How about a Scribe as a Buff Class?
“The pen is mightier than the sword”
Records “Heroic Deeds”
Buffs Team.
Can shame the enemy.
Can maybe sing? (Special talent)
I’m just spitballing/being creative here…
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Scribe – Darktide Class Concept
Motto: “The pen is mightier than the sword… and your failures shall be inscribed for eternity.”
Lore Snippet
In the bowels of Hive Tertium, beneath the ever-churning manufactoria and the acrid skies of Atoma Prime, the Scribe toils. Bent-backed, quill in hand, ink-stained robes clinging to a frame weakened by hours of labor, they record every shipment, every tithe delivered, and every act of heroism—or failure—committed by the hive’s denizens.
When the Darktide storms the Hive, the Scribe is no longer a mere functionary. The same hand that chronicled a regiment’s deeds now wields it as a weapon. Ink, lead, and authority become tools of survival. With every missive fired from their grav-scrolls and every mark inscribed on the enemy, the Scribe ensures that allies fight with knowledge and morale, while enemies are crushed under the weight of their own recorded transgressions.
Few understand the strange duality of their lives: one moment calculating logistics, the next shaming a heretic with the cold precision of bureaucratic wrath. But in Hive Tertium, knowledge is power—and the Scribe is armed with the mightiest weapon of all: the unerring hand of the Imperium’s record.
Role:
Support / Tactical Controller
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Buffs allies, debuffs enemies, controls battlefield movement.
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Midline position; operates best behind the front lines.
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Psychological manipulation: fear, shame, disorientation.
Abilities
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Record of Deeds (Passive / Active Toggle)
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Marks enemies with a “recorded offense” debuff.
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Allies deal increased damage to marked targets; kills reduce cooldowns.
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Inkwell of Shame (Active)
- Emits acrid ink cloud. Reduces attack speed, minor DoT, applies shame status for stagger/panic effects.
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Archivist’s Insight (Team Buff)
- Highlights enemy weak points and grants nearby allies minor reload or movement speed bonus.
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Grav-Scroll / Seal of Authority (Utility)
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Deployable traps that immobilize, knock down, or explode with ink/acid.
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Can “seal” corridors, slowing enemy advance.
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Codex of Wrath (Ultimate)
- Large AoE that marks multiple enemies, applies DoT, slows, and boosts squad damage against them.
Lore-Friendly Weapons & Tools
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Primary Weapon:
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Ink Bolt Pistol – short-range, semi-automatic, fires corrosive ink rounds to mark and weaken enemies.
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Data-Slate Projector – specialized handheld device that fires energy sigils to highlight or disorient foes.
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Secondary Weapon:
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Quillblade / Razor Stylus – lightweight melee weapon, sharp enough to pierce lightly armored foes; deals bonus damage to marked enemies.
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Reinforced Ledger – large codex used as a blunt weapon, can also temporarily stun enemies with a “slam of bureaucracy.”
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Utility / Deployables:
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Grav-Scrolls – scrolls launched to create AoE traps (ink, corrosive acid, or electrostatic deterrents).
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Seal of Authority Stamps – deployable hexes that slow or immobilize enemies; visually mark them with the Imperial seal.
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Playstyle Summary
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Buff and support allies while controlling enemy movement.
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Use traps, marks, and shaming effects to maximize team effectiveness.
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Mid-range skirmisher; relies on intellect, battlefield awareness, and precision rather than raw brute force.
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Excels in choke points, dense corridors, or defending objectives, creating zones where enemies are punished for failing.
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Update:
Scribe — Class Concept
Role: Support / Control / Tactical Buffer
Primary Themes: Bureaucratic authority, morale manipulation, recordkeeping of valor and failure, psychic resonance through sanctioned data-litanies.
Archetype Reference: Administratum functionary turned field adjutant; a quill in one hand, an autopistol in the other.
Lore Snippet
“Ink and data are the blood of the Imperium. To halt the quill is to starve the God-Emperor’s great body of His will.”
— Archivist-Major Serenth Lorn, Moebian Scriptorum
On Hive Worlds like Atoma Prime, the Administratum’s lowest adepts live and die in the shadow of paper towers. The Scribe is one of these weary functionaries, plucked from endless service and thrust into war. His weapon is not faith alone but bureaucracy weaponized: oaths, decrees, and sanction writs turned into psychic commands of obedience. Each stroke of his stylus carries the weight of Imperial law, and each denunciation echoes the voice of the Emperor’s endless authority.
“In ink we bind the truth. In data we preserve the Emperor’s will. Through record we judge the living.”
— Edict 434.8, Tertium Scriptorum Command
When the Administratum’s endless archives falter under heresy and corruption, field-scribes are pressed into service to maintain the order of record. Armed with autoquills, censers of sanctified ink, and vox-slate projectors, the Scribe bears witness to the Emperor’s wars. Every strike, every death, every heroic deed — all are catalogued, weighed, and judged.
On the battlefield, a Scribe is both observer and arbiter. Their presence inspires allies to act with valor under the weight of Imperial scrutiny, and demoralizes foes who feel the judgment of the Emperor’s pen.
Core Gameplay Identity
The Scribe manipulates information and morale as weapons. Their abilities focus on buffing allies, shaming enemies, and amplifying team coordination through liturgical command.
They can either serve as a field support officer, a debuff specialist, or a zealous chronicler who empowers through faith and bureaucracy alike.
