[DW: Solo Play] Operation Hellstrike (OOC)

[Mazer Rackham]

+ DEATHWATCH: SOLO PLAY CAMPAIGN +

 

++ OPERATION HELLSTRIKE ++

 

(DISCUSSION & OOC THREAD)

 

Premise:

 

Operation Hellstrike is a Deathwatch RPG Solo Player campaign where the GM and the Individual PC interact on a 1-2-1 basis, undertaking an adventure that is essentially on-rails, that provides the opportunity to cut loose. It is a combat heavy, Relentless Adversary^(TM) experience that performs on Structured Time Light. The Player will be deemed to capture Priority in all circumstances, with minimal interactions with NPC's, but lots and lots of shooting, stabbing and shouting. The missions themselves may look familiar, but you'll have to guess where they're from...

 

DW Solo Play (DW:SP) is intended to provide Players who are otherwise at a loose end with something to engage them in the Nook, where they are not already enrolled onto a Campaign Roster. I have run a few of these in the past, and they have mechanically worked reasonably well.

 

Why Deathwatch? It's the best understood in the Nook, and my personal favourite that I know the best. The ruleset is one of the best I have encountered bar a few hiccups that can be rectified with a bit of common sense.

 

Execution:

 

Enemy type is decided by the Player, not the GM, and therefore Player control has more precedence, but the environment will be pregenerated by the GM. Player Power level is negotiable, with an emphasis on confrontation and Player vs Environment pressure. Equipment will mostly just be chosen (within reason), and Renown scores generally formula driven to support starting Rank.

 

The Mechanical rules of play in Deathwatch are followed as closely as possible, with flexibility for the GM to adjust in the Player's favour regarding Character Build, with a certain amount of gating to prevent unintended interactions. For example, any Prerequisite for Talents must be met, but Advanced Classes not normally available are considered. With Solo Play, this power imbalance is not a problem, since a GM does not have to balance an encounter for a Group, so the reins can be slackened.

 

No Character Threads will be opened. The Solo Player is encouraged to make their Character Bio the first post in response to this opener in order to keep the footprint minimal. This is intended as a one-shot. A Chargen Sheet should be completed in the usual way, stored in the usual place. Mission Information will of course be given in the IC Thread for this Game.

 

Mission Roster:

Player: @Necronaut

Adversary: Tyranids

 

Edited May 6 by Mazer Rackham
OOC is open.

[Necronaut]

 

Name: Zvarog Orkros

Designation: Punitor-Revenant (Dreadnought)

Chapter: Red Talons (permanently seconded to Deathwatch)

Service Record (Abridged):

- Gothic War - Awarded Unguis Rubrum for suicidal heroism during boarding action against [REDACTED]

- Purging of the Galthites (Xenos) - Granted campaign badge as permanent addition to personal heraldry

- Phrygian Wars - Citation for Valour in purging of renegade forces

- Seconded to Ordo Xenos Chamber Militant - nominated for service with Deathwatch; unconfirmed rumours of slaying a battle-brother during an honour duel

- Defence of Koth - Mortally wounded during counter-assault upon xenos forces; interred within Deathwatch dreadnought chassis designation Sepulcrum Irae with full honours

 

+++

 

His war is unceasing, unending. He has brought death and destruction to the traitor, the heretic and the myriad hordes of xenos, both in life and undeath. He will never return home for he has long trod the path of the exile, and in the black depths of his boundless malice and hatred he has found his true place in the order of the cosmos amongst the Deathwatch.

 

He is death. He is returned. He is iron. He is hatred eternal.

 

+++

 

Dreadnought Armaments:

- Dreadnought CCW with Auxiliary Astartes Heavy Flamer

- Twin-Linked Heavy Bolter

- Cerberus Launcher with Stun Grenades

- Back Banner with Deathwatch Heraldry

Edited May 11 by Necronaut
Added equipment loadout

[Mazer Rackham]

Thanks Necro, I'm sure we'll be seeing quite a lot of our angry, angry machine man. 

 

This is a first for me and the Nook, so I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do with this.

 

With that, OOC is weapons free for comments and build chat.

