Deathwatch: Murderers in Black (OOC Thread)

[Mazer Rackham]

45 minutes ago, Lysimachus said:

Are you meaning for use while still in narrative time/ transit? Yep, sure! 

 

It will have to go back before the next Structured Time, obviously... unless you want to steal some of the 22 Req that is still unspent? 

 

Yes, just for the narrative travel period.

 

Uraloth needs every opportunity for kit. 

 

22 minutes ago, Necronaut said:

@Mazer Rackham DO IT

 

Behave, you maniac! 

[Trokair]

  

On 7/19/2024 at 7:27 AM, Lysimachus said:

 

OOC: Hopefully it is reasonably clear what is what in the pic.

 

The AdMech outpost is built around the cave entrance, which is located in an L-shaped canyon that runs through more mountainous terrain.

 

This canyon runs 1km westward in from the open plains in the east (the ‘landing field’ is basically just the edge of the plains) towards the cave entrance. It then turns 90 degrees and continues northwards for maybe 300m where the gap between the canyon walls narrows and eventually closes entirely (hence why the main Skitarii base is by the east exit and there is only a small guard post to the north).

 

Obviously, the landing field is intended for much (much!) larger bulk transports. Your Stormeagle could easily land at any of the open areas within the canyon - and would have done so the first time it came here - as could the Aquilas/other dropships that the rest of the Inquisitorial force will use. (For scale, the overall length and width of the Sabre is probably about the same as the box showing the promethium tank?)

 

Is the roof of the Command Centre/Skitarri Barracks flat or slanted? I can’t quite tell from the picture. If we can land on that then that might be a good starting point to secure a defensive position inside.  

 

[Lysimachus]

Hmm, I hadn't thought of that, but it's a good idea!

 

Pic looks like it's flat to me, though it's probably a tight fit for the Stormeagle dimensions? Probably more intended for slightly smaller flyers, Land Speeders or Ornithopters (or whatever the Admech flyer is called?)

 

Therefore, if you decide to do that, I'll require a Difficult (-10) Pilot: Space Craft test from Bekkar to successfully land on the roof, though he will get +30 for the Stormeagle's Manoeuvrability so it shouldn't be too difficult for him?

Edited July 20 by Lysimachus

[Trokair]

8 minutes ago, Lysimachus said:

Probably more intended for slightly smaller flyers, Land Speeders or Ornithopters (or whatever the Admech flyer is called?)

 

Archaeopter.

 

So we have one potential way forward, anybody else have a suggestion?  

[Necronaut]

We also have at least two jump pack equipped lunatics who could be deployed while still in transit to reconnoiter and clear the landing zone.

[Trokair]

Small placeholder filled:
https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/382431-deathwatch-murderers-in-black-ic-thread/?do=findComment&comment=6049657

 

[Mazer Rackham]

Azadth has rappelling gear and I can see a couple of drop sites with good angles for cover. The high scarp on the top left is possibly the best position. I can cover the eastern approach roads, intercept reinforcements, cover the north and south quarters, and with sufficient height to cover all rooftops, hilltops and elevation will whittle down hiding places and blind spots.

 

With the drop harness I could also dismount to the cave entrance quite quickly.

[Mike Zulu]

Perhaps the less nimble of us can secure the Command Centre first, via landing the Storm Eagle on it?

I am also curious to interrogate the computers in the command centre.

[Lysimachus]

OK, these all seem like reasonable options. Is everyone happy with that overall plan?

 

So, feel free to post what you're each going to do IC.

 

Bekkar will just need to hover in place for a few seconds while the early jumpers dismount, so he won't need to roll anything for that.

 

Then Azadth will need to include a Climb test to abseil out, and Gerhardt and Asterius will need to roll Personal Pilot tests to leap out without fouling their packs on the hatches. All of these will be fairly simple tasks, so Routine (+20). If you are planning to check the roof for dangers before the Sabre lands, that will also require a Challenging (+0) Perception test.

 

Then Bekkar can include a Pilot: Spacecraft if he wants to land atop the Command Centre. As mentioned, that will be -10 for Difficulty, but also +30 (for Manoeuvrability) and +20 (for his Pilot+10 and Talented Pilot) for a total of +40.

 

Once you're down, the rest can look into accessing the Command Centre if you wish?

[Urauloth]

Oh my goodness I've missed so much. Terribly sorry folks! I've been so busy I've barely had time to open my laptop. I'll try to get my placeholder filled and put at least a barebones post up in time for the next update.

[Machine God]

Visible enough, comets from heaven, the two assault marines fell to the ground shortly after his own hasty deployment, and the Iron Sabre slashed toward the LZ

 

 

Here point order @Mazer Rackham Gerhardt is a Tactical Marine!

 

 

 

 

 

[Necronaut]

Gerhardt is LARPing as an assault marine mainly because he can sort of get away with it and to provide tactical support to Asterius while he participates in manly CQC (and I spent the 100xp on Pilot (Personal) so why not). I would love to make a proper Doom Eagle (or similar) Assault/Tactical hybrid character sometime.

[Mazer Rackham]

To be fair, Azadth is half-blind from dust...

[Machine God]

13 hours ago, Necronaut said:

Gerhardt is LARPing as an assault marine mainly because he can sort of get away with it and to provide tactical support to Asterius while he participates in manly CQC (and I spent the 100xp on Pilot (Personal) so why not). I would love to make a proper Doom Eagle (or similar) Assault/Tactical hybrid character sometime.

 

True.

 

Gerhardt is a Tactical Marine playing at being, whilst Asterius is cool with the attention.