Weapon Proficiency
| Weapon Type | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Autopistol / Stub Revolver | Standard sidearms issued to Administratum staff for self-defense. | Rapid fire, low damage, reliable fallback. |
| Laspistol | Lightweight and sanctioned; standard Imperial sidearm. | Energy-efficient, good accuracy. |
| Shock Maul | Issued to Literati and enforcers. | Non-lethal control option; synergizes with suppression builds. |
| Data-Censer (Unique) | A relic weapon emitting electrostatic scripture fields. | Emits low AoE DoT aura; can cleanse corruption or mark enemies. |
| Quillblade (Unique Melee) | Combat stylus forged of Moebian steel; doubles as a data-injector. | Fast attacks, scales with “Willpower.” |
| Vox-Recorder (Offhand) | Used for team buffs and debuffs. | Allows use of “Record of Deeds” ability tree. |
Weapon List (Lore-Friendly and Playable Concepts)
Primary Weapons:
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“Quillcarbine Mk.IV” – Compact autorifle designed for precision bursts; built from repurposed Administratum inspection carbines.
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“Archivum Laspistol” – Standard laspistol inscribed with hexagrammatic seals.
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“Vox-Reciter Shotgun” – Fires short-range soundburst shells infused with low-level psy-reactive ink.
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“Ritekeeper Stub Rifle” – Modified guard rifle with built-in data-port for targeting assistance.
Melee Weapons:
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“Stylus Rod” – Electrified baton resembling a scribe’s quill, used to discipline the unfaithful.
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“Lex Imperialis Mace” – Ceremonial gavel-shaped mace bearing Administratum sigils.
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“Iron Ledger” – Weighted tome used as a bludgeon, its pages bound with steel edges.
Blitz (Throwable/Utility):
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“Shame the Heretic” (default Blitz – see middle branch)
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“Ink Bomb” – Throws a canister that releases a choking black mist reducing enemy accuracy.
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“Seal of Denial” – Projects a temporary sanctified sigil that prevents enemy ability use in a small radius.
Primary Ability: “Edict of Quill and Flame”
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Effect: The Scribe slams their data-slate into a lectern projector, issuing an Imperial Edict that bathes allies in golden light.
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Allies within coherency gain +25% toughness regen and suppression immunity for 6s.
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Enemies suffer -15% attack speed as their faith wavers.
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Cooldown: 60s
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Visual: Paper sigils burst into flames, swirling into the Aquila’s outline.
Left Branch – “Bureaucratic Overload”
Theme: The weight of Imperial paperwork turned into battlefield control.
Tier I:
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Duty Eternal: +10% toughness regeneration for every coherency ally.
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Stamp of Approval: Using your primary ability grants +15% reload speed for 5s.
Tier II:
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Paperwork Cascade: When an elite dies near you, 10% chance to restore 1 ability charge.
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Administratum Efficiency: -10% cooldown reduction on abilities for every coherency ally.
Tier III:
- Rite of Filing: Every 5th kill restores 5% toughness to nearby allies.
Keystone: “Lex Imperialis”
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Effect: When the Scribe activates any ability, all allies within coherency gain “Imperial Mandate”, increasing toughness regeneration by +25% and granting 10% damage reduction for 10s.
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Visual: A luminous parchment sigil manifests above the team, embossed with the Aquila.
Middle Branch – “Scriptorial Wrath”
Theme: Faith through rhetoric, the voice that shames and uplifts.
Tier I:
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Voice of Authority: Enemies hit by your melee attacks take -5% damage for 5s.
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Canticle of Resolve: Coherency allies gain +10% melee damage after activating a Blitz.
Tier II:
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“Shame the Heretic!” (Blitz Ability):
The Scribe projects a vox-amplified denunciation toward a target.-
Affected enemies suffer Fear for 3s, interrupting ranged attacks and staggering minor foes.
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Bosses are unaffected but taunted for 1s.
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25s cooldown.
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Tier III:
- Litany of Correction: Killing a suppressed enemy restores 10% ability cooldown.
Keystone: “Vox Diabolis”
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Effect: Each time the Scribe uses “Shame the Heretic,” a wave of psychic authority ripples outward. Allies gain +20% attack speed for 6s; enemies within range are silenced and cannot shout or trigger abilities for 4s.
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Visual: Red vox ripples pulse through the air, distorting sound and light.
Right Branch – “Archivist Ascendant”
Theme: Precision, logic, and weapon sanctification.
Tier I:
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Cognitive Clarity: +10% ranged accuracy and +5% weak spot damage.
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Filed by Pattern: Critical hits refund 1% toughness.
Tier II:
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Data Purge: Reloading cleanses corruption damage over time by 10%.
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Sanctioned Analysis: +15% damage against specials and elites.
Tier III:
- Archive Lock: After standing still for 3s, gain +10% ranged damage until moving again.
Keystone: “Data Sanctum”
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Effect: The Scribe gains a data-field aura that enhances nearby allies’ accuracy and reload speed by 15%. While stationary, gain +20% ranged damage and immunity to stagger.
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Visual: A transparent halo of golden binary code spins around the Scribe’s head.
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Adepts (The archetype from Dark Heresy that scribes fall into) are pretty terrifying. Check out the fanfic “The Guy who Cried Grendel”, Mott from the Ciaphas Cain series or the Mercatum Tabula Officiale quest on Dargonus in Rogue Trader.
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Thx for the suggestion.
Will do.
I thought the idea of a bureaucrat being pressed into service
and then turning out to be a monster that slaps herectics to death
with a big, leatherbound ledger very hilarious.
”Eat word salad, Heretic!”
Theres even a small chance for us to get a Beastman archetype, since not only is there mention of them in the lore, but there are official minis of them for 40k. The question of course is whether or not GW could be convinced, but I think it worth it to try, if only for hilarity of the conversations that could had with other rejects, especially Ogryn.
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