[DW] Blackthorn/Swordhand Episode III: Recruitment Thread

[Steel Company]

 

 

Hi Molotov,

 

Based on your above post, I'm still very interested in playing a chaplain or chaplain type of character, or librarian or even techmarine. Chapter-wise I would like to explore playing either a Black Shield (can discuss chapter idea via DM), or a battle-brother of a Blood Angels descendent chapter (Blood Drinkers or Lamenters would be among my top choices) or similar for White Scars (thinking Iron Talons).

 

Edit: Carcharodons are also a chapter with killer fluff I could happily work with.

Thankfully getting into Chaplain isn't too hard:

 

Rank 4+

WP 45+

Fel 40+

Not: Libby/Techmarine/Space Wolf

 

The easiest base class to use to reach it I've found is tactical marine as they get cheep fellowship and will power advances.

Yep that's pretty much my thinking! Start off as a tactical marine and upgrade at rank 4. The XP stockpiling will be a bit painful for a bit, but the pay-off just looks like so much fun.

 

Tell me about it!

 

For fluff and lore reasons I've got Tyber angling towards being a Champion... thankfully I've got two of the requirements... First was the WS of 50+ and the honors, thanks to his background he started with a purity seal, a low level honor, but it is one! Now I just need to hit rank 4, 40+ renown and save 4k xp!

[Commissar Molotov]

And a little thing called GM approval...

 

I have a player who requested to play a chaplain several months ago; I am just waiting to hear back from them. If that doesn't pan out I may be able to consider others.

 

I will say that as I mentioned I am keen for my campaign to include investigation, mystery and politics -- the Librarian and Chaplain are key in this regard.

 

Unfortunately I won't be accepting any Blackshield characters for reasons that will become clear in Episode III.

[Steel Company]

yeah... GM approval... fingers crossed I'll get it when the time comes.

[Trokair]

Unfortunately I won't be accepting any Blackshield characters for reasons that will become clear in Episode III.

 

Based on what you have said earlier in the thread I assume due to the recent Badab War. Are/where there any involved chapters currently in chapters 1 or 2? Because if so I can see that leading to al sort of internal strive within a team.

Edited January 21, 2021 by Trokair

[grailkeeper]

Long time since I did PbP but I'm interested.

[Necronaut]

And a little thing called GM approval...

 

I have a player who requested to play a chaplain several months ago; I am just waiting to hear back from them. If that doesn't pan out I may be able to consider others.

 

I will say that as I mentioned I am keen for my campaign to include investigation, mystery and politics -- the Librarian and Chaplain are key in this regard.

 

Unfortunately I won't be accepting any Blackshield characters for reasons that will become clear in Episode III.

Thanks for the clarification on black shields for this. I'm quite flexible on class, honestly -- really just looking to play some more 40K rpg goodness. If librarian or techmarine are still open, then I would appreciate your consideration, though I guess my arm *could* be twisted to take a multi-melta and vaporize some xenos. Edited January 21, 2021 by Necronaut

[ashlander47]

I wonder how working up towards some of those Rank 4+ specialisations would look like. Would the brother return to his chapter to receive the honours, or would the Deathwatch take the onus and bestow such things and the bureaucracy and sanctity take a backseat to necessity? An interesting little contained story in and of itself I reckon. 

[Steel Company]

Mostly GM discretion, but for what it matters, the Death Watch is in effect a chapter and most chapters recognize the honors bestowed by the Death Watch.

[Praetorian86]

I wonder how working up towards some of those Rank 4+ specialisations would look like. Would the brother return to his chapter to receive the honours, or would the Deathwatch take the onus and bestow such things and the bureaucracy and sanctity take a backseat to necessity? An interesting little contained story in and of itself I reckon. 

 

I think some of the specializations essentially tie the brother to the Deathwatch permanently, like Watch-Captains and Dreads in particular aren't likely to return to their parent chapter.

[Brother Argent]

So as per our conversation on PM I am definitely interested.  I am unsure how much you want me to reveal here on the character idea we were discussing (and I am about to message you more info on) due to the nature of the character. I will talk more in PM before passing anything on to here.

