell you different.  Best of luck to you. 

[Lynata 2,228]

Guards said:

Some of them might be actual wings with feathers, while others fly with wings made of the emperors psychic majesty.

*nods* In GW's version, the Sisters subconsciously counter psychic effects - they are utterly incapable of developing them (I suspect those progena "cursed" with the psyker gene would be rooted out at the Schola via purity tests) and even benevolent powers from other powers have no effect. That said, in this instance too FFG took a different approach, as can be seen in the "Denounced and Condemned" background package from the Radical's Handbook, where for whatever reason a Sister suddenly starts to show psychic potential.

Of course (and I suspect this is what you've been aiming at?) there would also be the idea of the Emperor himself using his considerable psychic powers to aid the Sororitas, with his might be so great that it overpowers their inherent resistance (if you'd even decide to keep this bit of fluff). There'd be the question as to why he doesn't help his Space Marines this way, but I suppose one potential way to solve this would be to declare that the Sisters' faith creates some sort of mental bond, basically somehow making it easier for him to reach them?

In the end, it is as Nameless2all said … the final decision rests with you alone. GW codices, Black Library novels and FFG's RPG all go different ways on such details, and as a gamer you have the very same degree of artistic license when crafting your campaign.

Guards said:

I have been posting my second campaign in a different thread and am going to get the day 1 up soon. Day 2 is tommorrow but ideas are always welcome it is Ordo Malleus (both campaigns) so should i even use SoB?

That's somewhat tricky, as the Convocation of Nephilim binds the Sororitas to the Ordo Hereticus, with the Ordo Malleus having its own Chamber Militant in the form of the Grey Knights. See also this excerpt from the Index Astartes on which resources the various Inquisitors call on when faced with, for example, renegade Space Marines.

However, even if you'd decide to keep this distinction, there is always some room to manoeuver. For example, the Minor Orders are spread out all across the Imperium, making them a nice resource for Inquisitors who just need a few Battle Sisters to help them with some small task rather than waiting for the Grey Knights or one of the six Major Orders or petitioning some nearby Astartes Chapter. Regardless of their compact with the Ordo Hereticus (which may grant them some protection against the authority of Inquisitors of other Ordos by basically reserving them for the OH), I'm sure few Canonesses would say "no" to an Ordo Malleus Inquisitor if the latter presents them with a suitable cause. After all, the Sisters seek only to serve the Emperor, and it matters little what nature his foes are of. Point them towards someone, yell "heretic" and they'll likely go into crusader mode.

Nameless2all said:

… or not floating at all but just perceived as such by the people around the Saint.

This is also a great idea! Of course, the miniature itself does have the Flyer rules, but still I'm sure that peoples' superstition in 40k leads them to believe a lot of funny things, exaggerate their heroes' heroics in epic tales, or idealise them in art. Not even just because of some malicious intent but because they truly believe they saw this. I'm sure a large number of "incidents" of real world religions started that way, too.

Regardless of my criticism for how BoM "nerfed" the Sororitas, one of the things I liked a lot in that book was a short story about a bunch of Guardsmen traversing a vast desert with a Chimaera, yet when their vehicle broke down with irreparable machine damage and they feared they'd die of thirst they realised that one of the fuel canisters was filled with water. Of course they didn't think that somebody at the base must've made a mistake, no, it was the Emperor who made the promethium into water for his loyal servants to live!

PS: Hey, they fixed the backspace bug!