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Ok so after many years of waiting to start RPG me and my group have decided to start up with Deathwatch with an experienced GM

Now I have chosen to be a Black Templar, Assault Marine but I have a small dilemma as one of the group members has decided to be a librarian..

Now my dilemma is that since I am new to RPG's I don't know how my character would interact with witches.

Knowing as I have observed that Space Marines do take things to the absolute extreme when they dislike something, my first thought would be "if my character sees him, I will kill him" he's a witch after all..

While this maybe in character for a BT I don't think I want to be hacking away with a chain sword at him every time I lay eyes upon him so could someone help me understand how a BT would react in these circumstances and has anyone else had similar experience's in situations like this? if so how did your character react? also anyone that can help me in detail with the background of BT that would be great, I do know the jest of how they run, but I just would like to know if I may have overlooked any small details..

Cheers to all comments

You may abhor the witch, but you are also loyal enough to the Emperor that you have faith in His choices.

The Deathwatch is a sacred duty. Only a Black Templar who had proven his ability to understand that your working with this witch is part of the Emperor's plan would be taken by the Deathwatch, because it is a duty that requires the Marines to put aside their personal beliefs and missions for the sake of serving the Emperor's will.

Basically, you have to love the Emperor more than you hate the witch.

Also, consider the following quote;

"If it is possible to kill someone with love... is it not also possible to save someone with hate?" - High Priestess Altena of SOLDATS.

Ok cheers

Just go for the simple solution. Keep quiet, and tail behind the librarian. The minute you start seeing intense bloodthirsty reactions, Sadomasochistic inclinations, praising plaque and disease, or a large number of cryptic responses and raw displays of power, feel free to kill him. Otherwise, just kill the enemies of the emperor and repeatedly tell him that you are watching him for any signs of corruption, and the minute you have your proof, you are going to personally behead him and send him to the deepest, darkest, pit in hell.

So basically if he does anything that does not appear to contribute towards the mission or The Emperor's blessing, I then get to torch his face with my flamer?

 happygolucky wrote:
So basically if he does anything that does not appear to contribute towards the mission or The Emperor's blessing, I then get to torch his face with my flamer?

Pretty much. New fluff has the Black Templars being ok around sanctioned psykers. Doesn't mean that they wont fry someone that they conclude has fallen to chaos. Just make sure you coat him with plenty of holy promethium before you light the candle. Remember, you want this light to shine so bright and intense that the universe can see how much you love the emperor. Just don't be trigger happy to be trigger happy.

Interesting, because I also have just recently been playing as a BT Assault Marine (or "Chaplain" at this point as I've more or less been promoted after dealing with my heretical team-mates).

One of my fellow Deathwatch marines was a Librarian. One thing you can do is act like keeping a watchful eye on him for anything suspicious or heretical. Give him clear statements of your intolerance for anything out of line and in a way act as a stern watchman over his actions. The guy role playing as the Librarian also happened to be very, VERY keen on gaining corruption points (he was banking on summoning a Daemon Prince when he pushed his powers from Perils of the Warp). So for me I took a position where I was attempting to curb his attempts to corrupt himself and present myself as a "saviour" of sorts in trying to steer him to the straight and narrow (though predictably after everyone changed their characters except me canonically within our group I shot him out of the airlock for heresy).

I wouldn't suggest outright killing him unless it is in the most strenuous of circumstances and only with the blessing of the GM, since he may do something to save him and give you corruption points in return. Mistrust him and his word as well as second-guess his choices, rather than outright violence IMO.

Ok so basically give him a stern warning with the threat of promethium If he looks like he is acting out of line?

Essentially yes. Be an ever hovering threat of death should the witch stray out of line.

Suffer not the witch to live...(too long), Glory be to the Emperor, brother!

Suffer not the Witch to Live (amongst you in dishonour)?

Purge the heretic, Glory to the Emperor brother!

This is covered by the Primarch's Curse mechanic.

If your character slips far enough into Insanity he may begin to irrationally attack friendly psykers.

Ok thanks

If the guy/gal playing the Librarian says "I'm going to start using -INSERT PSYCHIC POWER NAME HERE-", your immediate next action should be "I place the muzzle of my bolt-pistol on the back of his head... just in case."

Because Perils in the Warp happen fast, and without warning, and you're really going to want to cap this guy if he should suddenly become a Daemonhost (it happens...) before he eats your faces with Holocaust or something.

 Psienesis wrote:
If the guy/gal playing the Librarian says "I'm going to start using -INSERT PSYCHIC POWER NAME HERE-", your immediate next action should be "I place the muzzle of my bolt-pistol on the back of his head... just in case."

Because Perils in the Warp happen fast, and without warning, and you're really going to want to cap this guy if he should suddenly become a Daemonhost (it happens...) before he eats your faces with Holocaust or something.

Execution style, classy. Just remember one last thing about Deathwatch campaigns. Everyone except for your characters is probably Alpha Legion, even if they aren't. Plan accordingly, and the minute you hear the word "Hydra", shoot everything that moves.

Have you read Helsreach? That would help anyone roleplay a Black Templar IMO

Don't be all in the Librarian's face with "Threat". Like you said you are a new group. This type of actions tends to have a more negative reaction from newer players.

Also don't hide behind "I'm just roleplaying". As a player character you are free to be an exception to any rule. That is not however to say that you should ignore all existing fluff and act however you want. Just reconise that the existing fluff is a guide line not a script for youe character.

I have seen many psykers die to "friendlies" but it has always been the psykers fault. Let him hang himself, so that you can step in and administer "Mercy" when the time is right.

The newer Templar fluff actually has them pretty cool with Imperial Psykers, and says that if the Emperor were to grant them Librarians again that they would happily accept.

I'd personally say as soon as he steps out of line, challenge him to a duel, Black Templars love a duel (Feast of Blades, anybody?). You of course, naturally win because you're a Space Marine and he's a measely psyker, so it's a win-win situation.
You look like a bonafide badass and the psyker dies instead of looking like a douche and just flaming him.

I'd have your character mistrust the Psyker but still go along with it. I don't know much about Black Templars (although my friend plays them and told me about their thing with pyskers), but I've played quite a number of RPGs.

 Stonerhino wrote:
Don't be all in the Librarian's face with "Threat". Like you said you are a new group. This type of actions tends to have a more negative reaction from newer players.

Also don't hide behind "I'm just roleplaying".

I'll sign this under my 25 years of RPGs. Starting a new campaign where one character has already decided that another must die is a good way to start a very short-lived campaign. Add in a psyker who naturally knows the BT hates him and actively "helps" - everyone else receives blessings, the templar a malediction. It's not like you can tell, can you? Short, brutal and leading to the question "what shall we play next?" because at least one guy isn't interested in this game anymore.

And ofc, on the roleplaying aspect of it... You are not acting as a Black Templar under Black Templar command. You've been seconded to the Death Watch to help the Ordo Xenos carry out the Emperor's will. Your Chapter has bestowed a great honor on you, and you will bring great honor to the Chapter by returning from succesful service whether dead or alive. You will do your duty to the Emperor no matter if it requires you to work with a librarian or not. Anything less would reflect badly on your Chapter, which as mentioned selected you specifically for this duty. Threatening a team member, pulling a gun on him or even - Emperor forbid! - murdering him in cold blood is not doing your duty, it is the actions of a psychotic idiot who should never have been sent to such a sacred duty as the Deathwatch. The Chapter officers who selected you will be shamed for failing to send a proper stable veteran who can carry out his duty, you will be sent home in shame and probably asked to do a suicide mission (and told in no uncertain terms that coming back alive is not an option).

@ Septulhu

really excellent advice