Rank and file DA troopers Personality

[Brother Immolator]

So ive got the deathwatch RPG as of late and i have been reading through it extensively.

 

What astounded me was the great presentation of all the chapters and the personalities of their brother marines.I believe they did particularly a great job with our own brothers, and although there are some thingies we all know about our marines personalities i want some feedback from the experts.

 

So in sort,what kind of personality do you think a DA rank and file marine would excibit towards other deathwatch squad mates?How would he spend his 'free' time.Would the secret of the fallen play a crusial role to his relations with the others?Would he be the brooding stuborn aloof 'hands off' type?Would he be a leader or a follower?

[Grimdarkness]

I don't think they would send a marine who had any knowledge of the fallen so it would all depend on the marines he is serving with. Since the DA tend to be a tiny bit stand offish he would most likely be the quite outsider.

[Brother Immolator]

I don't think they would send a marine who had any knowledge of the fallen so it would all depend on the marines he is serving with. Since the DA tend to be a tiny bit stand offish he would most likely be the quite outsider.

 

According to char creation rules(i know not mess fluff with the rules but its an rpg so...)your DA marine can have knowldge of the fallen.

[Grand Master Belial]

So in sort,what kind of personality do you think a DA rank and file marine would excibit towards other deathwatch squad mates?How would he spend his 'free' time.Would the secret of the fallen play a crusial role to his relations with the others?Would he be the brooding stuborn aloof 'hands off' type?Would he be a leader or a follower?

 

I am writing a fanfic piece about this topic. The simplest answer is not trusted. Though each member is a warrior of great skill and respect within their respective chapters, the reputations of the chapters will prefers their members. The Unforgiven are not trusted for they have abandoned campaigns for an "unknown" reason. This makes a warrior wonder if their Unforgiven battle brother would flake out on them during a mission.

 

Unforgiven tasked to the Deathwatch are really in no good position to act against the Fallen. They may not even know unless they run across one on a mission. The dilemma an Unforgiven would face if they knew the truth and encountered one is a part of the game.

 

As to free time, Unforgiven would be most often in introspection. Finding a flaw within themselves and working to purge it. Before the Black Library muddied the waters a bit, Dark Angels were Tactical Geniuses. They knew how to win battles but perhaps not the war. (That was Guilliman's specialty.) This would lead to the thought that Unforgiven members are rarely defeated in sparring matches against members from other Chapters (though a Space Wolf would be a challenge as the Lion and the Wolf story tells, one could even take up the challenge if one of each is in the Deathwatch). The introspection would answer to the aloof, hands off nature. The stubbornness of the Unforgiven could be linked to their Tactical Genius. They don't know how to fail and will take up a challenge to find victory even if the odds are stacked heavily against them. Failure on the battlefield is death, victory is life. I use this simplistic view as it would apply to the Lion before he was discovered. He was the Ultimate Survivor.

 

His Sons would have similar traits. I would expect them to use non-conventional (guerilla) warfare tactics as well as conventional Codex warfare. We will fight dirty if that will lead to our victory. That will not go over well with a Codex adherent chapter member.

 

Leadership is an open topic. Any marine in the Deathwatch could lead and perhaps they may switch off depending on the mission depending on the skills and past battles of the members. Should there be one among them that has the most experience and perhaps have led other marines will make one Deathwatch Member the Sergeant of the squad. I have a view that members of the Deathwing would be able to act as (Vet) Sergeants throughout the rest of the Chapter. So a Deathwing member in the Deathwatch could be a leader of Power Armored Deathwatch squads but would be a brother in a Deathwatch Terminator Squad (they would have had training with the TDA suits as part of their elevation into the Deathwing).

 

There is a whole lot of rambling there but perhaps it would give you some ideas. These are my opinions that I have of the Unforgiven.

[Isiah]

So in sort,what kind of personality do you think a DA rank and file marine would excibit towards other deathwatch squad mates?How would he spend his 'free' time.Would the secret of the fallen play a crusial role to his relations with the others?Would he be the brooding stuborn aloof 'hands off' type?Would he be a leader or a follower?

 

I am writing a fanfic piece about this topic.

 

Can't wait see that GMB :sweat:.

 

Cheers

I

[Brother Immolator]

Sorry brother GMB?

 

EDIT:Sorry now i got it :lol:

 

Anyways i am in the process of finishing painting my first deathwatch marine YEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

[Brother Kovash]

Since the Dark Angels and other Unforgiven chapters don't trust the Inquisition to begin with, I don't think the Ordos Xenos would recruit from our ranks very often. If they did, I'm sure our honored Veteran would have a little meeting with the Inner Circle before being dispatched to serve in a kill-team. Whatever information he comes across would be invaluable, but he sure as hell would not be able to share any of it with the rest of the Deathwatch.

