Ok, so after some playtesting our roleplaying group decided that the flame weapons rules are unplayable- many characters simply burn to death (since they suffer a level of fatigue every turn) just because they got hit by flamers and they don't have much WP and/or Agi, and against- for example- orks a single flamer can effectively disable and eventually burn to death a few hundred enemies. Here's what we came up with (funnily enough, it's actually simplier than original rules).

All flame weapons gain +4 Damage and +2 Penetration, to make up for the changed setting ablaze rules.

Firing with flamers

1. Declare targeted zone; check how many targets will be affected

2. Roll a d10: on a roll of a 1, it jams.

3. Every affected character rolls agility (+0). If it fails the test, it is damaged by the flamer. If it fails by three or more degrees of failure, it is also set ablaze.

4. Resolve damage (we decided to roll separate dice for every affected character, but it's mostly personal preference)

Ablaze characters

Any character that is ablaze takes 1d10 damage ignoring armour, but not toughness bonus. If the character takes damage (if it wasn't reduced to 0 by toughness bonus), he also suffers a level of fatigue (this effect can cause a maximum of 2 fatigue levels).

Next (even if no damage is caused by the fire), the character rolls Willpower (+0), affected by all talents, traits and special rules that would affect fear(2) (other than insanity of 40 or more). If he fails, he immediately drops to the ground, and it cannot make any actions. Instead, it's trying to put out the fire- Agility (-10).

If the character succeeds in the willpower test, he can act normally- in addition, it can try to more thoughtfully put out the fire- half action, agility (+10). If the character is trying to put out second time, the second attempt is an agility (+0).

If a character is wearing a void-sealed (or similarly secured against vaccuum) armor, he cannot be set ablaze by weapons with AP weaker than that of the armor (for example, a Flamer cannot set a character in Power Armor ablaze- but it could do so with a character in a void suit)

So this means an Ork with a toughness rating of 50 or higher could be set ablaze but would never take any damage from the fire and would be able to act normally at all times. Potentially punching people to death with it's flaming fists.

Given the high toughness of Orks and low agility you'd probably see this occurring quite often was that intentional?

So this means an Ork with a toughness rating of 50 or higher could be set ablaze but would never take any damage from the fire and would be able to act normally at all times. Potentially punching people to death with it's flaming fists. WeedyGrot said this.

That happens surprisingly often in my group... ever heard of flaming pigs? Yeah, any ork mercenary is used something like that, quite effective but they rarely survive. If they do, another day of the free booter.

So this means an Ork with a toughness rating of 50 or higher could be set ablaze but would never take any damage from the fire and would be able to act normally at all times. Potentially punching people to death with it's flaming fists.

Given the high toughness of Orks and low agility you'd probably see this occurring quite often was that intentional?

Err, no. only the Fatigue loss requires taking damage, willpower test does not.

Although you separated the points for the damage and the willpower test, it still reads as though the willpower test is linked to taking damage. This is why the willpower test comes first in the current rules.

Errant beat me to the post but in addition to that I'd be tempted to specify if resistance to fear or other characteristics (such as an Ork's Mob rule) can influence that willpower test.

-Added the note that willpower tests occurss regardless of damage

-Added a note that talents, traits and special rules that would affect a fear(2) work for that willpower test.

Or should it be fear (3)?

I don't think it should be a fear test per se - unless the burning character has the From Beyond trait and thus has a completely alien mindset, everyone has self preservation and so reacts by trying to put out the fire.

Someone with 20 insanity points ignores fear(2) and that is probably just deranged enough to ignore the fact you're on fire and just attack regardless.

I wouldn't let them thoughtfully put out the fire though. If you're too insane to care that you're on fire you're too insane to carefully put out the fire.

Don't you ignore fear up to *half* the tens digit of your insanity, making 40 Insanity required to avoid Fear 2?

Yes I got that part wrong it is double so 40 insanity is required. Still it doesn't make sense to me that you can be insane enough to ignore the fact you're on fire and then calmly and rationally put yourself out.

What about being mad enough to ignore a warp-spawned horror staring you in the face, then calmly and rationally putting it down?

I suppose you could put yourself out while cackling maniacally and flinging poop, if you prefer.

I'm not sure that attacking the warp-spawned horror is the rational course of action. Getting behind cover and then firing blind from safety seems like the more rational course of action.