 

Edited May 6 by Mazer Rackham

[Trokair]

Well this will be an entertaing read, a Dreadnaught with presumably all the toys should be quite the carnage. 

[Lysimachus]

So the idea is like a single player shoot'em up, a la Space Marine? Vs hordes of gribblies and big bosses?

 

With basically no limits on XP, progression or equipment? 

 

In some respects, it seems like the next step on from the Space Hulk game?

 

Anyway, sounds like great fun, and kudos to @Necronaut for choosing to play a Dread!

 

 

Edit: I think maybe I'd work out a Stormbringer 1st Co Veteran, equipped as a Bike-mounted Stormguard (as opposed to Sternguard or Vanguard)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 6 by Lysimachus

[Mazer Rackham]

1 hour ago, Lysimachus said:

So the idea is like a single player shoot'em up, a la Space Marine? Vs hordes of gribblies and big bosses?

 

That is precisely what this is.

 

1 hour ago, Lysimachus said:

With basically no limits on XP, progression or equipment? 

 

There are a few brakes, but only to stop stuff that would hideously break things.

 

1 hour ago, Lysimachus said:

In some respects, it seems like the next step on from the Space Hulk game?

 

Pretty much - except I can amp things up better depending on the build, and play around a little more. The enviroment will be more reactive, since it's just a Solo PC, and me.

 

Start off normally, pick chapter, pick class or archetype, if there's an Advanced Class like Deathwing Vet, well that's Rank 5, so no sweat. You start as usual with the 1000xp, build the marine out to the thresholds to Rank 5, then you're given the XP to buy the advance, and automatically qualify for the Renown level and gear, and can pick from there.

 

If I feel it's right for the PC's kit, it shouldn't be a problem since only one person wants it, meaning I don't have to horse-trade to ensure group parity.

 

1 hour ago, Lysimachus said:

Anyway, sounds like great fun, and kudos to @Necronaut for choosing to play a Dread!

 

Edit: I think maybe I'd work out a Stormbringer 1st Co Veteran, equipped as a Bike-mounted Stormguard (as opposed to Sternguard or Vanguard)

 

Let's see how we do! 

[Black Cohort]

The idea is super cool.

 

Only in Death does Duty End

 

Good to see that one of Decimus' [[REDACTED by Order of the Emperors Holy Inquisition, Classification Level: Alpha Extremeus, Ordering Inquisitor: REDACTED; "Blessed is the mind free of doubt or heresy"]]

[Mazer Rackham]

Appreciate the positive words from everyone so far.

 

There may be a bit of trial and error to start off with, but once we're in the groove, it should be alright. As with any Deathwatch campaign, Necro and I have discussed fully building out the character, to provide a reference point and testbed for other PC's of the Chapter he's chosen, and to push some immersion.

 

Just waiting to see his horrifically broken build. 

[Trokair]

9 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

Just waiting to see his horrifically broken build. 

 

Jump naught with triple-barrelled-multi-melta, claw with inbuilt double flamethrower, cyclone missile launcher on the shoulders and bolters in the feet for clearing the landing zone after a jump.  Oh and a third arm with twin assault cannon...

 

Hmm... Missing some plasma in there somewhere, eye cannons perhaps? 

Edited May 7 by Trokair
I can has spelling?

[Mazer Rackham]

Defintely room for a skul-gun.

[Necronaut]

On 5/7/2025 at 4:58 AM, Mazer Rackham said:

Appreciate the positive words from everyone so far.

 

There may be a bit of trial and error to start off with, but once we're in the groove, it should be alright. As with any Deathwatch campaign, Necro and I have discussed fully building out the character, to provide a reference point and testbed for other PC's of the Chapter he's chosen, and to push some immersion.

 

Just waiting to see his horrifically broken build. 

 

Look, pal, you're the one who set the xp budget. Anything that gets spit out once I start turning the crank on the old arithmetic-machine is entirely on you. 

[Necronaut]

19 hours ago, Trokair said:

 

Jump naught with triple-barrelled-multi-melta, claw with inbuilt double flamethrower, cyclone missile launcher on the shoulders and bolters in the feet for clearing the landing zone after a jump.  Oh and a third arm with twin assault cannon...

