Warhammer and WH40K RPGs II: Burning Witches, Heretics, and Fate

[Destro_Yersul]

Does anyone have any suggestions for interesting set pieces that could be found inside the terrifying hospital I'm planning to run? I mean, obviously at some point they'll have to venture into the inner workings and find the Arbitrary Whirling Blades and Lightning room as exists in all scientific establishments (Does anyone else remember that room from Half Life 1?) but I thought I'd be open to suggestions.

Their journey will take them from the lead chirugeon's office to the children's wing, but what exactly is between those two points is undecided.

Surgery Servitors with Large Slicey Blades! Vats for growing spare bits for people/servitors! Augmetic Implantation suite and recovery ward! There's a lot of fun stuff that could be done with a hospital in 40k. Bonus points if they get into a firefight in the vat room and start breaking vats. Environmental hazards. Oh yes.

[shadow_archmagi]

Surgery Servitors with Large Slicey Blades!

Oh, of course, of course! We mustn't forget that. That goes on the list instantly.

Vats for growing spare bits for people/servitors!

Oh no! How do I choose!? The room of disembodied hands, or disembodied eyes? Maybe something weird, like lungs!? (Obviously shortly after the players pass through, some nurglespawn passes through and animates them.) I kinda like the idea of hostile lungs. Nasty, floppy pink things that leap up and try to smother you.

There's a lot of fun stuff that could be done with a hospital in 40k.

So many fun things indeed! Unfortunately, there's that bizarre psychological effect where asking a question immediately annihilates all possible answers from my mind. (In a similar vein, it seems like every day I add a movie to my mental list of movies I need to watch someday, and then every time I sit down with my friends for movie nights, the entire list is just gone."

As such, I'm hoping the forum can help a bit.

[Grim Portent]

I need a bit of advice, would it be wrong of me to graft alien wings to my RT party members while installing augmetics? Sort of a buy-one-get-one-without-asking deal.

[shadow_archmagi]

I need a bit of advice, would it be wrong of me to graft alien wings to my RT party members while installing augmetics? Sort of a buy-one-get-one-without-asking deal.

By traditional morals, yes, performing excessive invasive surgery is considered wrong.

Personally though, I'd say do it anyway.

[Ceiling_Squid]

I need a bit of advice, would it be wrong of me to graft alien wings to my RT party members while installing augmetics? Sort of a buy-one-get-one-without-asking deal.

Xeno-grafting is heresy. Just keep that in mind if you're ever likely to cross the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisition or the Magos Biologis of the Tech Priesthood. Heck, technically that makes it double-heresy. Regular heresy, and tech heresy. Really filling out that bingo card.

Rogue Traders have gotten away with worse, though, so what the hell, go crazy. Just keep in mind that with grafted xenos body parts, the unwitting "patients" are not likely to be able to go among mainstream society again.

[Grim Portent]

Xeno-grafting is heresy. Just keep that in mind if you're ever likely to cross the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisition or the Magos Biologis of the Tech Priesthood. Heck, technically that makes it double-heresy. Regular heresy, and tech heresy. Really filling out that bingo card.

Rogue Traders have gotten away with worse, though, so what the hell, go crazy. Just keep in mind that with grafted xenos body parts, the unwitting "patients" are not likely to be able to go among mainstream society again.

They invented conspicuous concealing cloaks and hoods for a reason.

EDIT: It occurred to me to ask the thread: If you could get any one trait on a character that wasn't an unnatural characteristic, what would you pick?

[Another_Poet]

By traditional morals, yes, performing excessive invasive surgery is considered wrong.

Personally though, I'd say do it anyway.

This is my instinct too. Although make sure the person or organization doing the grafting has a reason. I mean, they're risking their rich-and-heavily-armed clients' outrage. What's their motivation?

[Dead_Jester]

This is my instinct too. Although make sure the person or organization doing the grafting has a reason. I mean, they're risking their rich-and-heavily-armed clients' outrage. What's their motivation?

