Sometimes the rigid constraints of the Eldar path are intolerable even for an Eldar to bear; such individuals leave their Craftworlds and become known as Outcasts. Many Eldar spend years or decades as Outcasts before they return to the Eldar path. Outcasts must bear the terrible burden of their heightened Eldar consciousness without the protection of the Eldar path. Only Eldar of especially strong character can survive for long as Outcasts. After years of adventure and wandering, or sailing the seas of space aboard the pirate fleets, most Eldar eventually return to the sanctuary of the Eldar path.

There are many kinds and degrees of Outcast. They leave their Craftworlds and live elsewhere, often wandering the galaxy and visiting the worlds of men or the Exodites. They are not welcome aboard Craftworlds except briefly, for their minds are dangerously unbounded and attract predators from the psychic realms of the warp. Daemons or other warp entities can home in to the mind of an Outcast and lodge in the psycho-supportive environment of the Craftworld's wraithbone core. Outcasts are also diruptive in another sense, for their presence can distract the young and inexperiened from the Eldar path by their romantic tales of travel and freedom.

THE OUTCAST CHARACTER

An Outcast will be one from Avenger, Corsair, and Ranger. Any Eldar can become an Outcast, unless they have become trapped on their particular chosen path. Once an Eldar becomes an Outcast he can choose any one of the said three careers and can also go on to another Outcast career once he has finished the one he is on.

An Outcast can visit an Exodite world, if he has the means. However, an Outcast that returns to a Craftworld will be met with suspicion and caution. Only once the character has been tested for any possible psychic deviation, and even a few months in a psycho-cell, will he be free to be integrated back into Craftworld society and pursue another path.

The Outcast as an Initial Career

The Outcast careers are advanced so the following rules should be used when creating a new Eldar character. They do not apply if a character is experienced and wishes to change career to the Path of the Outcast.

Before a character becomes an Outcast, he is given D6x100 experience points to spend on the initial careers of a Craftworld Guardian or an Exodite Tribesman (player's choice) i.e. the Eldar starts as a Guardian or Tribesman. The advances and skills for this initial career should be determined as normal with 100 EPs used to change career to an Outcast. If the player only rolls 100 EPs then the free advance for the initial career along with the associated skills are taken and the 100 EPs are used to change career. If the player rolls more than 100 EPs and, after applying them to the initial career, he has excess EPs then they are lost and may not be used to increase the characteristics or number of skills of the newly created Outcast.

Trappings

The trappings listed under each Outcast career are not automatically gained as soon as a player enters the career. However, should an Eldar player want a ready-made Outcast then you can use the trappings as a guideline.

AVENGER

Avengers are often Outcasts with something to prove. They may have committed a crime on their Craftworld or they may have failed appallingly at something. Whatever the case they sometimes hire themselves out as assassins or mercenaries whilst many are effectively bounty hunters and seek to bring to justice any wrongdoers.

Avengers, like all Outcasts, walk unseen through human society, leaving barely any trace as they go about their work. Imperial Arbitrators might receive an anonymous tip-off and find a group of notorious criminals all tied up not knowing who or what was responsible.

Advance Scheme

Skills: Concealment Rural/Urban; Crack Shot; Customise; Disguise; Dodge Blow; Dodge Shot; Fast Draw; Follow Trail; Repair Jammed Weapon; Scale Sheer Surface; Shadowing; Silent Move Rural/Urban; Specialist Weapons - Close Combat, Grenades, Heavy Weapon, Shuriken Weapons; Spot Trap; Strike Mighty Blow.

Trappings: Mesh armour suit; Respirator; Photo-visor; Shuriken catapult; Laspistol; Chainsword.

Career Exits: Corsair; Guardian; Ranger; Exodite Tribesman.