 

Hmm... Missing some plasma in there somewhere, eye cannons perhaps? 

 

I actually bodged on an omega plasma array that I salvaged from a derelict sicaran omega tank instead of the triple-multi-melta, and the extra arm has a butcher-cannon array. Definitely up to Mechanicus code.  

 

Also I replaced the feet with leviathan siege drills, each with the integrated meltaguns, and the storm bolters are mounted to the chassis (the Mechanicus representative said this model was in good nick, very low mileage, only one previous pilot). Otherwise spot on.

Edited May 8 by Necronaut

[Mazer Rackham]

That chassis is a red hot item - no I mean it, it was procured for the DW by the Blood Ravens, and so far we've had seventeen calls, all from different chapters, claiming they owned it, and demanding to know what happened to Bob.

 

What he didn't tell you about the siege drills is that they're actually 3d printed, so we got 'em in a job lot. I mean, free's free, amirite?

[Necronaut]

The nice thing about the siege drills is he can now zoom around the battlefield like he's on roller-skates and/or produce trench networks and tunnels on demand.

[Machine God]

 

21 hours ago, Trokair said:

 

Jump naught with triple-barrelled-multi-melta, claw with inbuilt double flamethrower, cyclone missile launcher on the shoulders and bolters in the feet for clearing the landing zone after a jump.  Oh and a third arm with twin assault cannon...

 

Hmm... Missing some plasma in there somewhere, eye cannons perhaps? 

 

You forgot the Psychic Powers.

 

 

Edited May 8 by Machine God
Android Spoiler shenanigans

[Mazer Rackham]

TBF, no we didn't forget that....the Dread profile specifically says no witches...

[A.T.]

3 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

TBF, no we didn't forget that....the Dread profile specifically says no witches...

Librarian dreadnoughts are page 42 of first founding if you want them.

 

 

 

 

[Necronaut]

5 minutes ago, A.T. said:

Librarian dreadnoughts are page 42 of first founding if you want them.

 

We did very briefly discuss the possibility of running a librarian dread, but quickly decided that in the interest of simplicity (for a given definition thereof) that a standard dreadnought was sufficiently complex for the purposes of this exercise.

[Mazer Rackham]

41 minutes ago, A.T. said:

Librarian dreadnoughts are page 42 of first founding if you want them.

 

I'd forgotten that profile was there! 

 

33 minutes ago, Necronaut said:

We did very briefly discuss the possibility of running a librarian dread, but quickly decided that in the interest of simplicity (for a given definition thereof) that a standard dreadnought was sufficiently complex for the purposes of this exercise.

 

We did, but I'd forgotten the First Founding thing...oops.

 

Anyway, Necro is Mr Killy, so no need for mind bullets...I shall however clarify the position:

 

The Dreadnoaugh in Rites of Battle CONVENIENTLY stipulates no Libbys....

[Trokair]

6 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

That chassis is a red hot item - no I mean it, it was procured for the DW by the Blood Ravens, and so far we've had seventeen calls, all from different chapters, claiming they owned it, and demanding to know what happened to Bob.

 

Clearly being called Bob is an express ticket to being interred in a Dreadnaught. 

[Mazer Rackham]

Bob x Dreadnaught.

 

Hence 'Boxnaughts'.

[Necronaut]

@Mazer Rackham REEEEEEEEEEE!

 

With that incoherent screeching out of the way, I have gotten caught up on that first post. Had a busy weekend. Shall I start things off with an initiative roll and an attempt to rally the defenders or somesuch? Or did you assign the initiative order?

[Mazer Rackham]

Initiaitve order is determined and fixed - as per my layout post, player takes priority in all instances.

 

You may rally, reeeee, run roughshod, rumble or whatever you will at the Emperor's own and your divine convenience, sir. 

[Black Cohort]

Die, filthy xenos scum

[Mazer Rackham]

We should probably have a kill counter....for science.

 

I think so far that's 40 mag eliminated by Zvarog, and 1 Elite. I know Mag doesn't = size of the mob, but it would likely be ten 'bug' squads in this instance, so we should use that metric.

 

A carnifex, however massive, still only counts as one...