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Their speed and dexterity makes them natural marksmen, as well as pickpockets.{{Fn|16a}} Their natural These talents combined with a love for food is exemplified in their remarkable cuisine, which is well known as being phenomenal.{{Fn|1}} While some Imperial commanders would pull some strings in order to get a Ratling chef, more zealous commanders or [[Noble]]s would become sick at the thought of eating the slop made by such a subhuman creature, or simply execute whoever appointed the Ratling as chef.{{Fn|24}}

Their short stature and relatively lithe build also allows them to move through the undergrowth without making much noise.{{Fn|3}}{{Fn|1}} Their And their bare feet allow them traverse various forms of terrain in silence.{{Fn|24c}} When moving quickly they will move on their toes.{{Fn|24}}

Ratlings in the [[Imperial Navy]] will often serve as chefs, runarounds, or other miscellaneous roles. They're able to utilize the crawl spaces between walls and decks for travel, rafered to by them as the 'rat roads'.{{Fn|24e}} Able They are thus able to fit into the many ventilation, cable and pipe ducts, and [[servo-skull]] pathways crisscrossing the ship. They're able to quickly navigate them with instinctive observation, as much as recalled memories of maps and directionsof these spaces. Using touch, hearing, and smell to distinguish the distinct sounds, smells, and temperatures of various decks, as well as identify the heating or coolant pipes and various cables or tubing they crawl through. However, Bosun or other officers will likely exact severe punishment if a Ratling is caught using these "rat roads".{{Fn|24g}} They can still however also get nearly anywhere in the ship and spy on anyone, from the [[slave]]-pens to the [[Captain]]'s quarters.{{Fn|24h}}

They have a penchant towards activities of dubious morality and legality, like thievery and fencing contraband. Ratlings are known to "acquire" extra supplies within their stationed regiments and trading these resources to other soldiers.{{Fn|1}} This is an insignificant price for the guardsman commander who knows the value Ratlings can bring to a regiment. Ratlings tendency to thieve is primarily a product of circumstancedue their treatment by the men and women of the Imperial Guard. They attempt to often supplement cut rations in the guardGuard, alongside other miscellaneous supplies. These resources often go towards bribing sympathetic higher-ups, alongside proving their worth, swaying friends in high places allow Ratlings to protect themselves and community from abuse or harassment from their subordinates. This is especially accepted as a very common situation in the Astra Militarum.{{Fn|22c}}

Ratlings are the smallest type of abhuman.{{Fn|4a}} Ratlings rarely reach 1.3 meters in height,{{Fn|4a}} being even smaller and slighter than Squatsa [[Kin]] of the Leagues of Votann,{{Fn|3}} and though their lack of dietary restrictions tend to make them husky, they are not particularly strong{{Fn|4a}} or resilient.{{Fn|3}} They are a fertile,{{Fn|19}} and somewhat libidinous species.{{Fn|24d}} They have a deep sense of community and tend to look out for one another.{{Fn|24a}}

Other than their height, a Ratlings most notable feature is their fetfeet; large, overly hairy, and toughened.{{Fn|19}} as well as their toenails being as tough as [[grox]] horns.{{Fn|24b}} These nails can grow into, what some might go as far as describing as, talons.{{Fn|24f}} Their bare feet allow them to move soundlessly.{{Fn|24c}} The forehead of their skulls are also denser than a baseline human's.{{Fn|24a}} Ratling are highly dexterous, agile, and clever. Able to make split second reactions that would be impossible for an unaugmented human.{{Fn|24}}

Even though dubbed as mutants, due to still being an offshoot of humanity Ratlings also have a small (<1%) chance of having [[psychic]] powers.{{Fn|4b}}