[Cairbre]

I think that marine sent to deathwatch will know about fallen. But rather then confronting them directly he would use his position within inquisition and gather information for the chapter.

[Brother Immolator]

It an interesting concept to consider is it not?

 

I mean there are many problems for a DA marine in the deathwatch to overcome,for example the kill team encounters a fallen,fallen is killed but since the marine will continue serving for an undisclosed part of time with the I how could one inform the chapter safely?

[Bryan Blaire]

Chapter-specific communications encryption utilizing a language code based on the Plains-world (and if it just happens to be like the Navajo code-talkers, even better) upon returning to whatever vehicle or location the Dark Angel (or other Unforgiven) has comm access would likely be the best bet. There's a good chance that the Unforgiven may not take any chances either and the kill team may run into an "accident" if the Inner Circle judges it prudent.

 

What I'd like to know is how often random kill teams are running across Fallen, because it seems like they'd either be being "investigated" by the Unforgiven if they are making their presence known or if not, that seems like a huge hit to the concept of probability otherwise.

[Cairbre]

Deathwatch is part of Ordo Xenos, right? So most of the time they are dealing with eldar and other xenos filth. I think it is possible for them to run into fallen but it would be quite rare.

[Brother Immolator]

Deathwatch is part of Ordo Xenos, right? So most of the time they are dealing with eldar and other xenos filth. I think it is possible for them to run into fallen but it would be quite rare.

 

Not quite so, if the contents of the book are to be taken into account they quite frequently combat chaos as well,whether they run into it or in specific missions.

[WimvH]

In addition, there is the short story on the Black Shield Deatwatch Captain with a suspiciosly Dark Angelic name... Of whom it was said he had been lost "despite the intervention of a sizeable Dark Angel force". Clearly, this was a hint at this captain being one of the Fallen. Now, if the Deatwatch memebers of the First Legion were not members of the Inner Circle, how would this have become known?

 

Moreover, marines sent for a tour of duty with the alien hunters are typically veterans of the chapter.

 

Meaning, that I believe the Dark Angels would mostly send members of the Deathwing to the Deathwatch. If only to keep an eye on goings on in the Ordo Xenos. Remember: Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. If there is one chapter that would heed this...

[Augustus]

I think it would be silly not to place a member with knowledge of the Fallen.

The Dark Angels would want eyes EVERYWHERE. Eyes on the Inqusition? Why not? Who knows what the Fallen are doing with Aliens. Probably shady stuff. It would be the Dark Angels job to "clean" up the scene by whatever means possible. The galaxy is a big place, the Unforgiven probably want eyes everywhere. I see them as probably having their hands in every cookie jar, similar to preheresy Alpha Legion (Legion). He may be a Deathwing or have Ravenwing style information, but he better know what he should be keeping his eyes open for.

 

Side note:

The book also mentions that the DA guys carry ceremonial swords (these replace the standard combat knives?) which I think is cool :)

 

I always envision the DA normal troopers as obstinate, moody, paranoid, cold, determined, focused to the point of being occasionally blinded by everything else, and STUBBORN :D

[Brother Immolator]

The book also mentions that the DA guys carry ceremonial swords (these replace the standard combat knives?) which I think is cool -_-

Me too and i still havent found a decent way to model one...

 

The real problem in my mind from a fluff perspective,is what would the marine do after he detects a fallen:He cant compromise the secret by telling the others about it.Seeing as the priority is to capture fallen i cant just find a plausible way to make this happen and then ship him to the rock.

 

I guess a few names have just been crossed out of the book of salvation by just having them killed without giving them a chance of atonement...Poor Asmodai,he must be a sad panda about this...

[WatchCaptainAzrael]

I'd like to add that the standard Dark Angel in Deathwatch RPG only knows as much of the Fallen as the fact that they exist, if he even knows that, going by the default pasts. Most likely, your character will be aware that "someone" is spreading heresies about the Chapter, and must be put down. Becoming a Deathwing is actually a mixture of several marks of honor as described in Rites of Battle, a supplement for Deathwatch. Most of which will take some time and XP to collect. In that same book, however, you have the Initiate of Secrets deed, which puts you with the entry-level knowledge of the Hunt for the Fallen, with all that entails stats-wise.

