Greetings All,

Hot off of my last request (if curiosity bites please see my previous post, which was quite some

time ago) I'm on the hunt once again.

My group is fast approaching the end of PtU and I'm wanting to throw something different at th

before jumping into either Haarlock or the Apostasy campaigns.

So, I'm toying with the idea of the Logicians making a return somewhere with an Irradial Cogitator and using Bike Gangs as couriers. So essentially I'm thinking 40k equivalents of Hackers and Akira.

Have I gone wrong or is this workable?

P.S excuse any typos, grammatical faux pas etc. I'm

Typing this from a phone lol.

I see no reason why this wouldn't work, although I have no idea what you are referencing with "Hackers and Akira" . Logicians coming under the influences of an Irradial Cogitator sounds entirely appropriate, and - being essentially criminals and no doubt needing to keep things on the "down-low", employing biker gangs doesn't sound inappropriate at all.

I'm imagining the Logicians hanging out in a bunker-like lab deep in the underhive, while the bikers are teeming around the connected areas, being played by the Logicians, keeping prying eyes back. After all, the criminal misadventures of a local Biker Gang is an issue for local enforcers, not the Inquisition or the Arbites, and as long as no-one makes it to the Logicians to see what's going on, it will continue to be an issue for Enforcers, which are no doubt ill-equipped to handle the recently somewhat united Biker Gangs.

But where are they getting their money? Why are they suddenly displaying such unity? Are they a rising threat to world stability? These are questions that the local Arbites may end up asking themselves. The last thing they need is a unifying warlord in the middle of a Hive.

I always thought that Irradial Cogitators from Mark of Xenos were better suited as adversaries/plot devices in Dark Heresy than Deathwatch .

I believe that 'hackers' in 40K are called 'slicers'. When The Lathe Worlds was announced, I hoped that it would have interesting rules/guidelines for 'slicing', but no such luck. Not sure how to portray it, other than with boring, repetitive Tech Use rolls...

I always thought that Irradial Cogitators from Mark of Xenos were better suited as adversaries/plot devices in Dark Heresy than Deathwatch .

I believe that 'hackers' in 40K are called 'slicers'. When The Lathe Worlds was announced, I hoped that it would have interesting rules/guidelines for 'slicing', but no such luck. Not sure how to portray it, other than with boring, repetitive Tech Use rolls...

With the rules of Black Crusade and Only War, I'm inclined to make it Security rolls using Intelligence, provided that the character has Tech-Use too.. but.. yeah, that's not much of a difference.

Nice guys, thanks for the input and feedback it's appreciated.

The references I was throwing out were:

Akira: http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0094625/

Hackers: http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0113243/

Have either of you ever used any rules for vehicular combat? I k ind of wan to throw in a bike chase or something like the opening scene from Akira with bike gangs racing and combat etc.

Thanks again guys

The Apocrypha - Vehicles released by Fantasy Flight are from the looks of things pretty good for vehicle-based combat. Gives you a much wider range of combat actions to make with them, as well as damage charts, rules for hit-and-run etc

Nice, that sounds exactly like what I'm after and tbf I think I've got a copy of that kicking about somewhere too.

I really like the idea of the Logicians holed up in a long forgotten Underhive bunker and using the gangs for all the 'menial' works. The fact they've all congregated and showing a more unified front could give the arbites cause to escalate which in turn could be a hook for my long suffering acolytes to go and have a pole about so to speak.

Yeah I'm definitely feeling that.

I think with the 'slicing' a combination of tech use/security rolls for different purposes, like actually 'breaking in' to the logicians Cogitator network and once inside actually doing stuff, like search/inquiry tests.

The hook for logicians return with an Irradial Cogitator I really want to tie in with the whole Serrated Query narrative, for example;

The SQ have hired the logicians to harvest certain individuals for the knowledge and in order to go about this without raising suspicions they're using the Irradial Cogitator to gain access to high level targets networks and in doing so 'compelling' the individuals directly. The logicians then use the biker gangs as part distraction tactic and part, well everything else an Underhive biker gang does.

Although I'm quite keen not have 'too much' going off at once so to speak.

Again don't watch the typos, I'm still on my phone here lol.

I always thought that Irradial Cogitators from Mark of Xenos were better suited as adversaries/plot devices in Dark Heresy than Deathwatch .

I believe that 'hackers' in 40K are called 'slicers'. When The Lathe Worlds was announced, I hoped that it would have interesting rules/guidelines for 'slicing', but no such luck. Not sure how to portray it, other than with boring, repetitive Tech Use rolls...

Think Tron instead. In my game, I had the techie try to get data from a data-tabernacle (computer). As soon as he was connected, his mind was 'transported' to a cathedral like building where his avatar had to fight guardians before gaining entry to the structure (and WS & BS were replaced by INT, WP and PER where applicable). Once inside, there were more tests, using the full scope of abilities & characteristics.

And while the tech player was busy with the computor, the others had to keep him alive against waves of servitors sent by the computer (well, just two distinct groups but it certainly felt like waves ).

With a bit of imagination, you can have avatars engage in all kinds of activities instead of 'just' having to use security and tech-use. These certainly are required but beyond that, the sky is the limit....Just make sure the player understands that if his avatar dies, his PC dies.....

The 2nd edition beta has fully integrated vehicle combat rules, and from my (limited) experience with them they work quite well. They are unfortunately no longer available for download, but once the full edition is released you will find them inside the core rules.

The Tron style of hacking sounds very interesting, though I've never tried it myself. Instead, I use a series of Logic, Scrutiny, and Tech-use tests (for breaching various kinds of security), sometimes with the threat of physical harm if the tech-priest fails. The machine-spirits of ancient cogitators can be very ornery and don't take kindly to intruders.