Space Marine Chapter Creation Tables

This article presents a cut-down version of Fantasy Flight Games' Deathwatch Role-playing Game's Space Marine Chapter Creation Tables, allowing you to create your own Chapters, albeit without in-game mechanics.

Chapter Origins

Why Was The Chapter Founded? (d10)
1–4	Strategic Prognostication - "Our tarot cards say there's going to be a threat here, maybe. Found a Chapter!"
5–6	Counter - "There are Orks over here! Found a Chapter!" "But it'll take 50 ye-" "Do it!"
7–8	Standing Force - "This area doesn't have any Marines in it. Found a Chapter!"
9–10	Crusade - "We need people running around and hitting the Imperium's enemies. Found a Chapter!"

When Was The Chapter Founded? (d100)
1	31st Millennium (the Chapter claims to be a Second Founding Chapter, although little or no evidence exists to support the belief )
2–5	32nd Millennium
6–10	33rd Millennium
11–20	34th Millennium
21–30	35th Millennium
31–40	36th Millennium (Cursed Founding, this Chapter be fucked)
41–50	37th Millennium
51–60	38th Millennium
61–70	39th Millennium
71–80	40th Millennium
81–90	41st Millennium
91-95	42nd Millennium (Ultima Founding made of Primaris Marines)
96-100	unknown

Who was the Chapter's Progenitor? (d100)
1-50	Ultramarines
51-65	Blood Angels
66–75	Dark Angels
76-80	Traitor Legion or unknown
81-85	Imperial Fists
86-90	White Scars
91–94	Raven Guard
95-98	Iron Hands
99	Space Wolves
100	Salamanders

Chapter Properties and Flaws

Gene-seed purity (d10)
1–5	Pure - Same as progenitor in terms of purity, and will maintain close links with it
6-7	A New Generation - Gene-seed is slightly divergent (usually because of attempts to breed out flaws, real or not), leading to the Chapter being less linked to its progenitor
8–9	Altered Stock - Gene-seed is altered and some implants are deficient - roll on Gene-Seed Deficiencies table
10	Flawed - Chapter's gene-seed is flawed and sets them apart from their progenitor - roll on Chapter Flaws table

Chapter Demeanour (d10)
1	Swift As The Wind - Going slowly and thinking things out? *BLAM* No.
2	Cleanse and Purify - Not destroy everything? *BLAM* No.
3	No Mercy, No Respite - Let the enemy go so we can follow them? *BLAM* No.
4	Purity Above All - Mutants? *BLAM* No.
5	Scions of Mars - Flesh is strong? *BLAM* No.
6	See, But Don't Be Seen - Run onto the battlefield in colourful armour screaming like a maniac? *BLAM* No.
7	Suffer Not the Alien to Live - Xenos? *BLAM* No.
8	Suffer Not the Work of Heretics - Heretics? *BLAM* No.
9	Brothers in Battle - Hos before bros? *BLAM* No.
10	Uphold the Honour of the Emperor - Performing unheroic acts? *BLAM* No.

Based on the Chapter's Progenitor, how likely are they to suffer gene-seed mutation?
Ultramarines	10%
Blood Angels	50%
Dark Angels	10%
Imperial Fists	10%
White Scars	20%
Raven Guard	20%
Iron Hands	20%
Salamanders	90%
Space Wolves	75%

If they have one, what mutation do they have? (This doesn't include mutations passed down from their founders, like the Imperial Fists' lack of a Betcher's Gland and Sus-an Membrane.)
1	Hyper-stimulated Omophagea - Eat the enemy!
2	Oversensitive Occulobe - "I'm in the dark and I can see perfectly! How usefuAAAAH THE SUN'S COMING UP HOLY EMPEROR MY EYES"
3	Mutated Catalepsean Node - Yeah, just go here. It's basically the same effect.
4	Oolitic Secretions - Weird-coloured skin. Yeah, that's it.
5	Disturbing Voice - Ranges from speaking like a creaking floorboard to having a deep, booming voice.
6-8	Lost zygote - If you don't understand this one, why are you even trying to make a Chapter?
9	Doomed - the Chapter has either lost the ability to generate Progenoids or the Black Carapace, stopping future neophytes from being created. Unless they fix this fast, they're fucked.
10	Multiple instabilities - roll d3 more times on the table, rerolling multiples of the same result.