SCIENCE!

On a more serious note, hereteks that want to test components for their supersoldier program. Clients are hard to find, so you have to do the most with those you have. Plus, the resulting outrage is a good chance to get some impromptu field testing done.

[Grim Portent]

SCIENCE!

On a more serious note, hereteks that want to test components for their supersoldier program. Clients are hard to find, so you have to do the most with those you have. Plus, the resulting outrage is a good chance to get some impromptu field testing done.

Supersoldiers are always a good excuse.

It's not the one I'm using but it's not bad.

My excuse: (Spoiler for length and heresy.)

Spoiler

Show

They say that faith can move mountains, this is a lie, they say man is strong, this is a lie. Mankind is limited, imprisoned as it were, by unnecessary things. Laws, faith, the bounds of flesh and the ravages of time.

I want to make mankind as a whole transcend the limits and become truly free. The Mechanicus taught me in my youth that flesh is weak. They were wrong. Flesh is not weak, indeed it has the potential to be stronger than the machine could ever be. But that does not mean the machine is not worthy.

Indeed not, true strength comes from unity, cohesion, fusion. Only by forsaking our limits and our boundaries can mankind ascend to true mastery of the galaxy.

So I strive to improve man, whether he thanks me or not. Nails become claws, skin becomes armour, will is made manifest and greater power is found and embraced.

What can mortal men do to stop those who can fly, break walls and tunnel through their defences? How can any stop the march of the enlightened? I will take man and shape him anew, and once my new man has been born I will lead humanity to it's destiny. Lordship over these stars, and all they shine upon.

EDIT: Because I tend to think in weird ways I have now come up with an idea I think is fun. I'm going to try and gather a ton of xenos vermin and machinery to allow me to transcend my limitations. Deadly Natural Weapons, the paralysing bite of a Mawfluke, wings, a serpentine tail in place of legs, extra arms and augmetic organs, I will become the incarnate destiny of mankind! A bug faced metal plated gorgon!

[Boci]

EDIT: It occurred to me to ask the thread: If you could get any one trait on a character that wasn't an unnatural characteristic, what would you pick?

Based on which is most useful, probably regeneration. Based on rule of cool, probably the stuff of nightmares.

Also, I noticed something when reading Navis Prima: an astropath can, for 1d5-1 fatigue and by succeeding on a -60 willpower focus test, set fire to a random ship components with 6 VU. Does that mean an astropath could theoretically get into a one man space ship, and potentially hold a
rogue trader's ship in check? Assuming the astropath has a way of removing the fatigue, and doesn't roll too badly for psychic phenomena (not an unreasonable assumption with favoured by the warp and rite of sanctioning). I mean, the ships weapons are going to be useless against such a small craft, maybe the turret system, but that is defensive, not offensive. What sort of attack craft would a rogue trader's ship have?

[Leon]

Generally enough that a one man ship is not going to a problem astropath or not.

Even Ships without Launch bay capabilities can still carry space capable light craft to fly about in such as Gun Cutters

[LeSwordfish]

Magic and Heresy In The Playground
A list of WFRP and 40K RPGs on GiantITP.

To add something to this list, PM me a link; best not clog the thread with them. Also, if a game on this list ends or gets taken down, let me know. Also, if you want your game removed from this list, or feel i'm misrepresenting it, let me know.

All links lead to the first page of the first IC thread of the campaign. All campaigns are completed (or significantly complete) or ongoing.

