⚔️ Characters

Six Pregenerated Characters — Warhammer 40,000 One-Shot (D&D 5e, Level 3)

A note to the DM. These six are a starter set — drop-in, ready-to-play heroes built straight from the 5e rulebook (RAW) and dressed in 40k flavor on top. Nothing here is a homebrew rule; every number traces to a real class, race, spell, or feat. Hand any 3–5 of them to your table and you'll have a balanced party — there's a ranged trigger-puller, a sneaky scout, a magic blaster, a healer, a tank, and a gadget-support, and any reasonable mix of them covers the bases. Use them as-is, swap names, re-paint the flavor, or let players tweak a skill or two — they're suggestions, not law. Each sheet is self-contained: the math is done, the attacks are pre-calculated, the features are spelled out in plain English so a first-time DM never has to flip a book mid-fight. The only "house rule" baked in is cosmetic: a "lasgun" is a reskinned crossbow, a "psychic power" is a reskinned spell. The dice never change. Read the Quick Reference at the bottom before session one — it's your cheat sheet. The Emperor protects.

System: D&D 5e (RAW) · Level: 3 · Proficiency Bonus: +2 (all six) · Theme: Warhammer 40,000 reskin (flavor only — mechanics are pure 5e)

Party Balance at a Glance

#	Character	Archetype	Class (Subclass)	Role	Primary Stat	AC	HP
1	Sergeant Korrick Vael	Imperial Guard Veteran	Fighter (Battle Master)	Ranged striker / tactician	DEX	18	28
2	"Vesper"	Vindicare-style Assassin	Rogue (Assassin)	Stealth / ranged burst / scout	DEX	16	21
3	Sanctioned Psyker Iramei	Sanctioned Psyker	Sorcerer (Draconic Bloodline)	Blaster / control	CHA	13	23
4	Confessor Brannan Hask	Ministorum Priest	Cleric (War Domain)	Faith support / healer	WIS	18	24
5	Gorrum	Ogryn Bone'ead	Barbarian (Berserker)	Front-line tank	STR	16*	35
6	Enginseer Vox-9 "Cog"	Tech-Priest Enginseer	Artificer (Battle Smith)	Gadget support / pet / off-healer	INT	18	24

* Gorrum's effective durability is far higher than his AC suggests — see his sheet (rage resistance + huge HP).

How to pick a party: Any 3 of these can run a one-shot; 4–5 is the sweet spot. A "complete" party wants at least one of #3/#4/#6 (a caster for healing/utility) and at least one of #1/#2/#5 (reliable damage). The classic 40k warband is the Psyker (#3) + Priest (#4) + Guard Veteran (#1) + a muscle pick (#2 or #5) — an Inquisitorial-style retinue.

1. Sergeant Korrick Vael — Imperial Guard Veteran

"Steady the line. Aim for the gaps in the armor. The Emperor counts every shot."

Race: Variant Human (Imperial Elite) · Class: Fighter 3 (Battle Master) · Background: Soldier Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Ability Scores

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
12 (+1)	18 (+4)	14 (+2)	10 (+0)	13 (+1)	8 (−1)

Core Stats

AC: 18 (carapace flak — reskinned splint mail 17, +1 from the Defense fighting style)
Max HP: 28 · Hit Dice: 3d10
Speed: 30 ft · Initiative: +4 · Proficiency Bonus: +2

Proficiencies

Saving Throws: Strength +3, Constitution +4
Skills: Athletics +3, Intimidation +1, Perception +3, Survival +3
Armor: All armor, shields · Weapons: Simple, martial · Tools: Land vehicles (one gaming set)

Features (Level 3)

Fighting Style — Defense: +1 AC while wearing armor (already in AC above).
Second Wind (1/short rest, bonus action): Regain 1d10+3 HP.
Action Surge (1/short rest): Take one extra action on your turn (e.g. fire twice in one turn). Iconic "suppressing fire" button.
Martial Archetype — Battle Master:
- Combat Superiority: You have 4 superiority dice (d8), regained on a short or long rest. You know 3 maneuvers. Maneuver save DC = 14 (8 + prof +2 + DEX +4).
- Maneuvers known:
  - Trip Attack — on a hit, spend 1 die: add 1d8 damage and the target makes a DC 14 STR save or falls prone (great setup for the melee allies).
  - Precision Attack — when you make an attack roll, spend 1 die: add 1d8 to the roll (turn a miss into a hit). Spend it after seeing the d20.
  - Commander's Strike — when you take the Attack action, forgo one attack (bonus action) + spend 1 die: an ally uses their reaction to make a weapon attack, adding 1d8. "Sergeant calls the shot."
- Student of War: Proficiency with one artisan's tool (gunsmith's kit).
Variant Human: +1 DEX & +1 CON (in scores), one skill (Perception), and a feat.
Feat — Sharpshooter:
- Ignore long-range disadvantage; ignore half & three-quarters cover.
- Before an attack with a ranged weapon you're proficient with, you can take −5 to hit for +10 damage.

