I have agreed to run a Dark Heresy game on short notice (Char gen and 1st session will be thursday).

I think that I am going to have the characters Inquisitor be Ordo Hereticus. Their first mission will be to capture a Heretek [p. 340] street handled "Doctor Muscle" who is running an illegal body augmentation ring in close proximity to a gang with Khornate overtones (Leader is a dissolute noble with +5 WS, [p. 339] and the gang includes 3 cult fanatics [p. 337], 3 cult initiates [p.337], and a mutant abomination [p. 342-343]. Lastly, there are 2 heavies [p. 341] and the Heretek's personal bodyguard, an Industrial servitor [p. 341]). The gang is called the Sicari Sanguine (Blood Daggers).

The inquisitor will give the group access to one Rosette (primarily so that if they think of it, they can requisition more muscle if they try a frontal assault on the Gang's headquarters). The mission is intended to be a test of the cell's initiative and ability to follow orders. Doctor Muscle is a priority target as he is part of a chain that the Inquisitor suspects leads back to the World Eater Legion or Fabius Bile. The cell will have strict orders to capture but not interrogate the heretek, he is to be conveyed to the Inquisitor post-haste. All acolytes will be required to give a written or verbal report prior to the end of mission debreifing.

Mission Briefing:

Acolytes will be told in "Hive X"* there is a person called Doctor Muscle. They are to locate and capture him, conveying him to the Inquisitor's vessel at Landing Pad Z* in "Spaceport Hive"*. They are not to interrogate him, nor allow any other authourity to do so. This mission has the highest priority.

Possible avenues of investigation:

Local Enforcers or Arbites.

Local Underworld/ "Street level" connections

relevent skills: Inquiry/charm/decieve/intimidate

complications:

"something for something" People being questioned/pumped for information may insist on a trade.

Hoped for resolution:

PC's will arrive in target area and use their skills to locate Doctor Muscle and the Sicari Sanguine. Establish surveillance on the Headquarters and possibly seize a customer/gang member for interrogation. Develop a plan to extract Doctor Muscle alive (may include drafting a Kill Squad or other group of combative NPC's to aid in assault). Deliver Doctor to Inquisitor.

*Have not chosen name of world/hives yet.

Thoughts on this basic premise?

Well... sounds fine. You might think about introducing a complication into the end part of the mission. Right now, everything is pretty plannable. Introduce something a little harder to find out by surveillance that has the acolytes thinking on their feet when they encounter it!

One of the gangers might be a wyrd/nascent psyker. When the acolytes start combat, he unconsciously manifests a few powers, evoking the Psychic Phenomenon Tech Scorn. It's bad enough that the acolytes' kill team has to unjam their weapons while the gangers delight in melee, but the Heretek's bionics malfunction as well. Depending on whether you have a techpriest in your group who might fix this, this might include his lungs or just a few non-vital systems.

- A rivial gang which could aid the PC if they pass the gang's tests of worth.

-The PCs encounter a Spyre on the hunt.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Necromunda#Spyre_Hunters

-The local enforcers are corrupt the straight ones want the PCs to rid them of the corrupt ones. The corrupt enforcers are willing give the PCs info if the PCs take care of the straight ones.

Thank you for the thoughts. I especially like the corrupt vs straight enforcers as it gives me an immediate follow up investigation (why are the enforcers corrupt? Their wages aren't being paid? why not? Higher level diversion of their tithes? to what purpose? fund possible revolt? Heresy! Treason!).

He hmm-...hummmmm

1) They are to bring up a HERETEK...and are given a ROSETTE for this?
T he power to wield control over armies and worlds?
Advise. Reduce it to a "Letter of Investigation". Therefore, your pc "asking for aid" (your mentioned KillSquad) would really be "asking" for it ("see, we would appreciate your help in an official mission. Here is our Letter of INvestigation to proof our standing. We would be very grateful and surly inform our master about how eager you where in helping to detain this Heretek"), laying out some need for FEL (or Charm) roles.

2) Muscle it up
If he is "Doctor Muscle", how about the gang (or gangs he is working for) having some more..."muscle"?

3)Things your pc are going to do...
think, your pc are not going to "surveile" the HQ of Doctor Muscle. I would rather assume they will go in. Perhaps quietly, perhaps "all gunz blazing", but they will go in rather quick after they asured that "he is the Doctor". If you want to introduce the "Daggers", best make them search after "those who snatched the doctor". Perhpas, your pc have to guard him in a safe house while the Inquisitor vessel is to "off for an urgent call, being back in three day. SERVE SKULL MESSAGE ENDING".