Warhammer Fantasy RP
Tales Of Perilous Adventure by LCP
The Hour After Midnight - The Lord Of Lost Heart - Ill Met By Morrsleib (Ongoing) -

The Bloody Crown by LCP (Ongoing)

Virgins To The Night by Another_Poet (Ongoing)

Wreck Of The Innocent Daughter by Another_Poet (Ongoing)

Of Murderers, Witch Hunters, and Expeditions by Teucros (Ongoing)

The Trouble Of Exsangination by Sir Dancealot (Ongoing)

Dark Heresy
Wake of the Byzantium by LCP
Suffer The Little Children - Knowledge Is Power - The Ragged Edge - Thy Fearful Symmetry - The Shadow In The Warp (Ongoing) -

The Great Divide by Destro_Yersul
The Great Divide - They All Uprose (Ongoing) -

The Tiderian Sector (Ongoing)
The Heresy of Ignorance by Bennosuke - A Game Of Regicide by Manticorkscrew

Ratcatchers by Miraqariftsky
The Cats (Ongoing) - The Hounds -

Lost And Gone Forever by LeSwordfish (Ongoing)

Argen Apostasy by ArcturusV (Ongoing)

Imperator Non Inridetur by Vexing (Ongoing)

The Enemy Within and Without by Kanyebot (Ongoing)

Rogue Trader
Legacy Of The Void by Rising (Ongoing)

Koronus Unbound by The Architect (Ongoing)

Black Crusade
Crusading The Cluster by ArcturusV (Ongoing)

Against The False Emperor by Henry the 57th (Ongoing)

Heralds of Damnation by Rising (Ongoing)

Deathwatch
The Lost Primarch by Sir Dancealot (Ongoing)
Squad Three - Squad Four -

The Emperor's Finest by Cogsrow (Ongoing)

Only War
The Clouds Gather by Doc Kraken (Ongoing)

The Hungry Void by Doc Kraken (Ongoing)

War In The Cluster by ArcturusV and Glarx (Ongoing)

Other
The Sin Of Pride, a multi-thread, multi-game epic by DrK (Ongoing)
Rogue Trader - Dark Heresy - Deathwatch - Black Crusade -

Last Updated 14 April 2014.

[LeSwordfish]

A few notes I don't want saved for posterity with the list:

• These are all found by following a spider-web of links in signatures. So it's a very incomplete link, particularly missing past games and games by and starring people I don't know.
• Squark, could you add a link to the OP?
• My plan is to check all games are still running about once a month or so. As for adding new games: uuuh? Suggestions very welcome.
• How "Complete" should a game be for inclusion? I mean, a game that collapses after a week probably shouldn't be on the list, and a game that falls apart two GM posts before the end probably should be, but what's the dividing line?

[Boci]

Generally enough that a one man ship is not going to a problem astropath or not.

Even Ships without Launch bay capabilities can still carry space capable light craft to fly about in such as Gun Cutters

So how much of an escort would they need to be protected from a ship not prepared for dog fights? And what is the astropath's ship was running silent? This then only works as an ambush, but in the right situation 6 VU will be enough of a range.

[Grim Portent]

So how much of an escort would they need to be protected from a ship not prepared for dog fights? And what is the astropath's ship was running silent? This then only works as an ambush, but in the right situation 6 VU will be enough of a range.

There will always be a chance for them to detect the Astropath, if only due to life support and his own psychic presence.

As for protecting from the ship, that really depends on the ship, since ships come in so many forms. The possible weapons that could be carried are hugely varied and the more stuff you have escorting the Astropath the more stuff there is to be detected.

[Evandar]

I started DMing for Only War earlier this year, and it has been absolutely amazing.

IMO buying the Uplifting Primer improves the experience 10x over. My players actually requisition their gear on photocopied forms from it (we aren't super serious about this) and obsess over reading out the appropriate prayers TO THE IMMORTAL GOD-EMPEROR before undertaking any difficult tasks.

[Lanlaorn]

The Astropath on the Rogue Trader ship could always just kill the enemy Astropath with fire, too, though.

Those Navis Primer powers are a lot of fun in actual starship combat. With an Astropathic Choir Chamber, "**** it, I'm Pushing", and an experienced character you can kill an enemy Dreadnought by just burning it into an empty hulk.

