Is Iconoclast Fun/satisfying?

[Jivebot]

I'm a bit new to 40K in general. From my own personal Roleplay/Personality Iconoclast seems like the right playstyle for me. It's as close to being a "good guy" in the conventional sense as this setting seems to offer.

But i've figured out enough to know 40K isn't exactly conventional.

From everything i've actually researched about 40K lore, Dogmatic seems like the smarter way to go(also, the perks/skills are much preferable to my playstyle). And i've seen a few spoilers that make it seem like trying to be "the good guy" in this game really, REALLY punishes you.

Also, do these philosophy choices matter for companion relationships/romances?

Can you actually max out both Dogmatic and iconoclast?

[pirate240]

Iconoclast is trying to be a reasonable person in an unreasonable world, which means directly defying the dogmatic teachings and harsh regulations of the Ecclesiarchy, the Inquisition, and the Cult Mechanicus. You can certainly try to be 'the good guy', but you'll be pushing against the tide, so to speak.

[plasticsoda]

You can only max out only one conviction. You can make them all stay below 3 however, and your endimg will reflect that.

Your choices will affect the story. If you go heretic, some companions will leave and if you lean too much on Dogmatic, then you lose the chance to romance the Aeldar companion and she'll treat you completely different.

Iconoclast has very few actual punishing choices. There are some instances where it's downtight nonsensical to act like a Iconoclast but you still get no downsides for it.

[Harukage]

The huge downside of Iconoclast is the ending. It is stupid and makes no sense. Outright suicidal and contrary to what you were doing the whole game.

[Vaatihastur]

Iconoclast is basically taking a person from a city in todays west and putting them into 40k. It's stupid and nonsensical.

[zaldaria]

i went iconoclast because sometimes the options for dogmatic seem to rigid Example you save a base from xeno scum but dogmatic is killing them all but also killing all the people in the base that you could have saved also if you went iconoclast

[Julian]

Originally posted by Harukage:

The huge downside of Iconoclast is the ending. It is stupid and makes no sense. Outright suicidal and contrary to what you were doing the whole game.

It makes sadly a lot of sense... if you are the only Person that is in power and like this, everything will turn to ♥♥♥♥ after you are gone, again....

[Voodoo]

Its a heresy which devs really want you to feel good about, even if you indulge everything that should lead to your ruin, complete with allowing witch to roam your ship and summon deamons, allowing xenos which led a rebellion to remain on your planet, turning planet into a deamonworld to save a couple chaos cultists which will then sabotage your ship and allowing a weird mechanicus cult to fester in sector.

[Toxo]

There is only loyal (dogmatic) and two types of heretics.
One type offers you great power directly if you turn stuff to ♥♥♥♥ in turn, and the other makes you feel good while you turn stuff to ♥♥♥♥, too.
The galaxy is mercyless, and no good deed stays unpunished. If you allow corrupt influences to take hold out of mercy or ulterior motives, they will fester, and eventually eat you and your subjects alive. There are fates worse than death out there. So burn the heretic, purge the xeno, and beg for the emperors final mercy, delivered from a bolters barrel, should you fail to do so, for there is no saving your soul otherwise.

[Parallaxe]

Originally posted by Toxo:

There is only loyal (dogmatic) and two types of heretics.
One type offers you great power directly if you turn stuff to ♥♥♥♥ in turn, and the other makes you feel good while you turn stuff to ♥♥♥♥, too.
The galaxy is mercyless, and no good deed stays unpunished. If you allow corrupt influences to take hold out of mercy or ulterior motives, they will fester, and eventually eat you and your subjects alive. There are fates worse than death out there. So burn the heretic, purge the xeno, and beg for the emperors final mercy, delivered from a bolters barrel, should you fail to do so, for there is no saving your soul otherwise.

Hello.
I really, really do hope you are right now role playing HARD.

[Toxo]

Originally posted by Parallaxe:

Originally posted by Toxo:

There is only loyal (dogmatic) and two types of heretics.
One type offers you great power directly if you turn stuff to ♥♥♥♥ in turn, and the other makes you feel good while you turn stuff to ♥♥♥♥, too.
The galaxy is mercyless, and no good deed stays unpunished. If you allow corrupt influences to take hold out of mercy or ulterior motives, they will fester, and eventually eat you and your subjects alive. There are fates worse than death out there. So burn the heretic, purge the xeno, and beg for the emperors final mercy, delivered from a bolters barrel, should you fail to do so, for there is no saving your soul otherwise.

Hello.
I really, really do hope you are right now role playing HARD.

This is no time to allow your faith to be shaken. The enemy stands at the gates, and the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The bright colors of the warp pave the streets, corruption has infested the minds of our children, and our leaders spread nothing but heresy and lies!
No good soul can escape the taint of the warp on this cursed soil, unless it remains vigilant, and puts its trust into the bright, guiding light of the emperor, and his guidance alone!
The labors faith requires might be harsh, and the path to salvation might be filled with hardship and strife, but for the sake of humanity, we all must walk it.

[Voodoo]

Originally posted by Parallaxe:

Hello.
I really, really do hope you are right now role playing HARD.

Kinda but despite having 3 paths you have slider

Dogmatic puts you toward puritan, iconoclast and heretical towards radical.