CORSAIR

Some Eldar yearn for the undiscovered vistas of open space. They join exploration fleets and disappear into the untrammelled warp-space tunnels of the Webway. Most do not return, though a few come home laden with alien treasures and tales of new worlds, fabulous discoveries, and courageous battles at the edges of the galaxy. It is not unknown for humans to come into contact with these adventurers, for these are the only Eldar a human is likely to meet other than on a battlefield.

The wildest of all spacefaring Eldar become pirates and raiders. They often continue to trade and visit their Craftworld or the Exodite worlds whilst plundering the ships of humans, Orks and even other Eldar. They even sometimes hire out their services to alien races. The distinction between Eldar exploration fleets and pirates is not always a clear one as many voyages of exploration soon turn into military ventures. As home and the Eldar path become increasingly remote, the naturally wild and amoral character of the Eldar re-surfaces. Eldar pirates are quick tempered and unpredictable, equally inclined to magnanimity and wanton slaughter.

An Eldar corsair is always decorated with fine jewels and bejewelled power swords. His hair is often dyed with many colours and tied in ponytails inset with golden beads and the like. Likewise a corsair's armour, of any type, is similarly adorned with shining jewels and diamonds. The corsair has a particular like for engaging the enemy at close quarters and enjoys the excitement that close combat brings.

Advance Scheme

Skills: Ambidextrous; Customise; Disarm; Dodge Blow; Dodge Shot; Fast Draw; Pilot; Repair Jammed Weapon; Specialist Weapons - Close Combat, Grenades, Shuriken Weapons; Street Fighting; Strike Mighty Blow.

Trappings: Mesh armour suit; Respirator; Photo-visor; Shuriken pistol; Laspistol; Power sword.

Career Exits: Avenger; Guardian; Ranger; Exodite Tribesman.

RANGER

Eldar who choose to become Rangers abandon their Craftworlds and travel around the Universe. They may not return to their Craftworld for years, and many do not return at all. Their instincts drive them to a life of exploration and danger, seeking out civilisation on other worlds, sometimes merging into other societies in order to combat the hidden forces of Chaos. Some Rangers live by trading alien artifacts, searching for fresh treasures to bring back to their world. Others act as assassins killing troublesome Ork warlords or Cult leaders, to protect civilisation. Some also become spies and agents in order to keep prying eyes from their Craftworlds.

Advance Scheme

Skills: Access Data; Code Breaking; Concealment Rural/Urban; Crack Shot; Disguise; Dodge Blow; Dodge Shot; Drive; Fast Draw; Follow Trail; Linguistics; Medic; Orientation; Repair Jammed Weapon; Scale Sheer Surface; Set Trap; Shadowing; Silent Move Rural/Urban; Sixth Sense; Specialist Weapons - Close Combat, Shuriken weapons; Spot Trap.

Trappings: Lasgun with targeter; Mesh armour suit; Respirator; Photo and infravision visor; Laspistol.

Career Exits: Avenger; Corsair; Guardian; Exodite Tribesman.

OUTCASTS IN THE ADVENTURING ENVIRONMENT

Eldar characters never want to attract attention and will always attempt to disguise themselves in some way. They will almost always wear a hood to shadow their features; they do not trust Humans who react, sometimes unfavourably, to those different to themselves. When in large cities or towns Eldar Outcasts will dress in inconspicuous clothes and it is sometimes the case that they will even look like beggars. They do not care about what people think about them in this dress as they have places to go to and, no doubt, important people to see and getting to those places is more important than what they look like. But when the time is right to fight an Eldar will, at last, show his true colours and throw down his disguise.

Eldar Outcasts never speak of why they have left the Craftworlds for they cannot risk betraying the locations of their homes. They are reluctant to speak about themselves; giving their name is all anyone needs to know, and this will often be a false name. They are generally suspicious of everyone and anyone, a part from other Eldar. Two Eldar in a party will chat quietly together only to open out when something important needs to be said. They do not waste time on small talk and will only say something when it is necessary to do so. Sometimes an Eldar in an adventuring group will say nothing for days until they encounter a problem, and the Eldar suddenly solves it in a dialogue of technical jargon.