Deathwatch: Murderers in Black (OOC Thread)

[Necronaut]

@Mazer Rackham

 

Cohesion:

Fellowship Bonus: +4

Command +0: +1

Helm of Mordicus: +1

--------------

6 Total

 

Further, Gerhardt's Mk IV armour grants him +15 Fel, plus an additional +5 Fel from his fancy hat, netting him +20 Fellowship from his suit when dealing with Astartes, though I suspect this only modifies his charm/command/other tests and doesn't grant extra cohesion.

Edited April 6 by Necronaut

[Mazer Rackham]

6 minutes ago, Necronaut said:

@Mazer Rackham

 

Cohesion:

Fellowship Bonus: +4

Command +0: +1

Helm of Mordicus: +1

--------------

6 Total

 

That's nice for R1, and not Smurf.

 

6 minutes ago, Necronaut said:

Further, Gerhardt's Mk IV armour gives him a further +15 Fel, plus an additional +5 Fel from his fancy hat, netting him +20 Fellowship from his suit when dealing with Astartes, though I suspect this only modifies his charm/command/other tests and doesn't grant extra cohesion.

 

Sounds right to me.

Edited April 6 by Mazer Rackham

[Lysimachus]

Well, that all seemed to get sorted out with a minimum of fuss! I tend to agree Gerhardt is probably in the best spot to be Squad leader, but if anyone did want to disagree or challenge, they can? Otherwise, if everyone is happy, that's great too!

 

 

I must admit I was debating whether I should have included a bit more in this week's update? I wondered if what I had put in there would be sorted very quickly... which it looks like it has, so maybe I should have!  

 

I was thinking about doing a one-off extra post to the weekly schedule to move the team out of the Bulwark and on towards the crash site (a Scene 6b, if you will) but at the same time I don't want to start rushing people either...

 

Any thoughts/preferences about this idea?

 

[Trokair]

I am fine with the pace as it is at the moment.

 

 

Sure in a good week I might have spare time and wish things where progressing faster, but just as often it is a normal or even busy week and then it is good to know that I can’t fall behind too far even if I can’t spend the time to read fresh posts for a while. I’d assume everybody else will be in similar boats.

[Mike Zulu]

I'm happy with Gerhardt being Kill-Team leader, and his chosen Oath. 

I'm also happy with the pace so far. I wouldn't mind a "Scene 6b" but I think some of us will want to move straight onto the scene where we arrive at the crashsite.

 

I am curious as to how you all play when it comes to Squad Mode vs Solo Mode. Squad Mode was something that tended to be forgotten in my experience, but I can imagine it being more useful in this PBP format. Should I expect some Squad Mode actions, or are we Solo Mode all the way?

[Mazer Rackham]

1 hour ago, Mike Zulu said:

I am curious as to how you all play when it comes to Squad Mode vs Solo Mode. Squad Mode was something that tended to be forgotten in my experience, but I can imagine it being more useful in this PBP format. Should I expect some Squad Mode actions, or are we Solo Mode all the way?

 

You're right, PBP is very well suited to nailing down details like this as the format allows a lot of planning and working out of the...uh...FFG 'nuances'.

 

Around here, good ser, we Squad Mode like it's 999.M39.

 

We are especially big fans of Bolter Assault...although it depends heavily on Character build/personality, as you would expect.

 

On extra scenes, a small prompt perhaps would be suitable, letting the players fill in the blanks on the way to the crashsite, without overwhelming anyone or unduly getting ahead. Something along the lines of 'Your post may include explosions, handbrake turns, falling to their deaths on a narrow Bolivian road' etc.

Edited April 7 by Mazer Rackham

[Urauloth]

Fine with a "6b" if you want to go for it! Otherwise the pace is good.

[Lysimachus]

Thanks gents!

 

I've put a fairly brief 'b' post in, so if you want to have extreme sports type fun (rock climbing, mountain biking on a multi-ton armoured vehicle, etc) you can! 

 

However, it's very much optional and if you prefer to ignore it until next week's update, that's absolutely fine too!

