temprus wrote:

H.B.M.C. wrote:Yeah that's... not so awesome.

But... but .... Sgt U has his bling, and Space Wolfie has his Wolf Mask, even the dev has his hoodie.

Darknite wrote:I guess you were looking for something more 'old school'?

warboss wrote:so how compatible do you guys (who are more knowledgeable about this rpg than me) expect it to be with the other 40k rpg books? is this officially a third tier to the 40k rpg?


could you advance a character from rogue trader to dark heresy? (or vice versa, not sure which one came first). if you run this game, have they announced whether or not you can play non-marines advanced to the same rough character level? (SOB, inquisitiors, etc)

reds8n wrote:
Well, it uses the same mechanics and rules so it wouldn't be impossible for characters from the games to interact, of course there's no chance of your Acolyte becoming a marine or anything.

warboss wrote:so how compatible do you guys (who are more knowledgeable about this rpg than me) expect it to be with the other 40k rpg books?

warboss wrote:is this officially a third tier to the 40k rpg? could you advance a character from rogue trader to dark heresy? (or vice versa, not sure which one came first).

warboss wrote:if you run this game, have they announced whether or not you can play non-marines advanced to the same rough character level? (SOB, inquisitiors, etc)

H.B.M.C. wrote:

warboss wrote:is this officially a third tier to the 40k rpg? could you advance a character from rogue trader to dark heresy? (or vice versa, not sure which one came first).

It's probably not the best idea to look at DH/RT/DW as 'tiers' of the same game. They're not tiers, and they're not the same game.

BrookM wrote:Supposedly this Summer, though I wouldn't be surprised to see it slip into Autumn.

Fantasy Flight Games would like to invite you to join the Deathwatch!

Check out this exciting new game on Free RPG Day with the introductory adventure Final Sanction. Things are not right on the planet of Landsholm. Rebellion and anarchy threaten to the tear the world apart. The Inquisition suspects alien influence, and has requested that the Deathwatch be sent in to handle the matter.

This free introduction to Deathwatch includes a full adventure, four pre-generated characters, and a set of basic rules to help players and Game Masters become familiar with the Deathwatch roleplaying game.

Check out a list of participating retailers.

In honor of Free RPG Day, the Fantasy Flight Games Event Center will be giving away free copies of Final Sanction, and RPG developers Ross Watson, Sam Stewart, and Mack Martin will be in attendance to run introductory sessions of Deathwatch!

Planning to attend at the FFG Event Center? Check out a full schedule of events!

Deathwatch is a roleplaying game in which players take on the roles of the bio-engineered super-soldiers known as Space Marines. United with their battle-brothers, players will complete extraordinary missions involving some of the greatest heroes and deadliest opponents the Warhammer 40,000 universe has to offer.

reds8n wrote:Oh.. the alien races for RT.. ork freeboota anyone ?

Ork Freebooter. The other one is "iconic, yet not what we expected". I'm kind of torn between wanting the other one to be Eldar Corsair and feeling that they won't do them justice in this book.

'Ere We Go! 10

by Sam Stewart

Greetings, Rogue Traders!

This week I’m pleased to turn the Astropathic broadcast over to Rogue Trader writer Nathan Dowdell, who wrote—among other things—the Ork Freebooterz for Into the Storm!

Generic salutations! I’m Nathan Dowdell, and I’m one of the newest additions to the eclectic collection of scribes working on the Rogue Trader line. Into the Storm was the first book I worked on as a writer, but I’ve been involved with Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay for several years now, having playtested Dark Heresy in some of its earliest incarnations.

Now, I’ve a confession to make: I like Xenos. The aliens of the Warhammer 40,000 universe have always held an appeal for me, ever since the first time I read the descriptions in the Codex Imperialis book that came with the old boxed set. It’s been a great honour, then, to be one of the people involved with bringing playable Xenos to Rogue Trader.

‘Ere We Go! ‘Ere We Go! ‘Ere We Go!

Brave and foolhardy Rogue Traders can hire Ork Freebooterz to join the ranks of the Explorers, adding brute strength, incredible resilience and a complete lack of tact to any group.

