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ph34r wrote:
Speaking of exp, how much do you DMs give your players?

I give experience based on preformance and bonuses from good roleplay (each person must contribute once before someone can give the rp xp bonus again. Keeps one good roleplayer from giving everyone bonuses over, and over again) I also give xp based on other variables, and I lessen it depending on what happened.

For example, if the party just bum-rushes the target instead of making sure they did their mission, to clean up all the loose ends, I make the xp reward less.

If they do very well, such as my last game where they completely made a mockery of a death world by gliding trough it, with no trouble at all really, then bonuses.

I do adhear to the 200 xp per every 4 hours, but that's just a general guideline. If the simply does nothing for the game session, the xp will represent that.

I could show you the character I created, I rather like him, and I'd like to see what you lot think of him as well.

Go ahead.

We tend to play in 12+ hour sessions at a time, so usually 1000-1500 at the end of each day.

H.B.M.C. wrote:We tend to play in 12+ hour sessions at a time, so usually 1000-1500 at the end of each day.

So would you say you tend to give 1.5x-2x as much experience as suggested? That amount of experience you describe should supposedly take 20-30 hours to earn. Would you suggest giving this somewhat higher amount of experience, and have you tried it the lower experience way too?

ph34r wrote:

H.B.M.C. wrote:We tend to play in 12+ hour sessions at a time, so usually 1000-1500 at the end of each day.

So would you say you tend to give 1.5x-2x as much experience as suggested? That amount of experience you describe should supposedly take 20-30 hours to earn. Would you suggest giving this somewhat higher amount of experience, and have you tried it the lower experience way too?

What the book says is a guideline. A really good dark heresy group can make a mockery of missions that lesser players would take twice the time or longer to deal with. It also depends on the campaign as to how fast you want to give XP out.

Yeah, "Time Spent Playing = XP Gained" really isn't the best method.

H.B.M.C. wrote:Yeah, "Time Spent Playing = XP Gained" really isn't the best method.

Ah, I see. I read your "Opening Moves" campaign report, very interesting scenario. How long did that take you, and how much experience did you reward for it?

That took most of a day (it was the second game two of us had played, and the first for the other two players). There actually wasn't any XP given out for that game because it designed as an 'intro' to get us used to the rules, and if their characters died they'd just start a new one for the campaign proper.

Ahh, I see. Are any of your reports of games that were part of the normal continuum, where exp was awarded?

I myself just started GMing a Dark Heresy campaign and my six acolytes (techpriest, confessor, adept, guardsman, denounced and condemned SoB, and detective/cult stalker arbitrator) are approaching rank 4, having started at rank 1. They've had a campaign arc on a hive world that involved investigating and combat with gangs, an arc on a Forge World where they had to deal with the various factions of AdMech, fight their way out of a warhouse full of scrapcode-zombie servitors, and do battle with some hereteks in an exploratory mine. They are just leaving the Forge World, though there may be more in store for them there later, and I want to make sure their characters are strong enough for "real" acolyte jobs now that they are transitioning out of the "worthless goon recruit" stage of acolytehood.

I have read up on as many Dark Heresy stories as I can, but most people don't talk about how long the story takes in real time or how much experience they gave out for it. I don't want my Acos in over their head, but I also don't want them to be stuck mucking about with "hereticus minoris" and "malleus minoris" adversaries forever.

You mean to tell us that you weren't throwing Genestealers at them from the word go? What kinda pansy-ass GM are you?

I might be a bit hesitant to massacre the Acos.
Last campaign ended in act 1 while exploring the sewers for cultists.

Cult magi attempts to cast Fire Bolt, 1 power dice
Rolls 9
Psychic Phenomena
Rolls 88
Perils of the Warp
Rolls 96
Willpower Test -30
Failure
Roll stats for Daemonhost
Roll for binding
Rolls 06
UNBOUND DAEMONHOST
Everyone in room going inasne from Fear (4), Daemonic Presence, WP test at -40.
Fire Discipline
Casts Holocaust
1d10+9 damage to everyone in room
Entire party takes 17 damage, no armor, no toughness, no fate points, FINAL DESTINATION




Fission Mailed.

Wow... that's insane. That's really bad luck.

As to your question, yeah, we've had roughly 10 sessions (excluding the three 'prologue' games), all in the 12-14 hour range, and everyone in the group is now Rank 7 (all started at 3).

Everyone will be rank 8 fairly soon, and I'd say we have as many sessions ahead of us as behind us, so eventually they'll have everything on the trees.

Ha ha don't worry about the randomness of those rolls.

Played a rank 4 dark heresy game with 6 players were a simple inspiring presence caused an unbound demon host to appear on a pleasure world during a capture mission. Killed the demon host somehow. I remember seeing it rammed with a truck...

Played a deathwatch game with 4 rank 1 space marines, enemy sorcerer caused a demon prince to appear. We killed it, thanks to our flamer carrying man basically detonating his fuel supplies underneath it.

Oh and holocaust is nothing. A maxed out firestorm does something stupid like 5d10 + wp bonus in a two foot diameter. You can't dodge it most of the time, kills players dead.

So how would an Eviscerator work with a wrist-mounted bolt pistol? Any additional attacks in close combat with the pistol?

I think only if you have Two-Weapon Wielder (Melee) and Two-Weapon Wielder (Ranged). All I’m certain of is that you cannot use any Melee talents with ranged weapons, so you can’t get into HTH and use Lightning Attack with your Bolt Pistol.

Just be careful with the Eviscerator though, there’s always a change you could hit yourself!