 

 

Edit @Mike Zulu : yeah, Squad Mode does seem to work a bit more easily with PBP.

 

It shouldn't have too massive a complicating effect on how the Structured Time fight bits work though...? You've got 6 Cohesion Points, and 1 Bolter Assault costs 3 of them. Plus you always have to have at least 1 Point in the bank or you drop immediately to Solo Mode. So that means unless you start contributing Fate Points to convert into extra Cohesion Points, you probably won't get to use these Abilities more than once in a fight? Which is good, because stuff like Bolter Assault is bloomin' powerful! 

 

 

 

Edited April 7 by Lysimachus

[Machine God]

@Lysimachus - At around 40 kloms, you can see the first signs of the crash, twisting pillars of black smoke just visible between distant hills. At 50, you begin to hear a racket that breaks the stillness of Alucar's wilderness, echoing from peak to peak. It is clear that something has survived. At 55, you are able to look out and see the source of the ruckus.

 

Shouldn't it be 60 kloms, then 50 and then 45?

[Necronaut]

@Machine God I read it as our total distance traveled from home approaching the crash site, which was approximately 60km distant from our starting location.

 

Edit: but yes I understand what you're getting at, and I interpreted it your way initially.

 

Edited April 7 by Necronaut

[Lysimachus]

Yeah, I meant it as - start at 0, at 60 kloms you would reach the crash

 

So on the way out:

 

at 40 kloms travelled  - see distant smoke

50 - noise

55 - able to see the crash

59ish - have to dismount and approach on foot

 

Sorry if it wasn't clear! 

[Machine God]

@Mazer Rackham - I believe that it is only 1DoS as you forgot the -30 from PA!

[Lysimachus]

Azadth is a sneaky type so Mazer built him from the Raven Guard pages*, with Guerilla Training so no negative mods for his armour! 

 

*though I think we kept the White Scar curse and trappings, etc?

[Mazer Rackham]

54 minutes ago, Lysimachus said:

Azadth is a sneaky type so Mazer built him from the Raven Guard pages*, with Guerilla Training so no negative mods for his armour! 

 

Quite so. The only penalties I take are to Concealment, and that's just -10 for being Hulking. Silent Move, oddly, AFAICT imposes no penalties for size.

 

54 minutes ago, Lysimachus said:

*though I think we kept the White Scar curse and trappings, etc?

 

That's right. I use WS for everything except Chapter Advances, where I take from Raven Guard. Interestingly, for another Player in another game, we built a Dark Hunter exactly the same way.

 

Edited April 8 by Mazer Rackham
Stuff

[Lysimachus]

@Trokair MG raises an interesting idea there. Obviously a combat situation is going to be dangerous for a mortal, so if Alda wants to stay behind with the vehicles, she can? Equally, she might feel that it is her duty to go along and observe the Kill-Team at work? In the end, it's up to you to decide what she'll do!

 

 

[Trokair]

4 hours ago, Lysimachus said:

@Trokair MG raises an interesting idea there. Obviously a combat situation is going to be dangerous for a mortal, so if Alda wants to stay behind with the vehicles, she can? Equally, she might feel that it is her duty to go along and observe the Kill-Team at work? In the end, it's up to you to decide what she'll do!

 

 

 

To be honest I was thinking the same thing and just had not gotten round to saying it here or doing a scene to that afect.

 

 

[Mazer Rackham]

Tro, Azadth could always use an extra pair of eyes* if you want the charm of distance but Structured Time involvement. 

 

 

Just an option, ser. 

 

 

 

 

 

*=Disclaimer:

Spoiler

This offer may or may not also refer to being used as a human plumbline, a meat-shield, an emergency survival snack, a tentpole, fishing lure, paperweight, or small pack mule, and being shaken upside down for vending machine money for Crunchie chocolate bars. This list is not exhaustive, and makes no claims in respect of Heresy prevention. This offer is not available in New Jersey. The redeemable value of this offer is 0.000001 Imperial Thrones.

