Only War Introduction (Pre-Game Topic)

[Mojake]

Some of you may have seen this post where I mentioned I'm considering running an Only War (OW) game. I thought I'd start a topic to introduce some parts of the game (since I understand it's seldom played in the Nook), discuss some expectations and gauge interest. This introduction is likely to gain some legs as I write, so if you're still interested by the end, drop a reply below. By all means have a think about characters and drop a few ideas as part of your post, but don't put too much time into it until after we've decided a regiment. 

 

What is Only War?

Since most of you in this forum are familiar with the FFG range of Warhammer games, you'll know this one as 'the Imperial Guard game'. You can intuit a fair bit of what the game is like from that, but the broad strokes and differences from other lines are:

• This is a combat-heavy game and is slightly more rail-roady than other RPGs in the sense that you are given a mission/orders and are expected to complete them or face the firing squad - the nuance comes in how you choose to complete the objectives.
• The game is lethal, the average guardsman starts with 8+1d5 wounds, Tb of 3 and armour with AP4. The humble lasgun does 1d10+3 damage... Fate Points will be used liberally. It's a game about brotherhood, heroism, sacrifice and survival - how the normal human surviving against the insurmountable odds that the galaxy throws at them and how they use their wit, their equipment (if the Departmento Munitorum don't short-change the squad) and their cameraderie to face down the kind of foes that a Space Marine or Inquisitor can steamroll.
• For anybody unfamiliar with the full FFG range, character creation, skills, talents, combat and psychic powers are all pretty much the same as Black Crusade, Deathwatch, etc. 
• The players start by determining their regiment, which we'll probably do in this topic. I'm unsure exactly how, but likely a voting system with opportunity for players to discuss the options. The regiment selected will have direct effect on the game and the missions the squad are sent on; e.g. a Cadian mechanised infantry squad will be sent to complete different tasks than an Ecclesiastical Crusader squad, a Tallarn tank squad or a Catachan scout squad. The regiment is almost as much a character as the PCs, with traditions, culture, etc. that help bring the game to life.
• Each player picks a specialty (class), and it's a good idea to have a balanced selection for the squad - don't disregard the humble infantryman. Teamwork is vital in OW, you aren't playing as a one-man army, no matter what the Imperial propaganda mill might say.
• Each specialty (with some exceptions) gets a comrade. These are NPC characters under direct control of the player and are assets which interact with combat by being given 'orders' by said player, which occur on the same initiative step, if they are within 5m of each other. Comrades are squishier and more stupid (they don't act independently) than PCs and therefore are expected to have a high rate of turnover (even higher than players!), so getting attached to a comrade and keeping them alive will be another challenging facet of play.
• Acquiring gear is done through the Logistics system. The squad will have a Logistics Rating instead of an individual acquisition skill, which can be modified by victories, defeats and whatever else is appropriate. 

 

GM Expectations / My Game

Here's a stream of unordered points around this specific OW game:

• Prospective start date is latter half of June/start of July.
• I'm provisionally looking at capping the game at 8 players as it's my first time running a PBP. I'll gauge the interest after a week or so before I commit to this.
• I mentioned this will be a slightly slower paced game. I'm going to aim for a posting frequency of 2-3 days (depending on post length), with small posts dotted between as I get free time. I would expect players to do a narrative-progressing post every 48 hours, with a bit of pre-warning if they can't make it. If 48 hours has passed and I'm writing up a post, I'll assume your character is acting in line with their latest action. If we're in combat and 48 hours have passed without you posting, Initiative will progress without you until it is an enemy's turn, at which point I'll GM your character's turn and move on (basically meaning other PCs can jump ahead of non-posters after 48 hours of waiting).
• Sources available for character options are anything from the OW Core Rulebook, and at GM's discretion; Hammer of the Emperor (HotE) and Shield of Humanity (SoH). I'll lean towards allowing most things. If anybody can weigh in on the consensus in the Nook for providing copies of the FFG books, I'd appreciate it. I have PDFs of all books but don't want to share them willy-nilly if it's frowned upon.
• I'll create a separate OOC thread like other games have done in the Nook, which is a place for discussions and planning. In order to keep things moving, I'll try and just go along with the majority vote if decisions haven't been made after roughly 48 hours.
• Most of the time, the RP side of the game is the interactions within your squad, with quartermasters, with your commanding officers and with other squads. So more of the heavy-lifting than usual to actually make a story out of this game is tipped towards the players... Think of your favourite war movie or series (if it's Band of Brothers, you get a gold star) where, almost always, the main connection to the story and its conflicts is through the bonds between soldiers. The main upside of the slower GM posting pace is it leaves quite a lot of room for your characters to talk amongst themselves, and I absolutely encourage having conversations with yourselves, your Comrades, and with other players' Comrades.
• Your Comrade will be a character under your control, including roleplaying (one of the few advantages of PBP over in-person games is that talking to yourself doesn't look odd). There may be rare occasions when I will speak through with your Comrade's voice, but I'll keep it to a minimum.
• PVP can only happen with agreement from all parties involved. It should be rare in OW, but sometimes squadmates do resort to fisticuffs to settle differences. Killing other PCs or their comrades needs agreement and a very solid narrative reason. Commissar characters may get to do this more often than the norm, but agreement and justification are still required.
• Don't game the system when it comes to Logistics. I won't put a hard limit on number of rolls a squad can make, but lots of requests in a short space of time will attract attention from the Departmento Munitorum.
• Since you'll be playing as a single squad, the party won't tend to split to the extent that it does in other games. That's not to say that the sergeant and corporal can't divide the unit into combat squads temporarily to achieve two parts of the same objective. On that note, personal objectives aren't defined in the rules, but can be handled narratively through RP.
• I'm a believer in giving minor XP rewards for good roleplaying. I'm an even bigger believer in letting the players decide when these happen (through the OOC thread).
• Outcomes of large battles will have a random element to them, but can of course be modified by the players' actions.
• I'm currently turning over in my head how to handle dice rolling - whether just going fully trust-based or using Orokos. I'd appreciate any input from the current GMs on this, feel free to private message me your thoughts or drop a reply below.
• I may use AI to generate maps and occasionally images for the game. I am not an artist and I don't have the time to meticulously craft big maps.
• I've played a couple of Dark Heresy 2e campaigns, a Deathwatch campaign and a Black Crusade game, and I'm also currently in haitus for the IRL Black Crusade game I run; so I have an okay amount of experience with the FFG rulesets. I've by no means memorised every rule though (as MG can attest to ), so please allow a degree of leniency if I do forget a rule or miss a modifier. Just tag me in the OOC thread if I've made a blunder - I can guarantee you that I won't have done it intentionally to make things difficult (Hanlon's Razor rearing its head again).

 

I've been drafting this post on and off for two hours now, so may have missed some blindingly obvious things that I should have stated expectations for - feel free to drop any questions or requests for clarifications in this thread too  

Edited 5 hours ago by Mojake
Updated placeholder since I posted a half-finished topic by accident!

[Iron Father Ferrum]

I'm a big fan of hard copy.  I despise trying to read a book on PDF...and OW's core rulebook is $200+ at the usual suspect webstores.  That's bananas.

[Mojake]

1 minute ago, Iron Father Ferrum said:

I'm a big fan of hard copy.  I despise trying to read a book on PDF...and OW's core rulebook is $200+ at the usual suspect webstores.  That's bananas.

 

My best bud picked up the entire OW collection, minus one adventure, for £25 from somebody doing a garage sale... My jealousy knows no bounds.

[Mazer Rackham]

My name's Krolsch, I likes fun,

I shoot spikeys wiv' me gun,

Wiv' a boom-bash, chugga-blast,

Kick 'em up the arse,

Spikey's dead, and Krolsh be last.

 

Yeah, count me in.  I'll read your rules later, because I have a serious case of Ogryn.

 

On the sharing of books, I share them to google drive offsite. I take the view the books are mine, to do with as I please, and I also take the view that we are only sharing responsibly. It is not our intention to permanently copy, or prevent books being bought or to incur such losses. Many of our folks will buy the books in humble bundles and such, so it's a case of sharing for reasonable use, as we would physical copies if we were at a table - of course, we do not take the wet, and do not pass them on to anyone else.