Weapons & Attacks

Lasgun (reskinned heavy crossbow): ranged, +6 to hit, range 100/400, 1d10+4 radiant, two-handed, loading.
- With Sharpshooter (−5/+10): +1 to hit, 1d10+14 radiant — your big-swing shot.
- With Action Surge: two lasgun shots in one turn (four total if you also burn your normal action well — huge nova round).
Laspistol (reskinned hand crossbow): ranged, +6 to hit, range 30/120, 1d6+4 radiant, light.
Chainsword (reskinned longsword): melee, +3 to hit, 1d8+1 slashing (versatile 1d10).
Frag grenade (reskinned flask of alchemist's fire / improvised): thrown 20 ft, DC 14 DEX save area option if your DM allows it; otherwise narrate.

Gear

Carapace flak armor (splint), lasgun + 3 spare power packs, laspistol, chainsword, 2 frag grenades, regimental fatigues, rank insignia, a trophy from a fallen comrade, gunsmith's kit, mess kit, bedroll, 10 days rations, Throne Gelt (a few coins).

Personality

Korrick has held the line on a dozen worlds and buried more squadmates than he can name. He is calm, economical, and quietly authoritative — the man everyone instinctively looks to when the shooting starts. He believes the Emperor wins through discipline, not heroics, and he runs his fire teams accordingly.

Bond: He carries the dog-tags of his old squad, every one of them dead; he will not lose another soldier under his command if he can help it.
Flaw: He distrusts psykers and "the witch" on principle — and barely hides it, even when one is fighting beside him.

2. "Vesper" — Vindicare-style Assassin / Scout

"One shot. One kill. You never even heard me arrive."

Race: Variant Human (Imperial Elite) · Class: Rogue 3 (Assassin) · Background: Spy (Criminal variant) Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Ability Scores

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	18 (+4)	13 (+1)	12 (+1)	14 (+2)	8 (−1)

Core Stats

AC: 16 (reinforced bodyglove — reskinned studded leather 12 + DEX +4)
Max HP: 21 · Hit Dice: 3d8
Speed: 30 ft · Initiative: +4 · Proficiency Bonus: +2

Proficiencies

Saving Throws: Dexterity +6, Intelligence +3
Skills: Stealth +8 (expertise), Perception +6 (expertise), Acrobatics +6, Deception +1, Investigation +3, Sleight of Hand +6
Armor: Light · Weapons: Simple + hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords · Tools: Thieves' tools +6, disguise kit, poisoner's kit (one gaming set)

Features (Level 3)

Expertise: Double proficiency on Stealth and Perception (already in the skills above).
Sneak Attack — 2d6: Once per turn, deal an extra 2d6 when you have advantage on the attack, or when an ally is within 5 ft of the target and you don't have disadvantage. Requires a finesse or ranged weapon.
Thieves' Cant: Hidden battle-sign and code (reskin: Officio Assassinorum hand-cant).
Cunning Action (bonus action): Dash, Disengage, or Hide as a bonus action every turn — this is what makes the assassin un-pin-down-able.
Roguish Archetype — Assassin:
- Assassinate: You have advantage on attacks against any creature that hasn't taken a turn yet in combat. Any hit against a surprised creature is a critical hit. (This is the "Vindicare opening shot" — set up an ambush and the first round can be devastating.)
- Bonus proficiencies: Disguise kit & poisoner's kit (already listed).

Weapons & Attacks

Stalker-pattern long-las (reskinned hand crossbow): ranged, +6 to hit, range 30/120, 1d6+4 piercing, +2d6 sneak attack when it applies.
- Ambush crit (Assassinate vs. surprised): 2d6+4 + 4d6 (sneak dice doubled) — your signature opener.
Mono-blade (reskinned shortsword/dagger): melee, +6 to hit, 1d6+4 piercing, finesse, +2d6 sneak attack when it applies.
Throwing knives (daggers): +6 to hit, range 20/60, 1d4+4 piercing, finesse.

