Ok so i am kind of new to being my groups GM but i have been playing WH40k RPGs for a while now.

Anyway my groups Rogue Trader has been duel wielding bolt pistols since the start of the campaign and not too long about started Tri-wielding bolt pistols with the aid of an MIU implant. Nothing to unussual there.

However last game he turned all three pistols into combi-pistol by combining them with inferno pistols to give himself more short range firepower. But he wants to get around the one shot clip limitation by hooking all the combi-infernos to an Ammo Backpack, giving him something like 80 melta shots split between the 3 weapons.

So my questions are thus:

1. Can multiple weapons of the same type and class be connected to a single Ammo Backpack?

2. Can you connect a combi-weapon's secondary weapon to an ammo backpack?

3. Can you put a combi-pistol on an MIU weapon mount on your shoulder?

So what do you say guys ... could you please help a first time GM out?

1) Can you connect multiple non-combi-weapons to an ammo pack? If not, then I suspect not.

2) Isn't the secondary ammo usually a smaller amount of ammo and in an awkward placement on the gun making it harder to reload or impossible during combat? If I'm wrong, then I don't see why not.

3) I don't see why not.

1) Hmmm ... I'd probably allow multiple las weapons to be fed from a suitably modified backpack ... though it would probably be techno-heretical. Energy weapons - that is, those drawing from a powerpack/battery/equivalent, it's techno-heresy, but doable, and all draw from the same pool without major issues, though using all three in the same round could reduce reliability.

Weapons firing physical objects - solid projectile, bolt weapons, etc - not a chance ... or rather, maybe, but it's way techno-heretical, and you have to decide at the time of modification, how much of the backpack's capacity is linked to each weapon.

Those firing liquid/gaseous substances, that is, flamers, plasma, and depending on interpretation, possibly melta, can maybe draw from a collective pool as well. This, however, would drop reliability at least one step.

2) Yes, if the secondary weapon is one that normally be connected to an ammo backpack. Which, admittedly, is going to be most standard weapons.

3) Go right ahead.

Personally, I'd be a buzzkill on this idea set. First, MY image of a combi-weapon isn't a plasma pistol strapped to a boltgun, but a boltgun with most of the parts of a plasma pistol finagled onto it, and if you don't want the silly thing to start feeling like a Basic weapon, rather than a pistol, you can't strap a whole extra clip to it; that's why the combi-weapon function is single-shot. It might be nice to sidestep it, and add the backpack, but that defeats the premise of a combi-weapon. Also, if he had three inferno pistols, amongst the rarest of weapons, he should've kept one, used it as an inferno pistol, and sold the other two for a little profit.

For the backpack, I don't believe the thing should have multiple leads, but that's just me, again. If it normally isn't designed to work to multiple things, it shouldn't have multiple ways to, and they are designed to feed heavy weapons, or basic weapons, if need be, both of which often require both hands, if not more, from the typical wielder, eliminating the second weapon, and the need for a second feed.

I'm going to stop here. I can't really give good arguments against it; just the whiny ones I'd give, if put in the same situation.

I thought Combi had to be on basic weapons, huh.

Anyway, it does seem a little odd to me, as part of the thing with combi was that the secondary function is essentially impossible to reload in a reasonable amount of time. Think of like a break-load shotgun, built into a housing and machine that completely blocked off the barrel and trigger area, then have someone suggest attaching a belt-feeder. It's not a modification, its a whole new gun.

As such, I'd only allow it if the weapon(s) were originally built that way, but not as a modification.

Personally, I'd be a buzzkill on this idea set. First, MY image of a combi-weapon isn't a plasma pistol strapped to a boltgun, but a boltgun with most of the parts of a plasma pistol finagled onto it, and if you don't want the silly thing to start feeling like a Basic weapon, rather than a pistol, you can't strap a whole extra clip to it; that's why the combi-weapon function is single-shot. It might be nice to sidestep it, and add the backpack, but that defeats the premise of a combi-weapon. Also, if he had three inferno pistols, amongst the rarest of weapons, he should've kept one, used it as an inferno pistol, and sold the other two for a little profit.

Rogue Trader ranks profit in reference to how many moons you can buy, and these explorers routinely obtain and carry around items that are literally one of a kind, so how could selling a pair of inferno pistols have increased thier wealth by any appreciable margin?

I thought Combi had to be on basic weapons, huh.

According to Into the Storm you can make Combi Basic weapons AND Combi Pistols so long as you are only combining weapons of the same class: Basic+Basic or Pistol+Pistol.

Depends on the inferno pistols and who they're selling them too.

If you have a pair of perfectly intact, best quality inferno pistols from the dark age of technology itself? You don't think the mechanicus would be willing to pay a planet or two's worth for that?

