How Do You Role Play an Iconoclastic Character?

[Joe]

I get how Dogmatic and Heretical fit in 40k lore, but I don't really get Iconoclast. It seems like Iconoclast is suppose to be something like a good guy, but are there good guys in 40k?

[i_kill_pikachus]

The Imperium are the good guys of 40K.

Bottom text.

[Toaster Maximus]

There are good people in 40k not factions though. Think of yourself has the lone white knight in a dark world trying to show people how things could be

[Riblion]

Originally posted by i_kill_pikachus:

The Imperium are the good guys of 40K.

Bottom text.

The imperium is actually one of the morally worst factions if we take it as a whole, the only worse factions are chaos and drukhari

[Dryden]

Isn’t it evil to give people false hope? The Imperium isn’t going to change, and the Rogue Trader is neither going to live forever nor will their worlds be somewhat protected from the Imperium for all time.

When I roleplay iconoclastic characters, I do so from an emotional perspective. I pick actions that make me feel good here and now, and largely ignore the consequences that might come as a result of what I do somewhere down the line.

Is it “good” if it makes you feel good and makes others happy for a time.. even if that’s not going to last? Maybe?

[i_kill_pikachus]

Originally posted by Riblion:

Originally posted by i_kill_pikachus:

The Imperium are the good guys of 40K.

Bottom text.

The imperium is actually one of the morally worst factions if we take it as a whole, the only worse factions are chaos and drukhari

>literally the only reason humanity still exists
>"morally worst"

Okay Slaaneshophile. Let me guess, a few months back you were siding with the Starship Troopers bugs?

[Riblion]

Originally posted by i_kill_pikachus:

Originally posted by Riblion:

The imperium is actually one of the morally worst factions if we take it as a whole, the only worse factions are chaos and drukhari

>literally the only reason humanity still exists
>"morally worst"

Okay Slaaneshophile. Let me guess, a few months back you were siding with the Starship Troopers bugs?

If you are looking from a human point of view, of course they are the best, but if you at all factions without human bias even necrons regime looks better that the one of the imperium,

[TairaSayo]

Originally posted by Riblion:

Originally posted by i_kill_pikachus:

The Imperium are the good guys of 40K.

Bottom text.

The imperium is actually one of the morally worst factions if we take it as a whole, the only worse factions are chaos and drukhari

ORLY? Let's see:
Necrons: half is bent on galactic domination and extermination, the other half only on extermination
Tyranids: non-sentient in common sence
GS cults: same as previous but with delusions,
Caftworld eldars: unless you are not one of them would treat anyone as a tool at best.
Orks: would kill or eat you, probably both, hopefully in this sequence. But they are funny.

A bit above Imperium:
Sq... Leagues of Votan: your spiteful space dwarfs, but quite ok actually
T'au: your normal sci-fi fraction in wh40k ))

[Riblion]

Originally posted by TairaSayo:

Originally posted by Riblion:

The imperium is actually one of the morally worst factions if we take it as a whole, the only worse factions are chaos and drukhari

ORLY? Let's see:
Necrons: half is bent on galactic domination and extermination, the other half only on extermination
Tyranids: non-sentient in common sence
GS cults: same as previous but with delusions,
Caftworld eldars: unless you are not one of them would treat anyone as a tool at best.
Orks: would kill or eat you, probably both, hopefully in this sequence. But they are funny.

A bit above Imperium:
Sq... Leagues of Votan: your spiteful space dwarfs, but quite ok actually
T'au: your normal sci-fi fraction in wh40k ))

Necrons want to take back the galaxy which once were theirs by right, how is it bad? The imperium basically wants the same but they do it in the bloodiest way possible, destroying planets and killing millions of humans too, billions of humans live in the worst living conditions imaginable, in the most fascist regime in the universe. Compared to that. Being half sentient necron warrior seems like paradise.
Tyranids just want to eat and accommodate as much biomass as possible
Eldars are pretty arrogant yes, but atleast they are not blinded by faith like most of the imperium citizens
Orks just want to fight - you or another ork, they are probably the happiest species in the universe

[Ronin Gamer]

Originally posted by Joe:

I get how Dogmatic and Heretical fit in 40k lore, but I don't really get Iconoclast. It seems like Iconoclast is suppose to be something like a good guy, but are there good guys in 40k?

By actually caring about people. I care about my team mates in every rpg, and I'm sure as hell not breaking that here. I care about the people that I'm supposed to be ruling over, because people in higher power positions should on some level be giving a **** about caring about those who work for them. Respect is a two way street, not a greedy winner take all crap.
It's not hard to understand Iconoclast, and frankly since I hate extremes and religious zealotry something this series has obnoxious amounts of, it's kinda hard for me to get into any game of this series. Rogue Trader, having that option and being a genuine rpg my fav genre really helped and I personally wouldn't want to play as Dogmatic or Heretical.