Gear

Reinforced bodyglove (studded leather), stalker long-las + bolts, two mono-blades, 4 throwing knives, thieves' tools, disguise kit, poisoner's kit, grapnel + 50 ft silk line, a forged Inquisitorial seal, dark hooded cloak, a small vial of "synth-skin" for disguises, Throne Gelt.

Personality

Vesper speaks little and watches everything. Trained from childhood as a temple-sanctioned killer, they regard a mission as a puzzle of angles, sightlines, and patience — violence is just the last, brief step. Off the job they are unsettlingly normal, even dryly funny, which makes the switch all the more disquieting.

Bond: Vesper owes a life-debt to the Inquisitor who pulled them out of a hive-gang death pit; that warrant is the only loyalty they truly hold.
Flaw: Vesper plans for the perfect shot and hates improvising — when an ambush falls apart, they can freeze for a beat deciding what to do.

3. Sanctioned Psyker Iramei — Battle-Witch

"I keep my eyes open and my soul shut. The Warp is a door — and I am the only one allowed to knock."

Race: Variant Human (Imperial Elite) · Class: Sorcerer 3 (Draconic Bloodline) · Background: Sage (Acolyte variant) Alignment: Neutral

Ability Scores

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (−1)	14 (+2)	14 (+2)	12 (+1)	10 (+0)	17 (+3)

Core Stats

AC: 15 (Draconic Resilience: 13 + DEX +2 while wearing no armor)
Max HP: 23 · Hit Dice: 3d6 (includes +3 from Draconic Resilience, +1 HP per sorcerer level)
Speed: 30 ft · Initiative: +2 · Proficiency Bonus: +2

Proficiencies

Saving Throws: Constitution +4, Charisma +5
Skills: Arcana +3, Insight +2, Intimidation +5, Persuasion +5
Armor: None · Weapons: Daggers, darts, slings, quarterstaffs, light crossbows · Tools: None

Spellcasting (Psychic Powers)

Spellcasting ability: Charisma · Spell save DC: 13 (8 + prof +2 + CHA +3) · Spell attack: +5
Spell slots: Level 1 — four · Level 2 — two
Cantrips known (4): Fire Bolt (Witch-fire), Ray of Frost (Soul-chill), Mind Sliver (Psychic spike), Prestidigitation (minor Warp-flicker)
Spells known (4): Magic Missile (Smite-bolt), Shield (Refractor barrier), Scorching Ray (Molten lances), Hold Person (Domination)

Features (Level 3)

Sorcerous Origin — Draconic Bloodline ("Empyric Lineage"):
- Draconic Resilience: +1 HP per sorcerer level (already in HP) and your unarmored AC = 13 + DEX (already in AC).
- Dragon Ancestor: choose a damage type for flavor (use fire — Warp-flame). You can speak/read one extra language (reskin: a fragment of daemon-tongue).
Font of Magic — Sorcery Points: 3. Convert points ↔ slots as a bonus action:
- Spend a slot to gain points equal to its level; or spend points to make a slot (1 pt → 1st, 3 pts → 2nd).
Metamagic (know 2):
- Twinned Spell — target a second creature with a single-target spell (cost = the spell's level in points; cantrips cost 1). E.g. Hold Person on two enemies.
- Quickened Spell — cast a 1-action spell as a bonus action (cost 2 points). Cast Scorching Ray + a Fire Bolt in the same turn.

Weapons & Attacks

Force stave / quarterstaff (psychic focus): melee, +1 to hit, 1d6−1 bludgeoning (versatile 1d8). Mostly a focus — Iramei fights with the mind.
Witch-fire (Fire Bolt cantrip): ranged spell, +5 to hit, range 120, 1d10 fire. (Scales to 2d10 at level 5.)
Smite-bolt (Magic Missile): auto-hit, three darts of 1d4+1 force each (3d4+3 total, all hit), 120 ft.
Molten lances (Scorching Ray, 2nd-level slot): three rays, +5 to hit each, 2d6 fire per ray.

Gear

Sanctioned-psyker robes + a psychic hood (focus), the Aquila branded on the brow (mark of a licensed witch), a quarterstaff/force-stave, a dagger, a "soul-binding" amulet (flavor: she survived the Emperor's gaze), a sheaf of warded parchment, ink, scholar's pack, Throne Gelt.

