Hi all. Long time 40k fan, second time Deathwatch GM here.

I'm planning a new campaign for Deathwatch. Since some of my players read this forum I can't be too specific on the details, but I need some help with a potential problem for my upcoming campaign.

I've planned the motivations of every faction and what they will strive to achieve, so that no matter what the characters do or who they kill I should know where to take it from then on. I'm keeping it loose, but I find it works well to keep me from the dreaded "You do what? Ehrm.... I have to think a bit on that..." It's fun if the PCs surprise you, but not if it ruins everything you've planned. Thus I like to keep it loose instead, with every NPC being killable without ruining the plot, etc.

The problem arose when I tried to have a mental run through and found that if the characters aren't very efficient in stopping the various factions prior to the epic ending I will have a kill-fest on my hands with several factions all wanting the same goal.

How do I smoothly run such a battle where there are more than two armies fighting for the same thing?

Better yet, I'll make a "workable" fictitious scenario to illustrate my point without giving anything away, but give you guys something to work with:

The character has worked on an off to kill off, let's say a Dark Eldar kabal, an Eldar Warhost, an Ork Waaagh and some Tau in the Canis salient and is boosted by an allied separate imperial detachment. Let's use Elysian Imperial Guard here for fun. (The characters can assume command of this faction or simply join them, or go in on their own.)

Out of the warp comes for instance a...*drumroll* dormant Blackstone Fortress.

All of the detachments would show interest in this ancient craft, if nothing else than to destroy the thing before they reach power to kill off your capital ship/Craftworld/etc.

Thus the predicament:

a) All of these groups could assault each other WHILE they're trying to assault the fortress

b) Assault eachother when the factions have reached the insides.

c) Within is an entrenched unit of Black Legion trying to hold everything off until they get power back.

d) There is of course an element of urgency and they have to reach the control chamber/relic/etc. before the other factions.

My questions to you experienced GMs are:

1) How do I deal with so many potential factions (if it comes to that) at the same time?

2) How would the Deathwatch try to handle such a scenario where they have to reach the interior at all costs, but can easily be swarmed by so many factions which can easily destroy them if they don't spend the time.

The easiest way I've devised is of course to take on one adversary at a time, but I also like the idea of several factions fighting in the same place with resulting mayhem if it comes to that.

Any and all aid and constructive criticism is welcome!

Cheers!

1) Use BFG and/or 40K TT. Transcribe any stats (like PCs, PC ship, etc.) you don't have back into those systems and set-up the battlefield.

2) Let them kill each other, we don't have the manpower. Instead, we'll use stealth to stay back and mop up the weakened

surviving faction.

Alex

Absolutely do NOT make NPC vs NPC rolls. Focus rolls (and action) on the PCs, with the larger battle serving as a background only and progressing as the story demands.

The outcome of the larger battle can be affected by the PCs' actions. So your fighting factions are Orks, Tau, Eldar, Dark Eldar, and the PCs are par tot a battle group involving the IG.

As the GM I'd just make a list of which factions are closest to achieving their aims. Let's say the Tau are #1 here for now because it's in their Salient and they have a lot of forces.

The PCs might take a moment to rank worst-case scenarios about who might capture the Fortress. They might decide that the Tau and Orks pose the biggest threats if they seize it, the Tau most of all because they have the most to gain in this area if they get that kind of weapon. So while the other forces are going after each other to prevent their enemies from gaining the Fortress, the PCs engage in a lightning raid on the Tau leadership in the area (which is exactly what SMs do).

If the PCs succeed in destroying the Tau civilian or military leadership (Ethereals and/or Battle Suit commanders) then the Tau go from #1 threat to, say, #4 as they fall back, leaderless, and their alien allies flee as well as the other factions tear them to bits in their retreat. Now who's #2? Maybe the Orks, just because of how dangerous they are? But as the GM, you might throw a wrench in the plot and say the Dark Eldar have used their specialists to assassinate the Warboss and the orks have devolved into infighting until a new Warboss rises up. So now they need to pick between Eldar and DEldar.

The PCs may not stop an enemy from gaining the Fortress, but they can play kingmaker and ensure that whoever gets it is the least threat to the Imperium (as some xenos are willing to negotiate and ally in the short term). The PCs having an Eldar-controlled Blackstone Fortress might be assigned to protect it as the Fortress and Eldar/Imperial assets unite to destroy the Tyranid threat - and then are tasked with ensuring the Eldar don't keep the Fortress forever, one way or another.