Darth Smeg said:

Uhm, according to the rules they could'nt say "I try again tomorrow", since looking for items in an area with a population of 100.000+ people usually takes several days, weeks or even months sometimes. So if they fail that time will still have passed, meaning that the only way they can try again would be next week or perhaps six months later depending on how rare the item is.

Just sayin'...

Varnias Tybalt said:

Yes, I see your point! Actually, this is my wish too, as the GM to see the IH arsenal tried out in the field. However, my fear comes from my early WFRP1 years, when some of my regular players have managed to accumulate a lot of dangerous magic items (of custom origin). it became very, very dull when an elf with Initiative = 89; WS=79 or so and 4 Attacks possessed some killer magic bow which used to splinter the arrows fired by it into three (making effective 12 shots!) and a returning (sic!) throwing (sic!!) runic two-handed axe +3. I wasn't responsible for their issuing, but I had to deal with their presence in the game, which simply wasn't too interesting.

That's why I'm now not too keen on giving items easily. I'm sure you understand

egalor said:

Oh yes, I completely understand. It can be really anti-climatic when the players use their 1337-skills and equally 1337-weapons to kill off the "big monster" that was supposed to be the ultimate threat of a scenario. Which is why I advocate sending bigger, meaner and/or smarter enemies at the PC's. I mean if the PC's reach high ranks and accumulate really dangrous weapons, their Inquisitor will probably deem them as fit to go up against meaner enemies of the Imperium (you don't send elephant hunters armed with high calibre guns to kill ants now do you?)

Like I said, tailor the adventure after the PC's skills and equpiment rather than trying to tailor the PC's and their equipment to fit your adventure. Keep copies of your players' character sheets for quick reference, that way you'll know what they can do and what weapons they have so you can amp up the challenge accordingly.

As a side note to this I must really advocate that you send several monsters against PC's instead of just one (yes even Tyranid Lictors, Charnel Daemons and the like). On more than one occasion I have noticed that even the biggest, meanest and most scary daemons can be taken down easily by high level PC's simply because they cooperate with eachother and the big mean beast is alone. So if you feel that the players are having a too easy time because of their PC's strength then don't shirk from sending in the big ones, and sending in SEVERAL of them as well, so the PC's can't use their own strength in numbers.

If it is humans the acolytes are facing then it will be a different story. With humans you have to make them smart and numerous (also tossing in an alpha grade psyker in the mix can prove quite scary, especially if said psyker is a telepath that can take control of the mind of a PC!). By smart I mean ambushes and nasty guerilla warfare. Why not spring a hidden sniper against the acolytes when they're least expecting it? (should force at least one of them to burn a fate point, since accurate weapons against unknowing targets can be quite deadly). A hidden bomb in their hotel room? A suicide bomber? A seemingly uninhabited building filled with hidden cultists just lying in wait for trespassers with heavy bolters trained on them?

Humans are usually not the toughest and strongest bunch in the galaxy, so they have to rely on their wits and how big guns they can get. So In a firefight, dont make the mistake of just sending a gang of cultists charging headlong into the fire of the PC's. Make them take cover, make them hide in ambush, make them use suicide bombers, make them use the benefits of the terrain (after all it is usually the heretics that have to defend themselves and the acolytes doing the hunting, naturally the heretics should dig themselves deep with cover and fortification) and of course make them use the benefits from full auto fire. And... some evil villians can actually have fate points too, remember that!

Also, aren't some chaos cults in affiliations with lone Chaos Space Marines? (even more: )

In short, make the players feel EXTREMELY LUCKY that their PC's are still alive, even if they happen to be dressed in Stormtrooper carapace or Power Armour and are armed with bolters and plasma guns. Because if they don't, your not sending them against opponents nasty enough.