 

Anyway.

 

I's got ratshuns to go and find. If anyone is interested, they can find my Ogryn stories in the Fan Fiction Section....

[Trokair]

I am in, if you'll have me.

 

I mentioned in the other thread that I had a Ogryn, Pridbor 'Por'  (and comrade Jarrow, he will be back in a moment.) prepared for a game that did not go ahead. I would like to give that Ogryn another go, obviously adjusted to this games requirement. In case it helps, that other games discussion thread and Por's original bio (obviously will adjust to make it fit with this game).

 

 

If only one Ogryn is allowed in this game then I will defer to Mazer as he expressed interest first.

 

 

[Mazer Rackham]

15 minutes ago, Trokair said:

If only one Ogryn is allowed in this game then I will defer to Mazer as he expressed interest first.

 

Because Tro is such a gentleman, I will not be any less so, and therefore if only one Buff-Boi is allowed, Tro can roll with his bruiser, and I will pick something else, or maybe go back to the Ministorum Priest I rolled up for the same game.

 

That's if you want a 40k version of Alexander Anderson from Hellsing running around....

 

Not a problem.

 

EDIT: If it's of any use to anyone (or the GM) I have refactored (clumsily) Lysimachus' Black Crusade Chargen Sheet. I can share it, if anyone wants a look? It probably needs more bits and pieces on it, but I'm sure it can be fiddled into shape.

 

Edited 4 hours ago by Mazer Rackham

[Trokair]

1 hour ago, Mojake said:

• I'm currently turning over in my head how to handle dice rolling - whether just going fully trust-based or using Orokos. I'd appreciate any input from the current GMs on this, feel free to private message me your thoughts or drop a reply below.

 

Speaking form a GM respective I am ok with trust based rolling in my games, I'd like to think we are all mature (most of the times) and can live with whatever the dice give us. That said this is your game and you do what you are comfortable with, I am sure I can figure out a online roller.

 

[Trokair]

12 minutes ago, Mazer Rackham said:

Because Tro is such a gentleman, I will not be any less so, and therefore if only one Buff-Boi is allowed, Tro can roll with his bruiser, and I will pick something else, or maybe go back to the Ministorum Priest I rolled up for the same game.

 

Tro: Oh but I could not, I insist, you had dibs.

Mazer: No no no, A Gentelman is as he dose.

Tro: Well then there is only one way to settle this. A duel at dawn.  

Mazer: Pistol or Sabre? 

Tro: Given the subject, Ripper Gun or arm-wrestle I would think...

Mazer: I'll take the Ripper Gun, you the arm, deal?

 

 

--- 

 

If you are sure Mazer, then thank you for the offer, but likewise don't feel bound to it if during the initial game discussion if you have inspiration and so on and do want to Ogryn it out (all assuming GM Mojake approves).

 

[Mojake]

24 minutes ago, Mazer Rackham said:

I can share it, if anyone wants a look?

 

That would be great, thanks.

[Trokair]

1 hour ago, Mojake said:

• The players start by determining their regiment, which we'll probably do in this topic. I'm unsure exactly how, but likely a voting system with opportunity for players to discuss the options. The regiment selected will have direct effect on the game and the missions the squad are sent on; e.g. a Cadian mechanised infantry squad will be sent to complete different tasks than an Ecclesiastical Crusader squad, a Tallarn tank squad or a Catachan scout squad. The regiment is almost as much a character as the PCs, with traditions, culture, etc. that help bring the game to life.

If you don't have a regiment in mind already (and not having read any rules as to these regiments) then from the 'name' regiments for flavour I would like to suggest Armageddon Steel Legion  or perhaps Tallarn.

 

[Mojake]

9 minutes ago, Trokair said:

If you don't have a regiment in mind already (and not having read any rules as to these regiments) then from the 'name' regiments for flavour I would like to suggest Armageddon Steel Legion  or perhaps Tallarn.

 

The collaborative regiment building is a cool way to get everyone invested from the get-go. There are some cool rules for designing new ones from scratch, with bonuses and rules thrown around for selecting homeworld type, regimental doctrines, special weapon preferences, etc.