Creating an Ork Freebooter character is, perhaps unsurprisingly, not too dissimilar to creating any other character. The biggest difference is perhaps the Origin Path, or lack thereof. From the outset, we knew that the standard Origin Path and Career Paths would not really suit the themes and backgrounds of Xenos player characters, and our first challenge was to find an alternative method.

In the end, simplicity won out, and the Freebooter is represented by a single ‘species’ entry, and an accompanying Career Path. Within the species entry, there are a selection of Origin options, adding some of the customisation and variability that the Origin Path provides for human characters. In the case of the Orks, these represent two elements that define Ork ‘Kultur’: the Klans, and the instinctive knowledge located deep within Ork genetics that produce their castes and specialists.

Now, the section is far from just rules. Playing any character is more than statistics and dice rolls, afterall, and Orks are no different. Indeed, something I took firmly into account is that playing an alien character requires a little more guidance than playing a human being. About half of the section is devoted to describing and examining what Orks are, how they act, and even how they think—conveying information valuable to anyone thinking about playing an Ork. I spent long hours poring over every piece of Ork information I could find, from their original depictions in Waaagh: The Orks and ‘Ere We Go!, through three iterations of Codex: Orks and anything else I could lay my hands on, in order to gain as broad and detailed an insight into the greenskins as I possibly could.

One thing I felt it was particularly important to convey was that, while the Orks are hardly the ‘noble savage’ or ‘proud warrior race’, they aren’t inherently evil, just extremely violent. An Ork does not, typically, hate his enemies—indeed, an Ork values highly any foes strong enough to match him—and wages war with laughter and enthusiasm compared to the loathing and grim necessity that so often fuel human warfare. This core value, above all others, is the single greatest defining factor of the Ork mindset, and the most important thing for anybody wanting to play an Ork to understand, in my opinion.

The Freebooter career itself covers a hefty chunk of an Ork’s normal lifespan, with the character growing larger, stronger and deadlier as it progresses, to the point where experienced Ork Freebooter characters can quite happily face even Space Marines in single combat. Freebooterz aren’t, however, the only option. Mekboyz and Kommandos also receive attention, represented by alternate ranks that allow Ork characters to gain abilities not normally available to them, be they advanced skills with technology, or the ability to sneak up on enemies and stab them (or blow them up) before they realise you’re there. There’s also a significant selection of Ork-specific equipment, and for those Orks who constantly feel “da need fer speed,” a Warbike can be found amongst the vehicle rules. Orks can even pick up Gretchen, Snotling, and Squigs, who serve as assistants and potential emergency rations.

In the end, an Ork Explorer is a unique character in Rogue Trader that can lead to new and interesting group dynamics in turn. It can also lead to interesting quandaries for the group, particularly if they need to leave the Expanse and return to the Imperium!

Greetings, Bolter & Chainsword!

I'm Ross Watson, the Senior RPG Designer in charge of the Deathwatch RPG.
I've really enjoyed working with Kurgan the Lurker and the rest of the Bolter & Chainsword Deathwatch Playtest group, and the quality of the book definitely reflects their assistance!

I'll do my best to answer your questions from this thread:

QUOTE (Zanrian @ Jun 1 2010, 03:42 PM)
- How well will Deathwatch integrate with the other two games? Will the players be able to use the stuff from the other games and use it in Deathwatch and vice versa?

Deathwatch is a fully stand-alone game that is an awesome play experience all on its own; you do not need to have Dark Heresy or Rogue Trader to play!

The Deathwatch RPG is fully compatible with Rogue Trader and Dark Heresy, and the ruleset for all three games is the same at its foundation. Naturally, there are some rules for each game line that are unique to it (i.e., Daemonic Pacts in Dark Heresy, Profit Factor in Rogue Trader, etc.). It is also important to note that Deathwatch is set on a higher tier of power than the other two games, and any GM who intends to combine them should be aware that Space Marines are far more powerful in combat than many characters from the other two games.