[shadow_archmagi]

[QUOTE=Evandar;16624856My players actually requisition their gear on photocopied forms from it (we aren't super serious about this) and obsess over reading out the appropriate prayers TO THE IMMORTAL GOD-EMPEROR before undertaking any difficult tasks.[/QUOTE]

You know, I'd known the IIUP existed before today, but only now does the full weight of THRONE BUT I NEED TO BUY THIS

[Tychris1]

So, one of my potential players for a Black Crusade game I'm going to run is a Necron fanatic. He legitimately just likes Necrons, and only wants to play Necrons. I own Tome of Fate, I have seen alot of rules for Necrons, what I'm wondering if it is a wise idea to let him do it. I've DMed before, just not in Black Crusade, and I'm not sure if Necrons are overpowered or unbalanced for a party, or even how I would make a Archetype for one. Ugh.

[bluntpencil]

Add in this lot to the Magic and Heresy in the Playground...

I give ye the Ratcatchers... Inquisitorial dogsbodies, including a robot-armed Cleric, a pyro-Battle Sister, a Death Cult Assassin, a Psyker, a fool Scum with a deathwish, the friendliest Tech Priest ever, and everybody's least favourite copper!

The Cats

The Hounds

[Boci]

The Astropath on the Rogue Trader ship could always just kill the enemy Astropath with fire, too, though.

Can they? Can an astropath target a single man space craft? And even if they can, they may not have the telekinesis discipline, or be able to succeed on a hellish willpower focus roll.

There will always be a chance for them to detect the Astropath, if only due to life support and his own psychic presence.

And what would you rule the difficulty of finding a 1 man space craft running silently is? Arduous? Hellish?

As for protecting from the ship, that really depends on the ship, since ships come in so many forms.

So in your opinion, how many attack craft (is that the right word) would you need to be able to fight off the attack craft of your average transport, average frigate, average cruiser?

The possible weapons that could be carried are hugely varied

But how many are relevant against 1 man space ships? By my count 0, but I could have missed something.

[Grim Portent]

And what would you rule the difficulty of finding a 1 man space craft running silently is? Arduous? Hellish?

I'd rule detecting it with machines as hellish, and the difficulty of using Psyniscience to detect the Astropath themselves would vary based on distance.

So in your opinion, how many attack craft (is that the right word) would you need to be able to fight off the attack craft of your average transport, average frigate, average cruiser?

In most books I can think of the transports are depicted as having around a dozen shuttles, with some having weapons and some not depending on their intended use, so I don't think an escort would be necessary for that. A frigate would mostly have boarding vessels like boarding torpedoes and combat shuttles, but I don't know how many, the torpedoes wouldn't be a threat to a one man ship of course, but armed shuttles might be. I'd probably not want an escort at all for that because it would just make me easier to spot. A cruiser on the other hand may well have actual fighters on board, which means an escort would be necessary, anywhere between 5 and 15 would do I think, though it depends on how fast the Astropath is able to disable the cruiser.

But how many are relevant against 1 man space ships? By my count 0, but I could have missed something.

Pretty much none I think, though a lascannon or two rigged onto a shuttle would probably do the job.

[FlyingScanian]

So, running DH (or soon to be), how does my fellow GMs run Income? Is it just the PC spending money, or is it all they get, supposed to cover everything from rent to food to ammo expenditures (not to mention perhaps getting a new weapon).

And how the [expunged] does Income work for a Scum? I look at the table, I read the "explaining" text, and I'm possibly more confused than before...

[Leon]

Best way for Income is as far as i am concerned to run it at speed of plot and factor the class incomes into that for basic pocket change spending.

But how many are relevant against 1 man space ships? By my count 0, but I could have missed something.

How many 1 man ships get about in the 40k Universe?. Not a lot. Its not going to be flying any great distance under its own means for sure. This isn't star wars where interceptor craft have their own hyper drives.

The Lone Astropath in a pod is maybe going to cause some fires before the shipside Astropath is going to be able to counter and locate the gnat, likely with the backing of a Choir or Technological means. With a 6 VU range its going to be well within the 20 VU range of a Active Augery ping.