[Anarchy]

Originally posted by pirate240:

Iconoclast is trying to be a reasonable person in an unreasonable world, which means directly defying the dogmatic teachings and harsh regulations of the Ecclesiarchy, the Inquisition, and the Cult Mechanicus. You can certainly try to be 'the good guy', but you'll be pushing against the tide, so to speak.

I mean it also requires not actually dealing with the reality that is Chaos and ending up being completely unreasonable given certain circumstances.

Like, you're not wrong, but not all of the iconoclast options are reasonable at all if you're actually immersed in the setting or know the lore.

Originally posted by Parallaxe:

Originally posted by Toxo:

There is only loyal (dogmatic) and two types of heretics.
One type offers you great power directly if you turn stuff to ♥♥♥♥ in turn, and the other makes you feel good while you turn stuff to ♥♥♥♥, too.
The galaxy is mercyless, and no good deed stays unpunished. If you allow corrupt influences to take hold out of mercy or ulterior motives, they will fester, and eventually eat you and your subjects alive. There are fates worse than death out there. So burn the heretic, purge the xeno, and beg for the emperors final mercy, delivered from a bolters barrel, should you fail to do so, for there is no saving your soul otherwise.

Hello.
I really, really do hope you are right now role playing HARD.

I mean, he's right since people fall to chaos unwillingly all the time due to the nature of what chaos is, though.
Fulgrim with the sword is a good example, they literally take advantage of you, your emotions, and make you act out of character for who you use to be.
It's why they blow up planets that fall and don't save anyone.
There's literally examples of this with that one encounter with Idira at a certain point, also a few other ones directly in the game.
Also, Biel-tan ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up and broke non-aggression with the imperium so it's really at the end of the day the Xenos own fault.
The only way a lot of the ♥♥♥♥ people say about 40k or humanity in it makes sense is if they're a misanthropic nihilist who won't take that to it's logical an hero end and doesn't actually know anything about lore beyond what politically biased people have to say or memes.

Originally posted by plasticsoda:

You can only max out only one conviction. You can make them all stay below 3 however, and your endimg will reflect that.

Your choices will affect the story. If you go heretic, some companions will leave and if you lean too much on Dogmatic, then you lose the chance to romance the Aeldar companion and she'll treat you completely different.

Iconoclast has very few actual punishing choices. There are some instances where it's downtight nonsensical to act like a Iconoclast but you still get no downsides for it.

Only really nonsensical if you've only been into 40k for like, a few months or a year tbqh, lol. People who act like the Chaos gods AREN'T Cthulhu-esque mind graping monstrosities who can literally just drive people mad/take control of them thru whatever means they do so through are really funny. "But nah, they're the good guys" - someone in one of these threads here at some point either in the future or in the past, it's more than likely happened.

[Voodoo]

Idira is good example of how chaos corruption works, you touch a daemon artifact, read blasphemous text, look upon heretical symbols or are simply born a psyker and every minute of every day you are will be tempted.

With something minor but helpful, like taking away your pain from broken leg or removing your thirst or let us in and we will help you see the future,you want to help the captain dont you.
After that chaos will promsie you rewards, maybe theyll help you advance to shift overseer in manufactorum you work, maybe theyll say youll be accepted by someone you secretly loved, or maybe youll be able to hear once again the captain you so adored.
Then finally theyll grant you power to enact changes, give yourself to us and you will be able to change injustice you see, youll overthrow shackles of oppressive imperium and be free.

You must now be forever on your toes, if your willpower slips if you give in to temptation you will next time be promised grander reward and grander till you willingly give up everything youve been to join the slaughter in name of chaos gods. Everyone will eventually be promised something they need or want or will be in vulnerable situation.

Thats why imperium invented idea of armour of contempt, easiest way to deny such temptation is simply answer any such promise with scorn, calling it lies and telling the voice to go away without even listening to what it offers.

Thats naturally assuming you even have a willpower to resist temptation, among hive world population if heretical outbreak happens many who are promised freedom and prosperity will immediately accept their souls now forfeit to chaos gods.

[Toxo]

Originally posted by Voodoo:

Idira is good example of how chaos corruption works, you touch a daemon artifact, read blasphemous text[...]

You carry the imperial truth in your heart, good soldier of humanity.
The heretic, the xeno and the mutant will test your will with lies of grandeur and improvement. For each false truth, and unholy might, you pay with your soul, bit by bit. Your own emotions and your own morals will be weaponized by the enemies of humanity against you, and turned into the very shackles, that will bind and control you.
And this is why you must accept the imperial truth without compromise. Your judgement does not matter, for the emperor will judge us all, and has drawn the path towards the perfection of humanity.
Toil in blissful and safe ignorance, fight the enemies of humanity with absolute prejudice, and accept nothing, but the imperial truth in your heart. For as you stumble upon your path, you will drag everyone around you down into ruin.
BURN THE HERETIC!
PURGE THE XENO!
SET THE WHOLE GALAXY ABLAZE IN THE HOLY GOLDEN LIGHT OF THE GOD EMPEROR OF MANKIND!

[Axetwin]

Here's what you need to know about WH40K lore: no good deed goes unpunished. There are no good guys in this setting, only shades of gray. Go iconoclastic but just know you will be asked to make some decisions where the iconoclastic choice while the morally correct choice isn't always the intellectually correct choice.