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Boys and Girls,

I'm GMing a game of deathwatch for 4 others. None of us have played deathwatch before, but I've read the rulebook all the way through and I reckon I've absorbed most of it, certainly the basic concepts and that I'd only need to refer to the book for more complicated bits.

I'm looking for hints and tips in how to play Deathwatch and how to create a good narrative generally in an RPG.
Also, interested in what a reasonable enemy force would be and how tough an enemy should be as a suitable boss fight.

Thanks!

*Print the FAQ & Errata, study it carefully and use the revised weapons tables. Originals are way too powerful and cumbersome, particularly when it comes to Bolt weapons.

*Don't give the players too many Req points, unless the mission really necessites it (ie, they need a Rhino etc).

*Deathwatch has plenty of opportunies for players for some quite broken combos and abilities, and being players, they WILL find them out. This is all fine & well since they're meant to be super-soldiers, but if you're not careful, your big boss fights may become cakewalks.

*Build a varied cast of NPC characters, fiend & foe alike (maybe even some neutrals!). Obviously any RPG becomes boring if everyone you meet is just a bunch of stats to be killed, but this is particularly true with Deathwatch. Actually roleplaying a Marine is challenging, well defined characters with whom the players can interact will help there.
Also, estabilished NPC's will provide opportunity for plot points. "What, those Cultists killed Governor Valguis? But he was our friend!"

That's awesome thanks. I've heard that the bolt weaponry had a fix, I've printed the errata but not really studied it. I'll use that.

What would be a typical ballpark req amount for a standard session?

Not Govenor Valguis! Noooooo! Does GM become easier over time? Do you build up an arsenal of set pieces?

Well there is a table for Req points, however for some standard romp without very difficult opponents (tons of Genestealers, Daemon Princes etc), or needing some expensive special equipment, 35 to 50 is IMO enough. Some of the Bolter special rounds are really powerful.

Oh, I also would avoid awarding new Fate points, unless the group drops really low on them (everyone has 2 or less). My Devastator is a lucky sob, and has 5 Fate points, and that is really too much, it almost never feels like he is in danger.

Set pieces are fine, just don't make them too rigid, as players will eventually act in a manner you don't expect. When GM'ing, I personally have a pile of ready-made stock enemies on hand, so I can throw them at players if they go to somewhere I didn't expect and there is nothing else I can think of. Yeah, free will is annoying, but you have to put up with that. GM'ing does become easier when you go into routine and learn how to improvise things when you didn't plan for something. OTOH, at first the players are just happy to crawl in the corridors and kill stuff so it's easy, later on they may become bit more demanding, they begin to expect drama, plot twists, traitors and whatnot.

So I can let the complexity evolve as our knowledge of the game does?

I was thinking for the first game something like -

"investigate energy signatures from xenos tech" as primary objective.
with secondaries of "eliminate Orc warbosses" or similar?

The first one is to get used to picking locks, using tech and navigating places. With the second to get used to killing things.

That sounds fine - slowly building up the players as the stakes increase - but I've got to echo Backfire's point on Req points. If you look at any of the official adventure books they hand out Req points like they're going out of style. Don't do that. Be stingy. Keep the values low.

Deathwatch is an RPG on easy mode at the best of times, so giving them the figurative keys to the store is not a good way of addressing that.

And yeah, go over that errata. The errata'd weapons will make things less painful for you as a GM.