Narthecium Rite
Seal the Wound
Restore Vitality equal to 1d6 + Proficiency Bonus to one touched ally. Astartes targets gain additional temporary Vitality equal to your Intellect modifier.
Apothecary
A warrior-healer responsible for combat medicine, gene-seed recovery, biological knowledge, stimms, emergency surgery, and keeping brothers alive long enough to finish the mission.
Astartes ClassesBattlefield ChirurgeonAvailable in 1.0
Class Dossier — Apothecary
Working Draft · v0.1Apothecary
The gene-seed must return. The brother may also survive.
Astartes ClassAvailable in 1.0Working Draft
The Apothecary is a battlefield surgeon, gene-seed custodian, biological executioner, and guardian of Chapter continuity.
An Apothecary does not practice gentle medicine. They seal ruptured transhuman organs under fire, drag brothers back from death, harvest the future from the fallen, and know exactly how bodies fail.
The class fantasy is simple:
An Apothecary survives through gene-lore, surgical wargear, transhuman biology, battlefield medicine, and the sacred duty that the gene-seed must return.
// Design Philosophy
The Apothecary should not play like a fragile battlefield medic. The class should create moments like:
- I reach the fallen brother under fire.
- The gene-seed must return.
- Stay with me. You are not done yet.
- I know exactly how this creature dies.
- The warrior may fall. The Chapter does not.
Signature Mechanic — Narthecium Rites
Signature MechanicNarthecium Rites are the Apothecary signature class mechanic.
// Rules Draft
- An Apothecary starts with 3 Narthecium Rites at level 1.
- Rite Uses are restored after a safe rest.
- Draft Uses: Proficiency Bonus per safe rest.
Rite DC = 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Intellect modifier
Narthecium Rites are special. Apothecaries do not gain a new Narthecium Rite every level.
Gene-Seed Duty
Gene-Seed DutyGene-Seed Duty represents the Apothecary's sacred obligation to recover, protect, and preserve Chapter genetic legacy.
// Rules Draft
- When an Astartes ally drops to 0 Vitality, dies, suffers a severe wound, or risks biological corruption, the Apothecary may declare Gene-Seed Duty.
- While acting under Gene-Seed Duty, the Apothecary gains +2 to checks to reach, protect, stabilize, extract, or preserve that ally or gene-seed.
- This is narrative and tactical, not a loot mechanic.
The warrior may fall. The Chapter does not.
Narthecium Rites Known Progression
| Apothecary Level | Narthecium Rites Known |
|---|---|
| 1 | 3 |
| 5 | 4 |
| 9 | 5 |
| 13 | 6 |
| 17 | 7 |
This progression is a working draft. Final class balance may change after all classes are designed.
Narthecium Rites
Working DraftNarthecium Rite
Combat Stimm
One ally within touch gains Advantage on their next Toughness Save or Strength check before next turn.
Narthecium Rite
Reductor Mercy
Your next melee or surgical attack against a wounded, corrupted, or biologically unstable target gains +2 to hit.
Narthecium Rite
Gene-Scan
Ask the GM one question about a creature's biology: weakness, toxin, mutation, corruption sign, wound pattern, or what will kill it fastest.
Narthecium Rite
Emergency Revival
Stabilize a Downed ally. If they are Astartes, they may also speak, crawl, or grip a weapon before end of next turn.
Narthecium Rite
Preserve the Fallen
Protect a corpse, gene-seed, organ, sample, or biological evidence from degradation, corruption, or theft for one scene.
Narthecium Rite
Pain Lock
An ally ignores the penalties from one minor wound or condition until the start of your next turn.
Rite Trees
Progression SystemApothecary progression uses Rite Trees.
An Apothecary earns Rite Points and spends them across the trees below, specializing deeply in one tree or spreading points across several.
Each rank costs 1 Rite Point and requires the previous rank in that tree unless future rules say otherwise.
// Rite Points Progression
Apothecaries gain 1 Rite Point at every even level.
Rite Points
| Apothecary Level | Rite Points Gained |
|---|---|
| 2 | +1 |
| 4 | +1 |
| 6 | +1 |
| 8 | +1 |
| 10 | +1 |
| 12 | +1 |
| 14 | +1 |
| 16 | +1 |
| 18 | +1 |
| 20 | +1 |
This progression is a working draft. Final class balance may change after all classes are designed.
Rank 1Combat Triage
Gain +1 to Medicae checks made under fire.
Rank 2Stronger Sealant
When you restore Vitality, add your Intellect modifier, minimum +1.
Rank 3Condition Lock
When you heal an ally, they may also end Bleeding, Prone, or Pinned if fiction fits.
Rank 4Refuse Casualty
Once per safe rest, cancel one failed death save or stabilize an ally as a Reaction.
Rank 5Transhuman Recovery Rite
Once per safe rest, maximize one healing die and add your Apothecary level to healing or temporary Vitality.
Surgery is more efficient when the patient is still shooting.