[Petragor]

So as per our conversation on PM I am definitely interested.  I am unsure how much you want me to reveal here on the character idea we were discussing (and I am about to message you more info on) due to the nature of the character. I will talk more in PM before passing anything on to here.

Oooooooo, mysterious! I hope you know the rule about characters with secrets: It's no fun unless someone eventually finds out!

[Brother Argent]

It wont be a super huge secret.  But more a reasoning as to why he act and behaves the way he would.  In saying that if Mol thinks its better its known, that could work too.

[Petragor]

It wont be a super huge secret.  But more a reasoning as to why he act and behaves the way he would.  In saying that if Mol thinks its better its known, that could work too.

I see, cool.

[Xin Ceithan]

Hi all!

As the uncrowned Prince of Placeholders and Knight Errant of erratic Posting, I am quite happy to see such a great response to CM reaching out for new players.

It did seem that there were only the same handful of people lurking around the RP corner, so it’s great to meet a few new faces!

 

There are already some great concepts floating around and I look forward to see these chars developed and then interact inside the world. Definitely boosting my writing muscles already!

 

I think we originally had several chars from chapters from the first founding and core rule book (BT ) which were dropped along the way.

And yes, during that early brainstorming, it was ruled that we would not include chapters involved in the Badab War at that point for narrative reasons.

 

Which is one of the reasons my Techmarine became an Iron Hand and not a Space Shark ;)

 

Things have moved on since then, so I think we will surely find a solution.

 

BTW I love writing Sabaan but the technobabble and internal dialogue does mess up my time for updates ever so often. With him in a support role and my own erratic posting I’d be ok with him takings bit away from the front and be more of a recurring character aboard a ship it watch station or such, if we are aiming at moving away from the mire established chapters and especially if anyone is burning up to play a Techmarine.

Just options though...

 

I’ll gladly have Sabaan remain the iron backbone of Blackthorn!

[Commissar Molotov]

Hi all,

 

I've tried to contact as many people as possible - with this infusion of new blood into the PBP forum, I want to try to accommodate as many players as possible whilst maintaining the narrative integrity of the forum.

 

This sort of thing is very much herding cats - there's still a lot of wrangling to do before we get off the ground, so my fingers are very firmly crossed.

 

At the moment, my current plan looks like this:

 

Extant Players

• Atratus (Raptors Assault Marine) - A.T.
• Greysight (Storm Sons Tactical Marine) - Nineswords
• Nycax Sabaan (Iron Hands Techmarine) - Xin Ceithan
• Tyber (Dragons of Caliban Assault Marine) - Steel Company
• Varvost (Eradicators Assault Marine) - NPC
• Thorvald Hammerhand (Space Wolves XXXX) - TBC
• Brakan Vorr (Red Talons Devastator) - Reyner
• Oto Yeng (Gatebreakers Apothecary) - Apologist

New Players

• AHorriblePerson - Marines Revenant - Devastator
• Lysimachus - Stormbringers(?) - Tactical
• ApostleRP - Star Phantoms - Tactical
• Studio_Fatfingers - Lotus Guard - Tactical
• Adesro18 - Astral Drakes (WIP) - Techmarine
• Komrk - Revilers - Tactical
• Komrade_Atomic - Silver Skulls - Tactical
• Ashlander47 - Consecrators - Devastator
• That Beyond the Light - Black Consuls - Tactical
• Petragor - Celestial Lions - Assault
• Brother Argent - Star Leopards - Apothecary
• Mojake - Blood Angels successor - Librarian

As is my common refrain at the moment, I am just waiting for responses so that things can be a bit more concrete.

 

At the moment this does mean we would have:

 

4 Assault

7 Tactical

3 Devastators

2 Techmarines

2 Apothecaries

1 Librarian

1 Undetermined (Thorvald)

 

It does mean I could accept one more Marine (Devastator/Tactical) - if people are still interested and willing to look past my pickiness, I'd love to hear some of your ideas.

 

 

The above players - what I'd like to see is your character concepts. It would be a good idea to look at the Blackthorn and Swordhand Character Thread for a sense of how other players have handled their character biographies.