QUOTE (Grand Admiral Thrawn @ Jun 1 2010, 03:44 PM)
Will we see additional RPGs from you guys? Like for the Ecclesiarchy or Arbites?

I can't really comment on future products for the game at this time, but I can tell you that I am a big fan of both the Ecclesiarchy and the Arbites and I would really like to see them addressed in the RPG before long.

QUOTE (Chucku @ Jun 1 2010, 04:05 PM)
What are your concepts around character advancement, particularly as it involves a story arc in a campaign? Is this game meant to be played with Space Marines "fully loaded" for a series of Missions, or is it meant to be more along a typical RPG system with characters starting at some base level and improving over time in a campaign?

Deathwatch provides a framework for both styles of play. The book is written from the standpoint that most players will want to start out as Space Marines who have been newly seconded to the Deathwatch, perhaps still a bit wary of each other and learning to work together over time. Character advancement is also quite different in Deathwatch; Space Marines have many more options and ways to grow as characters. For example, there are Skills, Talents, and Traits you can choose related to your Chapter, your Speciality, and from a special set of Deathwatch-only advances!

With all that having been said, the game can certainly accommodate starting a group at a higher power level ("fully loaded") as you say, with higher amounts of Renown and play from that point forwards as well.

QUOTE (The Emperor's Champion @ Jun 1 2010, 04:12 PM)
Do we get a supplement that expands on the distinctions between Chapters? You said only like 3-5 famous Chapters to start with, right?
Do we get a supplement that expands on the wargear of the Space Marines to the point where most of everything from combat knife to Battle Barge is covered? I assume you can't fit an entire rules set and all the wargear into one book.

The Deathwatch Core Rulebook contains 6 complete Space Marine Chapters you can select for your character, and I definitely have plans to expand on this in the future of the game line. Stay tuned to the FFG web site for more information on the future of the Deathwatch line!

QUOTE (Lucifer216 @ Jun 3 2010, 03:27 AM)
How will mass combat be handled? I've not seen a RPG yet that can handle it well. The sheer amount of number-crunching quickly gets stale after the first hour or so...

Are there any plans for a Chaos Renegade expansion? Forming your own warband in the Eye of Terror would make for a refreshing change of setting and the additional rules could easily fit in a meaty sized expansion, similar to the Radical's Handbook.

We've incorporated a mechanic called "Hordes," representing situations where the Space Marines will be fighting large groups of lesser opponents. When attacked by twenty Fire Warriors, the Space Marines can find that encounter to be a challenge and a threat with the Hordes rules. Naturally, a single Fire Warrior isn't much of a fight for a Deathwatch Kill-team, so the Hordes rules provide some simple and easy to use rules for a GM to have his Deathwatch Kill-team face serried ranks of the enemy. Keep an eye on the FFG web site for more on Hordes in an upcoming designer diary, and there is also information on them in the Free RPG Day quickstart adventure, Final Sanction.

QUOTE (GreaterDragon @ Jun 3 2010, 03:06 AM)
Will the Deathwatch RPG be a d20 system like dnd,a d10 like Exalted or something else entirely? (I am pretty sure I have not seen this be mentioned,if I am wrong please delete the question.)

Will the system be consistent unto itself? (What I mean is: marines are supposed to be superhuman.Will the system enforce this through superior stats/abilities through which other creatures/entities can be described as well or will there be special quirks/rules to describe the vast plethora of creatures one can encounter in the galaxy?To further elaborate I will bring an example from dnd 3.5 version.Though the system is really nice there were,for instance,prestige classes that introduced stances,custom resources,etc breaking from the norm of the rules.Will we see similar diversity here between classes/creatures or even marines from other chapters?That is what I wish to know about.)

Deathwatch uses the same system as Dark Heresy and Rogue Trader, it is not D20.

There are numerous mechanics in the game to support all the abilities and powers of a Space Marine. They are the galaxy's supreme warriors, and you will find that this definitely carries through in the way the game works! You can spit acid, learn your enemy's secrets by devouring a portion of their corpse, fight one-on-one against a Tyranid Warrior, and much, much more!