 

Looking back, some of the default pasts probably offered a bit too much knowledge of the Fallen for a Rank 1 char. In fact, Rites of Battle offers very specific deeds for some of the pasts. I'm not sure if that was an oversight or a way to complement the pasts.

 

If you have access to both books, I'd recommend you look into it. Otherwise, any Fallen-hunting will likely be in the form of a superior within Chapter and Deathwatch informing you of an important task you have to accomplish in secret, or something along those lines. Unless you and your GM have arranged something on that area.

 

And the ceremonial swords look cool, but they're essentially overgrown combat knives. Take a robe, help yourself pass skill checks. Impress your space wolf squad mate and inquisitor with your superior fashion sense. :huh:

[Brother Immolator]

And the ceremonial swords look cool, but they're essentially overgrown combat knives. Take a robe, help yourself pass skill checks. Impress your space wolf squad mate and inquisitor with your superior fashion sense. :)

 

I believe that flamers and robes dont match...Right now i am trying to convince the space wolf that he has fleas,the templar that he is not zealus enough and the blood raven librarian(if he doesnt betray us i will kill him just to be sure :)) that his chapter are heretics(irony i know).

[WatchCaptainAzrael]

And the ceremonial swords look cool, but they're essentially overgrown combat knives. Take a robe, help yourself pass skill checks. Impress your space wolf squad mate and inquisitor with your superior fashion sense. :)

 

I believe that flamers and robes dont match...Right now i am trying to convince the space wolf that he has fleas,the templar that he is not zealus enough and the blood raven librarian(if he doesnt betray us i will kill him just to be sure :P) that his chapter are heretics(irony i know).

 

Actually, the whole concept of bearing robes to battles where you fight with armor designed to withstand the worst possible environments is silly in and of itself. Not to mention the risks of driving bikes while enrobed. :P

 

And the Blood Ravens are dirty heretics, we Dark Angels have the class to clean up our messes. :)

[Brother Immolator]

And the Blood Ravens are dirty heretics, we Dark Angels have the class to clean up our messes. :P

 

The only mess i know of is that blood stain on the interrogation table.Ill get a servitor clean that up ;)

[CatachanGazz]

I think a deathwatch marine from the dark angels would be in the deathwing and have some knowledge of the fallen, purely because it would allow the unforgiven to gather as much intelligence as possible, and also if the kill team comes across one of the fallen, the dark angel could come up with some story on how the heretics are trying to shame the honor of the first legion etc etc, and ask for the honor of dealing with the heretic himself, and i don't think any battle brother would turn down that request.

[Brother Immolator]

More food for thought:

 

Aside from the deathwatch and personality thingies,how do you think the DA would react if one of the fallen turned into a deamon prince?

I mean deploy the deathwing and stomp the damn thing,but after all it cant die in truth,you just banish it for a while.

How can the unforgiven make such a thing repent?

[WatchCaptainAzrael]

I would suggest grabbing a few blanks and having them lay about the chained daemon prince until the end of times. Heck, there ought to be a few blank marines in the chapter, I'm sure these would jump at the opportunity to become unique instruments of redemption. It's a chapter ceremony waiting to be instituted. xD

[Azrell]

Isn't a Daemon Prince only part Daemon? ie... if it fails to do anything its god wants he simply ceases to exist, or dos not come back the next time.

 

I played a Libby in my deathwatch group... and used communication powers to send messages to a nearby concentrators fleet... then just pulled a "i think they are that way"... "no i guess i was wrong. All well looks like someone killed all these chaos marines before we got here again."

[Brother Immolator]

A deamon prince cant die,you just banish its essence into the warp when you destroy it matterial form.

I believe only the chaos gods or the emperor perhaps have the power to destroy permanently a deamon prince.

 

Given that realization a fallen that has 'ascended' makes any chance of capturing and destroying him almost mute.

[WatchCaptainAzrael]

Given that realization a fallen that has 'ascended' makes any chance of capturing and destroying him almost mute.

I find your lack of zeal disturbing, brother... When have minor things like civilian casualties, impossible odds in battle and inquisitors with a chip on their shoulders towards Astartes ever stop us from doing our sacrosanct duty of redeeming the Fallen? By the Lion, you will jump into the Warp, chain that daemon prince and drag him to the Rock, and interrogate the living daylights out of him and make him repent! And you're gonna love it!

 

... Maybe you can convince the GM to bring a few Watchers in the Dark to help you? They're known to be very powerful creatures, maybe they know a way to wrench out a confession. That said, there might be a successor chapter tasked with dealing with that particular situation, pass'em the hot potato and carry on Deathwatching. ^^