 

Proper insertion with flair.

 

Style with a Superhero Landing.

 

 

 

[Lysimachus]

Ok, with Bekkar's successful roll you are safely landed!

 

So if anyone (Zidemi I think mentioned it?) wants to try to access the interior, it will require a Hard (-20) Tech Use or Security test to open the door from the landing platform?

[Mike Zulu]

As an aside, both Electro Graft Use and MIU grant Zidemi +10 to Tech-Use Tests if the item is compatible with either "function", but I'm becoming confused as to what exactly gives me that ability.

 

Does the Electro Graft Use need a Mechadendrite or other tool/cybernetic?

Or is it it's own thing? (ie I have the Talent, therefore I have the ability) And it's assumed I have an appropriate mechadendrite/implant to allow myself to use the Talent.

Is the MIU then an extension of my Electro Graft Use? (ie MIU bonuses are cumulative with the Electro Graft Use Talent).

 

Technically, the only mechadendrite I have (and trained for) is the Servo-Arm.

 

 

 

[Lysimachus]

To the best of my understanding, the Electro Graft bit means he has the data plug included with the Talent/Trait so gets +10 on his Tech Use, and the MIU is in addition to that for another +10 (because in both cases the cogitator would be a device able to be connected?)

 

He could also use his potentia coil to provide more power to the unit?

Edited July 27 by Lysimachus

[Mike Zulu]

1 hour ago, Lysimachus said:

To the best of my understanding, the Electro Graft bit means he has the data plug included with the Talent/Trait so gets +10 on his Tech Use, and the MIU is in addition to that for another +10 (because in both cases the cogitator would be a device able to be connected?)

 

He could also use his potentia coil to provide more power to the unit?

 

It's in Traits, which is why I was getting confused. So the Electro Graft can be a cable/plug that comes out my skull or my finger, but is not a mechadendrite in itself.

 

As for the test on the cogitator, I was going to Assist Ulfurbur with my Tech-Use (as she had called Zidemi over before the test).

But how permissable are we with Assistance here, since it has already been rolled?

 

[Trokair]

I think it might be better narratively for Zidemi to do his own Tech-use test.

 

Alda managed to find and turn on a working cogitator, and Zidemi now can take over and feed it more power and try and get into the actual system and maybe get some data or such out.

[Lysimachus]

I'm happy for you to do it either way, mechanically speaking.

 

I suppose it's either a guaranteed 1DoS for the Assist, which will be sufficient to get the thing stabilized and useable...

 

or roll for yourself and potentially get a better result? (With Int50 and +20 for his abilities, you've got a fair shot at getting more DoS?) Though of course, you also risk failing too... 

[Urauloth]

Edited my placeholder, caught up now. Pity I missed out on a chance to object to silent running, though, I'm sure Váfri hates that idea on principle. At least the landing is loud and flashy enough for him.

[Mazer Rackham]

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OOC: I'm assuming there isn't a stink of charred flesh in the building, but I want to make a heightened senses roll on the offchance there's anything more than scorched machinery and dust - if you can do that through a MK VI helmet? I know a Mk VII can be opened to the air, but I've never actually read anything specific about Corvus armour.

Actually I rolled a 76, so it's probably moot.

 

Not a GM Query, more a rules one, so perhaps I can help.

 

There's a 'Wolf's Helm' in Rites Of Battle IIRC which states you can use your lupine schnoz whilst wearing it, but having scoped your Solo Mode: Wolf Senses (p.217, Core), it specifically stipulates you can't use your HS abilities with a closed brain bucket, so no you can't.

 

However, once inside you could pull your lid off as a Half-Action, snort, then Half-Action don it again later? Doing this would net you a free re-roll on the test as well. There's no warnings on the atmosphere, and your Solo Mode also provides you with Dark Sight (you can see in the dark as though you had your lid on).

 

Any use?

[Urauloth]

@Mazer Rackham That's very useful, thanks! I'll edit to reflect (and hopefully roll better).

I don't think we're in structured time right now? Worth noting that it's a half-action though.

[Mike Zulu]

@Lysimachus Is there a map or survey of the cavern system in the data Zidemi and Ulfurbur downloaded?

[Lysimachus]

Great question! Yep, you would have a map, though I don't have one on paper so I'll try to describe the general layout of the cave system:

 

As you can see on the external map, the initial opening is quite large. However, this quickly narrows down to an irregular tunnel that is perhaps 2-4m in diameter. This natural tunnel winds left/right and steps up/down for around 700-800 metres, but with a gradually descending overall gradient, probably dropping 15-20m over the entire length of the tunnel.

 

During that 700-800m, it goes through several smaller caverns (which are really just temporary widenings of the tunnel), but at its end, it opens out into a much larger, irregular shaped (but circular-ish) cavern perhaps 50/60m across and 25m at its highest point.

 

There are numerous shafts off of this ‘Hub’*, some natural and others created by the Explorators’ survey machines. Not all of these shafts exit at floor level, as there are rock ledges and slopes in places that climb around the perimeter of the cavern, so some of the shafts exit from these higher levels.

 

The natural shafts, perhaps 2m diameter on average, continue to radiate outwards for at least another hundred metres, and some of them appear to go much further. In places they join up and criss-cross one another. Not all of these tunnels had yet been fully explored or mapped at the point of the info you have.

 

 

*This is how the Explorators refer to the cavern in their reports. It is in the ‘Hub’ that Watch-Sgt Traxaes and his combat squad (including Asterius and Aykawa!) were attacked.