 

You don't need to worry about having every single year of your Marine's life mapped out - I'm more interested in just a bit about them in terms of their personality and why they have come to the Watch.

 

A few things to consider:

 

- Brooding, unsociable characters are often the default, but they are a death knell to roleplaying.

- There are a range of reasons a character might come to the Deathwatch. Sent in shame; outcast from their chapter; searching for their chance at glory; trying to live up to a hero of legend, etc. Not all of you need to be "sole survivor of your squad", etc.

- Two players will be members of Kill-Team Swordhand, who were injured on the Bio-Ship and placed into a Sus-An Coma by Apothecary Yeng. This means you when you wake up at the start of Episode III, you will already have some bonds with the other surviving members.

- As your characters will be starting at Rank 3, a few of you will have already been at Azurea serving in other Kill-Teams whilst Blackthorn and Swordhand have been defending Syndalla. Nineswords and I have come up with Kill-Team Gallowbane, which could be where some of you have been serving.

- Relatively few of you will be brand new to the Watch at the start of Episode III.

 

The floor is now yours for discussion!

Edited January 22, 2021 by Commissar Molotov

[Mojake]

Thanks for the update CM. I'm happy to be a member of the new Kill-Team Gallowbane if we have the choice. It strikes me as better for those who have kept up with the story from a spectator POV to be ingratiated into Swordhand.

 

A bit about my character for now (CM knows this):

- Achillion, Codicier of the (BA Successor TBC)

- Seconded to the Deathwatch in 792.M41, so this certainly isn't a new post to him. Garrisoned at Azurea in 902.M41.

Edited January 22, 2021 by Mojake

[BadgersinHills]

I'm interested in being a Space Wolves or Emperor's Spears Tactical Marine. Is that ok?

[Lysimachus]

NB. If I can just preempt my post by saying the following was what I came up with several years ago for another DW project (a fanfic thing that sadly never got off the ground) so its quite ...complete? I'll post what I had in full, but that doesn't mean I'm not open to modifying it in whatever way is needed for this project.

Name: Brother Titus

Chapter: Stormbringers

History:

Brother Titus has fought for the Stormbringers Chapter for almost one hundred and fifty years, with nearly a third of that time within the 1st Company. Early in this period Titus applied for and completed the arduous program of training to join the elite ‘Hunter’ corps and has since served out three tours of duty in this vital role, acting as a scout for the 6th, 9th and 3rd Strike Companies respectively. As such he is a master of infiltration, reconnaissance and guerrilla warfare; as well as other less savoury skills such as interrogation, torture and assassination.

It is typical for Hunters to rotate in and out of their duties as guides, normally fighting among the 1st Company’s Sternguard units when not assigned. This allows them to maintain their ability to work as part of a battlefield unit. Brother Titus happened to be serving among the Sternguard when the Chapter was given the opportunity to provide a volunteer for the Deathwatch and he immediately put his name forward.

Personality:

Brother Titus

Titus could be summed up in two words. Precision brutality. He is cold, calculating and always utterly efficient. However, his frequently horrific actions are not motivated out of any sense of personal cruelty or viciousness. Like any of the brethren of his Chapter, Titus is simply focussed totally on the bigger picture and therefore will do whatever is necessary to ensure that his team’s mission objectives are achieved. While this makes him an ideal soldier for a less altruistic Inquisitor, it could also cause a certain amount of friction with Marines from more 'noble' or 'humanitarian' Chapters.

Titus is also very ambitious. He volunteered for both Hunter and Deathwatch training for the same reason; to better prepare him for a leadership role within the Stormbringers. This is not for seeking personal power or glory, but rather that Titus genuinely feels himself to be suited for the task. He therefore seeks to use every opportunity to increase in his abilities, learning whatever he can from his fellow Astartes. Titus also knows that the many contacts gained by serving with the Inquisition can only be a help to one appointed to the rank of Strike Captain.