[Boci]

How many 1 man ships get about in the 40k Universe?. Not a lot. Its not going to be flying any great distance under its own means for sure. This isn't star wars where interceptor craft have their own hyper drives.

The Lone Astropath in a pod is maybe going to cause some fires before the shipside Astropath is going to be able to counter and locate the gnat, likely with the backing of a Choir or Technological means. With a 6 VU range its going to be well within the 20 VU range of a Active Augery ping.

I get that its extremely rare circumstances, I just find it amusing that there are potential situations in which a couple of attack craft can hold a warp vessel in check.

[shadow_archmagi]

So, one of my potential players for a Black Crusade game I'm going to run is a Necron fanatic. He legitimately just likes Necrons, and only wants to play Necrons. I own Tome of Fate, I have seen alot of rules for Necrons, what I'm wondering if it is a wise idea to let him do it. I've DMed before, just not in Black Crusade, and I'm not sure if Necrons are overpowered or unbalanced for a party, or even how I would make a Archetype for one. Ugh.

Well, Black Crusade is supposed to include rules for space marines, right? I'd say that a Necron is roughly on par with a space marine, so in pure terms of balance, I'd say it shouldn't be too crazy to have him there.

The real problems are fluff. Normally, only the highest-ranking necrons retained any personality or sanity. So why is a Necron Lord running around with a bunch of humans instead of ruling his dynasty? I suppose he could be one of the technical specialist Necrons who got fed up with working for his Lord and decided to go solo.

So, running DH (or soon to be), how does my fellow GMs run Income? Is it just the PC spending money, or is it all they get, supposed to cover everything from rent to food to ammo expenditures (not to mention perhaps getting a new weapon).

And how the [expunged] does Income work for a Scum? I look at the table, I read the "explaining" text, and I'm possibly more confused than before...

Income is what the players can scrounge up for themselves in their spare time- essentially for when the Inquisitor drops them on a planet and says "Hang around for six months, let me know what you find" and they all get day jobs. Whether, or how much the ][ gives them in addition to this is up to you. Some will choose to give their party power swords standard issue, others will let them sustain themselves on hope and prayers.

It is worth noting that the Inquisitor's Handbook clarifies that you can get your class's income OR a trade skill's income, which means the Scum is allowed to pick up something far more lucrative.

But how many are relevant against 1 man space ships? By my count 0, but I could have missed something.

By RAW, none, unless it's an Eldar ship. However, "By RAW" is also the same as "Essentially completely unhelpful." I'd say most GMs would allow you to target a ship. Certainly turret fire can bring them down, and if they had, say, missiles, I'd allow that.

[Boci]

By RAW, none, unless it's an Eldar ship. However, "By RAW" is also the same as "Essentially completely unhelpful." I'd say most GMs would allow you to target a ship. Certainly turret fire can bring them down, and if they had, say, missiles, I'd allow that.

I already acknowledged that the turret system would be able to takeout attack craft. That's what they are there for. But can they take out one specific attack craft? Could the AT just move 90 degrees away from the ship? What is the range of the turret system.

[Blightedmarsh]

You could have some kind of Heretek skittari where a human brain and spine is implanted into a mostly Necron chassy.

[Ceiling_Squid]

I started DMing for Only War earlier this year, and it has been absolutely amazing.

IMO buying the Uplifting Primer improves the experience 10x over. My players actually requisition their gear on photocopied forms from it (we aren't super serious about this) and obsess over reading out the appropriate prayers TO THE IMMORTAL GOD-EMPEROR before undertaking any difficult tasks.

Awesome! I have a copy of the Primer and want to make use of it like this.

If only I had a group that actually wanted to play Only War. And who played it like this. You are damn lucky, sir. I wish my players would be that invested.

But everyone I play with either wants to just to play the big three (DH, RT, or DW). Not a lot of I.G. fans in my neck of the woods.

[Tychris1]

You could have some kind of Heretek skittari where a human brain and spine is implanted into a mostly Necron chassy.

Hmmm, actually seems pretty cool. I can dig it!