H.B.M.C. wrote:
Just be careful with the Eviscerator though, there’s always a change you could hit yourself!

Not if your a redemptionist!

With a bolt pistol and a eviscerator, you can use both in melee up to your limit of attacks. With the right talents, you gain more attacks of your choice each round and less penalties.

Well I am most certainly not a redemptionist :p

how could you use both in melee if the Eviscerator is a 2h weapon? I mean, the only way I figured it would even be acceptable is if it was wrist mounted, but I still think that's a bit iffy.

I'm still trying to decide... an Eviscerator, or 2 chainswords. Hmm? What say you guys?

So decided to finaly post my character, enjoy.

Name: Darius Hachett (so far as he knows)

Home World: Mind cleansed Career path: Guardsmen Rank: Conscript

Divination: Do not ask why you serve, only ask how Quirk: Scarring

Gender: Male Build: Well-built Height: 1.85m Weight: 89kg

Skin colour: Tan Hair colour: Black Eye colour: Grey Age: 26

WS: 41 BS: 34 S: 35 T: 37 Ag: 36 Int:35 Per: 37 Wp:41 Fel:23

Skills: Awareness, Deceive, Intimidate, Search, Drive (Ground Vehicle), Speak Language (Low Gothic)

Talents & Traits: Melee Weapon Training (Primitive), Pistol Weapon Training (Las), Pistol Weapon Training (SP), Basic Weapon Training (Las), Basic Weapon Training (SP), Engram Implantation, Failsafe Control, Imperial Conditioning, Through A Mirror Darkly, Light Sleeper, Hatred (Mutants), Jaded

Advancements Taken: Weapon Skill (Simple), Strength (Simple), Tranch War Veteran (Perhaps?), Awareness

Wounds: 12 Fate Points: 3 Insainity Points: 10 Degree of Madness: Unsettled Corruption Points: 0

I won't bother listing equipment, it would take up to much space, if anyone wants to know they can just ask.

What main equipment does he use?

Standard Lasgun, with red dot sight, Las Pistol, Combat Knife and Guard Flak Armour. I was thinking of swapping out the Lasgun for a Armagedon Pattern Autogun, but wasn't sure if I should.

The Armageddon-Pattern... hmm... it's pretty good. Extra damage and a bit of extra range certainly doesn't hurt, and neither does Reliable. Downside is three Full-Auto Bursts drains more than a full clip, but at the same time you waste less ammo as you're not drilling 10 shots into the air every time you pull the trigger.

Given that it's Reliable, and that's one of the major features of the Lasgun, the Arma-Pattern is a good choice as you don't lose anything by taking it, other than clip-size.

Armageddon pattern is by far the best starting weapon. Once you've put a fire selector on it, you have 9 turns of full auto for massive damage. If you haven't won combat after shooting 90 armageddon pattern shots at something, then your plan has gone horribly wrong. Heck, even doing full aim and full auto every other turn is viable. You'll last 18 turns.

EDIT: Also duplex mags to reload faster

Any reason why your weapon skill is highest but you don't seem to have a melee weapon?

He is supposed to be an amazing knife fighter, but now that I think of it that doesn't seem to be a very good idea, because knifes don't do a lot of damage. I'm still going to keep it, because I think it gives him some character. I'll just need to find a way to balance it out so that he can do more damage, perhaps a mono edge for his knife, or maybe starting with a few extra skills would help.

So I almost cut myself in half with my eviscerator tonight. Thankfully I had a fate point to reroll that...

If I hit myself, I will instantly be in critical damage unless I roll a 1 I think.

So... once you have Blademaster, can you reroll the 96-00 that you would hit yourself with once ?

I don't know if 2 Chainswords would be better at this point, I don't like having to worry about gibbing myself.

Didn't I say "be careful with that Eviscerator" not 11 posts ago?

The moral of the story is: "Live Dangerously, so long as you have one fate point remaining."

It is not nearly as bad as the first fight I had to run in Deathwatch: "The consequences of telling the space wolf he cannot finish his mug of ale prior to deployment."

Nor as embarrassing as the first thing my players did when they entered their first combat area - fail to open a door for several rounds in a row. That door was their greatest enemy.

So, none of my new players passed their intelligence test in the room filled with promethium tanks... and then wanted to throw a grenade at the enemy that emerges.

Just as one of them was about to throw the dice to throw the grenade, one of the other ones stopped them "that pink stuff on the floor might be flammable."

Lyzin Locrian wrote:He is supposed to be an amazing knife fighter, but now that I think of it that doesn't seem to be a very good idea, because knifes don't do a lot of damage. I'm still going to keep it, because I think it gives him some character. I'll just need to find a way to balance it out so that he can do more damage, perhaps a mono edge for his knife, or maybe starting with a few extra skills would help.

Check through the inquisitors handbook, there are a lot of good knives there, if you have the funds go for the chain knife. There is also a melee talent that allows you to choose were you hit, perfect for your idea.

juraigamer wrote:

Lyzin Locrian wrote:He is supposed to be an amazing knife fighter, but now that I think of it that doesn't seem to be a very good idea, because knifes don't do a lot of damage. I'm still going to keep it, because I think it gives him some character. I'll just need to find a way to balance it out so that he can do more damage, perhaps a mono edge for his knife, or maybe starting with a few extra skills would help.

Check through the inquisitors handbook, there are a lot of good knives there, if you have the funds go for the chain knife. There is also a melee talent that allows you to choose were you hit, perfect for your idea.

Even a power knife would be deadly used right.