If one exists, what is the Chapter's Flaw? (d10)
1–2	We Stand Alone - The Chapter is either distrusted for some reason, or shuns contact with others.
3–4	Pride in the Colours - The Chapter hates doing anything that covers their livery, including wearing Deathwatch black.
5–6	Faith in Suspicion - The Chapter particularly hates a single Imperial institution, and refuses to work with them.
7–8	Eye to Eye - The Chapter hates any method of warfare other than running up to the enemy and punching them.
9-10	Chapter Cult - The practices of the Chapter are wierd and probably quite unsavory.

[Characteristic bonus table removed, because it wouldn't make sense without rules]

Chapter Legends

Figure of Legend (d100)
01-20	A Battle-Brother seconded from a previous generation Successor or even the First Founding Legion that provided the new Chapter’s gene-seed. Roll again on this table to determine what type of warrior he was, rerolling if you get this result again.
21-50	Chapter Master
51-60	Chief Librarian
61-70	Master of Sanctity
71-73	Master of the Forge
74	Master of the Fleet
75	Chief Apothecary
76-85	Company Captain (roll d10 to determine which company).
86-90	Squad Sergeant (roll d10 twice to determine company and squad).
90-99	Battle-Brother (roll d10 twice to determine company and squad).
100	A specialist of your choice (Librarian, Chaplain, Techmarine, driver, pilot, etc).

Deeds of Legend (d100)
01-25	The figure is remembered as the bane of the Orks, to such an extent that his name is known to the vile greenskins even to this day.
26-50	The individual was a stalwart enemy of the servants of Chaos, and slew a Daemon Prince.
51-70	The hero led a glorious campaign against a rebel army, defeating the foe and bringing an entire sector back into the light of the Emperor.
71-85	The figure led an action against an Eldar craftworld, boarding it and inflicting grievous casualties before withdrawing. He and his Chapter are especially hated by the pernicious Eldar, for whom the event is still fresh and raw.
86-90	The hero was lost to his Chapter in a warp accident, yet his descendents have cause to believe he lives still and may one day return to them in glory.
91-95	The hero was the first to face some newly discovered alien race, and ultimately responsible for its total destruction. Centuries later, only the Chapter remembers the name of the race, so utterly was it and its works cast down.
96-100	The hero led his Chapter in many glorious campaigns, slaying hundreds of the enemy’s greatest champions. In the end, he was brought down by treachery within the fold of the Imperium, slain by an assassin’s turbo-penetrator round on the field of battle. Just why he was targeted was never discovered, and the Chapter harbours a special hatred for the servants of the Officio Assassinorum to this day.

Chapter Homeworld and its Properties

Chapter homeworld (d100)
01-30	Hive World
31-60	Feral World
61-70	Medieval World
71-80	Civilised World
81-90	Uninhabited World
91-100	Fleet-based (d10 vessels, 50/50 chance of fleet being battle-ready or suffering from damage/other inhibiting complications)

Homeworld terrain (d100)
1–25	Jungle
26–50	Desert
51–60	Ice
61–65	Ocean
66–75	Wasteland
76–80	Urban
81–85	Dead
86–90	Airless
90–100	Temperate

Rule of homeworld (d10)
1	Direct Rule - "My lord Chapter Master, here are the tax-plans for the North-West district of Boreale City..."
2-4	Stewardship - "Hi, Planetary Governor? It's me, the Chapter Master. Just calling you to remind you that I outrank you, even if I don't do anything."
5-10	Distant rule - "You see that castle up there? It's inhabited by the mighty sky-warriors of Emp-rar. Sometimes they come and steal our children."