There will be a lot of diversity in the game, not just from the Space Marine's Chapters, but also from his personal Demeanour, his history before joining the Deathwatch, plus more stuff that I won't spoil just yet.

Future products for the Deathwatch line will expand on this even more and offer many more ways to personalize and advance your character in unique ways.

QUOTE (Lord of Insanity @ Jun 1 2010, 08:48 PM)
Will there be a maximum number of Marines in a Kill-Team?
Will there be an extensive supplement covering all possible aliens that the Kill-Team may come across? If not, will it be covered in the core book?
Will the Kill-Team be able to work on its own in certain missions, or will they always be watched by an Inquisitor at the start?

There is no maximum number per se, but a typical Kill-team is usually between four and six Space Marines. Smaller and larger groups are not unknown, but are fairly rare.

Again, I can't get too into detail about future products at this time, but if you keep an eye on the FFG web site in the future, we will be giving you more information about that very soon.

As for working on their own, the unique nature of the Deathwatch means that Kill-teams operate in very unusual ways, many of which are outside of the structure of the Codex Astartes. At times, your Kill-team may be under the direction of an Inquisitor. Other times, they may be simply given a Watch Station of their own, guarding against the return of an alien horror. A Watch Captain may have his own plans for the Kill-team, and the Kill-team itself may at times choose to take action when such action is called for. There is definitely a large number of options for the players and the GM to find whichever approach works best for them.

QUOTE (Zanrian @ Jun 1 2010, 05:17 PM)
Will we get a final answer to the age old question "Can there be female Space Marines?" [I'm sorry, but couldn't help myself. ]

But onto a more seriously question.

How well balanced will Deathwatch be compared to the other releases? A problem seen by other RPGs, when they releases other factions in the same universe, and the rules coming into conflict with each other.

Will there be a Collector's Edition for DW, just like you did with Rogue Trader? If so, at what price range and with what extra sweets for buyers?

As I mentioned above, Deathwatch is fully compatible with the other Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay games.

We are planning a Collector's Edition, and it is very, very cool! Unfortunately, I can't say anything more than that at this time.

Thanks again to Kurgan for helping to set up this Q&A, and I look forward to seeing the B&C's reaction to Deathwatch when it becomes available!

c34r34lk1ll3r wrote:Do we have speculation on Chapters yet? I'm expecting Ultramarines, Blood Angels, Space Wolves, Dark Angels, and 2 others.

I'm wanting Grey Knights and Black Templars but who knows what we'll get.

H.B.M.C. wrote:

c34r34lk1ll3r wrote:Do we have speculation on Chapters yet? I'm expecting Ultramarines, Blood Angels, Space Wolves, Dark Angels, and 2 others.

I'm wanting Grey Knights and Black Templars but who knows what we'll get.

The Chapters were confirmed a while back.

Ultramarines
Dark Angels
Blood Angels
Space Wolves
Black Templars
Storm Wardens

vitki wrote:If you go back in the thread, it was mentioned that they are the home brew chapter FFG came up with for this game.

Greetings, Deathwatch fans!

Deathwatch Kill-teams often rely upon the psychic powers and learned guidance of a Librarian. These specially trained Space Marines have highly-developed psychic abilities and battle-disciplines that make them into potent warriors. Librarians can communicate across stellar distances, confuse an enemy force, or strike down the strongest foe with bolts of conjured lightning. Librarians are also taught much secret knowledge, and it is this role that often proves most useful to a Kill-team.

Deathwatch Librarian characters in the Deathwatch RPG have access to a number of different psychic powers to choose from. There are some powers that all Librarians share, and in addition, each Chapter has their own particular abilities that only a Librarian from that Chapter may use. Similar to the psychic power rules in Rogue Trader, Librarians have a great deal of control over their abilities, and may choose to use them at a tightly contained manner (the Fettered level), exert their abilities at a fuller level of power but with some risk (the Unfettered level), or they can summon every erg of effort into a massive feat of psychic dominance that incurs a great risk indeed (the Push level).