[Ronin Gamer]

Originally posted by Riblion:

Originally posted by TairaSayo:

ORLY? Let's see:
Necrons: half is bent on galactic domination and extermination, the other half only on extermination
Tyranids: non-sentient in common sence
GS cults: same as previous but with delusions,
Caftworld eldars: unless you are not one of them would treat anyone as a tool at best.
Orks: would kill or eat you, probably both, hopefully in this sequence. But they are funny.

A bit above Imperium:
Sq... Leagues of Votan: your spiteful space dwarfs, but quite ok actually
T'au: your normal sci-fi fraction in wh40k ))

Necrons want to take back the galaxy which once were theirs by right, how is it bad? The imperium basically wants the same but they do it in the bloodiest way possible, destroying planets and killing millions of humans too, billions of humans live in the worst living conditions imaginable, in the most fascist regime in the universe. Compared to that. Being half sentient necron warrior seems like paradise.
Tyranids just want to eat and accommodate as much biomass as possible
Eldars are pretty arrogant yes, but atleast they are not blinded by faith like most of the imperium citizens
Orks just want to fight - you or another ork, they are probably the happiest species in the universe

Everyone is bad, it's just by how much. It's why in my post above I talk about why I love Iconoclast so much and I'd never want to play this game as the zealot extremes over that.
Can be something genuine in this universe, to an extent since the story makes a lot of assumptions on your behalf, but it's something.

[Roknar]

It can work RP-wise, not mechanically, if you mix iconoclast and dogmatic.
A pure iconoclast playthrough would make you a heretic /apostate/traitor.

That is assuming you remained in control.
It will result in breeding genestealer and chaos cults at the very least. I don't mean that in a spoiler sense. There is a reason the inquisition exists and why the tagline is to protect against enemies from within and mutants and such.

Ingame, you can reach iconoclast level 3 and still mix in some dogmatic, which basically plays like iconoclast, but avoiding the more blatantly naive/ignorant lines. (I suppose this might require some lore knowledge)

You can try and help people and especially as a rogue trader, save a few people to give them a chance that otherwise would not make it. But you draw the line at heresy, mutants and such. You save 1 genestealer infected person, you doom generations and quite possibly the whole planet. Deserters? call the commissar. Engaging in heretical rituals? You hand Argenta that flamer.

You are still fully aligned with the imperial creed, you just also want to improve humanity's lot if you can. You are a pioneer and you manage a number of worlds, why not also apply your exploration of the unknown to your people? As you venture bravely into the void, so should your people live without fear of humanity's enemies. Just be sure not to forget that your life and theirs belong to Him and you are at the front lines.

You and your people have a duty to humanity and better be ready to lay down their lives in service to the god-emperor. More so than any other cititzen. Their "freedom" is bought in blood and service to humanity.....Something you might have to occasionally remind them of.

[TairaSayo]

Originally posted by Riblion:

Necrons want to take back the galaxy which once were theirs by right, how is it bad? The imperium basically wants the same but they do it in the bloodiest way possible, destroying planets and killing millions of humans too, billions of humans live in the worst living conditions imaginable, in the most fascist regime in the universe. Compared to that. Being half sentient necron warrior seems like paradise.

Half of the Necrons carry destroyer or flayed viruses and are bent on extermination of any life down to single cell level. Oh and they never owned galaxy, they lost to eldars, and okrs.
BTW warriors are sapient on the level of a servitor, you better go with immortals on half-saptient. If you forget control matrix which allow to control any and all necrons.

Tyranids just want to eat and accommodate as much biomass as possible

As I said not-sapient. And turning couple of planets into bio-farms would produce infinitely more bio-mass than fighting populated worlds.

Eldars are pretty arrogant yes, but at least they are not blinded by faith like most of the imperium citizens

Blindly following farseers is more or less the same, also mon'kei do you really think you are sapient? )))

[Joe]

The way that characters so easily ignore the Rogue Trader's acts of heresy certain seems like corruption and not really fitting the idea that the Imperium are the "good guys'. Although I'm sure some will say that's just bad writing, but I think that's a bit of a cop-out.

[Pinkspring]

I basically did it by picking Iconoclast options when they made sense but not when they didnt.
There are a LOT of "good guy" options that seem perfectly sensible, at least to me.

[Kriss]

Originally posted by Riblion:

Originally posted by i_kill_pikachus:

The Imperium are the good guys of 40K.

Bottom text.

The imperium is actually one of the morally worst factions if we take it as a whole, the only worse factions are chaos and drukhari

The only good faction is the Orks because they are the only faction enjoying their lives...