Tactical and Strategic Organization

Chapter organisation (d10)
1-5	Codex-adherent
6-8	Divergent chapter
9-10	Unique organisation

NOTE - Rites of Battle suggests using the numbers 1-7, 8-9, and 10 for Ultramarines successors. Keep in mind that the Ultramarines don't like it when their successors try to break off from the Codex Astartes.

Combat doctrine (d10)
1	Close Combat
2	Ranged Combat
3	Armoured Assault
4	Stealth
5	Lightning Strike
6	Drop Pod
7	Thunderhawk Assault
8	Siege
9	Shock and Awe
10	Terror

[Squad Mode and Solo Mode tables removed, because they wouldn't make sense without rules]

Chapter Specialities

Specialty restrictions (units the chapter cannot field) - Only roll if Unique Organisation was selected (d100)
01–20	Apothecary
21–40	Assault Marine
41-60	Devastator Marine
61-80	Techmarine
81-97	Librarian
98-100	Roll Twice on this Chart or choose something truly unusual (i.e., the Chapter has no Scouts, the Chapter’s Veterans are not formed into the 1st Company, etc.)

Special equipment- Only roll if Divergent or Unique Organisation was selected (d100)
01-10	Traditional Weapon: The Chapter favours one specific weapon over all others. Choose one specific weapon to serve as the Chapter’s traditional weapon. Examples: Power Sword, Bolt Pistol, Melta Gun
11-20	Totemic Charm: This Chapter has strong beliefs in the icons of either the Emperor or their Primarch. A Battle- Brother from this Chapter would never be caught without such an icon on their person. Example: Chapter Heraldry on a necklace, Imperial Aquilla tattooed over the right eye.
21-30	Modified Jump-Pack: Primarily seen in Chapter’s that favor the Assault Combat Doctrine, Battle-Brother’s from this Chapter modify their Jump-Packs (with a Tech-Marine’s help of course) to provide a more glorious sight to their allies and a more terrifying one to their enemies. Examples: Jump-Pack’s created in different shapes such as angel wings.
31-40	Beastial Companion: More common among those Chapter’s whose origins come from Feral Worlds, this Chapter prides itself on raising hunting animals to assist in battle. Examples: Fenrisian Wolf, hunting birds.
41-50	Rare Weaponry: Whether through the blessing of the Adeptus Mechanicus or sheer good fortune, this Chapter has a large stock of weaponry that is considered rare amongst the other Chapters. It is seen as a symbol of honour to wield one of these weapons in battle. Examples: Astartes Assault Cannon, Digital Weapons.
51-60	Blessed Wargear: It is common for members of this Chapter to have their Wargear blessed by a Chaplain before battle. Doing so puts the Battle-Brother’s mind at ease and more focused on the task at hand.
61-70	Special Mount: While other Chapter’s may keep animals as companions, this Chapter uses them for what they were intended for—transportation. Examples: Fenrisian Wolf, Carnodon, very angry Grox.
71-80	Special Vehicle: This Chapter prefers to ride into battle in more modern conveyances. While the traditional Space Marine vehicle is the Rhino, other Chapters may use more rare vehicles as primary transport. Examples: Modified Rhino, Land Raider, or Land Speeder
81-90	Preferred Fighting Style: The Chapter has a specific way in which it prefers to go about killing the enemy in the name of the God Emperor of Mankind. Examples: Bolt Pistol and Chainsword, dual Power Swords, special Bolter pattern or ammunition
91-100	Modified Weaponry: When the Chapter’s forges produce a weapon, they produce them in a style that is specific to their Chapter. Examples: Power Sabre, Bolt Pistol with weighted butt for clubbing.