 

[Machine God]

When you leave Ulfurbur behind, only the Mantis Warrior chooses stealth over a bold advance. The rest of you, perhaps inspired by your new Sergeant's fervent oath, descend openly and proudly from the ridgeline down towards the water's edge.

 

 

Asterius formed a razor smile.

 

Sometimes the xenos-tech appropriated by the Deathwatch worked, sometimes it didn't.

 

 

Holo-emitters affixed to the power armour projected a weak camouflage as they walked down to the lake of water.

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju65gr9sUjk

 

 

 

As yet, it seems that the piratical xenos, focused on their work, have not seen you… but such a reprieve could only last so long. One of the smaller greenskins looks up from a piece of ductwork it is attempting to pull from the mud. It sees the black armoured figures spreading out at the waterline and does a double take, then lets out a high-pitched yell of alarm.

 

“Zoggin’ ‘eck! Beakies!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 12 by Machine God
typo

[Lysimachus]

That was impressively quick on the Initiative rolls, thanks everyone! We just need rolls from @Necronaut, @Urauloth and @Xin Ceithan and then I'll get a Round 1 Summary post up, and then you can all have at it! 

 

Re: Structured Time, obviously it doesn't work to limit updates to any kind of schedule, weekly or otherwise. So, I'll just try to keep the NPCs Actions as up to date as possible and keep us moving forward, and hopefully when it is a PC's turn to act they can let us know what they want to do?

[Lysimachus]

I'm not sure if Xin is in a position to take part yet, so as it's only Amaras' Initiative left to roll, I've taken the liberty and done it myself. Hopefully by the time we get to the bottom end of the status bar, Xin might be in a better place to provide his Actions.

 

Anyway, there we go! MG, you get to kick things off for us! 

[Mazer Rackham]

Excellent Map and setup work there, GM. 

 

Bit jelly of dem 1337 skillz0rz. 

[Lysimachus]

Thank you, sir. I really can't take much credit, though.

 

The map is from my Pinterest battlemap board - there are loads of maps, and totally free, so you can usually find something that fits what you have in mind (or alternatively you find a really cool map, and figure out a way to shoehorn it into a story! )

 

After that, it's all just good ol' PowerPoint!

 

Besides, you know that everything I know about setting this stuff up, I learned from watching Mol or your good self! 

 

Edited April 13 by Lysimachus

[Necronaut]

Placeholder updated: 

 

 

@Lysimachus FYI I spent 1 FP to give Gerhardt a 10 for his initiative roll. 

Edited April 13 by Necronaut

[Machine God]

5 hours ago, Lysimachus said:

I'm not sure if Xin is in a position to take part yet, so as it's only Amaras' Initiative left to roll, I've taken the liberty and done it myself. Hopefully by the time we get to the bottom end of the status bar, Xin might be in a better place to provide his Actions.

 

Anyway, there we go! MG, you get to kick things off for us! 

Thank you GM.

[Lysimachus]

Ok, had a quick look at the crb section on Cohesion/Modes. This gets a little complex, as far as I can tell. Please anyone correct me if I'm understanding this wrong!

 

When someone other than the Leader wants to enter Squad Mode, they must make a Cohesion Challenge (which MG successfully did). Then, anyone else who wants to join must also make a Cohesion Challenge - at this point, a 6+ on a d10.

 

Alternatively, once per combat the Leader and anyone in Support Range can join for free if the Leader chooses to use his Reaction for the Round (It's a Free Action if he calls Squad Mode himself at the start of his Turn, otherwise it costs his Reaction)

 

However, anyone who joins will then have to use the Furious Charge to move forward to keep up with Asterius, because he is moving more than 30m away to attack Grots 5? Unfortunately, most PCs (all without jump packs) won't be in Range to actually attack anything with the Furious Charge. But if they don't, Asterius will immediately drop back into Solo Mode, and wouldn't get the benefit of his Wrathful Descent, which only works in Squad Mode?

 

 

Sorry, I understand Bolter Assault better!