Personality

Iramei is a sanctioned psyker — Imperial-licensed, soul-bound, and acutely aware that the same gift that makes her useful makes her one bad day from a daemon's puppet. She is disciplined, watchful, and a little fatalistic, leavening the dread with sharp gallows humor. She knows exactly how the Guard look at her, and she's made peace with it.

Bond: She owes her life and her leash to the Inquisition; sanctioned service is the only thing standing between her and a black-ship execution, so she serves flawlessly.
Flaw: Every time she draws deep on the Warp, a part of her wants to draw deeper — and she's not always certain that want is entirely her own.

Optional grimdark tax (DM call): On a natural 1 on a spell attack roll, or whenever she casts using her last spell slot of a tier, have her make a DC 10 Charisma save or roll on a "Perils of the Warp" table (take 1d6 psychic damage / brief lights-flicker effect). Purely flavor — skip it for a first session if it's too much to track.

4. Confessor Brannan Hask — Ministorum Priest

"FAITH IS A SHIELD! Stand, brothers and sisters — the Emperor's light burns brightest in the dark!"

Race: Variant Human (Imperial Elite) · Class: Cleric 3 (War Domain) · Background: Acolyte Alignment: Lawful Good

Ability Scores

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	10 (+0)	14 (+2)	8 (−1)	17 (+3)	12 (+1)

Core Stats

AC: 18 (chainmail 16 + shield 2 — reskinned flak-and-faith plate; War Priests are full-armor)
Max HP: 24 · Hit Dice: 3d8
Speed: 30 ft · Initiative: +0 · Proficiency Bonus: +2

Proficiencies

Saving Throws: Wisdom +5, Charisma +3
Skills: History +1, Insight +5, Medicine +5, Persuasion +3, Religion +1
Armor: Light, medium, heavy, shields (War Domain grants heavy) · Weapons: Simple + martial (War Domain) · Tools: None

Spellcasting (Litanies & Acts of Faith)

Spellcasting ability: Wisdom · Spell save DC: 13 (8 + prof +2 + WIS +3) · Spell attack: +5
Spell slots: Level 1 — four · Level 2 — two
Cantrips known (3): Sacred Flame (Emperor's wrath), Guidance (a whispered blessing), Spare the Dying (last rites that hold the soul)
Prepares each day: WIS mod (3) + cleric level (3) = 6 spells, plus always-prepared War Domain spells (free, don't count against the 6).
- Suggested prepared (6): Cure Wounds (Lay on the wound), Bless (Litany of Courage), Healing Word (a shouted benediction — bonus action heal at range), Guiding Bolt (a lance of the Emperor's light — 4d6 radiant + advantage to the next attacker), Command (Voice of the Emperor), Lesser Restoration (cleanse the taint). (Don't re-prepare Shield of Faith — it's already free from the War Domain.)
- War Domain always-prepared: Divine Favor, Shield of Faith (1st); Magic Weapon, Spiritual Weapon (2nd).

Features (Level 3)

Divine Domain — War:
- War Priest (bonus action attacks): When you take the Attack action, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action. Uses = WIS mod (3) per long rest.
- Channel Divinity (1/short or long rest), two options:
  - Guided Strike: +10 to an attack roll (yours, or another's via a higher-level feature). Spend it to turn a near-miss into a hit.
  - Turn Undead: Each undead within 30 ft makes a WIS save (DC 13) or is turned (must flee) for 1 minute. Reskin: "the Emperor's light drives back the daemon and the walking dead" — fantastic vs. Poxwalkers and lesser daemons.
Spiritual Weapon (2nd-level, always prepared): Bonus action to conjure a floating spectral aquila-blade that attacks for 1d8+3 force; move + attack with it as a bonus action each turn. Stacks with War Priest economy for big bonus-action pressure.

Weapons & Attacks

Eviscerator / power maul (reskinned warhammer): melee, +4 to hit, 1d8+2 bludgeoning (versatile 1d10).
Bolt pistol (reskinned light crossbow): ranged, +2 to hit, range 80/320, 1d8 piercing.
Sacred Flame (cantrip): target makes DC 13 DEX save or takes 1d8 radiant (no cover benefit), 60 ft.
Spiritual Weapon (spectral blade): +5 to hit, 1d8+3 force, as a bonus action.