Triple-wielding pistols? I'd be a buzzkill GM, too. It's easy to get really campy with weapons in RT. Stormbolters fired under each arm with bulging biceps (bull...who's going to pay XP for bulging biceps when you can buy grafts for money that never gets counted?), it can get out of hand really fast. I don't know what to tell you. I'm glad my players never went that way. I've had plenty of other broken rules to deal with though.

Personally, I'd be a buzzkill on this idea set. First, MY image of a combi-weapon isn't a plasma pistol strapped to a boltgun, but a boltgun with most of the parts of a plasma pistol finagled onto it, and if you don't want the silly thing to start feeling like a Basic weapon, rather than a pistol, you can't strap a whole extra clip to it; that's why the combi-weapon function is single-shot. It might be nice to sidestep it, and add the backpack, but that defeats the premise of a combi-weapon. Also, if he had three inferno pistols, amongst the rarest of weapons, he should've kept one, used it as an inferno pistol, and sold the other two for a little profit.

Rogue Trader ranks profit in reference to how many moons you can buy, and these explorers routinely obtain and carry around items that are literally one of a kind, so how could selling a pair of inferno pistols have increased thier wealth by any appreciable margin?

Well, I can't argue with that, except to say that, if that were purely true, then the players wouldn't have to roll for anything less than a light cruiser, in Acquisitions. Without getting into the "how much of your wealth is liquid, disposable asset, right now?" talk again, if your player says "I want an inferno pistol!", you're not going to say "Okay", and just add it to his or her sheet; you're going to roll for availability, and when it does turn up, make them roll for a very hard to manage roll. Not impossible, since RT has them as VR, not ER, like I thought, but not as easy as "I want...oh, thank you." Ergo, the guns are not "just pocket change." No, you can't sell them for 1+ PF, but you can't do that with a ship, RAW, and they could certainly make fine RP gifts to people, being "only one of a few in an entire sector." Give one to Hax, or an Admiral, maybe an Inquisitor, and work toward a bonus like Peer/Good Rep.

Look at current real world ammo feeds. Granted we dont have belt fed miniguns with flame throwers on them (not practical). I would say the ammo pack would affect one weapon. Combi-Weapons are essentially (fluff wise) one shot wonders that need to reloaded each time. With your Tri-Inferno pistol (?!?! What ?!?!) situation, I would say a single ammo pack for the primary pistol and thats the end of it. There is a point where player ingenuity (Tri-Inferno Pistol???) shifts towards attempting to min/max-power gaming; including a ammo pack that powers the entire pistol (Tri-Inferno Pistol REALLY?) appears to go from a niffty item to a deliberate game breaking weapon. Whats next, Tri-Lascannon with Ammo Pack and pistol grip?

Remember you're the GM (I assume that is you) and have final say in what is and is not allowed. Rule Zero (0) I believe.

Note: had to edit atrocious grammar

Just say, "No."

If your players think of it and consider it original, and you think you should just go with it, consider that they are one person in quadrillions currently alive. Someone else thought of it first. Then have an NPC do it to that player before that player finishes up their project.

"Sure, you can triple-wield combi-bolt/inferno pistols."

Next encounter...

"The bad guy whips out 3 combi-bolt/inferno pistols with unlimited ammo"

My players expect me to play by the rules. Should I expect less of them?

I'd probably say "No, don't be an ass."

Well in the collector's edition of black crusade one of the example characters hooked his combi-flamer to his power-armor so that he never had to reload the flamer, so that part of the plan has precedent.

As for the whole tri-pistol thing, that one is up to you.

Depends on the inferno pistols and who they're selling them too.

If you have a pair of perfectly intact, best quality inferno pistols from the dark age of technology itself? You don't think the mechanicus would be willing to pay a planet or two's worth for that?

Absolutely not. They might send a tech-assassin to kill you later on and take them, but certainly not offer a dowry in planet-sized worth for them. The Adeptus Mechanicus only get that gift-givey when you bring the STC to make those sort of things.

Depends on the inferno pistols and who they're selling them too.

If you have a pair of perfectly intact, best quality inferno pistols from the dark age of technology itself? You don't think the mechanicus would be willing to pay a planet or two's worth for that?

Absolutely not. They might send a tech-assassin to kill you later on and take them, but certainly not offer a dowry in planet-sized worth for them. The Adeptus Mechanicus only get that gift-givey when you bring the STC to make those sort of things.

Eh, the tech-assassins would come to kill you and steal them if you were unwilling to sell them, or insulted the negotiators sufficiently that they don't want to pay you. Or were unwilling to sell at the AdMech's price.

That said, while the AdMech probably wouldn't give you a planet's ransom for a matched set of mint condition DAoT inferno pistols, they would be willing to pay quite a bit for them, more if approached correctly.