Physical Description:

Like all of the Stormbringers, Titus is very pale skinned, with cold eyes and close cropped hair that is an almost white blonde. He is tall (even for Astartes) yet cadaverously thin, with gaunt, grim features. Titus rarely shows any emotion, even in the heat of battle, and tends to speak in clipped, quiet tones. Titus' armour is a mix of MKVI and VII coloured in the black and silver of the Deathwatch, with his right shoulder pad quartered in black and blue and marked with the white lightning bolt of the Stormbringers. While Titus is extremely proud of his place in both his Chapter and within the ranks of the Ordo, he feels no compunction over using mud, soot or tar to blacken the brighter elements of his battle plate so that they will not give away his position to the enemy.

Preferred Wargear:

Huntsman-pattern Bolter (personally modified to fit a silencer, scope and stock, so can be functionally similar to a Stalker pattern) with standard and armour piercing ammunition; bolt pistol with silencer; power hunting knife (set to a lower power level, just enough to help slit armoured throats but without being detected!).

Edit: The other option I had, much less fleshed out, was also a Tac marine, but an Emperor's Blade (as per the other thread). He'd be devout, serious and very open about his belief in the God Emperor, who views the Codex as a holy book and therefore tries to follow all its tenets and be a tactically flexible soldier. Was thinking he might have a flamer of some description (perhaps a combi-flamer?).

[That Beyond the Light]

Just joined and a complete newbie to this but very much into my creative writing and narrative building. Is it worth familiarising myself again with the Astartes codex and what basic rules should I be reading exactly in order to hit the ground running par say

[Commissar Molotov]

A note of explanation regarding my intentions with Gallowbane: they will serve as an "overspill" - if there are characters that are not active, we can simply say they are serving on a mission with Gallowbane. The narrative will focus on the Kill-Teams of Swordhand and Blackthorn. (So characters who previously served with Gallowbane will be transferred to fill gaps as needed.)

[Trokair]

Was there any particular reason why my Voidborn did not make the cut, is there something I need to improve with the concept?

 

 

Good luck to all who were chosen.

[Brother Argent]

Okay so with that clarification allow me to post my character idea (as it stands) for my boy in black:

 

Pallan Arcost - (Former) Apothecary of the Star Leopards

 

Role upon induction:  (Former) Apothecary assigned to the Fourth House

 

Deathwatch Specialty: Apothecary... of sorts...

 

Appearance: With short cropped unkempt blonde hair and a rough beard Pallan shows the obvious signs of someone whom has little to no care of his own appearance.  Several long scars run across his otherwise youthful face, evidence of a life time of war.  Piercing steely blue eyes and a square jawline show possible hints of the chapter's claimed lineage of Dorn.  On his forehead he has what appears to be the remains of an old tattoo, now ragged with seemingly self inflicted scarring.  The tattoo appears to have been some sort of winged motive, perhaps an aquilla or prime helix.  Whatever it once was is now impossible to make out for sure.

 

His armour is well made, far better kept then the marine whom wears it.  An ecclectic mismatch of armour marks it is in part covered by a weathered and in parts blood stained tabard and its wrapped around the chest by a length of thick black chain of hanging from its pauldrons, a solid chain of seventy two heavy links.  Each link is engraved with fine script in the language of the Chapter's homeworld.  Pallan carries a leather corded necklace wrapped around his weapon arm from the end of which hangs three large cats claws.

 

Personality: Far from the noble and selfless defender of humanity that his Chapter is regarded Pallan is instead a seemingly withdrawn and resentful soul.  To those whom manage to get to know the marine however can occasionally gain a glimpse to the warm and honourable marine beneath the steely indifference he has built around himself.  Pallan is a man haunted by his failures and is desperate to atone for what he considers a black mark on his name and because of this has a vary conflicted nature.  He would willingly sacrifice anything for his brothers or even mortals but at the same time does not want to befriend them lest he leave himself open to pain and failure again.

 

History: Pallan came to the Deathwatch following his Chapter's assault on the newly declared renegade Chapter of the White Talons.  The Star Leopards Fourth House were part of a combined multi Chapter assault on the fortress monastary.  Taking high casualties during the fighting the Star Leopards set up a field triage hospital of which Pallan was placed in charge, treating the marines wounded in the assault on the enemy fortress and safe guarding the geneseed of those whom were beyond his life saving aid.  The Star Leopards being a relatively humane Chapter it wasn't long before non-astartes casualties started being moved in.  Despite objections from his Captain Pallan made the decision to treat these wounded, as well as bringing in mortal attendants to help deal with the growing number of wounded.