Gear

Flak-and-faith plate (chainmail) + aquila shield, power maul, bolt pistol, a great brass Aquila holy symbol (spell focus), censer of sacred incense, prayer book of the Imperial Creed, vestments, a vial of "holy" promethium-water, healer's kit, Throne Gelt.

Personality

Brannan is a roaring furnace of faith — a battlefield preacher who leads from the front, sermon on his lips and maul in his fist. He genuinely loves the people he fights beside and will spend his last breath (and last spell slot) keeping them upright. Beneath the bombast is real warmth and a surprising tenderness with the wounded and the frightened.

Bond: His congregation was martyred holding a shrine-world; he fights so that their deaths meant something, and he will not abandon civilians.
Flaw: His zeal can be a liability — he distrusts negotiation with anything xenos or witch-touched and is quick to call for purging when patience would serve better.

5. Gorrum — Ogryn Bone'ead (Crusader-Tank)

"Gorrum smash! Sarge say smash, Gorrum smash GOOD! ...is Gorrum doing good, Sarge?"

Race: Goliath (Ogryn) · Class: Barbarian 3 (Path of the Berserker) · Background: Soldier Alignment: Neutral Good

Ability Scores

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
17 (+3)	12 (+1)	16 (+3)	6 (−2)	11 (+0)	8 (−1)

Core Stats

AC: 16 (Unarmored Defense 10 + DEX +1 + CON +3 = 14, +2 from a slab-shield of bolted scrap; without the shield he's AC 14)
Max HP: 35 · Hit Dice: 3d12
Speed: 30 ft · Initiative: +1 · Proficiency Bonus: +2

Proficiencies

Saving Throws: Strength +5, Constitution +5
Skills: Athletics +5, Intimidation +1, Perception +2, Survival +2
Armor: Light, medium, shields · Weapons: Simple, martial · Tools: None

Features (Level 3)

Goliath (Ogryn) traits: Stone's Endurance — as a reaction, reduce damage taken by 1d12 + CON (+3) (one use; recharges on a short or long rest); Powerful Build (count as Large for carrying/dragging — perfect for an Ogryn slab); Mountain Born (cold resistance, high-altitude acclimation — flavor as Ogryn toughness).
Rage (3/long rest, bonus action), while raging:
- +2 damage on STR melee attacks (in the attack lines below).
- Resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage — he takes half from almost everything. This is what makes the squishy-looking AC irrelevant; Gorrum is a damage sponge.
- Advantage on STR checks & STR saves.
Unarmored Defense: AC = 10 + DEX + CON when wearing no armor (in AC above).
Reckless Attack: Choose to attack with advantage on STR melee this turn — but attacks against you have advantage until your next turn. (Combos with rage resistance: let them hit you, you barely care.)
Danger Sense: Advantage on DEX saves vs. effects you can see (traps, blasts).
Path of the Berserker — Frenzy: While raging, you can Frenzy — make a single melee weapon attack as a bonus action each turn of the rage. (When the rage ends, you gain 1 level of exhaustion — use sparingly, but it's a brutal nova.)

Weapons & Attacks

Ripper gun / huge slab-club (reskinned greatclub, two-handed): melee, +5 to hit, 1d8+3 bludgeoning.
- While raging: 1d8+5. Frenzy bonus attack while raging: another 1d8+5.
- Reckless + raging: attack with advantage for 1d8+5 (twice if frenzied).
Big choppa (reskinned greataxe, two-handed): melee, +5 to hit, 1d12+3 slashing (raging 1d12+5).
Slab-shield bash / fists: +5 to hit, 1d4+3 bludgeoning.
Thrown scrap (improvised / handaxe): +5 to hit, range 20/60, 1d6+3.

Gear

A bandolier of "good ammo" he isn't allowed to load himself, a slab of bolted scrap-plate (shield), a ripper-gun-club, a big choppa, a battered Guard helmet two sizes too small, a lucky grot-skull on a string, a portrait of "Sarge" he can't quite remember the name of, rations (a lot of rations), Throne Gelt (he keeps eating it).

Personality

Gorrum is enormous, gentle-hearted, and gloriously simple — an Ogryn raised on the battlefield who measures the world by who is "Sarge" and who needs smashing. He is fiercely, tearfully loyal to the squad, terrified of letting them down, and capable of feats of strength that turn a losing fight around. Give him one clear order and point him at the enemy and he is the best friend a party ever had.

