Role Ace

Expert drivers, pilots, and operators, skilled at communing with
the machine spirits of vehicles of all kinds; utilising their craft
like an extension of their own bodies, they push the machine
beyond normal limits to ensure no heretic or alien escapes
proper retribution.

“Don’t worry—that gap has a good five centimetres of clearance.”
–Peria Streihoff, during a speeder-carriage pursuit

Role aptitudes
Agility, Finesse, Perception, Tech, Willpower

Role talent
Hard Target or Hotshot Pilot

Role bonus
Right Stuff: In addition to the normal uses of Fate points (see page 293 of the Dark hErEsy Core Rulebook), an Ace character may spend a Fate point to automatically succeed at an Operate or Survival skill test involving vehicles or living steeds with a number of degrees of success equal to his Agility bonus.

In the Imperium, vehicles—like all machines—are much
more than simple utilitarian devices to serve humans. Each
is a sacred artefact of the Machine God, imbued with a spirit
and a purpose. Those who excel in the operation of vehicles must
understand this. To obtain the best results from any vehicle, the
operator must honour and placate its spirit, and always treat it with
the due respect. The difference between a merely skilled driver
and a true Ace is a nigh-preternatural ability to commune with the
spirit of a vehicle, allowing it to almost predict his actions, rather
than respond to them. Some say such an ability cannot be taught,
but is a gift from the Omnissiah.
Although there are many skilled pilots and drivers in the
Imperium, Aces are those of singular aptitude, whose seemingly
impossible feats of manoeuvring set them apart. Such skills are in
high demand across the Imperium, from Lightning Strike Fighter
pilots of the Imperial Navy, to Imperial Guardsmen racing their
Leman Russ tanks into the heart of enemy forces, to bike-mounted
gangers in the depths of hive cities, to noble feudal warriors
mounted atop reptilian beasts barded in plate. What these disparate
individuals have in common is a peerless affinity for operating
vehicles, one which—quite understandably—often lends itself to
an air of bravado.

The role of the ace
The Ace has an innate skill for utilising vehicles and mounts, and
hones these abilities over a lifetime in the saddle or cockpit. An
Ace may constantly seek to push himself to his limits in order to
further improve, braving terrain, weather, and other situations that
appear impossible to others. As an Acolyte, an Ace receives many
such opportunities, from swooping an Imperial Navy Valkyrie
between the spires of a hive city in pursuit of heretics to racing
through impenetrable jungle in a stolen Wildcat buggy in search
of forgotten ruins. When an Inquisitor’s warband does require
the use of vehicle, it is often in dangerous or extreme conditions,
making the talents of an Ace invaluable.
For an Ace, there are few situations that cannot be solved
with the appropriate application of a vehicle. A sealed vehicle
allows passage through dangerous locations or inhospitable
environments, ensuring that the Acolytes can travel wherever
necessary in the prosecution of their duties. A rapid vehicle makes
certain that no heretic or alien escapes retribution, while heavy
armour and weaponry mean no foe can stand against the warband
in battle. With the right vehicle—and operator—no place is beyond
the warband’s reach, and no enemy beyond its power.

An Ace’s skill and the demands of life as an Acolyte often call
for death-defying stunts and feats of vehicular acrobatics. Although
such manoeuvres might appear boastful and unnecessary to the
ignorant, an Ace might undertake them without even considering
the impressive spectacle he creates. However, an Ace is just as
likely to realise the awe his abilities create in onlookers, and might
enjoy showing off. Whether from a simple desire to stretch his
own abilities or sheer vanity, an Ace is sure to attempt ever more
difficult and impressive actions. Although some Aces specialise in
walkers or other ponderous craft, many crave the thrill of speed,
becoming addicted to the adrenaline of a high-speed habway chase
or an aerial dogfight. Some Aces even escalate matters to such ends
when another means of resolution seems possible—perhaps to the
chagrin of fellow Acolytes.
In addition to his skills at operating vehicles, an Ace is
intimately familiar with the inner workings of his craft, second only
to a properly ordained Tech-Priest. An understanding of a vehicle
and its abilities and limitations, from the integrity of its hull and
support frame to the output of its plasma furnace, allows an Ace
to get the most from his craft. Consequently, an Ace, especially an
Acolyte serving without a dedicated support crew, might develop a
knowledge of machines that the priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus
would consider dangerous, even blasphemous.
ace characTers
Vehicles are used across the Imperium for a variety of purposes,
and an Ace could come from almost any world or Adeptus. The
Imperial Guard is well-known for its use of vehicles, from Chimera
personnel transports to Baneblade super-heavy tanks, and a skilled
tank Ace might come to the attention of an Inquisitor—much to
the disappointment of his commanding officers.