 

As the siege waxed and waned the field hospital came under assault from White Talon forces.  Pallan lead the defence with the thirty one marines, mostly the walking wounded, fighting alongside the mortal defenders.  It seemed they would hold when they were betrayed from within by a group of seemingly loyal mortals whom were actually native infiltrators loyal to the White Talons.  The infiltrators detonated a series of charges that brought much of the building down and enabled the White Talons to enter the building.  His defenders scattered and broken Pallan led a defiant seemingly last stand as those left fought in pockets throughout the carnage. When help finally arrived and drove the renegades back the full scale of the losses suffered were revealed when, alongside most of the wounded marines being slain and their bodies taken, the whole stock of geneseed Pallan had been attempting to safeguard had been stolen.

 

At the sieges conclusion Pallan returned to the Chapter's homeworld where he was called before the Chapter command.  He accepted that he had failed his Chapter and his honour and life were forfeit.  At his own request he left his Chapter on a Redemption Crusade, a pilgrimage that disgraced brothers of the Star Leopards go on, to find redemption or death, or both.  He was sent to serve with the Deathwatch, a separation from his brothers and homeworld, and has sworn to never let a brother die again.  A somewhat vain oath, considering the nature of his service.

 

****

 

Well,  that is my over tired brain vomit.  I want to rework the idea a little.  My basic idea is an Apothecary whom is sworn off being an Apothecary, but still is sworn to save his brother's lives if he can.  He is a very conflicted and self hating marine and is likely to slip further and further from his Chapter's ideals of self sacrifice as he potentially becomes more and more unstable if his fellow marines die around him.  But perhaps he may also finally find peace in giving of himself enough through his service to find his own redemption.

 

My kinda hidden part was that he was an Apothecary.  I am thinking of playing him more like a tactical, perhaps without even most of the usual Apothecary gear, but still the skills etc, if Mol thinks that could work.

 

I am thinking either newly minted Deathwatch of Gallowbane, possibly kicked off that squad due to his... abrasive manners...

Edited January 22, 2021 by Brother Argent

[adesro18]

I'll get started on fleshing out my marine a little more in the coming days. Also let me know if you have had a chance to look at my Liber Astartes post and how you feel about my WIP chapter. GM Approval is important after all.

One simple question I would have mechanically is simply starting at rank 3 how much XP should we have? Just going off table 2-2 on page 58 of the core book that would be a total of 21,000 xp. I think off hand about 8,000 of that is usable to customize the character.

Also our character descriptions and sheets, where would you like them posted?

[Commissar Molotov]

To be clear - nobody needs to work on stats, character sheets or the like right now. Our character sheets are on the Blackthorn Google Drive, and I will be contacting you all about those soon.

 

The more important thing is getting a sense of who your characters are, and so your character concepts can get posted here.

 

 

 

Brother Argent: Just as a note, the intention is that you will be an Apothecary. I think Watch-Captain Diocles would be rather stern with his viewpoint that not using your skills is detrimental to both Pallan and to his brethren. (If that really doesn't work for your character concept, I can see if another player can switch to Apothecary.)

Edited January 22, 2021 by Commissar Molotov

[Mazer Rackham]

One simple question I would have mechanically is simply starting at rank 3 how much XP should we have? Just going off table 2-2 on page 58 of the core book that would be a total of 21,000 xp. I think off hand about 8,000 of that is usable to customize the character.

 

That's more or less correct.  Your Character starts at 12,000xp with 1,000xp to spend which brings you to 13,000 at Rank 1, hitting Rank 3 at 21,000.

 

You have 9,000xp to spend.

 

In order to try and help, I'm going to start a FAQ thread.

 

EDIT: Which you can now add to, or just otherwise find, here.

 

MR.

Edited January 22, 2021 by Mazer Rackham