Bond: Whoever the party's leader is, Gorrum has decided that one is "Sarge," and he will die before he lets Sarge get hurt.
Flaw: He's easily confused and trusting — a clever enemy can trick or misdirect him, and complicated plans go right over his head ("Gorrum smash the wrong door again").

Frenzy note: Frenzy is strong but the 1 level of exhaustion (disadvantage on ability checks) when the rage ends is a real cost. Tell your player it's a "break glass in emergency" button, not every fight.

6. Enginseer Vox-9 "Cog" — Tech-Priest Battle Smith

"The Omnissiah provides. Praise the machine-spirit. Now hold still — this servo-arm is mostly calibrated."

Race: Variant Human (Squat / Imperial Elite) · Class: Artificer 3 (Battle Smith) · Background: Guild Artisan (Tech-Priest) Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Source note: Artificer is from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything (a standard, widely-used rulebook). If your table is core-rules-only, swap Cog for a second Cleric (Forge Domain) or a Wizard — but Battle Smith is the Tech-Priest, so it's worth allowing.

Ability Scores

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	14 (+2)	14 (+2)	17 (+3)	12 (+1)	8 (−1)

Core Stats

AC: 18 (scale mail 14 + DEX +2 + buckler 2 — Artificers get medium armor & shields; medium armor adds DEX up to +2). If you slot the Enhanced Defense infusion, this becomes 19.
Max HP: 24 · Hit Dice: 3d8
Speed: 30 ft (25 if you run him as a true Squat — use 30 for simplicity) · Initiative: +2 · Proficiency Bonus: +2

Proficiencies

Saving Throws: Constitution +4, Intelligence +5
Skills: Arcana +5, History +5, Investigation +5, Medicine +3, Perception +3
Armor: Light, medium, shields · Weapons: Simple + firearms (reskin) · Tools: Thieves' tools, tinker's tools, smith's tools (+ artisan's tools of choice)

Spellcasting (Tech-Rites & Cant Mechanicus)

Spellcasting ability: Intelligence · Spell save DC: 13 (8 + prof +2 + INT +3) · Spell attack: +5
Spell slots: Level 1 — three · Level 2 — zero at level 3 (Artificer slots: 3×1st at level 3).
- (Artificers prepare INT mod + half level rounded down = 3 + 1 = 4 prepared spells, plus cantrips.)
Cantrips known (2): Fire Bolt (plasma-cutter beam), Mending (rite of repair — fixes objects, very on-theme).
Prepared spells (4): Cure Wounds (medi-spray narthecium), Faerie Fire (auspex target-painting — grants advantage to hit a marked foe), Absorb Elements (energy shunt), Catapult (kinetic servo-throw).

Features (Level 3)

Magical Tinkering: Imbue up to 3 tiny objects (= INT modifier) with minor magic (light, a recorded message, a smell, a static sound) — flavor as servo-skulls and machine-spirit trinkets.
Infuse Item — Known Infusions: 4, Active at once: 2. Apply on a long rest. Suggested loadout:
- Enhanced Defense (+1 AC to armor — not in the AC above; slot it for AC 19 — see DM note) and Enhanced Weapon (+1 to hit & damage on a weapon), or
- Repeating Shot (a ranged weapon needs no ammo and gets +1) for his radium pistol.
- Keep it simple at the table: run him with Enhanced Weapon on the Steel Defender's attack or his pistol (+1/+1), already optionally reflected below.
The Right Tool for the Job: Spend 1 hr with tinker's tools to make a set of artisan's tools.
Artificer Specialist — Battle Smith:
- Battle Smith Spells (always prepared): Heroism, Shield (1st); these don't count against your 4.
- Battle Ready: You can use Intelligence instead of STR/DEX for attack & damage with magic weapons. Your servo-arm / pistol is treated as a magic weapon (see attacks — INT-based, +5 to hit).
- Steel Defender (your iconic combat servitor / cyber-mastiff): A loyal construct companion.
  - Steel Defender stats: AC 15, HP 2 + INT mod (3) + 5×artificer level = 20 HP, speed 40 ft. Saves use your prof. Senses keen sight/hearing.
  - Force-Empowered Rend (action): +5 to hit (your spell-attack/INT-based), 1d8+2 force damage.
  - Deflect Attack (reaction): impose disadvantage on an attack against another creature it can see within 5 ft.
  - It acts on your turn (you command it via a bonus action; it can take the Dodge action on its own otherwise). Repair it with Mending / a spell slot.