An Ace of an aerial bent might hail from Rogue Trader fleets
or a career in the Imperial Navy. Such a pilot might be a master
of dogfighting in voidfighters, inserting elite troops behind enemy
lines with his Valkyrie assault carrier, or piloting interplanetary
system ships. Other voidborn might also be blessed with an affinity
for spaceworthy shuttles, from the redoubtable Arvus Lighter to
the blessed Aquila Lander.
Those hailing from forge worlds are quite at home amongst
machines. Perhaps the greatest Aces of all are the Princeps of
the Titan Legions, empathically bonded to the towering god-
machines they direct in battle. Aces steeped in the ways of the
Machine God are sure to treat the vehicles they use with even more
reverence than others, knowing that any time lost due to the ritual
anointments and benedictions of an engine repays itself thrice over
with improved performance.
It is possible that an Ace’s experience is not with vehicles
at all, but living mounts. An Ace from a feral, feudal, or death
world might be a skilled tamer and rider of beasts of all sorts.
Such abilities can be useful far beyond his home world, as steeds
of all kinds are used throughout the Imperium, from the Rough
Riders of the Astra Militarum to the equines of the nobility, whose
breeding is undertaken with as much care as that of their masters.

sample ace: Obenia bherin
Commander Obenia Bherin, a decorated and accomplished
Valkyrie pilot in the Imperial Navy, was shot down by Eldar raiders
while on a mission to drop a Militarum Tempestus squad. Aware
of the unspeakable fate awaiting her comrades, Bherin pulled
herself from the wreckage and, along with the survivors, stole one
of the Eldar’s own sleek, barbed gravitic vehicles. Adapting to the
alien controls, Bherin used the xenos craft to deliver and support
the squad and complete the mission. Her skill, quick action, and
unconventional approach impressed the Inquisitor who had—
unbeknownst to her—ordered the mission, and Bherin found
herself serving in a war of a different sort.

ace sample paths
Acolytes often need to be stealthily inserted into cult lairs
or dropped into raging combat, and it is up to their pilot
to ensure they not only arrive safely but also are extracted in
dangerous situations when things have gone badly. Often this
means expert manoeuvring to land at precise locations and
providing ranged support to aid in pickups in the midst of
hostile firefights. A player fashioning an Ace into the cool,
reliable pilot who the warband counts on in such situations
should hone not only his vehicular operation but also his
ranged marksmanship.
recommended advances:
Characteristics: Agility, Ballistic Skill, Perception
Skills: Command, Navigate (Surface), Operate (Aeronautica), Stealth, Tech-Use
Talents: Hull Down, Independent Targeting, Iron Jaw, Jaded, Marksman, Nowhere to Hide, Push the Limit

While transporting personnel and goods is an essential part
of many piloting duties, for some the joys of solitary scouting
and operations are more rewarding. This type of character
can be found mounted on one-man bikes or steeds he has
personally broken in, ranging ahead to reconnoiter enemy
positions and pitting his skills in the saddle against any foes
he encounters. A player wishing to develop an Ace character
along this path can create a formidable fighter and tracker not
only on poorly-developed worlds but also in the depths of
underhives and alien ruins.
recommended advances:
Characteristics: Agility, Perception, Strength
Skills: Dodge, Navigate (Surface), Operate (Surface), Scholastic Lore (Beasts), Survival, Trade (Agri)
Talents: Combat Master, Hard Target, Hull Down, Keen Intuition, Quick Draw, Skilled Rider