 

Happy to pick one of the famous ones if the players prefer, but scratch-building one would be fun 

[A.T.]

Not familiar with the system (never had any of the books), just glancing at the talents reference. Some interesting things with the way abilities are tied to the characters minion (i.e. spotters for special weapons, the master of ordnance bringing down fire from a mortar off in the distance, etc)

 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by A.T.

[Mojake]

19 minutes ago, Mojake said:

There are some cool rules for designing new ones from scratch

 

You get 12 points to spend in total, with drawbacks giving some points back. A Home World/Origin must be selected, the other tables you can pick and choose from with freedom (at GM discretion).

Home Worlds & Origins

Source	Home World / Origin	Cost
OW	Death World	3
OW	Fortress World	3
OW	Highborn	3
OW	Hive World	3
OW	Imperial World	1
OW	Penal Colony	2
OW	Penitent	3
OW	Schola Progenium	3
SoH	The Lathe Worlds	4
SoH	Ogryn World	5
SoH	Post-Cataclysmic World	3
SoH	Ratling World	3
SoH	Shrine World	3
SoH	Void Born	3
HotE	Agri-World	3
HotE	Feral World	4
HotE	Feudal World	3
HotE	Forge World	4
HotE	Frontier World	4
HotE	Mining Colony	3

Commanding Officer

Source	Personality	Cost
OW	Bilious	2
OW	Circumspect	2
OW	Choleric	2
OW	Fixed	1
OW	Maverick	2
OW	Melancholic	2
OW	Phlegmatic	1
OW	Sanguine	2
OW	Supine	1

Regiment Types

Source	Regiment Type	Cost
OW	Armoured Regiment	4
OW	Reconnaissance Regiment	3
OW	Drop Troops	3
OW	Hunter-Killer	3
OW	Light Infantry	2
OW	Line Infantry	2
OW	Mechanised Infantry	3
OW	Siege Infantry	2
SoH	Close Assault Regiment	3
SoH	Mechanised Reconnaissance Regiment	3
SoH	Rapid Reconnaissance Regiment	8
SoH	Salvage and Recovery Regiment	3
SoH	Super-Heavy Armoured Regiment	7
HotE	Artillery Regiment	4
HotE	Guerilla Regiment	4
HotE	Grenadiers	4
HotE	Heavy Reconnaissance Regiment	8
HotE	Rough Rider Regiment	5

Training Doctrines

Source	Doctrine	Cost
OW	Close Order Drill	2
OW	Die-Hards	3
OW	Favoured Foe	3
OW	Hardened Fighters	2
OW	Iron Discipline	3
OW	Sharpshooters	4
OW	Survivalists	4
SoH	Crusaders	3
SoH	Defenders of the Faith	2
SoH	Defenders of the Omnissiah	3
SoH	Demolitionists	4
SoH	Sappers	3
SoH	Snipers	2
HotE	Anti-Aircraft	4
HotE	Anti-Armour	4
HotE	Close Quarters Battle	5
HotE	Heavy Lancers	5
HotE	Infiltrators	4
HotE	Skirmishers	4

Special Equipment Doctrines

Source	Doctrine	Cost
OW	Augmetics	2
OW	Chameleoline	3
OW	Combat Drugs	2
OW	Demolitions	3
OW	Scavengers	3
OW	Warrior Weapons	3
OW	Well-Provisioned	3
SoH	Automated Artillery	2
SoH	Bonded to the Machine Cult	3
SoH	Cyber-Enhanced	3
SoH	Breachers	2
SoH	Ogryn Weapons	1
SoH	Reliquary	1
SoH	Sabre Battery	3
SoH	Servitor Accompaniment	2
HotE	Cavalry Mounts	5
HotE	Covert Strike	5
HotE	Electro-Vox Warfare	4
HotE	Forward Observation	4
HotE	Vanguard	6

Regimental Drawbacks

Source	Drawback	Extra Points
SoH	Conscripts	3
SoH	Iconoclasts	3
SoH	Primitive	5
SoH	Tainted	3
SoH	Traitors	5
SoH	Warp-Delayed	4
HotE	Cloud of Suspicion	3
HotE	Condemned	6
HotE	Cult of Chivalry	3
HotE	Dishonoured	3
HotE	Doomed	7
HotE	Honour Bound	4
HotE	Incompetent Leadership	5
HotE	Lost Home World	5
HotE	Mistrusted	3
HotE	Poorly Provisioned	4
HotE	Regimental Rivalry	2
HotE	Scarred by Loss	4
HotE	The Few	5

[Mazer Rackham]

37 minutes ago, Trokair said:

...or perhaps Tallarn.