Here is an example psychic power found in the Deathwatch core rulebook:

Force Dome
Action: Full
Opposed: No
Range: 5m x Psy Rating radius
Sustained: Yes
Description: Summoning up a shimmering field of force, the Librarian fashions a shell around himself and nearby allies. The shell is a sphere extending up to the radius around, above, and below the Librarian and protecting him and any within it. The shell provides 2 AP x Psy Rating against all kinds of ranged attacks or hazardous environmental effects (this additional protection stacks with any worn Armour), even trapping air and water within it. However, it does not stop melee attacks or creatures (friend or foe) that may pass through it without restriction.

Deathwatch Psychic Powers
Librarians are an iconic part of the Warhammer 40,000 universe and play a vital role in the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes. They are also among the most formidable battle psykers the Imperium has to offer, with truly fearsome powers and abilities. With this in mind the Psychic Powers Chapter for Deathwatch was designed to take Player-Characters with psychic abilities to a whole new tier of power and provide them with a potent arsenal of with which to vanquish their foes.

In many ways Librarians function just like other psykers, tapping into the warp and channelling energy to create effects (players familiar with Rogue Trader will recognise many of the rules for using psychic powers). Of course a Librarian naturally has more raw power (Psy Rating) and can develop their power to a point beyond the endurance of weaker, more mortal minds. Psy Rating is also used far more extensively in Deathwatch and governs all aspects of psychic power such as its range, area of effect, damage inflicted or how hard it is to resist. This means that the same power manifested with a Psy Rating of 2 will be noticeably weaker than if it were manifested with a Psy Rating of 6. In some cases having a higher Psy Rating can even unlock addition benefits and effects from a power unavailable to those with weaker gifts.

The real changes however exist within the selection of the powers themselves and how characters can use them. Like other psykers Librarians have access to a section of Telepathy and Divination powers (both important to their role communicating with the fleet or advising their commanders), however they also have their own special Discipline of Codex Powers. These are battle powers, abilities that can turn the tide of war and immolate entire platoons of soldiers in clouds of fiery death. Players familiar with the Warhammer 40,000 miniatures game will probably recognise some of these powers; like Smite (which can tear foes apart with psychic lightning), The Gate of Infinity, (which can transport Battle-Brothers instantly across a world), or Vortex of Doom (which opens a hole in the world that will devour anything in its path).

In addition to a large selection of Codex powers each Chapter has a number of their own powers – secret of unique abilities passed down by through specialised training and the gifts of their gene-seed. This means that a Blood Angel Librarian will have access to powers and abilities unlike that of a Dark Angel or Ultramarine, reflecting the strengths of their Chapter. One of my favourite of these Chapter powers is the Storm Warden ability Hammer of the Emperor, which allows the Librarian to literally level entire buildings by calling down a hammer of psychic force kilometres across!

Given their impressive powers (added to the fact that Librarians have access to far more knowledge than any other kind of Battle-Brother) Librarians make for very a useful addition to any kill-team.

Forward, Battle-Brothers!

Don’t forget that tomorrow is Free RPG Day! At any participating local game store you can find copies of Final Sanction, an introduction to the Deathwatch roleplaying game! Final Sanction contains quick-start rules to get you going, pre-generated Deathwatch Space Marine characters, and a high-stakes adventure that puts your Kill-team right into the middle of the action.

As a special bonus, you can find two additional pre-generated characters for Final Sanction on the Deathwatch Support page, and there will be a Final Sanction FAQ thread listed on the Deathwatch forums!

Download the additional Pre-generated characters here:

Brother Octavius and Brother Gregor (pdf, 456 KB)

In addition, you can come to the FFG Event Center in Roseville MN on that same day to play through Final Sanction with the Warhammer 40,000 Roleplay Development Team! Myself (Ross Watson), Sam Stewart, and Mack Martin will all be on hand to guide you through this exciting debut of the Deathwatch RPG.

Deathwatch is a roleplaying game in which players take on the roles of the bio-engineered super-soldiers known as Space Marines. United with their battle-brothers, players will complete extraordinary missions involving some of the greatest heroes and deadliest opponents the Warhammer 40,000 universe has to offer.