Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I'm looking into both of these, and they seem pretty sweet in their own ways.

Which do you prefer and why?

In before the vehicle rules wankery.

I like Only War myself, had a lot of fun with the Free RPG Day adventure, certainly gave us enough to work with for future games.

I ran Only War, and I like the system, perhaps because it's only humans rather than super humans.

Deathwatch, I started playing in a PbP, and it is more axed toward combat, with RP being a bit...lower; still there, but you basically RP superhumans disconnected from humanity and ahve a little difference from one another.

Ranor wrote:
I'm looking into both of these, and they seem pretty sweet in their own ways.

Which do you prefer and why?

Sort of depends on the style of game you want.

I'll argue with anyone who says that Deathwatch has 'fewer' RP potential, because you get out of a role play game what you put into it, so any actual role play depends less on the rules and more on the people playing the game. Both games have a heavy combat focus simply due to the types of organisations they represent (an elite special forces group of Marines, and the friggin' main military arm of the Imperium!). Deathwatch will be easier though, as combat in that game is very easy (too easy in fact), whereas in Only War you're playing regular squishy humans.

I've played more Deathwatch than any of the other RPGs (which makes sense given we've play tested almost every DW book since Mark of the Xenos), and I do enjoy it, but it's just a little too easy. Playing Deathwatch has been more fun than running it, TBH.

 BrookM wrote:
In before the vehicle rules wankery.

No need to be a dick.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:

Ranor wrote:
I'm looking into both of these, and they seem pretty sweet in their own ways.

Which do you prefer and why?

Sort of depends on the style of game you want.

I'll argue with anyone who says that Deathwatch has 'fewer' RP potential, because you get out of a role play game what you put into it, so any actual role play depends less on the rules and more on the people playing the game. Both games have a heavy combat focus simply due to the types of organisations they represent (an elite special forces group of Marines, and the friggin' main military arm of the Imperium!). Deathwatch will be easier though, as combat in that game is very easy (too easy in fact), whereas in Only War you're playing regular squishy humans.

I've played more Deathwatch than any of the other RPGs (which makes sense given we've play tested almost every DW book since Mark of the Xenos), and I do enjoy it, but it's just a little too easy. Playing Deathwatch has been more fun than running it, TBH.

 BrookM wrote:
In before the vehicle rules wankery.

No need to be a dick.

A sound summary.

Never done any table-top stuff before, so Deathwatch may be an easy introduction with Only War being more thoughtful in terms of combat suitable for when I know how tabletop works in general.

That's probably a good idea. Deathwatch will make a good introduction as you might find players turned off by the fragility of Guardsmen. I would suggest though that you use the Deathwatch errata weapon stats (available at the FFG website) so that the "easy mode" of combat is toned down a little.

Don't get me wrong H.B.M.C., it's just that I feel less connection with a marine than I would with a Guardsman; not to mention their 'building up' to become marine makes them less connected to emotions you and I would know and understand, as they have none of the problem/frailties we have.

Hm, aside from the books and GM handbook what else is actually needed? Some friends have advised roll20 as it can be done online, isn't forum based (Which isn't my cup of tea, I tend to feel less involved if it's passive posting), real-time and doesn't require us to set up a board and miniatures.

It really depends on the GM's skills I suppose. Some only need the core book for the rules. The monster splatbook is always good fun if you're looking for something other than the baddies found in the core book.

 BrookM wrote:
It really depends on the GM's skills I suppose. Some only need the core book for the rules. The monster splatbook is always good fun if you're looking for something other than the baddies found in the core book.

If I were to do Open war or Deathwatch, it'd likely be me GMing owing to the fact that nobody I know is massively into 40k (yet!).

Nothing wrong with that, in some cases it helps to not know a lot about the setting, as it might make the characters seem like they know more than they should.

Just give them a good primer on what they should at the very least know and let them discover the rest as you play the game.

Or you could be like me and own every book.

But yeah, as far as 'critical' books go:

Deathwatch
- Core Rulebook
- GM Kit
- Rites of Battle
- Mark of the Xenos

After that everything else would be optional, although the next three I'd get would be The Jericho Reach, First Founding and Honour the Chapter.

Only War
- Core Rulebook
- GM Kit
- Enemies of the Imperium

Hammer of the Emperor (and the upcoming Shield of Humanity) are both very useful, but as there are so few books for OW as it stands I'm not including them as essential (yet). Also Enemies of the Imperium is way more than just a Bestiary book. It's got tons of background information and new rules for the players and GM as well - not just adversary profiles.

 H.B.M.C. wrote:
Or you could be like me and own every book.

But yeah, as far as 'critical' books go:

Deathwatch
- Core Rulebook
- GM Kit
- Rites of Battle
- Mark of the Xenos

After that everything else would be optional, although the next three I'd get would be The Jericho Reach, First Founding and Honour the Chapter.

Only War
- Core Rulebook
- GM Kit
- Enemies of the Imperium

Hammer of the Emperor (and the upcoming Shield of Humanity) are both very useful, but as there are so few books for OW as it stands I'm not including them as essential (yet). Also Enemies of the Imperium is way more than just a Bestiary book. It's got tons of background information and new rules for the players and GM as well - not just adversary profiles.

I used Enemies of the Imperium to make a Severan centered campaign for DH. After a strange turn of events I now have a party of Severan traitor double agents...