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  1. #1
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    Default Can Space Marines have sex?

    I'm putting together a Deathwatch RPG campaign, and the question of Space Marines having sex came up. I've read that Marines get "chemically castrated," but it's unclear exactly what that means. I know Space Marines can't produce children, but is the sex drive still there? Can anybody shed some light?
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  2. #2
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    Space Marines don't come with the Chem Geld talent so a temptation for nooky could still work. One the other hand it takes them a while to get their armor on and off so for this to be an issue the seducer would have to have some kind of tech use and armorer skills and probably some familiarity with astartes armor to be effective.
    It's also worth noting, in the current fluff, space marines are grabbed just before girls become neat and thrust into an all male society devoted to killing things. Most likely, they'd be into dudes and that makes some people oogy. I'd use that to shut it down if you don't want to deal with it.
    I think there was supposed to be a mention in one of Ragnar's books that he still likes the ladies, but it was a divergence supposedly unique to the Space Wolves.

  3. #3
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    LOL! You have a point about possibly liking dudes. Unless the gene-seeding process completely retards puberty, which wouldn't work if you need big strapping lads, those sexual impulses have to go somewhere. And there's no girls around, so...

    It may never come up in game, but my group can get a bit pervy at times, so it's something to think about.
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  4. #4

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    Chemically castrated usually means "chemically unable to produce sperm"

    It has nothing to do with the existence or use of a penis.

    So they COULD have sex, in that they have the gear.

    But how this "chemical castration" affects their hormones and sex-drives is anyone's guess.
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  5. #5
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    I would think that they are too devoted to war, duty, honour etc to worry about such things. I also question when they would find time for wooing. SM's get very little downtime and that would usually be when they are transporting between warzones. Such downtime is usually spent trianing, maintaining equipment etc, it's not like they get/need shore leave. Also, who would they have sex with? There aren't any female SM's, so they are stuck with normal women. Assuming that the gene enhancing increases the size of their penis in proportion to the rest of the body, even the most, ahem, 'generous' porn star is going to struggle to handle what a marine is packing. So unless they are taking the bromance with each other to another level, I would say no, both because of the chemical castration and the practical implications I have mentioned.
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  6. #6
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    Their bodies don't increase in size proportionately. You can not fit human proportions into Astartes armor. Additionally, if memory serves, only their bones and muscle tissues increase in size. The penis, contrary to the wisdom of Tenacious D, is not a muscle and would likely look comically small. Again, hasn't seen ladies since he was going through his special time and now he has a wee member that is likely the size of his finger. He's an eight foot death machine afraid girls are going to laugh at him.
    Last edited by bfmusashi; 04-12-2012 at 07:56 AM.

  7. #7
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    I find it kind of odd how the exact specifics regarding Astartes and sex are neatly glossed over in the books, even when there are downright gruesome sexual acts which are not (there's a snuff scene in Fulgrim, and in False Gods there's mention of an act of bestiality with a diseased pig as part of a ritual to appease all four Chaos Gods).

    However, I recall something about one chapter - Salamanders, maybe? - being permitted to return to their society in leadership rolls after a lengthy service in the chapter, and that this includes being able to marry and have children (the children are normal humans, however, IIRC). This does go against the chemically castrated notion, however.

    As has been mentioned, the Space Wolf series brings up Ragnar's attraction to women - I don't think it's specifically regarded as unusual outside the narrator's perspective, however, since it's just Ragnar wondering to himself whether or not he should still have those feelings. Kind of something that drives me nuts about that series...any time something happens or Ragnar feels something his thought process is usually: "Is it because I'm a Spehss Mehreen? It's because I'm a Spehss Mehreen." I don't find that series particularly well-written, and between Ragnar's thought process and goofy action movie stuff like a fully-armoured Astartes sliding down stair railings with his feet and firing dual pistols all the way down...I'm not sure whether they should be taken at face value. That could just be my opinion, though...they don't seem to really deviate from the fluff all that much - they're just crummy books.

    Really though, I think I have two words that can sum this question up: Emperor's Children.
    Now, while any sort of explicit mention of Astartes engaging in sexual acts is glossed over in the books, as I've said, there is the whole Maraviglia opera-turned-orgy in Fulgrim, where everything goes Slaanesh, and there are sex acts -taking place- there...but no specific mention of any involving Astartes. I would assume that Space Marines are -capable- of sex, but as far as loyalists are concerned, they're basically monks, so they're probably celibate for one reason or another.

    Pretty sure there's some clandestine man-loving going on somewhere, though. I mean, look at the Dark Angels.
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  8. #8
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    I don't remember the Salamanders being able to have kids, but they certainly have active roles in their societies when they aren't killing things. They recruit by apprenticeship in a system that reminds me of the Boy Scouts. I like to think this is why they worked so hard to save the children of Armageddon.
    I remember Ultramarines have some kind of home ties too, actively running Ultramar and interacting with their wards and families. I think this is a horribly overlooked part of their fluff.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kawauso View Post
    However, I recall something about one chapter - Salamanders, maybe? - being permitted to return to their society in leadership rolls after a lengthy service in the chapter.....
    I the Salamanders trilogy Tome Of Fire - it is actually encouraged that the sm's live amongst the tribes from which they were selected during downtime between wars. And since the entire chapter rarely mobilizes, that leaves plenty of marines on shore leave amongst the human population.

    But, somewhere in 2nd ed fluff, it was mentioned that the marines can not have sex, either by lack of equipment (they certainly do not need testosterone producing organs anymore, nor do they procreate the old-fashioned way since they reuse the progenoid gland) and/or simply by the psychotherapy indoctrination into the Cult of the Emperor and being a nigh-on immortal killing machine.

  10. #10

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    Look at the way they stand.

    That armored underwear obviously creates some comfort issues for men, I'm sure it also produces some other issues with the equipment down there.
    If this is the way mankind ends up, I'm rooting for the Orks.

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