4) All up to the world Eaters and Fabious Bile?
Isn´t that a little far fetched? Remember, I´ve this is really just "a test run", the target does not have to be important at all!

"My two cents"

What i would do to spice up the raid to capture him is have the local arbites preparing a secretive raid of their own. Some good investigation will get the PCs working alongside the arbites, bad or lazy investigation could get the group working against or at least being hindered by the arbites raid.

Well,

First session happened, had 4 players (my scum player did not show) so I had 2 imperial world arbitraters, 1 schola pregenum guardsman and a feral world guardswoman.

After being brought together by the inquisitor and handed their mission, the Acolytes debarked and headed into the hive (I decided they were on Fenksworld, hive was named Skink). Stopping at the local arbitraters precinct they learned that the name Dr. Muscle was associated with the Sanguine Daggers and some information about the gang. More information was gleaned from the local "cabbie" (buggy drawn by large HabRats) that conveyed them to the Daggers territory where they watched a local brutally beaten by 3 members of the gang. After helping the local and his spouse (but failing to use them as an information source) they came up with a plan to lure the gang lookout (Heavy #1) away from the headquarters and capture him.

They knocked him out with 5 levels of fatigue but instead of waking him up and interrogating him, decided to storm the headquarters. Interrupting the cult initiates and fanatics as they played cards, they became engrossed in an all out firefight that has roused the rest of the gang on the second floor of the headquarters and left the male imperial world Arbitrater with 2 wounds and the Schola Pregenum Guardsman at 2 critical (impact, 1 level of fatigue). All 6 of the cultist templates and one of the Heavy templates are down, leaving the Heretek, dissolute noble, the second Heavy, the mutant abomination and the industrial servitor on the top floor standing by to repel boarders.

At this point, I had to call game to come to work. Next session will begin with Dr. Muscle and Tank (I.S.) looking for a way out of the building while Lord Malice (D.N.), Brutus (M.A.) and the Heavy, in true Khornate fashion, seek some "Blood for the Blood God, Skulls for the Skull throne".

Everyone seemed to have fun so that's good. I must say, while storming in with shotguns and pointblank/scatter is nice, it kind of sucks when it sets one player up for 3 cult initiates to just semiauto/point blank with thier stub automatics (+30 PB +10 semiauto turns 25BS to <=65 to hit, right?). Guard Armor and toughness bonus 4 (along with a successful dodge) kept the character from having to burn a fate point to survive (so far) but he does have a level of fatigue and a tearing weapon and a Power weapon are coming down the stairs...

If you want them to survive, I'd suggest leaving out the Power weapon as it can easily deal somewhere around 12 wounds in a single hit.

And yes, there's a reason why you generally soften up enemies in an occupied room with a grenade. Your guardsman has just experienced it. Valuable lessons have been learnd and all that...

Everyone seemed to have fun so that's good. I must say, while storming in with shotguns and pointblank/scatter is nice, it kind of sucks when it sets one player up for 3 cult initiates to just semiauto/point blank with thier stub automatics (+30 PB +10 semiauto turns 25BS to <=65 to hit, right?).

Note that unless the gangers already had their weapons in hand, they would first need to draw them which costs a half action so they can't use a full action for their semiauto shooting anymore. It's one of the things one frequently forgets with ambushes.

The decision to rush the room occured following the players hearing "What was that?" followed by the sound of chairs being pushed back and weapons being readied.

(I'm using this as a handy journal for my game.)

2nd session: 3 of the regular players unavailable due to a Pirate event they are attending, I ran a prequel to bring the new players up to speed. Inspired by an episode of MI-5, the new characters and a backup made by one of the Arbites players (Assassin, Adept and Guardsman) were staking out the home of the family of a sleeper agent of the Inquisitor's. After successfully preventing an assassination team from killing the family the Assassin and the Adept were seconded to the primary investigation and arrived on site as the initial firefight ended (close of the first session). Next session will hopefully have all players at the game and all characters ready to rock.

Is teh Rosette a bit overrated? After all, we're not talking about an Inquisitorial Seal here, we are talking about what the DH book says signifies that you are a member of the Inquisition. Even Inquisitorial Stormtroopers all have Rosettes painted on their carapace armors.