Weapons & Attacks

Radium pistol / servo-arm (reskinned light crossbow, treated as a magic weapon via Battle Ready): ranged, +5 to hit (INT-based), range 80/320, 1d8+3 radiant.
Power-axe / arc-blade (reskinned handaxe, magic via Battle Ready): melee, +5 to hit, 1d6+3 slashing/lightning.
Plasma-cutter (Fire Bolt cantrip): +5 to hit, 120 ft, 1d10 fire.
Steel Defender — Force-Empowered Rend: +5 to hit, 1d8+2 force (commanded on your turn).

Gear

Mechanicus robes + augmetic eye and a buzzing mechadendrite, scale mail + buckler, radium pistol, arc power-axe, the Steel Defender (a four-legged cyber-mastiff servitor named "Six"), tinker's tools, smith's tools, thieves' tools, a censer of machine-oil incense, sacred lubricants, spare parts, a data-slate of forbidden schematics, Throne Gelt.

Personality

Vox-9 — "Cog" to the squad's irritation and his own quiet despair — is more machine than man and prays to the Omnissiah over every repair. He is precise, literal, and faintly condescending toward "the meat," but utterly reliable: he keeps the guns firing, the wounds closed, and Six the cyber-mastiff between the party and the enemy. There is, buried under the augmetics, a flicker of genuine wonder at a clever machine.

Bond: He reveres Six the Steel Defender as a holy creation of the Omnissiah and will risk himself to repair it before he heals a human ally (a quirk the party learns to live with).
Flaw: His faith in the Machine God makes him dangerously incurious about why old tech does what it does — he'll activate an unknown artifact "because the rite is correct," consequences be damned.

Quick Reference — Read This Before Session One

The one rule that matters

The 40k names are paint. The dice are pure 5e. A "lasgun" rolls exactly like the crossbow it's reskinned from. When a player says "I fire my bolter," you resolve it as the weapon on their sheet. Nothing about combat math changes — only the words.

Per-character cheat line (what each one does best)

Character	The button to press	Tell the player
Korrick (Fighter)	Lasgun + Sharpshooter (−5/+10) and Action Surge for a nova round	"You're the reliable damage. Use maneuvers to set up the team."
Vesper (Rogue)	Sneak Attack every turn + Assassinate crit on a surprise round	"Get advantage or flank, add 2d6. Open ambushes are devastating."
Iramei (Sorcerer)	Scorching Ray / Magic Missile to blast, Hold Person to lock down	"You're glass-cannon control. Position carefully; you're fragile."
Brannan (Cleric)	Healing Word (bonus action heal) + Bless + War Priest attacks	"You keep people standing AND swing a maul. Bless is your MVP buff."
Gorrum (Barbarian)	Rage (half damage from weapons) + Reckless + Frenzy	"Rage every fight, charge the biggest thing, soak hits — you barely care."
Cog (Artificer)	Steel Defender + Cure Wounds + radium pistol; Faerie Fire to mark	"Pet does damage, you patch wounds and buff. Mark a tough foe with Faerie Fire."

Spellcaster save DCs at a glance (for when enemies must roll)

Iramei (Psyker): spell save DC 13, spell attack +5
Brannan (Priest): spell save DC 13, spell attack +5
Cog (Tech-Priest): spell save DC 13, spell attack +5
(All three are DC 13 — easy to remember: "the Emperor's number is thirteen.")

Short rest vs. long rest (resource refresh)

Short rest (~1 hr): Korrick's Second Wind, Action Surge, & superiority dice; Brannan's & everyone's Channel Divinity; Gorrum's Stone's Endurance; spend Hit Dice to heal.
Long rest (~8 hr): spell slots, rages, sorcery points, War Priest uses, infusions reset.

Action economy reminder (the most-forgotten rule)

Each turn a PC gets: 1 Action + 1 Move + (1 Bonus Action only if a feature grants one) + 1 Reaction (off-turn). Healing Word, Spiritual Weapon, Cunning Action, Frenzy, War Priest, and Quickened Spell are all bonus actions — players forget they have these.

If a player wants to swap something

All six are modular. Safe swaps that won't break balance:

Skills/background — change freely to fit a backstory.
Spells known/prepared — swap any spell for another of the same level on that class's list.
Fighting style / maneuvers / metamagic / infusions — swap for any other legal option at that level.
Race reskin — any of these can be flavored as a different 40k human archetype without touching the numbers.

The Emperor protects.