 

Tro knows my weakness for Mukaali.

 

What's this, Tro? Payback for all the tickles over your Veggiepanzer?

 

Just As Planned, eh? Eh? 

[Necronaut]

@Mojake you are a hero of the Imperium! Pencil me in for a weapons specialist or heavy gunner, depending upon our party needs.

[Mazer Rackham]

What we should do is all be Ogryns, except for one Player who is forced to be a Commissar with three broken legs.

 

We then take the Loyalty and Willpower Apts + upgrades, the mission should start with all Comrades being killed, and we can slowly watch the Commissar (Necro) go insane as he has no-one to discipline.

[Machine God]

Hello @Mojake - I would like to play in your game. Hopefully there is still space? 

 

 

 

 

 

[Trokair]

1 hour ago, Mojake said:

 

The collaborative regiment building is a cool way to get everyone invested from the get-go. There are some cool rules for designing new ones from scratch, with bonuses and rules thrown around for selecting homeworld type, regimental doctrines, special weapon preferences, etc.

 

Happy to pick one of the famous ones if the players prefer, but scratch-building one would be fun 

 

Scratch build does sound interesting, will have a look when I can. 

 

 

45 minutes ago, Mazer Rackham said:

Tro knows my weakness for Mukaali.

While I did have it in the back of my mind when I suggested Tallarn, the suggestion was based purely on which named regiments I thought would be interesting in general.    

 

 

45 minutes ago, Mazer Rackham said:

What's this, Tro? Payback for all the tickles over your Veggiepanzer?

I assure you I have entirely honourable intentions, and no japes at your fondness for a certain desert themed ridable beast are intended or planned (and the FW models for these are cool, a shame that they are OOP - also not sure why, but they always had a slight Star Wars feel to them for me, perhaps just that settings fondness for wired creatures). 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 2 hours ago by Trokair

[Machine God]

1 minute ago, Mazer Rackham said:

What we should do is all be Ogryns, except for one Player who is forced to be a Commissar with three broken legs.

 

We then take the Loyalty and Willpower Apts + upgrades, the mission should start with all Comrades being killed, and we can slowly watch the Commissar (Necro) go insane as he has no-one to discipline.

Who's da Bone-Head? 

 

 

 

[Mazer Rackham]

Just now, Machine God said:

Who's da Bone-Head? 

 

*Looks up*

 

*Sees Jesus watching.*

 

Yes, sir. Moving on.

[Mojake]

13 minutes ago, Machine God said:

Hello @Mojake - I would like to play in your game. Hopefully there is still space? 

 

Yep! 

 

So far we have:

• Mazer
• Tro
• Necro
• MG
• Badgers
• A.T.

Edited 2 hours ago by Mojake

[Mazer Rackham]

@Mojake @BadgersinHills mentioned interest in a Ratling or Techpriest.

 

I know he's got his own gob, but I thought to tag him in if he's not subbed to the thread.

[Machine God]

2 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

 

Anyway.

 

I's got ratshuns to go and find. If anyone is interested, they can find my Ogryn stories in the Fan Fiction Section....

 

Are dey ritten in Krayon? 

 

 

 

[BadgersinHills]

Thanks for the mention @Mazer Rackham, would be interested in being a Ratling. 

[A.T.]

3 minutes ago, Mojake said:

So far we have:

 

Also interested.

 

Regients look fun... lets see:

Incompetent Leadership, Supine commander, Post-Cataclysmic World, Salvage and Recovery Regiment, Close Quarters Battle, Covert Strike.

"Commissar got his baneblade stuck in the mud at the ork encampment again, go dig it out and tow it back and there better not be anything missing this time."