Anyone would take a beared of a Rosette seriosly, but its not a licence to do everything. Showing one to say, Lord Sector Hax will have him treat you with respect, but he would also send word to the Inquisision to verify this before doing anything potential stupid like sending all his forces to attack someone etc.

If you want your acolytes to go undercover and have plausible denyability, you don't necessarily give them Rosettes, but if there is little need for secrecy I see no reason NOT for the Inquisitor to allow this.

If he doesen't want it though or doesen't trust them completely they could be given fake IDs as Arbitrators or Magistratum officers, or agent in the employ of a powerful noble house.

Honestly, I think so. The Imperium seems to embody the essence of the proverb "if all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail." I mean seriously, we're talking about the galactic civilization whose idea of surgical is a Space Marine assault. Subtlety is not exactly a deep skill for them. Gav Thorpe's Last Chancers and Kill Team novels exemplify the aspects I mean.

I also am fond of Sandy Mitchell's (psuedonym) Scourge the Heretic in which one of two guardsmen inducted into the Inquisitor's network is given a Rosette within two days.

I think the writs and charters and myriad buracratic bs are the exception, not the rule.

Jonathan

So, 3 of the original players were not available again so their characters were rendered unconscious by an anomalous event. The rest of the party defeated Brutus, Lord Malice and the last Heavy somewhat handily (the assassin shot Lord Malice down with a righteous fury sniper shot). Tank was trying to bust a hole for Dr. Muscle to flee, the group caught up and managed to beat Tank down. Dr Muscle tried his best to escape but they group wrestled him down and tied him up, dragging him off to the Inquistor.

Next session will start with an AAR and personal interviews with the Inquisitor and his deciscion regarding the acolytes future.

jonathan_sicari said:

Sounds like they had fun. But yet again, sucks with having players, especially originals not being able to attend.

Do to moving at least two of those original players (possibly all three) are withdrawing from the game. I'm glad that at least I have the intro over so when I go to the more undercover operation that follows I know who I can count on.

No game last night. One player couldn't make it and I had not gotten enough sleep so opted for a little socialization then getting a nap before I went to work.

Tonight's session was mostly roleplay with a few dice rolls. The Inquisitor has opted to issue out Rosettes to the remaining PCs (the players who will continue in the game) and ordered them to establish themselves in the underhive to seek out Heresy! Arbitrater Payne has done some research utilizing the local Arbitrater records to learn about the local gangs (Sisters of Doom, Sons of Silence and Skin Trade) that operated around the Sicari Sanguine's territory. A local has informed them that there are "Always Mutants down by the Water Sumps!" so they may do a scouting mission in that direction. The Assassin Jaghatai has contacted his Order locally (ubiquitous Assassin's order) hoping to get some "work" that will enable him to learn the lay of the underworld. Sister Sadriel and Adept Haxtus concentrated on beginning to fortify the down hive building that they have chosen to use as their HQ/base. They are developing friendly relations with the local "shaman" who is the only medical source within a 40 block radius (treat as feral world shaman).

Didn't have a regular session this week but did handle the assassin's side trip (two assassinations). One went relatively well, during the other, crappy dice rolls ended up with the target finally dieing when his aircar crashed into a Hive hab block and exploded (I arbitrarily ruled 100 fatalities and countless injured).

I'm thinking of having one of Dr. Muscles old customers showing up (maybe a Killsquad trooper with the injector implant (holds 10 doses of up to 4 drugs, ghostfire, slam, slaught and stimm maybe?).

Ok, had the full group tonight.

1st event: Local Prostitutes come by to pay their "rent", Kate shortchanges the party 3 thrones "seems very sincere". Next session, Kate will be roughed up by Sons of Silence gangers encroaching on the old Sicari Sanguine territory.

2nd event: Old customer of Dr. Muscle comes by, drops off a delivery for him that turns out to be 3000 doses of Ghostfire Pollen Extract. Party argues amongst self as to what to do, turns to =][= to settle arguement, he orders them to turn in to Administratum. Jaghatai learns probable source of extract is the Escobar Cartel. Party discusses options as well as how much they wish to try to get from =][= for "startup expenses". =][= is willing to give up to 10000thrones as good job award.

Friend of the Dork said:

Players regularly seem to confuse the Inquisitorial Seal and the Rosette. Some of it is due to inattention, but some of it seems to stem from the game writers blurring between their own understandind of the two beginning in the IH. Some of the writers seem to indicate that there is a difference, and in some places the writers seem to think the Seal and Rosette are one and the same. Makes a real mess for this sort of thing.