Chapter Beliefs

What form do the Chapters' beliefs take? (d100)
01-40	Revere the Primarch - "Our Spiritual Liege is better than yours!"
41-65	The Emperor Above All - "Screw your spiritual liege. The big E is where it's at."
66-75	Honour the Ancestors - "Old members of our Chapter are better than your guys."
76-80	Death Cult - "SHUT UP YOU GUYS DON'T YOU KNOW WE'RE GOING TO DIE SOME DAY"
81-85	Totem Creature - "You know how we've got a hawk as our Chapter symbol? Yeah, we're going to stick that everywhere."
86-90	Purity of Man - "Flesh is better than bionics!"
91-95	Steel Over Flesh - "Bionics are better than flesh!"
96-100	Esoteric Beliefs - You know our Chapter's beliefs? They're weird.

Chapter Strength

At what strength is the Chapter? (d10)
1	Endangered: The Chapter numbers only a handful of Companies or less having suffered devastating losses in combat, accident, or dramatic genetic instability. If recovery is even possible it will take many decades, making every Battle-Brother (and his Progenoids) an invaluable resource.
2-4	Under Strength: The Chapter is recovering from a defeat or accident that occurred several decades ago, or has recently suffered heavy, but not irrecoverable losses. It is probably at a minimum of half strength, and should return to nominal strength within a decade.
5-9	Nominal: The Chapter can field ten full companies, each with ten squads. In all likelihood most every squad consist of ten brethren and some specialised appointments may be empty, but the Chapter is regarded as fully fit for battle.
10	Over Strength: Some Chapters maintain more than the prescribed ten companies, though it is rare for more than a handful more to be fielded and even then only temporarily. It may be that the Emperor’s Tarot has predicted terrible losses ahead, or that the Chapter simply regards its numbers as optimal and cares little for the dictates of the Codex Astartes.

Chapter Relations

Who are your Chapter friendly with? (d100)
1-5	Administratum
6-15	Adeptus Arbites
16-30	Another Chapter (choose one)
31-35	Adeptus Astra Telepathica
36-45	Adeptus Mechanicus
46-50	Adepta Sororitas
51-53	Adeptus Titanicus
54-55	an Imperial Knight house
56-58	Astropaths
59-60	Chartist Captains
61-65	Ecclesiarchy
66-75	Imperial Guard from a specific world
76-79	Imperial Navy
80-85	Inquisition
86-88	Navigators
89-91	Officio Assassinorum
91-93	Planetary Defence Force of a specific world
94-98	A Rogue Trader dynasty
99	Schola Progenium
100	Scholastica Psykana

Who are the Chapter's enemies?(d100)
01-02	Roll on Chapter Friends table
3-31	The Orks (alternatively, you may select a particular Waaagh! or Warboss)
32-42	The Eldar (alternatively, you may select a particular Craftworld or leader)
43-51	The Tyranids (alternatively, you may select a particular Hive Fleet)
52-68	Chaos Space Marines (you should choose a particular warband, Chapter, or Traitor Legion)
69-79	A particular Daemon, Daemon Prince or Disciple of Chaos
80-87	A particular Chaos-aligned group (i.e., Traitor Titan Legion, Chaos pirates, renegade Imperial Guard, etc.)
88-97	The Dark Eldar (alternatively, you may select a particular Kabal or leader).
97-100	Other (choose one force or group, such as aliens (see below) or heretics or a specific cult)

Minor Xenos Species/Empires(1d100)
1-10	Tau Empire (alternatively, you may select a particular Tau force or leader)
11-20	Hrud
21-30	Fra'al
31-40	Uluméathic League
41-50	Yu'vath/Legacy of the Yu'vath/Rak'gol
51-60	Enslavers
61-65	Bargesi
66-70	Tarrelians
71-75	Thyrrus
76-80	Hellgrammite
81-85	Loxatl
85-90	Saharduin
91-92	Xenarch
93-95	Cythor Fiends
96-97	Nightmare-Engines of the Pale Wasting
98-100	Other Xenos Species (pick one or roll/write one up)

[Custom Chapter Advance tables removed, since they wouldn't make much sense without rules]

Lastly, add a name, colours, and heraldry, and you're ready to release your overpowered piece-of-shit Chapter on the world. God-Emperor help us all.